Christian Fellowship Church

Address:

489 Abercrombie Rd, New Glasgow, NS B2H 1L3, (902) 755-1500

Denomination:

Non-denominational evangelical

*On this visit, we had special guest, Julia Stellings, attend with us. Julia has graciously offered her feedback about her experience and we are excited to include it with our typical review. All of her comments are in italics.*

*Due to insurance reasons, RVs are not currently permitted to stay in the parking lot overnight at this location. We will notify if this changes in the future.*

Is there adequate parking and is the building wheelchair accessible?

Bill is always interested in the accessibility of the different churches we attend and this time, we had the wonderful opportunity of having his daughter, Julia, attend with us, who needs wheelchair accessibility.

Bill: The parking lot was large and accessible. We had difficulty locating the accessibility parking location and after contacting a church member, a portable ramp was brought out and we were able to park right by the back door. At that point, the building was very accessible and Julia was able to access the building adequately and safely. It probably would have been complimentary (and we brought this to the attention of attendants at the church) to have proper signage installed to indicated accessible parking location and where to enter the building, Which is to the rear, not the front door, and was hard to locate.

Julia: This Sunday, I went to an evangelical church. I was absolutely delighted that they had a Electric Hydraulic lift for wheelchairs to get up the stairs and into the service room. They also had an accessible bathroom that was close  by. I asked to sit at the very front, as I love to see everyone  up close, and was offered a seat behind the pastor.

Is there (accurate) information about service times available online?

Everything you need to know about visiting Christian Fellowship, as well as upcoming activities and course offerings, is available here: https://christianfellowship.ca/

Atmosphere/First Impressions:

The general atmosphere was quite pleasant and warming. The greeters at the door, Mike and Holly, were very helpful in helping Julia into the building and up the stairs to the main floor. The entrance is really just that, with a split level staircase...the stairs going up lead to the foyer, a large open area with a water fountain and coffee bar, attended by three ladies. Off the foyer are doors leading to administration and pastor's offices, accessible washrooms, and two double doors that lead to the sanctuary. The overall atmosphere was very cozy and clean feeling.

Were tea and coffee served (before or after service)?

Coffee was served in the foyer before the service. Cupcakes were provided afterwards because this weekend was a celebration of the high school and university graduates in their congregation. The cupcakes were exceptionally delicious.

Band or No? if so, what instruments?

The band consisted of a full drum kit (behind a noise barrier), electric guitar, bass, and keyboards, along with several singers.

Bill: Being a firm critic of the different music in churches we have attended, I found the music here quite pleasant and probably the best worship team musically, of anywhere we have attended in Nova Scotia. The vocals seemed a little light and hard to hear. It was hard to make out the words. The music definitely shifted gears smoothly and made it to top gear.

Describe the music:

Bill: The music involved several members and was loud enough to enjoy. There was a lot of emphasis on the music, which (for the most part) was quite enjoyable. Modern and upbeat music. With the words projected on the overhead projector screen, it was somewhat easy to follow along, but there wasn't a lot of the audience participation that you would generally find. The music was accompanied by one male and two female vocalists, which got the job done. In my opinion, it was able to get into high gear.

Julia: The band was passionate.

Order of Service:

No order of service was provided, but there was a sheet of paper on every chair with volunteer opportunities in the community.

Congregration Demographics:

Fairly well attended, there may have been seventy or so people there, of various ages. There were a number of children present and many teenagers and young adults.

Seating:

The main sanctuary (where the services are held) seats a couple hundred at least.

Kelli: I attended this church decades ago, when the original wooden pews were in there. At that time, the Fire Marshall allowed three hundred people at one time in the sanctuary, but now there are chairs instead of pews.

Do they have Sunday School and is there a kids’ program?

Yes, the children were called out of the main sanctuary to go downstairs for Sunday school before the sermon began.

Message and Scripture references:

Julia: There didn't seem to be a clear message from the Bible. I was looking forward to a sermon with a wonderful message to get me through the week, but they were only concerned it seemed to getting their congregation to spread the word of Jesus and to invite people to their exclusive study groups. The take away from the message was to give more money toward the summer programs and a second offering was taken up at the end of the service. We heard one piece of scripture only in the beginning when we were reminded Jesus is the way the truth and the light.

Prayers:

Bill: Spontaneous prayers were delivered with a decent amount of enthusiasm by Pastor Jeff.

Offering: Introduction, method of collection, is e-transfer available?

Two offerings were collected during the service. The first offering was the regular one where you pay your tithes, etc. The second offering was collected for community outreach. Envelopes are provided for tithing. It's good to come prepared with cash.

Who runs the service?

Pastor Jeff MacDougall

Baptism performed? (Adult or Baby):

No

Sacrements: Communion (if it happened), did they use wine or grape juice? Wafers or bread cubes?

No sacraments were received.

How much standing/activity required during service:

We had to stand a few times during some of the songs, but it wasn't excessive.

Hours of Service: Did it end promptly, did it go over?

The service started on time at 10:30am and ended shortly after twelve noon.

Recommended Attire/ Dress:

Business casual.

Does the church offer continuing Education for spiritual growth?

The Alpha course is being offered this coming fall at Christian Fellowship. See the website for details.

Washrooms/Accessibility/Number/Review:

The two washrooms on the main floor are accessible. The washrooms in the basement are accessible, as well, but I believe you have to enter the basement through a door around the back of the building.

Review of facility:

This is a spacious and useful facility, with a full kitchen and lower auditorium. However, the building is not available to rent by the pubic.

Option of rent any facility?

Year constructed/Resurrection date? : The building was erected in the late 1980's. Christian Fellowship church, as an organization, formed sometime int he mid-80's.

Reflections (personal experiences, learning opportunities):

Julia: The paster quoted the Bible verse about planting a seed and bringing in harvest as a metaphor to bring others to Christ. You can't only plant the idea, but you must watch  it grow, not only that, but you reap the harvest that comes in.

The assistant paster spoke  about  when she first was told about Christ. She told us she  turned her back and she said “it makes me want to cry just thinking about it,“ but she was so grateful to the person  that  came back again  and again to tell her about Jesus.

 Every member of the church is like family and are extremely valued and praised. I could tell they felt like they raised the high school students that were brought in the front of service.  They congratulated every high school student and stated where they were going  to university or college.

They had bible study for the children.

The vibes however were somewhat uncomfortable. They talked in a rather strange tone that could feel condescending and insincere . They wanted to demonstrate (I suppose) how the love of Christ and the holy spirit can fill your heart and soul with love and peace.  As if to say you can be as happy as me as loved and as complete, if you believe what I believe. They held their hands up in the air as if that was how they believed one received the holy spirit. They often said “AMEN” and repeated phases. It gave me a creepy vibe. The pastor was intense and also spoke in the same tone, as if he was talking to children. He  said the purpose of faith  was to  bring others to Jesus and to know the holy spirit.

After I left the church I was (condescendingly) asked “ Do you know christ?“ I  knew what this question assumed and it made me quite angry. He was going to use this opportunity to share his churche's view and how it is the only way to know Christ. I happily interrupted him and said “ Ooohoh yes! I do! I am very passionate about God! I have known Him since I was 7 years old. 

I did, however, feel God's love and presence in these people. There was a wonderful sense of community. Everyone was kind.

Bill and Kelli's Top Three Pros and Cons for Christian Fellowship Church:

Pros:

1. Accessibility has clearly been made a priority.

2. Service information is easily available online through the website and social media.

3. Very friendly crowd, welcoming, lots of people came to talk and greet us.

Cons:

1. Accessible parking/entrance was initially hard to find.

2. The focus of the sermon was more on giving and reaching the community, no real spiritual lesson, which all of us missed. We were looking forward to inspiration.

3. A lot of focus was around money and encouraging people to give.

~

Any opinions expressed by Bill and Kelli are meant for informational and entertainment purposes only and are not meant to represent the opinions or beliefs of the various organizations involved.

Please feel free to email us at Bill@godwilling.me or Kelli@godwilling.me with any questions or concerns about the service we attended.

~