When Grace Takes Root

St. Paul’s (SPL) is tucked in the tiny hamlet of Leaskdale, Ontario, a farming community with a small subdivision of 50 homes. Thirty years ago, St. Paul’s was a declining and aging congregation with only 40 in attendance. The congregation prayed for a future different from the closure they were facing. They agreed to be open to change and to be more welcoming. Today, SPL has four hundred in attendance each Sunday, with over 1,000 people who call SPL their home.

We provided clear reasons for why we were building—not for ourselves, but for those who did not yet know Jesus as Lord.

What’s remarkable about our church is what God is doing. We pray for—and continually witness—lives transformed. Our Lord has given us gifts such as evangelism and leadership, and we work intentionally to equip our people to rise into those gifts to strengthen the church and reach into the lives of those around us.

Over the years, we have faced significant challenges. The first was the very real threat of closure. The second came when we outgrew our 100-year-old building. Suddenly we found ourselves discerning options that none of us imagined we would ever face. The best path forward proved to be leaving our beloved old building to construct a new one—an undertaking of $3.5 million, well beyond what most of us thought possible. We did our diligence: we hired a fundraising organization, secured a $1M mortgage, asked congregants for pledges and gifts, and offered modest GIC-like returns on monies invested in the build. And we prayed. Crucially, we provided clear reasons for why we were building—not for ourselves, but for those who did not yet know Jesus as Lord. God was (and is!) good, and our people rose to the challenge. The building was paid off in just four years.

More recently, we experienced significant staff upheaval. Seeking clarity, we engaged two consultants who helped us walk through a renewed vision and values process. We were later able to hire one of those consultants, who has now become our Executive Pastor. Under her leadership, a new and younger team guides the congregation forward.

We know we could always do better, and to that end we have committed to a steady, shared practice of prayer. Prayer shapes every Monday morning staff meeting. Each Wednesday, Senior Leadership team members dedicate a couple of hours to prayer, and every Sunday morning begins with prayer before worship. We have held days of prayer and recently completed 24 hours of continuous prayer and fasting, asking our Lord for his favour and direction. We believe God answered specific and important prayers from that time together.

We have also benefited from solid policies and procedures. That may sound dry as dust, but under our Executive Pastor’s leadership, these structures have cultivated a life-giving work environment. Team members are paid well, cared for intentionally, and given stretch assignments that allow them to grow into their full gifting.

The congregation remains well informed, with regular opportunities to serve, lead, and give.

Team members are paid well, cared for intentionally, and given stretch assignments that allow them to grow into their full gifting.

Through all of this, we hold tightly to the truth that the Kingdom of God is not at risk—even while our planet can feel at risk daily. That may sound simple, but it anchors us. We cherish the stories of lives being transformed and shaped into the likeness of Jesus. And yet, there are others who fall away or leave disgruntled. Human stories rise and fall; a pastor’s heart tethered only to those stories will be pulled in every direction. But the kingdoms of this world have become the Kingdom of our God and of his Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.

I would advise those entering ministry to remember that Jesus is Lord. He told us to go into the world to make disciples and to teach them to obey everything he commanded. Give yourself to making disciples. Jesus promised to be with us to the end. That call and this opportunity are just as important now as they were in 33 A.D. Invite the Spirit of Jesus into your life now, learn the Spirit’s voice, and obey the prompts. You will fail without depending on—and being empowered by—the Holy Spirit; with the Holy Spirit, you cannot fail.

Come, Holy Spirit.

Andrew Allison has been Lead Pastor at St. Paul’s Leaskdale since 1995. He and his wife Colleen have 4 adult sons and 3 grandchildren who make life a whole lot of fun.