More than a building

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	Writer Christine Kampen chats with club participants. Eating cookies in the kitchen. Craft time creations.

MCM Travelogue: Our stories in god's story #5
January 05

"So what in the world is a Mennonite?" Carol Thiessen asks of the group of sweaty kids sprawled all over the banquet room at Bethel Mennonite Church. Thiessen tells her audience that as a Mennonite, she is called to help people. "We can't just be a building," she says, "not inviting you in. As Mennonites, we want to help other people. And we do that because of our faith." This is the reason why the Neighbourhood Club exists.

When Bethel Mennonite Church paved its parking lot in the early 1990s, the neighbourhood kids were pretty excited. There are not many places to play in this low-income area. The freshly paved lot was an excellent place to set up some nets for street hockey. Because of the initiative of some Bethel members inviting the kids into the church, parking-lot hockey soon turned to banquet-hall hockey, and Neighbourhood Club was born.

These days, the Neighbourhood Club brings between 15-25 young people between the ages of 7 and 18 to the Bethel Mennonite Church banquet room and basement every Tuesday evening at 6:30 pm. One group goes upstairs to strap on pads and burn energy playing floor hockey together, while the other group goes downstairs to get sticky and creative doing a variety of crafts. After a while, everyone gathers in the banquet room for "talk time" with one of the 11 Bethel volunteers, and snack, which is juice and cookies baked by an army of Bethel Omas.

Carol Thiessen has been a volunteer with Neighbourhood Club for 7 years. She has watched many children from the area grow up at Neighbourhood Club. She recalls events that encourage the integration and involvement of the Neighbourhood Clubbers into the events of the church. In past years, the kids have written and performed their own dramas for the church as a fundraiser. In addition, they have served at the annual winter BBQ that raises money for the Club, and also for the camp fund. Bethel has been dedicated about sending as many children to camp as they can. Two years ago, the funds raised at the winter BBQ allowed almost thirty kids from the community to go to camp. Reynold Friesen, youth pastor at Bethel since the fall, says that "the generosity of this church is unbelievable," when it comes to supporting the community.

Thiessen stresses the importance of the "fabric of programs", including camp, that Bethel is involved in that help the children grow. Bethel has also been involved with Carter Day Care for many years, which was started with the immediate community in mind. Many of the kids at Neighbourhood Club are "graduates" of the daycare, or have attended the Homework Room at Harrow School that Bethel has been involved in.

In the past few years, there has been a growing emphasis on being very open about why the Neighbourhood Club exists, and talking about and encouraging faith. Some of the regular attendees of Neighbourhood Club have also become regulars at other Bethel programs, like Youth and Sunday School, something that Thiessen says is slowly becoming more a focus for the Club."This is about walking along side them," she says.

I asked a few of the kids what their favourite parts about Neighbourhood Club are. Some like the arts and crafts best, some like the floor hockey. "It's fun here," says Pramini Perera, "and people here are nice." Shannon McQuarie starting coming to Neighbourhood Club years ago, tagging after her older brother. Now it has become a place of her own. "It's a safe place," she says. "You can forget about all your worries. Tuesday is my favourite day of the week."

The age span of the kids is one of the most remarkable things about it. It doesn't seem to matter how old you are, you are still a part of the group. But what would keep people coming back for so many years? Alex Johnston has been coming to Neighbourhood Club since the program began when he was five years old. "It's fun," he says. More than that, however, is the fact that he can watch the younger kids grow up and change, become who they are meant to be. "You can watch the kids progress," he says.

This is the face of Neighbourhood Club at Bethel Mennonite Church. Pramini, Shannon, Alex, Carol, Steve, Carson, Evan, Kylie, Lauren, Sandy … and so many others. It is a safe place for people to come together on Tuesday evenings, share, get to know one another and have some fun. Bethel Mennonite Church has taken the call to be more than a building seriously. Go take a look at the Neighbourhood Club, and you'll see.

Christine Kampen is a young adult currently attending Douglas Mennonite Church in Winnipeg.

"Our stories in God's story" celebrates some of the ways MCM congregations are participating in God's story in their communities.

…an initiative of MCM Evangelism and Service Ministries.

If you have comments or ideas for a story, please contact Norm Voth, Director of Evangelism and Service Ministries.