SunRidge Community Church (Westside, British Columbia, Canada)
In 1997, the Mennonite Brethren Board of Church Extension decided it would be prudent to initiate a church plant in the Westbank area of what is now the Westside District Municipality, British Columbia (across Okanagan Lake from Kelowna). Michael and Teresa Klassen were asked to lead this new congregation, called SunRidge Community Church, and the first service was held in October at Rose Valley Elementary School. From the beginning, people from others churches and denominations assisted with the Sunday worship services held in the gym during the first half year. In 1998 it had an attendance of 70 and joined the British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches.
Eventually, the congregation began to meet in the conference room at the local Comfort Inn, but since the music was too loud for the hotel guests, the church needed to find another location at which to meet. During the summer, SunRidge met on the Hudson School field for worship services and then at Mt. Boucherie Senior Secondary for the next three years.
When a mortgage became more feasible than their rental costs, SunRidge purchased the Old Butterfly World Building on the corner of Westlake and Stevens. Extensive renovations took place in the year 2000 through the collaborative efforts of various volunteers and donations by individuals and churches.
Bibliography
Klassen, Michael. "SunRidge Community Church." Personal e-mail (July 19, 2007).
Mennonite Brethren Herald (12 June 1998) http://old.mbconf.ca/mb/mbh3711/bc.htm (accessed 19 May 2008).
Additional Information
Address: 1190 Stevens Road, Kelowna BC V1Z 1G1
Phone: 250-769-7612
Web site: www.sunridge.org
Denominational Affiliations:
British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1998-present)
Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1998-present)
General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1998-2002)
SunRidge Community Church Membership
| Year | Members | Attendance |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 12 | |
| 2004 | 21 | |
| 2010 | 80 | 200 |
| 2015 | 50 | 130 |
| 2020 | 47 | 93 |
Maps
Map:SunRidge Community Church (Westside, BC)
| Author(s) | Andrew Klager |
|---|---|
| Richard D. Thiessen | |
| Date Published | June 2023 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Klager, Andrew and Richard D. Thiessen. "SunRidge Community Church (Westside, British Columbia, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. June 2023. Web. 19 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=SunRidge_Community_Church_(Westside,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=175886.
APA style
Klager, Andrew and Richard D. Thiessen. (June 2023). SunRidge Community Church (Westside, British Columbia, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 19 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=SunRidge_Community_Church_(Westside,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=175886.
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