Sunnyside
Church,
ottawa, ont.
Children take part in “creative storytelling” at
a summer vacation bible school class. Families
and young children now make up a large percentage of the members at Sunnyside Church.
SUPPLIED PHOTO
A focus on university students has brought much life to this
established Wesleyan congregation.
Sunnyside Wesleyan Church in Ottawa ( www.sunnyside churchottawa.com) recognizes life is messy and some- times complicated.
“However, we believe that Jesus can be found in the middle
of our lives whether life is going well or not,” adds senior pastor
Brent Russett. That leads to the church goal of trying to help
people encounter the life-changing love of God, including a wide
range of newcomers and long-time members.
ministries to Students
“The community in which a church is located defines part of its
mission,” says Russett. For Sunnyside that community includes
students from nearby universities, and the congregation is ris-
ing to the challenge of reaching out to them. They all know that
students who don’t connect strongly with church during their
university years won’t likely attend church after graduation.