EIGHTY-EIGHT & STRATHCONA STORY

In 2001 the leadership of NLV began to seek God’s direction as to how our church was to continue to grow in a healthy way. We had experienced significant increase in numbers in the previous couple of years and we wanted to be faithful in preparing for future expansion of our church. The strength of leadership made it possible for us to pursue a multi-congregational model - maximizing synergy in mission while keeping community smaller and accessible. We believed that God was calling us as a community to see the continuous reproduction of smaller congregations where there was high level participation and commitment and where people would be able to live like a “family” with a better sense of knowing one another. We believed that this model would be relationally and structurally connected as one church.

Therefore every church community has a character or personality. Our NLV Community personality would best be described with words like: 

  • Relational 
  • Informal 
  • Authentic 
  • Collaborative

Eighty-Eight Story

The Eighty-Eight congregation began as a congregation in 2001, meeting in the cafeteria of a local school on a Sunday evening. In 2004, we moved to another location as another local church (Walnut Grove Lutheran Church) was kindly willing to share their facility with us for our evening services. Today we continue to meet in this venue every Sunday and then throughout the week in smaller groups. 

Strathcona Story

The Strathcona congregation began in January 2005.  We started by meeting in a friends' Living room every other Sunday for the first 10 months. Towards the end of that year we were able to find a larger place in the downtown eastside for our "worship gatherings" which we continue to have every other Sunday. On the alternate Sundays we gather in smaller groups and have church in one another’s homes.

Eighty-Eight & Strathcona Shared Practices

  • Meeting weekly or bi-weekly as congregations to worship, pray and eat together in the presence of Jesus, telling the foundational biblical story and learning how to live that story out and for mutual support and sharing
  • Gathering in small groups or 'house' groups to share our lives
  • Gathering for prayer and other spiritual practices
  • Working on behalf of the poor, including serving and building relationships with poor and marginalized people 
  • Creativity, including but not limited to, songwriting, visual arts, creative writing and performing arts
  • Intentional gatherings outside of Sunday meetings to pursue mentoring and discipleship
  • Extending hospitality to one another 
  • Youth and children’s groups