New church campus offers outreach for Winnipeg’s Exchange community
WINNIPEG, MB—What does it take to live out the Christian life Monday to Friday? Eastview Community Church is helping people find out at a new "campus" they recently opened in the Exchange District.
The 'church campus,' called One88 for its location at 188 Princess, is an inviting, Christ-centred setting where people can gather to discuss faith-based issues over hot coffee and baked goods, or express their faith through art, music and other activities.
Pastor Dave Ens says One88 is not just a "great place to hang out and drink good coffee," but also a faith community in action.
"We want to be an expressive community. Whatever gifts people have, we want them to be able to use this space for it," he explains, adding that every three weeks One88 holds a Christian jam session where people are invited to play music together.
One88's warm coffee-shop setting is currently used as a gathering place for Alpha sessions on Tuesdays, activities for university and college students on Wednesdays, and Christ-centred discussions on Thursdays.
"This is about Christian community in conversation," Ens says.
Part of the reason Eastview chose the Exchange District for its One88 community was its central location.
"We have a place in a good proximity to invite people to come." Ens says, adding the building is also being used to help men coming out of prison who are looking for a place to connect with others.
"We realize how significant it is for these guys to have a community around them and we now have place where we can invite them to come," Ens says. He adds that because the building was formerly a restaurant, it has huge potential for growth.
The idea for the campus community was born more than two years ago when the members of Eastview Community Church, roughly 700 in total, asked themselves what Christianity looked like after Sunday morning.
Located on Winnipeg's northeast perimeter, Eastview wanted to develop a centrally located space for people to live out their faith throughout the week.
While not everyone in the congregation uses One88, members are supporting it in diverse ways—from baking and cooking for various activities, to helping with building maintence, or offering finances to aide in the campus development.
"There are people [at Eastview] who will never come here. Others are very involved and come here two to three times a week," Ens says.
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