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How a forward-thinking minister built a vibrant, growing and important community in Calgary
ANNALISE KLINGBEIL, CALGARY HERALD
More from Annalise Klingbeil, Calgary Herald
Published on: August 25, 2015 | Last Updated: August 25, 2015 6:27 PM MDT
John Pentland, Minister at Hillhurst United Church in Kensington, was photographed outside the church on Tuesday, August 25. GAVIN YOUNG / CALGARY HERALD
John Pentland stood alone on the steps of a brick church in the heart of Kensington one Sunday morning and looked across the street at a growing lineup forming outside a trendy breakfast joint.
Pentland surveyed the crowd of children, students, parents, and seniors waiting to enter the eatery, then walked into the church and posed a question to the small congregation inside.
“What do we have to do so there’s a lineup here?” asked Pentland, the Reverend at Hillhurst United Church.
The few people sitting in the church’s many wooden pews laughed, and so did Pentland. The task seemed impossible.
But, surprisingly, a decade after Pentland asked that question, there’s regularly a crowd outside his church on Sunday mornings.
As membership in the United Church of Canada shrinks and churches across the country shut their doors, Hillhurst United has bucked the trend.
Pentland has been at the helm as the church has more than quadrupled its membership, added a second service, and transformed into an important gathering place in a trendy neighbourhood.
“It’s taken ten years but now there’s a lineup to get in. It’s quite amazing,” said Pentland. “It’s young people, different generations, children and families.”
Located steps from a wine market, boutique stores, restaurants, and even a bar in a shipping container, Hillhurst United has become a community hub.
More than 400 Calgarians, including atheists, agnostics, and people from a range of religious denominations, regularly show up for weekly Sunday worship services at the century-old building. A decade ago, an average of 75 people sat in the pews and children were non-existent.
The organization’s budget has grown from $120,000 a year in 2005 to more than $850,000 annually and today, the church hosts an array of community-building activities including Sunday lunches, monthly breakfasts, spirit yoga, children and teen groups, and regular activities like “Bibles, Bikes and Beverages,” where members ride bikes and enjoy a drink and discussion.
The changes have happened at a time when church attendance across the western world has declined.
After peaking at more than 1 million members in the 1960s, the United Church of Canada gradually began losing members. Nationally, the church had 450,886 members in 2013, with an average weekly attendance of around 150,000 people.
Gone are the days of people clamouring to get in the doors of churches, which were long considered the anchors of a community. Statistically, one church shuts down every week in Canada, said Pentland, yet he believes we’re experiencing the “most exciting spiritual time ever.”
“People are searching for meaning and they want a place to belong. They want a place to question,” he said.
“People think church is boring, it’s out of date, they think it’s irrelevant, they think it’s judgmental. We’ve got a lot going against us … But they come and they have fun, and they laugh, and it’s meaningful, and joyful, and it’s amazing.”
Ray Pennings, executive vice-president and co-founder of Cardus, a religion and society think-tank, said a sense of community is important, whether it’s found in a workplace, family, geographic community, or church group.
“Being together, being a support provides a depth and texture to our existence and experience that makes life much more humane,” Pennings said.
While many people find community through electronic means nowadays, Pennings said humans are social beings who find meaning and fulfilment in sharing life with others beyond a computer screen.
“I can have a great Facebook or Twitter conversation, but if I’m truly hurting, it doesn’t replace a hug. We’re physical creatures. Space and place is important,” he said.
When Pentland took the reigns at Hillhurst United in 2004, following a three-year stint as a project manager with the United Way of Calgary, he brought with him new-found knowledge about leadership, engagement and the importance of community.
Pentland was told the church’s shrinking congregation meant he might be the last reverend the church had, so he could do and try whatever he wanted.
“I was given the freedom, by the congregation, to lead,” he said.
The minister had his work cut out for him and he approached the task with curiosity, vigour and passion. Pentland thought long and hard about what needed to be done so people would want to come to church.
He worked to engage the community and let people know the gathering place existed and that everyone was welcome. Minor changes included putting a sandwich board outside the building, that mirrored the ones at nearby pubs and restaurants, and advertised ‘Happy Hour on Sunday at 11 a.m.’
Pentland preached on modern topics, including the mommy-porn book 50 Shades of Grey and a series called ‘Reel Theology’ that examined spiritual connections in popular movies.
The church held quirky events, like an Earth Day bike blessing and an annual pet blessing.
Pentland put a small rainbow pride flag on the front door of the old brick building and made it known the church was a welcoming, inclusive place for all people.
One Sunday morning, Pentland spoke to a church attendee who told him she’d never been to a wedding, funeral or baptism.
“I’ve never been to church before. What do I need to know?” she asked.
He’s thought about her every Sunday since and he approaches weekly worship by reminding himself there will be people in the building who’ve never been inside a church.
“Church shouldn’t be a hidden group, you don’t need to know secret handshakes,” he said.
“Church is a valuable place to share stories, draw solidarity, be in silence, laugh together, cry together. It’s a meeting place.”
Overtime, Pentland found his tactics were working. The congregation was growing and the church was transforming into a popular, inclusive meeting place where everyone was welcome.
After delivering a sermon on nine tips that helped Hillhurst United innovate, Pentland was encouraged to expand his thoughts into a book, which he started writing more than a year ago.
That book is now complete and an official launch for Pentland’s work, titled ‘Fishing Tips: How Curiosity Transformed a Community of Faith,’ will take place on Sept. 2 at 7 p.m. at Hillhurst United.
The book examines the last decade at the church and how the community has grown by “throwing its nets on the other side of convention.”
Pentland believes leaders at non-profit organizations, community groups, and businesses can learn from the church, and this fall, he’s leading a monthly business lunch series that focuses on tips presented in the book.
And as other churches across the country rethink what they’re doing and why, Pentland said they too can learn from what’s happened in the heart of Kensington.
“Same old, same old doesn’t work. Churches need to figure out who they are and what they can do best,” he said.
Over the last decade, Pentland has guided the congregation at Hillhurst United as its grappled with those questions, and the minister is looking forward to continuing to innovate at the historic church.
He’s hopeful the doors will stay open for years to come, and a lineup will continue to form outside the brick building on Sunday mornings long into the future.
ANNALISE KLINGBEIL, CALGARY HERALDMore from Annalise Klingbeil, Calgary Herald
Published on: August 25, 2015 | Last Updated: August 25, 2015 6:27 PM MDT
John Pentland, Minister at Hillhurst United Church in Kensington, was photographed outside the church on Tuesday, August 25. GAVIN YOUNG / CALGARY HERALD
John Pentland stood alone on the steps of a brick church in the heart of Kensington one Sunday morning and looked across the street at a growing lineup forming outside a trendy breakfast joint.
Pentland surveyed the crowd of children, students, parents, and seniors waiting to enter the eatery, then walked into the church and posed a question to the small congregation inside.
“What do we have to do so there’s a lineup here?” asked Pentland, the Reverend at Hillhurst United Church.
The few people sitting in the church’s many wooden pews laughed, and so did Pentland. The task seemed impossible.
But, surprisingly, a decade after Pentland asked that question, there’s regularly a crowd outside his church on Sunday mornings.
As membership in the United Church of Canada shrinks and churches across the country shut their doors, Hillhurst United has bucked the trend.
Pentland has been at the helm as the church has more than quadrupled its membership, added a second service, and transformed into an important gathering place in a trendy neighbourhood.
“It’s taken ten years but now there’s a lineup to get in. It’s quite amazing,” said Pentland. “It’s young people, different generations, children and families.”
Located steps from a wine market, boutique stores, restaurants, and even a bar in a shipping container, Hillhurst United has become a community hub.
More than 400 Calgarians, including atheists, agnostics, and people from a range of religious denominations, regularly show up for weekly Sunday worship services at the century-old building. A decade ago, an average of 75 people sat in the pews and children were non-existent.
The organization’s budget has grown from $120,000 a year in 2005 to more than $850,000 annually and today, the church hosts an array of community-building activities including Sunday lunches, monthly breakfasts, spirit yoga, children and teen groups, and regular activities like “Bibles, Bikes and Beverages,” where members ride bikes and enjoy a drink and discussion.
The changes have happened at a time when church attendance across the western world has declined.
After peaking at more than 1 million members in the 1960s, the United Church of Canada gradually began losing members. Nationally, the church had 450,886 members in 2013, with an average weekly attendance of around 150,000 people.
Gone are the days of people clamouring to get in the doors of churches, which were long considered the anchors of a community. Statistically, one church shuts down every week in Canada, said Pentland, yet he believes we’re experiencing the “most exciting spiritual time ever.”
“People are searching for meaning and they want a place to belong. They want a place to question,” he said.
“People think church is boring, it’s out of date, they think it’s irrelevant, they think it’s judgmental. We’ve got a lot going against us … But they come and they have fun, and they laugh, and it’s meaningful, and joyful, and it’s amazing.”
Ray Pennings, executive vice-president and co-founder of Cardus, a religion and society think-tank, said a sense of community is important, whether it’s found in a workplace, family, geographic community, or church group.
“Being together, being a support provides a depth and texture to our existence and experience that makes life much more humane,” Pennings said.
While many people find community through electronic means nowadays, Pennings said humans are social beings who find meaning and fulfilment in sharing life with others beyond a computer screen.
“I can have a great Facebook or Twitter conversation, but if I’m truly hurting, it doesn’t replace a hug. We’re physical creatures. Space and place is important,” he said.
When Pentland took the reigns at Hillhurst United in 2004, following a three-year stint as a project manager with the United Way of Calgary, he brought with him new-found knowledge about leadership, engagement and the importance of community.
Pentland was told the church’s shrinking congregation meant he might be the last reverend the church had, so he could do and try whatever he wanted.
“I was given the freedom, by the congregation, to lead,” he said.
The minister had his work cut out for him and he approached the task with curiosity, vigour and passion. Pentland thought long and hard about what needed to be done so people would want to come to church.
He worked to engage the community and let people know the gathering place existed and that everyone was welcome. Minor changes included putting a sandwich board outside the building, that mirrored the ones at nearby pubs and restaurants, and advertised ‘Happy Hour on Sunday at 11 a.m.’
Pentland preached on modern topics, including the mommy-porn book 50 Shades of Grey and a series called ‘Reel Theology’ that examined spiritual connections in popular movies.
The church held quirky events, like an Earth Day bike blessing and an annual pet blessing.
Pentland put a small rainbow pride flag on the front door of the old brick building and made it known the church was a welcoming, inclusive place for all people.
One Sunday morning, Pentland spoke to a church attendee who told him she’d never been to a wedding, funeral or baptism.
“I’ve never been to church before. What do I need to know?” she asked.
He’s thought about her every Sunday since and he approaches weekly worship by reminding himself there will be people in the building who’ve never been inside a church.
“Church shouldn’t be a hidden group, you don’t need to know secret handshakes,” he said.
“Church is a valuable place to share stories, draw solidarity, be in silence, laugh together, cry together. It’s a meeting place.”
Overtime, Pentland found his tactics were working. The congregation was growing and the church was transforming into a popular, inclusive meeting place where everyone was welcome.
After delivering a sermon on nine tips that helped Hillhurst United innovate, Pentland was encouraged to expand his thoughts into a book, which he started writing more than a year ago.
That book is now complete and an official launch for Pentland’s work, titled ‘Fishing Tips: How Curiosity Transformed a Community of Faith,’ will take place on Sept. 2 at 7 p.m. at Hillhurst United.
The book examines the last decade at the church and how the community has grown by “throwing its nets on the other side of convention.”
Pentland believes leaders at non-profit organizations, community groups, and businesses can learn from the church, and this fall, he’s leading a monthly business lunch series that focuses on tips presented in the book.
And as other churches across the country rethink what they’re doing and why, Pentland said they too can learn from what’s happened in the heart of Kensington.
“Same old, same old doesn’t work. Churches need to figure out who they are and what they can do best,” he said.
Over the last decade, Pentland has guided the congregation at Hillhurst United as its grappled with those questions, and the minister is looking forward to continuing to innovate at the historic church.
He’s hopeful the doors will stay open for years to come, and a lineup will continue to form outside the brick building on Sunday mornings long into the future.
