Central Community Church opening for Easter service

For lead pastor Bill Markham it’s more than serendipity or coincidence that the new York Road location of Central Community Church will open its doors for the first time for an Easter Sunday service this weekend.

“I believe that there is an order and a reason for everything,” Markham says, standing in the large, spacious foyer. “Not only are we getting to open on Easter Sunday, the highlight of our calendar, but people are able to come without registering and we can actually have a mass celebration. I give credit to God for that. He knew the timing would be perfect.”

This weekend’s opening is the fulfilment of a dream that began with an idea about 14 years ago, when it became clear that Central’s 900-capacity Scott Street church was beginning to burst at the seams. A fundraising campaign was begun, and ground was broken on the new site in 2019. Construction delays forced by two years of the pandemic did slow things down for much of 2020, but project manager and congregation member Grant McArthur says the $20 million building is ready to open its doors to the public. “There’s just a bit of cleanup to do,” McArthur tells The Local. “We have to double-check everything, put up a few banners, move some things around, just some last minute details. We’re ready to go. It’s not a rush to the end, it’s exactly what we planned.” “We’re actually doing a three-week opening,” Markham explains. “The first week is, of course, the celebration of Easter, a regular service that celebrates what Jesus did. Week two we’re going to talk about what this all means for our church, and week three on May 1 is for the community, with the mayors coming to cut the ribbon and all the fanfare.”

Over the past few weeks, Markham has welcomed members of Central’s volunteer committees, who number in the hundreds, as well as members of the congregation who contributed to the financial campaign for the new building. Feedback from them has been overwhelmingly positive. “The first impression, I think, will be amazing for everyone,” predicts Markham. “Many gave sacrificially to this project. For them, it will be just an amazing moment and experience as a family. It’s a testament to the belief of the church family, and I hope it’s a statement that anything is possible.”

Both Markham and McArthur stress that 680 York Road is not just a church but also a community centre. From the beginning, the vision was to have the building become a central part of the Niagara community, built to host everything from weddings and celebrations to concerts and conferences.  As well, the church space itself, with a capacity of 1,500 on the floor and another 300 in the balcony, features no permanent seating, making it flexible enough to host sports groups during the week.  “There’s no space that is single use,” Markham says. “That was a critical piece in the design of this space. And we still have space that we can develop. Yes, we are a church family, but we did everything with the greater community in mind.”

“It’s bright, it’s grand, it’s open,” continues Markham. “The goal was to make you feel welcome when you walk in. It’s a way to say that this is a place for you.”

McArthur says new events coordinator Sarah Pritula has already booked an upcoming concert and a major youth conference. A number of weddings are planned for the smaller room, which will be used for youth ministry on Sundays, and a volleyball group has booked the main church for its teams. The annual Community Crew fundraising gala will be held on the site as well. 

Final preparations to open the on-site daycare centre are still being completed. Childcare supervisor Christine Lett says inspections by the region should be happening soon, and the playground equipment has yet to arrive. She expects the daycare, with spaces for 65 children, should be open in a month.

Standing inside the church space it’s difficult not to be impressed. The massive stage may be the largest permanent stage in the region. It’s flanked on either side by large projection screens, 24’ wide by 13.5’ high, and racks of LED lighting. The hardwood floor, not yet lined for volleyball or basketball, goes wall-to-wall. An island with television cameras sits about two-thirds back from the stage, connected to the sound and lighting board installed in the balcony. The audio system sounds fantastic, a promising factor for future concert bookings.

Visitors for Sunday service, with sessions at both 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., will enter the foyer, greeted by volunteers identified by their brightly coloured T-shirts. They’ll have a chance to take a photo by the large A PLACE FOR YOU sign.  There are monitors and speakers in the foyer that will show the service, perfect for any overflow or for those who may be overwhelmed by the number of people inside the church. The cafe in the foyer will be open Sunday as well. 

Markham and his team are busy preparing for this weekend, with a full run-through with lights and sound happening this Thursday evening.

“They have worked really hard,” Markham enthuses about his team. “They are super positive, super excited. We’re really excited to invite new people who have maybe never been to our community of faith, who may have never been to church before. It is very different than maybe what most people expect.”

The final Sunday service was held at their long-time Scott Street location last weekend. For Good Friday, Markham and his worship team will bid a final adieu along with the congregation there, symbolically closing that chapter before the debut on York Road. “We were there for 21 years,” Markham says. “My daughter took a picture there with my grandson. That’s where she grew up, where all the major transformative moments of her life took place. This will be his place, the place for the next generation.