Asher Warkentin shares at our 2018 Annual Delegate Sessions about his home congregation, Springridge Mennonite, located in Pincher Creek. Pictured to the left: Liam from Edmonton First responds in prayer for Springridge. 

"Springridge is a church that could well be in decline due to our aging population.  Yet, we have been holding our numbers over the past decade, with new and young families joining us.  The young children that are in our midst, are a source of energy and renewal to our congregation.  We are excited about the many gifts our members possess. We have about 6 musicians that take turns in accompanying our singing. We have artists who enrich our worship with visual beauty. We thank God for the blessing of on-going energy and inspiration.

Yet we also feel some affects of an aging congregation.  We are at times fatigued by the demands of church life. As a result, we have introduced a 'rest' period each summer, when we close our church for one month.  We have also began exploring different forms of Sunday Morning service.  Video and audio sermon presentations have worked well for us on the Sundays when our pastor is away.  We are thankful that as a part of the larger Mennonite Church, we have been able to use sermons presented by some of the pastors of your churches represented here today.

Over the past years and even now, we have greatly benefited from the pastoral leadership from Lethbridge, through Fred Unruh and our current pastor, who is Harold Schilk.  In the coming year, we will again be looking for a new pastor.  We appreciate your prayers - that a good match be found and made.

And lastly, this coming summer, Springridge will be celebrating our 90^th anniversary.  We have worshiped in our present church building for the past 83 years and we have done so with an open-door policy - never locking the doors of our little country church. The fact that our church has never been vandalized in all those years, speaks to the respect that our community – both church members and non – has for our presence.  We are grateful for the good relationships and respect that we have with the larger community in and around Pincher Creek.  Please pray that our community’s love and witness will be a light that draws those around us, to Jesus and the abundant life he offers. "

On the web, Springridge Mennonite can be found at: 

https://sites.google.com/site/springridgemennonitechurch/home