ABOUT USPastor’s Welcome
We long for the return of our normal routine. Months of uncertainty, frustration, and strain have frayed the connecting bonds of compassion and goodwill that have tied people to one another and their communities. Now, as we move forward, how do we weave and strengthen our community bonds again? And after the last two years, can it be stronger than ever?
If I could sum it up in one word, the aspirations of this uncertain time, it is not what, but whom—Jesus. No amount of clever leadership strategies and shrewd cultural engagement will provide us with more hope and guidance that what Jesus can offer to us all.
As we emerge from the pandemic, it is possible to start anew and anchor ourselves deeply within understanding and commitment, to let Jesus live in and through us—no matter what comes. We invite you to join us as we journey towards a deeper experience of God’s grace and truth.
Gavin - Lead Pastor
We Believe
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Jos 1:8: Ps 19:7-11; Matt 5:17-19; 2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Pet 1:21
We believe that the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, is the divinely inspired Word of God, without error in the original writings and the true and final authority of all Christian faith and life. There are no other writings similarly inspired by God.
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Deut 6:4; Isa 48:16; Matt 28:19; Jas 2:19
We believe that there is but one God, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. These three possess the same nature, attributes, and glory, but are distinct in office and activity.
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John 4:24; Isa 44:6)
We believe that God the Father is an infinite and personal spirit—perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love. He concerns himself mercifully in the affairs of human beings. He hears and answers prayer, and he saves from sin and death all those who come to him in faith through Jesus Christ.
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1 John 5:20; Luke 1:35; Matt 1:20; 1 Pet 1:18-19; Rom 4:25; Eph 2:8-9; Heb 4:14
We believe that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man—God's only begotten son—conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. He lived a sinless life. He performed miracles and taught with wisdom and authority. He died an atoning death as a substitute for our sins. He was raised bodily from the grave, appeared to many, ascended into heaven where he perpetually intercedes for his people. He will return to the earth in a visible and personal way.
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Eph 1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18; John 14:16-18; 16:8-14; Rom 8:9; Gal. 5:18
We believe that people are created in the image of God but all have sinned. Every member of the human race is separated from God, and is by nature sinful and lost. Since the beginning of time, God has revealed himself for people to respond by faith. Jesus came to redeem the human race. Salvation is entirely of God’s grace, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. Believers are all people who have received Jesus Christ as their Saviour and follow him as their Lord, are indwelled by the Holy Spirit, and have become children of God.
Charleswood Community Church is committed to live out the primary call of the gospel, which is to love God and others. We affirm the theological essentials of the historic Christian faith, around which we seek to faithfully teach and live out as a community.
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Gen 1:27; Rom 3:23; 5:12; Titus 3:5; Eph 2:8-9; 1 Pet 1:5; Rom 1:20; Heb 1:1-3, 11: 3-18, 39-40
We believe that people are created in the image of God but all have sinned. Every member of the human race is separated from God, and is by nature sinful and lost. Since the beginning of time, God has revealed himself for people to respond by faith. Jesus came to redeem the human race. Salvation is entirely of God’s grace, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. Believers are all people who have received Jesus Christ as their Saviour and follow Him as their Lord, are indwelled by the Holy Spirit, and have become children of God.
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Matt 28:19-20; 1 Cor 11:23-28; 12:12-27; Gal 3:27-28; Eph 1:22-23
We believe that all believers are part of the body of Christ: the church. The local church shall recognize and exercise godly leadership. With Jesus Christ as the Lord and head, each local expression of the church has the responsibility to govern its own affairs for the purpose of extending Christ’s kingdom in the world. Each believer is to fulfill God’s calling in their particular situation and circumstances.
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Acts 2:41-42; 1 Cor 11:23-26; Rom 6:1-4; Col 2:12
We believe that baptism and communion are ordinances to be observed today. Believer's baptism illustrates the union of a believer with Christ in his death and resurrection, and publicly declares a personal commitment to him. Communion is a celebration in which believers fellowship together, worship the Lord, proclaim his life, death, and resurrection, and anticipate his return. All believers are welcome to participate in this communion. Baptism and communion are not to be regarded as a means of salvation, but rather a symbol of God’s gracious action towards us.
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John 14:1-6; Acts 1:11; 1 Thess 4:14-18; Titus 2:13; Rev. 19:11- 20:6, 12-13; Phil 1:23; 2 Thess 1:8-9
We believe that Jesus Christ soon will return physically and personally to the earth. His return is the fulfillment of the blessed hope set before the believer. He will receive his believing people to himself and will visibly establish his kingdom. All those who have died will experience the bodily resurrection of the dead: the believer to everlasting blessedness and joy with the Lord, and the unbeliever to judgment and everlasting separation from God.
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(Matt 28:18-20; Luke 24: 45-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:7-8; 2 Cor 5:18-20; Matt 5-13-16)
We believe that all believers are ambassadors of our Lord Jesus Christ. Through their words, character, conduct and service, they are called to represent the Lord Jesus Christ, and proclaim his message in all the world.
Inspiring worship
Each week we strive to provide a worship experience that is warm, accessible and sensitive to individuals at any stage of the faith journey. We believe that through music, scripture, media, drama and sharing our life stories together, we are giving God the praise he is due and growing together as a group of his followers. The centre of our time together is making room for our hearts and souls to connect with God.
Our vision
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Connecting with God
We believe that all people are called to respond to God’s call to trust Jesus as Lord, to grow in faith, and to meet regularly with other believers for worship. Being made in God’s image, we are created to be in right relationship with him and to mature in faith and unity with other believers.
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Loving people
Love ultimately comes from God because he himself is love. We are empowered by the initiating love of God to care for and serve our friends and neighbours. We are committed to expand our spiritual impact by making disciples wherever God has planted us!
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Inspiring teaching and worship
Since our beginning in 1978, we have been committed to teaching relevant biblical truth in an engaging way for the whole family. Our music ministry uplifts and inspires with hymns blended with contemporary worship in praise of our Lord.
Staff & Leadership
Lead Pastor
Gavin Hall
Student’s Pastor
Desi Lederer
Director of Worship Ministries
Becky Hall
Director of Trek Ministries
Pamela Friedrich
Administrative Assistant
Jill Dorosh
Elders
Jonas Dobis - Chair - Murray Taylor - Vince Friesen - Gavin Hall - Daniel Lavoie - Luke Cain
Charleswood Community Church is elder-led and staff-operated, committed to empowering our congregation. Our gifted staff is supported and held accountable by a Board of Elders whose purpose is to provide spiritual and governance oversight.
Gavin’s passion is to teach God’s story faithfully and creatively. After serving as both youth and associate pastor, he became the lead pastor in July 2012. Pursuing graduate studies in theology has taken him from Manitoba to North Carolina, Toronto and finally back to Winnipeg. Gavin is blessed to be married to Becky; they have three children, Abbey, Ethan, and Cassidy.
Desi has been overseeing the Charleswood Children’s and Youth Ministries for the past seven years. He loves working alongside our students from preschool age seeing them all the way through to becoming high school seniors, teaching, and equipping them to build a lifelong relationship with Jesus. He’s a big kid at heart, so having the position with all the crazy games, entertainment and snacks seems like the perfect fit!
Becky has been playing piano and singing in church from the time she was a young girl and has found that it’s not only a meaningful way to contribute to the local church and community, but also to her vocational calling. It has been said, “where words fail, music speaks” and in the case of worship music, our words joined to music, provide language and connection to God and one another. In her spare time, Becky loves to read, have breakfast with friends, and ride her bike on the Harte Trail.
Pamela felt called to serve the Lord in Kids' Ministries from the first day she began attending Charleswood Community Church. She brings her ideas, energy, and enthusiasm to all three branches of Trek; Friday night kids' ministry, the Family Fun and Fellowship events, and the summer VBS. She enjoys every moment of serving and leading in these ministries and being on staff at Charleswood Community Church. These are some of Pamela's greatest joys along with being a mother to her son Evan, a wife to her husband Darrell, and an American Sign Language Interpreter by profession.
Jill feels that she’s “Blessed to be here!” Blessed to be a part of Charleswood Community Church, to be a wife to Aaron, mother of Jacob and Gianna and to be able to work in this role among such wonderful co-workers and church family. If you have any questions please feel free to contact Jill.
Our mission
We believe our purpose is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. With this in mind, the church is committed to connecting with God and loving people.
Our history
Our story is a humbling and inspiring story of God’s faithfulness and provision.
Charleswood Community Church is an independent evangelical church. The fellowship began as Assiniboia Community Church in 1978 when families from St. James Gospel Chapel and elsewhere had the desire to worship in their own community in west Winnipeg. The emphasis was to teach from the Bible, develop personal relationships, and help families.
The congregation continued to meet in rented facilities at John Taylor Collegiate until Charleswood Baptist Church graciously made their building available and asked to join with Assiniboia Community Church. The church was renamed Assiniboia-Charleswood Community Church, and in 1991 the congregation moved into the building on Charleswood Road in west Winnipeg.
A significant expansion of the facility was completed in 2002 with the addition of a new sanctuary, nursery, kitchen, and foyer, bringing the facilities to its present size.
In 2012, the church was renamed Charleswood Community Church. Today, our impact continues to grow as Charleswood members are moved to serve wherever God directs them!