What happens when a church opens its doors, and its property, to the wider community?

For Tree of Life/Arbre de Vie, Family Day weekend became a vivid picture of welcome: roughly 150 people gathered over two days for ice fishing, skating, snow sports, campfires, games and an unexpected community fish fry made possible when people freely gave what they had. The congregation, which typically gathers between ten and forty people on a Sunday, opened not only its doors but also its lakeside location near Monetville, Ontario, to the wider community.

What stood out most to Phil and his wife Sharon wasn’t the attendance, but the relationships that formed.

Held at The Solid Rock, a retreat property where Tree of Life gathers for worship, the event built on a long tradition of hospitality. The property is open for camping, retreats, family gatherings, weddings and community recreation. The church extends that welcome to their events.

This year’s warmer February weather allowed organizers to expand outdoor activities. Pastor Phil Lichty drilled 30 ice-fishing holes across the lake, while his son David spent 10 hours over the two days pulling children on GT sleds behind a snowmobile. Families gathered around a fire in the gazebo, roasted marshmallows, enjoyed time together on the ice or visiting indoors.

Homeschooling families, local school communities, churchgoers and people with little connection to church all found themselves sharing the same space.

What stood out most to Phil and his wife Sharon wasn’t the attendance, but the relationships that formed. Homeschooling families, local school communities, churchgoers and people with little connection to church all found themselves sharing the same space. “You really had people that wouldn’t normally meet,” Phil reflected. Looking back on the weekend, he saw it as evidence of God’s presence and blessing. 

“We love and accept people where they’re at”

Mykayla Turner, who led MCEC’s small church theology workshop this spring, believes this is one of the unique strengths of small congregations. Rather than focusing on what they lack, Mykayla encourages churches to look at the gifts already present in their communities.

Whether or not you are experiencing numerical growth, you can work with what you have to thrive right where you are. Stories like Tree of Life’s, she suggests, “redefine what it means to flourish.”

The event reflected an opportunity often available to smaller churches: inter-church collaboration. A neighbouring congregation’s help allowed Tree of Life to extend the activities to Monday, resulting in a second day of community connection.

“Get to know your community and the uniqueness of it”

“Rather than continuing to go it alone, working together is probably what God is calling us to,” Mykayla says. “That feels like maybe exactly what it means to follow Jesus.”

When enough fish were caught for a fish fry, community members helped. Additional fish appeared from freezers and grocery stores, volunteers found burners and supplies and the meal came together with little planning.

For Sharon, the event reflected something central to Tree of Life’s identity: welcoming people as they are. “We love and accept people where they’re at,” she said.

Phil echoes that sentiment by saying, “You are welcome to the family!” Family, he explains, is the foundation of everything the congregation seeks to do.

Mykayla believes that welcome begins with paying attention to the place where God has planted you.

“Get to know your community and the uniqueness of it,” she says. “You can do a lot with what is uniquely yours.”

At Tree of Life, what is uniquely theirs includes a frozen lake, a fish fry, a campground ministry and a willingness to share them. On one February weekend, that was enough to offer a glimpse of God’s love and hospitality to an entire community. An important reminder that sometimes, ministry begins with a simple invitation to come and be part of the family.