SEEDING SANCTUARY

Help us continue to sow peace.

OUR STORY

In March 2022, three pastors resigned from their roles at a church in South Delta, BC. When pressured to double down on the denomination’s view of sexuality which condemns same-sex marriage, or risk losing their jobs, the pastors took a stand and left the church, along with many other congregants.

After months of gathering informally in homes, outside, and even in a barn, in the Fall of 2022 a group of people, including co-pastors Darren DeMelo and Lee Kosa, planted the seeds for Estuary Church – a faith community that like its namesake, seeks to be a place of shelter for the vulnerable, rest for the weary, and strength for those willing to face life’s challenges with love, joy, and courage.

Since September 2022, we’ve been watering this seed of a dream. It is with joy that we invite you to help us seed sanctuary so that this new community might put down roots and grow. 

WHY ANOTHER CHURCH?

We are living in a time of poly-crisis. A series of complex personal and social challenges threaten life on earth as we know it – climate crisis, a reckoning with racism, a lack of affordable housing, a toxic drug supply, and languishing mental health across many demographics.

Whereas in the past, people turned to religious institutions for solace, answers, and hope, the church has largely been discredited due to its complicity in the oppression of Indigenous peoples, LGBTQ2AI+ folk, and women.

Many people are asking profound questions about their faith and are not satisfied with pat answers.

In response to our cultural moment, the temptation exists for churches to ignore social issues, choosing instead to focus on a purely private spirituality. Others can become entrenched in culture wars, digging their heels in to defend the flock from the outside world. Unfortunately, some that do work to unravel systemic injustice cling to church models that do not always connect with younger generations.

Rather than a self-help group, social club, holy huddle, or activist organization, Estuary Church is a faith community fostering spiritual resilience and wisdom to face the personal and global challenges before us with courage, love, and hope.

As people who know that churches can cause harm, we believe that spiritual communities should provide refuge for the wounded, shelter for the kicked out, sanctuary for the marginalized, rest for the burned out, inspiration for the disillusioned, and mobilization for the energized.

WHO IS ESTUARY CHURCH?

Estuary Church is a faith community seeking peace in our relationships with God, ourselves, one another, and the more-than-human world on the traditional territory of the hǝn̓q̓ǝmin̓ǝm̓ speaking peoples. In this pursuit, we are committed to being:

SEEDING SANCTUARY

During our early stages as a church we are taking time to nurture the soil of the Estuary Church faith community. This includes:

  • Foundational Discussions

    Leading workshops to discuss and shape beliefs, conflict resolution, decision-making, and what it means to belong

  • Worship Gatherings

    Establishing a rhythm of worship gatherings including the organization of volunteer teams

  • Addressing Trauma

    Offering a free 5-part series called Meeting God in our Church Wounds, Religious Trauma, & Spiritual Disorientation

  • Forming Partnerships

    Forming a network of ministry partners for mutual support and collaboration

  • Racial Justice Course

    The formation and facilitation of a 6-part series on racial justice and decolonization

  • Wild Church

    The formation of a Wild Church expression that meets in various outdoor locations throughout the watershed

  • Baptism Course

    Development of a dynamic baptism course that walks people through an introduction to a progressive Christianity rooted in the Peace tradition

  • Pastoral Care

    Ongoing pastoral care, in the form of visitation, pastoral counselling, and spiritual direction

  • Administration

    Administrative work that includes forming a society, applying for charitable status and policy development

  • Learning Together

    Organizing small group book studies to learn more about the issues in our lives and world that call for attention and prayerful action

Jesus teaches that even the tiny mustard seed grows into a tree, providing refuge and shelter for the birds.

No matter how small your gift, when you give to Estuary Church you take part in creating a sanctuary of safety and healing where people learn to face life’s challenges with courageous love.