The Beginning

Chapter 1

 
 

It was during the summer of 2015 that Dom, Bev and their three boys made their way back to Quebec with a deep sense of God's calling to plant a new church.  After a time of discernment they found God confirming that they were to provide leadership to a new church family. Their prayer is to see the180 flourish as a healthy church, re-engaging people with Jesus as he invites us into a new way of life. 

Leaving a lead pastor role and a church they loved, Dom and Bev stepped out in faith trusting that God would provide. Their love for Quebec and its rich religious history continues to influence their thinking and leadership as well.  Within a short time the180 has taken root and by God's hand, some key people have been gathered to form our present leadership team.

 

Chapter 2

 

From the earliest Christian records, we know that following Jesus is an invitation to turn from one way of life to a new direction. For that reason the Bible is filled with stories of transformation that we believe capture the hopes and dreams of this new church.

The180 is a new church community which worships Jesus, who alone has the power to turn our lives around as he invites us to do a "180." In the coming weeks, you will be able to join us as we take our first steps as a new gathering of people learning to leave our guilt, shame and regrets behind for a new way of life filled with hope, grace and forgiveness.

 

Chapter 3

Beginning in the spring of 2016 we began alternating Sunday worship gatherings with what we called "Leadership Sundays." Our goal was to create a conversational space and provide clarity for those who wanted to hear about the purpose and passion of the180. Together we explored topics like "Why So Many Denominations?", "How We Got Our Bible", and "Let's Talk About Healing." This was an important season of learning - but also unlearning - for those who became a part of our growing church family.

During this time we also signed a lease on a warehouse space which granted us a long-term place to be from which to love and serve our community.

We celebrated our official launch with a celebration party on September 18, 2016. You can check out some photos and learn more about the #my180 video project that led up to our launch here.

 

Chapter 4

In mid-2018, our Advisory Team, in conversation with our church partners, began dreaming and thinking about next steps for the180.

Although we are a young church, we have always sensed that God has gone before us, calling us into new seasons of trusting Him. With that in mind, a significant part of these conversations began to revolve around the180's meeting space, which we had been renting for the past two years. We love our warehouse space and have felt that from the beginning God has opened doors to help us renovate, expand, and reach out to our community from this location.

Instead of waiting until the end of our lease agreement, the Advisory Team began exploring long-term possibilities of putting down greater roots in space. For that to happen, we knew that we needed to work closely with the city and abide by rules relating to zoning laws. Therefore, the team made the decision to begin the process for official zoning changes as one of the factors that would allow us to stay in our building long-term.

After much work, prayer, planning, and waiting, the City of Laval officially granted our request for a zoning change, a miracle in our context in Quebec. In response, and in partnership with our denominational family and partners, we launched a fundraising project to raise $200,000 to purchase the space. Right away, an anonymous donor gave us $100,000! Throughout the summer we invited the180 family and partners to commit pledges toward this building project, culminating with a special pasta night fundraiser.

At our third year anniversary, we celebrated the fact that papers had been signed, we raised the additional $100,000 and we had now permanently made a home in this space.

In conjunction with our partners, we are thrilled to imagine future possibilities. We are also so thankful for the work of the city and understand the important responsibility we have to give back to our community, modelling what it means to love Jesus and love like Jesus.


The story continues!

These days the180 is meeting weekly for worship and continuing to seek to love our community. We have a thriving kids program on Sundays, youth meeting regularly and a number of Home Groups that meet during certain seasons. To stay connected to the life of our community you can sign up for our weekly eBulletin here.