My husband, Roman, and I met in Calgary, AB, and were married on August 30, 1969. But on September 28, 1999, he passed away, leaving me a widow with two children at age 49. But the Lord had plans for me. I learned firsthand the truth of what has become the hallmark of my life: “O taste and see that the LORD is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” (Psalm 34:8, NASB).

I first accepted the Lord as a young girl, but unfortunately I didn’t grow strong in my faith until I recommitted my life to Christ at the age of 27. By this time I had married, and many trials had entered my life as my husband became an alcoholic. My daughter had started taking a Sunday school bus to First Assembly Church in Calgary. Subsequently, I myself started attending, leading to a renewed relationship with the Lord. Four years later, my husband made a commitment to Christ as well, and through a series of events was delivered from alcohol, remaining sober until he passed away at the age of 51.

My husband’s death was caused by asbestos exposure. The Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) did not offer me ongoing financial support to help take care of myself and my two children, but they did allow a five-year window to help me get re-educated in order to find employment. I asked them if they would consider a four-year bachelor’s degree with Northwest Bible College (now called Vanguard College). At that time a campus had been formed in Calgary, called the Calgary Leadership Training Centre, which functioned out of the First Assembly Church facility. WCB approved my program and I enrolled in September 2000. I attended this college for three years and also completed one year at Southern Cross College of the Assemblies of God just outside of Sydney, Australia.

Upon graduating in 2004, I began my search for God’s direction as to what He wanted me to do. I sold my home and move into a +40 condo complex in spring 2005. The gal who sold it to me mentioned a care centre complex that would be going up next door and suggested that perhaps I would be able to get a full-time position there as a pastor. That evening I sat in my big armchair and talked to the Lord about this possibility. I told Him that I recognized this as a valid ministry, but I did not believe I was a fit for it. Then a thought dropped into my heart: Why don’t you pastor the complex you are moving into?

I told God that if this prompting was from Him, He would have to bring it to pass. It was way outside the box of what I knew pastoring to be. You don’t just move into a complex and announce your arrival as a pastor! I built relationships with the people in the condo that first year and continued to apply for church positions—unsuccessfully. So I asked God if it was time for me to take the next step at the condo where I lived to start the ministry I believed He had asked me to do. It was.

I approached my senior pastor, Steve Osmond, at First Assembly with the plans I had, and he encouraged me to follow through with my idea. I called the condo board and asked if they would object to my holding nondenominational services every other Sunday in the party room of our complex. With their permission, I booked a date to launch the church on February 19, 2006. I chose to hold the services every other Sunday for two reasons: so I wouldn’t monopolize the use of the party room every Sunday, and so I could do itinerant ministry as a way of helping to support myself. The next day I ran into an old friend who was in the printing and advertising business. When I shared with him what I felt God was leading me to do, he offered to take care of advertising for me. He printed some beautiful door hangers with information about the service and a picture of me so the people would know who I was. Then I placed these on each resident’s doorknob. The condo church was born.

Twenty people attended that first service. They all came from different backgrounds and denominations. Some had gone through very tragic experiences in their previous churches, but felt comfortable coming to a service in the condo. Some had not attended church for many years; knowing a church was just down the hallway from them, they decided to try it. Some are committed Christians who really believe in the vision to reach the lost, so they come just to be a support to the ministry; they attend their own churches on the off Sundays or on Saturdays. We didn’t have any musicians when we started, but prayed and trusted God. After approximately eight months of singing a capella, a couple who live here visited the service one Sunday and felt led to go out and purchase a digital keyboard. They then ran a fundraiser here in the complex to pay for it and placed the piano in our party room. A short time after that, a different couple moved in. Once they visited, the wife felt God wanted her to play for each service! Now we have anywhere from 25 to 35 in attendance. If everyone came at once, we would have well over 50 people. Some have moved away but new people have been coming.

The impact can go far beyond just the services we hold. If every believer here has a burden for neighbours and friends they develop in the condo, many will come to know Christ as their personal Saviour. I also believe the condo church can be a bridge for people. They may come to know Christ here through the condo ministry. Some may receive healing from past church hurts and then desire to become part of a larger church. Of course I can’t offer them the same here as they would get if they attended a multigenerational church.

Naturally, because we all live in the same building, this does create dynamics that are different from a typical church setting. One must truly take to heart Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves” (NASB). Keeping the vision in the forefront of my mind really helps.

Another area I felt I had to be careful with while building a church in a condo complex setting was taking offerings during the service. I knew this would be a sensitive matter in a +40 condo complex as many could misunderstand my intentions. For the first year, I never mentioned finances or took an offering; I had to believe God would help me financially. On our first anniversary, a gentleman stood up at the end of our celebration and said, “If anyone would like to support this ministry there is a basket over here.” I almost died! I approached the condo board again. They felt I was just helping direct the people’s charity, so it was fine with them. I still do not pass an offering plate around, but I do set a small chest by the guest book. Those who want to give are able to do so.

After about two years, I was given permission to hold an Alpha course in our party room and send out personal invitations to all the residents. We had 27 attend, and some made life changing decisions. We were also given permission to have two Christian music concerts here, with approximately 60 attending each one. I believe God is calling the church to go to the people. Many people today struggle with the church as an organization, so we must be willing to find new ways to go to them and share the good news. So many are heading for an eternity without Christ and, as believers and leaders, we must allow God to move us outside our traditional way of thinking and search for new opportunities to reach the lost. I am certainly not an expert on how this is to be done, nor do I claim to know what I am doing. But I’ve learned that when our desire is to be in God’s perfect will, and to be doing what He wants us to do, He sometimes moves us in directions we never thought of going.

When you hear an 89-year-old man—who had sat on a church board for years—tell you that he never fully understood everything until now, I believe that says it all. Another couple had taught Sunday school and also sat on a church board. After going through the Alpha course, they said that no one had ever asked them if they had a personal relationship with Christ. To see them both start coming to the services here and, in a short while, make a personal commitment to the Lord and serve faithfully—that is what makes this ministry totally worth doing.

This kind of outreach can be a vital opportunity for retired pastors who still want to be in ministry without having to run an entire church, or for lay people who are gifted for similar opportunities. It is truly like being a missionary living among the people—you are a presence there to help them in whatever way you can.

Marie Grabek is an ordained minister with The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, having fulfilled her lifelong dream of attending Bible college.     She has two children, three granddaughters and one great-grandson. 

Photo courtesy Marie Grabek

This article appeared in the October 2010 edition of testimony, the monthly publication of The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada.