March 1, 2023
Church Plant Reaches Couples in the Community

When one church plant saw that Covid-19 was tough on marriages and families, they wanted to help.
The Covid-19 pandemic has been tough for many marriages and families, shared Pastor Mark Jallim. That’s why Living Hope Community Church—the church he planted in partnership with Resonate Global Mission in Whitby, Ontario—hosted an outreach event that brought couples from their community together for a night of biblical teaching.
Living Hope partnered with “A Better Us,” a weekly broadcast that provides couples with Bible-based insights and tools for strengthening their relationship, to host the event. The “A Better Us Night Out” event for couples was one way Living Hope Community Church wanted to meet a need in their community.
“This event is a reminder to couples that they must do everything to strive in their marriage and not only survive. We believed that hosting ‘A Better Us Night Out’ allowed couples to take time out to rekindle their love for each other,” Jallim shared.
About 60 to 70 people attended the event—several who do not worship with Living Hope Community Church.
Church plants are designed to reach those who have not yet connected to Jesus. These kinds of events led by church planters are the bridge from church to community. It’s the space where the story of Jesus gets to walk across and intersect with both sides.
“It was a welcoming atmosphere and couples were there for one reason: for each other,” shared Jallim.
Hebron Christian Reformed Church Whitby also got in on the event. They opened up their building to provide a space for couples to gather and enjoy a night of biblical teaching around marriage. Ron and Ann Mainse, marriage speakers, led the event alongside Dan and Daniel Macaulay, authors, speakers, and worship leaders.
Hosting outreach events such as the ‘A Better Us Night Out’ is one way church plants serve their communities and reach people who may not be part of a church.
“Church plants are designed to reach those who have not yet connected to Jesus. These kinds of events led by church planters are the bridge from church to community. It’s the space where the story of Jesus gets to walk across and intersect with both sides. Always exciting,” said Beth Fellinger, Resonate’s Regional Mission Leader for Eastern Canada.
Living Hope was planted with the family in mind, and ministering with couples and families is an important part of their ministry.
“Living Hope Community is a family-friendly church where we seek to integrate the whole family in all aspect of church life and ministry … the entire family is a unit called by God,” said Jallim. “All our programs are geared towards integrating the entire family to worship, learn, and grow together.”