Mark and Christina insisted on calling their final Sunday Service at Millbrook Christian Assembly last week as a Launching Party rather than a farewell.
No matter what the event was called, it marked a turning point for the family as well as the congregation.
To say that the impact that the Smallwood family had on the Millbrook Christian Assembly was transformation is not an overstatement. Over the past seven years Mark, Christina and their teenage children have been leading the church, the congregation has doubled, and now reaches 130 members. This is the result of long hours, hard work and creative thinking, particularly during Covid.
In the community, the church is known for its popular outreach programs such as the weekly water parties with freezies, coffee and water games, Fry Days where they dole out hand-made French fries and the annual Block Party which drew 800 visitors last June. The church also hosts several youth programs including a weekly Archery program fosters archery skills while introducing discussions about God and healthy relationships.
Their most visible contribution to the community is the playground at the church which instantly became a gathering spot for families throughout the community.
Their next venture is missionary work. They feel that this is a natural extension of their work in their own churches and all family members will continue to play key roles.
There is no distant destination at the moment, as the family will relocate to their RV in Cobourg for the summer. Everyone is on board. In fact, the decision was promoted by the children who moved to on-line learning last fall to prepare for a life in transit. The plan has three components: preaching, mission and building community.
Pastor Smallwood will offer preaching services to congregations in the area and beyond. The family will also help organize and lead mission teams to allow individuals from a variety of churches to band together for mission trips. They will also use their archery program experience to host weeklong Archery camps at other churches as an outreach program for youth.
The family hopes their friends and neighbours will follow them on their new journey through their website www.passion4presence.com.
The Board of Directors expressed their gratitude for the service of this remarkable family, saying, “A plaque on the Harvest Park sign indicates the Smallwood’s and the church’s love and support of families in the community. “Jesus said, ‘Let the children come…’ A vision explained it- a mother’s heart birthed it- the Smallwood family enabled it- the community embraced it. 2019-2021. The Smallwoods were a family of and to the community. They will be greatly missed for who they are and what they have done.” Amen to that. KG