As the Christmas season arrived, Millbrook Christian Assembly welcomed Kathleen and Bobby Van Engen as their new leadership team. They wear their Millbrook sweatshirts with pride.
For Bobby Van Engen, this is a homecoming. He grew up in the community on the family farm and Millbrook Christian Assembly was his church until he left to study. Ten years later, he and his wife Kathleen have taken the reins of this growing church, with Kathleen taking the position of Lead Pastor and Bobby the Associate Pastor. They could not be happier with this new chapter in their lives.
The couple has years of leadership experience in larger churches, most recently at Calvary Church in Peterborough. They are committed and confident on the mission and program side of their responsibilities but are learning the ropes of running the business side of the church. Unlike some denominations where “Head Office” exerts significant control over church administration and messaging, the Pentecostal church is more hands off. Kathleen and Bobby enjoy the freedom to deliver their own messages, which are always founded on an unfaltering love of God and desire to serve their community.
They look forward to putting their own spin on the programs and services offered by their church, but they are keenly aware that they are not steering this ship on their own: they believe they are guided by God. The congregation will continue their important role in the development and delivery of specific programs in the church, which will focus on their own needs as well as the needs of the community. This is the congregation is not inwardly-focused, as evidenced by the creation of Harvest Community Park a few years back, which instantly became a much-loved and well-used community gathering place for families of all spiritual philosophies.
Unlike congregations in many traditional denominations, the congregation at Millbrook Christian Assembly includes many young families. As a couple with three young boys, the Van Engens understand the type of programming that will be appealing to young families. The church has an active Sunday school program for younger participants who are drawn by age-appropriate messages and snacks.
Among the programs on offer at the moment is the Youth Volleyball program for students in grades 7 through 12 on Thursday evenings at Millbrook South Cavan School. The popular Archery program that was initiated by the previous Pastor is currently on hold as the congregation decides how best to use their volunteer resources.
As the lead pastor, Kathleen went through an extensive selection process that involved a variety of screening interviews and culminating in the delivery of a sermon to the entire congregation. After her sermon, she and Bobby were whisked away to a private room to wait while the congregation voted on whether or not she would get the nod. While she was eager to get the job, Kathleen wanted to ensure her potential employers had a complete picture of who she was. Her wardrobe that day was chosen to reveal her tattoo, in case that was a deal-breaker for some. It was not. The couple earned the full support of everyone in the room, allowing Kathleen and Bobby to don their Millbrook sweatshirts as they exited the office to greet their new congregation. Their work began in earnest on Christmas Eve service, when the couple delivered their first service in Millbrook, in a poetic coincidence that lined up their own beginning with the birth of Christ.
True to the mission of the Pentecostal church organization, Kathleen and Bobby embody the concept of service to the community, believers or not. They look forward to demonstrating this commitment through their work within the church and in their interactions with the community at large. Welcome (back)!
KG