ANNUAL REPORT
2023
In October, we as a church collectively witnessed a beautiful ceremony as Pastor Zach accepted the call and became our Senior Pastor. How exciting to see and experience the tangible presence of God in the room as the Fontaine Family and our pastors laid hands on Pastor Zach, praying over him and our church. As he honoured the past 28 years, Pastor Zach reminded us that our mission has not changed and we will continue to build God’s church on the strong foundation of faith and obedience that was laid by his parents, Pastor Leon and Sally.
New Senior Pastor
Zach Fontaine
Pastor Zach Fontaine is a third-generation pastor. Like his grandpa, Pastor Cam, and his dad, Pastor Leon, before him, his greatest desire is reaching the world for Jesus and populating Heaven.
Zach brings a wealth of ministry experience and knowledge to his role as Senior Pastor. Previously, he served as the Youth Pastor at Springs Winnipeg, and he has shared the stage with his dad for many years, ministering both locally and to the world online.
Zach’s unique Spirit Contemporary approach to communicating the Gospel is Bible-based, down-to-earth and refreshing. For him, the Word is paramount as we are individually led and guided by Holy Spirit. But the approach must always be contemporary–relevant and attractive to the people around us.
Pastor Zach and his wife Jessica are excited to see God use Springs Church to further His Kingdom. Truly, the best is yet to come.
2023 was a year of building momentum. After having nearly, a full year back in our regular classes. We started to see more kids bringing their friends and several new families coming to check out Springs, and many making it their home church. We had over 1,100 first time guests at Springs Kids this year, and approx. 400 children accepted Jesus into their lives!
SUNDAYS
In late 2022, we had made the change to split the G Force service so we could run two simultaneous services, one for our Grades 1-3 and one for our Grades 4-6 kids. In 2023 we saw the results of this change. We saw higher retention of Grade 6 students than we have in the past, when they would normally feel “too old” for G Force and want to sit with their parents, they stayed in G Force until the end of the year. This change wasn’t just beneficial for the older kids though, as we had kids in Grade 1 and 2 also feel better coming to G Force expressing they didn’t feel nervous because of so many “big kids” around. This change allowed us to go deeper and more specific in our teaching and experiences for our kids rather than trying to reach as broad of an age gap and as large of a number of kids at one time. We could not have made this change without the amazing problem solving of our volunteers, especially our captains and emcees who rolled with changes week after week as we saw problems and resolved them.
In 2023 we were also blessed to share in the growth that Springs Christian Academy has seen by getting a brand-new shared space in the East Wing for some of our kid’s classes.
CALGARY
In 2023, we made some major changes to our building to continue to reach the next generation in a Spirit Contemporary way. We did some renovations to the staff offices, knocking out office space and making room for a brand-new kid’s space! Launching in November of 2023, we brought G Force downstairs and made space just for them so that all our classes could be downstairs. This new space has been very exciting for the kids.
We also brought electronic registration to our Calgary location! The volunteers and parents love this new, fast system of simply giving their phone number to sign in their kids.
We started LVL UP, a preteen specific ministry that helps kids in this unique phase of life they are in during Grade 5&6. Often going deeper in the lessons, we are teaching and making room to answer questions these kids have. It has been so exciting seeing them think up some of the most interesting questions about faith, God, and His creation!
Along with LVL UP, we started having Grade 5&6 hangout nights in Calgary as well! These nights are special times where preteens can just be preteens. They can have fun and play some wild games while making friends and going even deeper into the subjects they are learning on Sunday. We also made these nights easy for them to invite friends to by having events like laser tag and having special snacks just for them.
YOUTH
This year has been an extraordinary journey for our Youth Ministry. We have continued to welcome new students every single week, with each service witnessing hands raised in commitment to follow Jesus. The desire within our students to grow deeper in their relationship with God has been truly inspiring.
Our volunteer teams have stepped up once again, ensuring every Friday night is an unforgettable experience. Through their dedication, we’ve created an environment where students can build authentic friendships and have a blast doing it.
While we celebrate our numerical growth and the fun of Friday nights, our main focus remains on discipleship. We believe these students are not only hungry for the Word of God but also ready to stand up and make a difference in their generation, challenging societal norms and living out their faith boldly.
Our Youth Ministry is dedicated to nurturing this passion and providing the tools and support needed for our students to grow spiritually. We are grateful for our amazing volunteer team and eagerly anticipate the incredible things the coming year will bring as we continue this journey together. We truly believe, the best is yet to come!
MUSIC MINISTRY
To look back at 2023 we are with Gratitude
In both Calgary and Winnipeg, we have seen how worship has really had a unique way of bringing people together like no other. Springs Church truly demonstrates the beauty of generational worship as people of all ages gather together. Weekly, people join together experiencing miracles and seeing the evidence of God’s goodness. Without a doubt, 2023 has found us grateful to build on the momentum of the past year. We grew, yes, in the number of our volunteers, but even more significantly, we grew in our spirit. We stretched out our tent pegs and enlarged our borders to make room for growth and development in our capacity to serve. Our music volunteers grew in the Word, and in worship, relationships and in our musical skill. 2023 also brought us over 22 music/worship special number performances. These special numbers display both the talent and heart of each of our volunteers. Preparing for celebrations such as Valentines Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Grandparents Day, Multicultural Sunday, and of course, the full month of December which was packed full of fun, heartwarming and impactful music for the Christmas season. What excites us so much is that the Junior Choir has grown to over 55 youth in Grade 3-11. We see these young voices developing in their worship and in their gift of music. Christmas Eve was a highlight as we opened the service with these beautiful young voices singing “Oh Come Oh Come Emmanuel”. Together our Music and Creative Teams prepared to serve at five Christmas Eve services for a full day of volunteering! What a memorable part of the season our Music Teams were.
Along with our Junior Choir, we have really seen growth in our Young Adults and Youth Worship teams. The youth attending services are entering in and experiencing Holy Spirit in a very present and refreshing way each week. The highlights at Youth have been our Youth Worship Choir and teams leading worship and sharing in times of communion together. We hosted a number of jam sessions where young musicians and singers have the opportunity to either play or sing and get a glimpse at what it means to be on the Music Team.
2023 saw us bring back the Worship Choir and we have loved to hear these voices unite together bringing much joy and life into our sanctuary! As a church family, we have made certain songs both our home and church family “declarations”, as we drew our line in the sand. “Praise”, which was first presented on our Multicultural Sunday, has become a strong song that unites our voices with bold confidence! Other Springs favourites have been “Holy Forever” and “Firm Foundation”. If you ever hear our children in worship, all of these songs represent the strong multigenerational sound of worship.
We can say with undeniable confidence that in 2023, the door has swung wide open to see and experience the evidence of God’s goodness week in and week out. Collective voices are boldly declaring, worshipping and seeking to know God more deeply through our times of corporate worship. Our volunteers serve others and God with an unshakeable faith, and walk with strength toward the future. Standing on the truth that “He must increase, and we must decrease”, we are seeing eager commitment and dedication to our church family. We go boldly into a future that is filled with fresh vision, yet grounded on strong teaching and a legacy that comes from the generations before us. The Best is Yet to come!
SERVICE TEAMS
We are so thankful for our great volunteer teams who are so eager each and every week to serve their God and this church. It takes approximately 160 people to run our Service Team Ministry each and every week. This team helps to make our Sunday services an awesome experience.
Our outstanding Parking Team focuses on serving others regardless of the weather … from minus 35 C to plus 35 C and everything in between, it is quite the feat to park over 2400 cars between the three services each Sunday. We have the best volunteers by far!
SPORTS
Our Sports teams provided a much-needed community building outlet. From pickleball, soccer, volleyball, indoor floor hockey, basketball, co-ed ice hockey and co-ed baseball; Springs Sports is an exciting part of the fun aspect of our church experience!
We also had our yearly events such as: Golf Tournament, Family Fishing Derby, Motorcycle Rally, Car Drifting event to add to the excitement. Who knows what else we can think of adding for 2024!
CAFÉS
The Winnipeg Café is at the center of church activity all week long. Having our Café open in the daytime gives our families, guests and surrounding community an opportunity to meet, work or enjoy a relaxing cup of coffee in a beautiful environment. It also gives our SCA parents a place to grab a coffee after dropping off their children at school.
Our busiest times in the café are during the Café Lunches (Tuesdays & Wednesdays) and the Friday Night on the Patio where families gather together to hang out while their teens are enjoying Youth. We’ve added weekly food trucks to Friday night in the summer as well. The Winnipeg Café is such a great resource for people to build friendships and do life together.
Every Sunday, all our Cafés are filled with people visiting throughout the day. They provide a welcoming atmosphere for those wanting to relax and connect with family and friends. The energy each Sunday is incredible and contagious. We love being such a significant part of creating the atmosphere and culture of our church.
We were involved in many different events from Men’s Breakfast, College graduations, Ladies Bible Study, Kingdom Builder events, Worship nights, Volunteer Training nights, 20 Somethings (now 1835) events and many more. Our church is brimming with life and the events are a testament of joy and the life-giving community we provide and cherish. We are so excited for what’s to come!
SPRINGS ZOOM GROUPS
Our Springs Zoom Groups were formed as a creative way for people to stay connected throughout the year. We wanted to bring people together to continue building relationships and provide an opportunity to go much deeper into God’s Word together. A Springs Zoom Group is a small community of people who connect weekly online. Because people are unique, every group is unique, and the intent of each one is to make great friendships, support one another, and grow in the Word as the groups discuss the Sunday message.
Our Acts of Kindness ministry was started in order to help those less fortunate and in need of furniture for their homes. Over the past three years, we have helped so many people desperately in need. The end of 2023 saw us deliver furniture to just over 600 families. Thanks to the many furniture donations we receive, we can deliver to many homes in need. It is always such an amazing blessing to be able to bring comfort, joy and peace to people in need. Our Acts of Kindness Ministry volunteers are able to do that in a HUGE way!
MISSIONS
Watoto and Love India
During the year we were able to send financial support to our incredible Missions – Watoto in Uganda and Love India in India.
Emergency Food
Throughout the year, there were many people trying to make ends meet but when they just couldn’t, we had groceries available to help take them through to the next paycheque.
Miracle Channel
At Springs, we’re excited to support Miracle Channel in its mission to help people all over the world grow closer to Jesus. Broadcasting 24/7, Miracle Channel impacts many who ‘happen’ across it, often in the middle of a sleepless night that is filled with fear, depression or grief. Miracle Channel is like a light shining in the darkest night, saying “Hope is here!” Miracle Channel is the only television station that provides 24-hour access to Biblical teaching in Canada, and their role in bringing the truth of God’s Word to a hurting world is vitally important. For many remote Northern communities, Miracle Channel is the only source of Christian teaching and discipleship.
Inner City
At Springs Inner City, our goal is to lead people into a real relationship with Jesus and empower them to rise above the often-difficult circumstances they’ve experienced. We do this through our food programs, kids/youth services, and Sunday church service.
We serve about 500 families every month at our Thursday morning food bank. Additionally, we help families in crisis situations with emergency food hampers throughout the week. We have approximately 170 kids and 100 teens that are a part of our Friday Night Kids Klub and Youth program. We are reshaping our inner city by mentoring and discipling the next generation and are seeing incredible changes in whole family units. This past year we started serving breakfast at our Sunday morning services. It’s been an amazing tool to help us build community within our weekly church service.
In August, we hosted a Community Block Party. We had over 1300 people come out to this event! We served a free BBQ supper and had face painting, games, dunk tank, and bouncers for the kids. We were able to show the community love in a tangible way. We also were able to connect local families to our kids/youth programs, food bank, and Sunday service.
This year we hosted three Christmas Parties throughout December. In total 461 children and teens in our North End received a Christmas gift this year and got to hear about Jesus; the best gift of all. We were able to show each one God’s love and how much they matter to Him.
There is nothing more beautiful than seeing God doing amazing things in people’s lives. Here are a few stories from the past year:
– One of our long-time youth opened up to a volunteer on a Friday evening on the bus ride to Youth that they were really struggling emotionally and thinking about suicide. This was triggered by a 3 year old sibling’s court case. The family had lost custody of the child. She also has a court date coming up where she was a victim in a sexual assault. We were able to talk and pray with her. We helped her find needed resources and continued to follow up with her. It’s been several months since this night passed, and she is doing so much better. God cares deeply for His kids and brings people into their lives that can show His love and compassion. If we wouldn’t have been there that night, this could have turned out very differently.
-At food bank, we talked with a Grandma who was going through a really challenging time. Her daughter passed away a few months earlier and she’s now raising her grandchildren. We were able to pray with her, help her out with groceries, and help her sign her grandkids up for Kids Klub. She was so thankful.
-A lady who’s been coming to our Sunday services shared this with us, “I was telling my husband before I knew Jesus, I believed so many things were hopeless and would never change in my life or in our life together. Now after knowing Jesus, everything in my life and our life started to change. I thought I would never quit addictions and I thought he would never quit drinking. I honestly believed that he would never quit – that’s how hopeless I felt. I thought I wouldn’t get my license back and the biggest fear was not getting my baby back. Well let me tell you something – I can’t but I know One who can! Thank you, Jesus!” Over the past 3 years, we’ve seen this family completely restored. She’s an amazing mom to her now 4-year-old daughter.
“On Wednesday at Breakfast and a Message, we prayed with a lady whose 23-year-old niece was missing. The family was very concerned for her safety. She came back on Thursday to let us know that they found her a few hours after we prayed and she is safe and doing well. Thank you Jesus!”
“A young man has been coming out regularly with his girlfriend to our Sunday services. He used to come to Springs Inner City Youth. At the time he was involved in gangs and drugs. He told us that coming to Youth changed the direction of his life and helped him find his faith again. He was able to break free from the gang he was in. He decided to get out after his best friend, who also attended our youth about 15 years ago, died of an overdose on her 18th birthday. He was then homeless for a few years but has since secured housing and a part time job. He said if it wasn’t for the leaders at Springs Inner City being in his corner, he would have never had the courage to get out of the gang.”
FULL-TIME
What an incredible college year! This exciting program not only provides students (ages 18-25) with the information they need to be successful in life but also provided an incredible environment for them to personally change their lives to become who God has planned for them to be. During the school year the students participated in Biblical Studies and Leadership and Management classes to help them build a solid foundation in God’s Word, their leadership skill set and lasting relationships within the team. We had such an action-packed year once again! It is always exciting to see these young adults more prepared to impact the world we live in with the hope of Jesus.
PART-TIME
Our Leadership Level 1 and 2 Programs, were very successful once again this year. These programs gave people from all walks of life the building blocks they need to develop their leadership skills. Being taught in a Spirit Contemporary way, they provided students with a strong foundation in leadership that they can apply both in their local church and in the marketplace. Every Tuesday evening, students attended select courses that built their leadership and knowledge in finance, management, relationships and the Bible. We always look forward to these programs growing each and every year.
Biblical Studies 1 and 2 were very successful once again. It was such a joy to celebrate with our graduates in June. We continually endeavour to train and equip our church to walk and share in God’s abundant life. These programs enabled the students to delve deeper into biblical truths and lead them on a journey of increased knowledge and understanding helping them to take their relationship with God to much higher levels. We believe that Springs College will continue to develop great leaders within the church and equip people to excel in family and career!
SPRINGS CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
Springs Christian Academy (SCA), our Kindergarten to Grade 12 school, had a wonderful year ensuring our students received an excellent education.
SCA purposes to put Christ at the center of all that they do. The heart of Christian Education at SCA is to infuse Biblical principles giving a spiritual emphasis to the daily routine of school. As a ministry of Springs Church, they embrace being Spirit Contemporary by teaching God’s Word in a relevant and easily understood manner, and by teaching the students to influence their communities with integrity and high standards.
Their school theme this year was THRIVING.
The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them. You will always be at the top, never the bottom.
Deuteronomy 28:13
Planted in the House of the Lord, they (the righteous) thrive in the courts of our God.
Psalm 92:13
We are so thankful for our SCA Families and all of the support they have given us throughout this year!