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A little bit of History still relevant today:

In the early 1990s, while minister at Melville, the Rev. Wally Whyte proposed, for the subject of his doctoral studies, to explore the experience of friendship as being a crucial factor in the communication of the Christian Faith from generation to generation. The purpose was to discover what a sense of acceptance and belonging in a friendly intergenerational faith community over an extended period of time might contribute to the birth and development of a Christian faith in children and adolescents, which leads to adult participation in such a community. 

At the conclusion of his research, he wrote the following: “What had been my hunch derived from experience is now supported by the evidence of this research. A friendly, accepting, supportive community which includes adults with a mature Christian faith is a crucial factor in the emergence and development of a lasting faith among the young…It may be that since friendliness is such an obvious characteristic of a Christian community that it is largely taken for granted and the importance of its theological base and implications for its communication is ignored. Friendliness is important not just because it provides an atmosphere conducive to learning about the Christian faith, but it is of the essence of that faith. It is more than a mere coincidence that the words “commune” and “community” and the expression “holy communion”, the sacrament, have behind them the same concepts and reality. Individual Christianity is a contradiction […] This study indicates that community at its best continues to belong to the next generation. Through the years, people of faith have been inclined to respond to the children among them in one of two ways: keep them away, as the disciples of Jesus advised, or include and bless them as Jesus did. If children are to feel welcomed and blessed by the church, some of the current adult attitudes and practices relating to children are due for a change. […] The experiences of the participants in this research, as reported by them, points to the emergence and development of Christian faith, when children and youth perceive it in the lives of others who respect them and whom they learn to respect. The faith is transmitted as much or more by being perceived and experienced, as it is by being conceived in the mind through the verbal conveyance of ideas.”

As we celebrate our 175th year of faithful ministry, I’ve been reflecting quite a bit on Melville’s history. I am often asked to describe the congregation, and it is this ongoing commitment to community which always comes to my mind. This spring, we joyfully welcomed several young people into the membership through baptism and confirmation. Each of these young people attends worship regularly and is known not only by their families and same-age peers, but also by other adults in the congregation. In fact, when it came time to seek mentors for them, each of them immediately had a name or two of a non-related adult they would like to have accompany them through this year of discernment. What a blessing it is that nearly 40 years later, this culture of friendship and community across generations continues to be part of the fabric of our congregation as we learn and grow in faith together. 

Grace and Peace,

Rev. Bethany McCaffrey

 

Melville Presbyterian Church is a congregation of The Presbyterian Church in Canada and adheres to the church’s policies. Melville Presbyterian Church is committed to fulfilling the church’s three safety policies: