About us
We are a community who welcomes people of every culture, generation and background into a mutual partnership of common faith in Jesus Christ. We believe that we all benefit from a deeper revelation of God as we walk together in Christian community.
Every difference among us increases our greater understanding of God through our united worship. We seek to be both multi-cultural and intercultural, actively pursuing conversations that bridge our differences as we stand together worshipping the Lamb of God, Jesus our Saviour.
our mission is god's mission
We believe that every Jesus-follower is gifted and called to serve God’s mission in our community and beyond. What is the mission of God? To reconcile our broken lives and broken world, restoring relationship with our loving Creator through salvation offered freely in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Reconciled and restored to relationship with God, transformed and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we are compelled to live out, through word and deed, this good news to all around us.
grapeview's story
In the mid-1950s several families from St Catharines and the Free Methodist Church in Niagara Falls initiated a church plant in St Catharines. Three of the families were employed at General Motors while another worked for the St Catharines Library. Worship services began in 1955 and were held downtown in the Armory. After some time the group moved to the Oddfellows Hall. Volunteer ministers came from Rochester, NY each Sunday to lead the growing congregation.
Our first building was constructed in 1959 amongst acres of vineyards on property purchased at the corner of
Grapeview Dr and Van Sickle.
In 1980 our present building configuration was built.
Grapeview Daycare was birthed in 1988 as a response to needs in our community.
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In 2002, Rev. Grant and Rev. Mary-Elsie Wolfe came to be our pastors at a low time in our church life. Their dedicated ministry until the fall of 2017, restored hope and built a solid ministry foundation of discipleship and welcome for all. The diverse cultural community that has become Grapeview was nurtured and developed during their years of ministry with us.
Land acknowledgment
We acknowledge that the Creator is sovereign over all the lands. The earth was given to humanity by The Creator as a sacred trust. This is God’s land and the Spirit of God is at work here. We acknowledge that our church property is located on what were the traditional lands, over the years, of the Attiwonderonk people (Neutrals), of the Haudenosaunee people, the Anishinabek people (Ojibway & Chippewa), and the Mississauga people. For thousands of years these peoples sought to walk gently on this land as custodians. We commit ourselves to be respectful custodians of this land and faithful servants of reconciliation with all peoples.
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our Roots
Grapeview is connected to the Free Methodist family of churches. John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement, centuries ago, wanted to see lives transformed through relationship with a loving God. The lives of hundreds of thousands in England were transformed by the life-giving power of faith in Jesus Christ. Communities were changed. Methodists fought to abolish slavery. Hospitals were founded. Child labour reform was enacted and schools were established. Wesley’s message proved that God could turn self-centred people into self-sacrificing servants.
In 1860, a group of North American Methodists renewed Wesley’s vision to transform the world, person by person through the message of God’s saving, transforming grace, calling themselves Free Methodists. We believe that Jesus’ life, death and resurrection offers grace and forgiveness for our personal brokenness, and initiates us on a path to become more and more like Jesus. The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit starts changing us, transforming us, freeing us from old habits and giving grace for living with integrity. Inner change, leading to outward actions. Loving God and loving our neighbours.
Free Methodists are global Christians. From earliest days, the wider world has been on the hearts and minds of Free Methodists, translating into determined efforts to proclaim the good news of reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ and to live that out in practical actions to alleviate suffering, seeking to correct injustice.
The Free Methodist Church in Canada has approximately 150 congregations across Canada and is partnered with ministries in more that 90 countries around the world.
What makes a Methodist tick?
Faith expressed through love...