Ministry Transforms Pub Into Church

When the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) campus pub opened in November 2008, it didn’t have any set weekend schedule. So Neil Lettinga, pastor of the Home Missions-sponsored UNBC campus ministry, sensed an opportunity. Why not try and use the space for a weekly student gathering?

One year later, the Thirsty Moose pub is now the home of "Church in the Pub," a Sunday afternoon event that attracts between 15 and 35 students.

Lettinga, who leads the campus ministry with his wife, Virginia, had approached the pub’s manager about the idea soon after the November 2008 opening. After learning there would be no need for bar service, the manager agreed to allow the Lettingas to hold campus ministry meetings there.

Every week, after singing, drinking hot cider, and socializing, students gather in a circle and introduce themselves. Stories and Scripture reading follow. Prayer is at the heart of the meetings.

"Each week we remind the group to pray for one another throughout the week and to keep their hearts and spirits tuned for what the Spirit might want them to share with others on the coming Sunday," says Lettinga. "It might be something they read in their personal devotions, or a song that started buzzing in their mind, or the story of something they observed in the halls or in their classes."

Lettinga also notes the importance of 1 Corinthians 14:26, which is read before every meeting in the pub: "When you gather for worship, each one of you be prepared with something that will be useful for all: Sing a hymn, teach a lesson, tell a story, lead a prayer, provide an insight." (The Message)