50th Year Reflections - Nick Vogt
As KGF celebrates our 50th year (1960-2010) on Thanksgiving Weekend, we've asked some of our founding members to write out their reflections on the life of this church family. Here is Nick Vogt's.
Fifty year ago our family was part of a group, in a German Mennonite church, who realized that our children, entering their teenage years, would be better served in an English church, and that we, too, would be in a better situation to co-operate with the English churches and community in our city.
We faced a difficult decision, but after much prayer we felt it was God’s will for us to make this change.
In the fall of 1960, we began meeting at the Women’s Institute Hall on Lawrence Ave., for English services under the leadership of Pastor Jacob Enns. We organized a church early in 1961 under the name of the “Kelowna Mennonite Mission.”
Other locations we have used for worship were the First Baptist Church on Ellis Street facing Queensway, the Masonic Hall at Richter and Bernard. After renting these facilities, we bought the original church of the Mennonite Brethren at Ethel and Stockwell.
From there we built and moved to our present location under the leadership of Pastor Ron Daku. The Lord blessed us with pastors who taught the Word and also encouraged us not only to talk the talk, but to walk the walk.
The ministries that the church offered are also an important part of the past fifty years. Being a multi-generational church, we did our best to meet the needs of all generations.
Our children and many others went to vacation Bible school and Bible camps, some serving as counsellors in the Bible camps. Some went on short term mission projects and also attended Bible schools.
As adults, many of them served in various ministries in the church.
As we look at the church today, we see the wonderful power of God at work in our midst. God is at work not only in the church, the Body of Christ, but also in individuals who are the Body of Christ.
To Him be the glory!
Nick Vogt