Starting on Sunday, Sept 15, we will gather at our new venue, St Helen Catholic School (1196 College St) at 10:30 AM. We look forward to seeing you there!
Read about our journey of searching for a venue and how the Lord has been continually providing for us this year.
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Searching for a new venue
While Parkdale Collegiate Institute has been a wonderful place to call home the last 2 years, we have observed limitations of the space (ex. lacking building accessibility and an area to share meals together). At the start of 2024, we began the search for a venue that better aligned with Grace West Mission Church’s new Vision and Values.
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Considering the options
As a result, the staff researched a number of venues across the west end of Toronto. The Session directed the staff to visit the shortlist of venues and report back. On Wednesday, January 17, Session received the staff report, which recommended choosing St. Helen Catholic School as our Sunday venue.
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Hitting pause
On Sunday, January 21, the Session sought guidance from the congregation in the form of a non-binding ballot vote: "Do you support moving to St. Helen Catholic School as our Sunday venue, starting in March 2024?". The non-binding ballot vote was in favour of moving to St. Helen Catholic School; however, in February, the staff learned that the school would be closed for July and August for renovations. As a result, our move was put on hold.
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[UPDATE ON AUG 26]
Sunday permits to St Helen Catholic School were confirmed over the summer, and we were booked to begin our services there on Sunday, September 1.
On August 26, we moved our belongings to our new venue. While we were moving in, the caretaker informed us that the gym is not available on September 1 and 8. This came as a real surprise because the TCDSB assured us that all facilities would be available from September 1 onward. On the ground, however, we learned that the school renovations are two weeks behind schedule.Staff are pursuing several options for Sunday worship on September 1 and 8. You will hear back from us by Friday afternoon at the latest. Until then, please pray for wisdom and guidance for our staff, and for the Lord’s provision for a place to gather.
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[UPDATE ON AUG 27]
Thank you for praying with us for wisdom and guidance. The Lord has provided us a place to gather! Our friends at West Toronto Baptist Church (3049 Dundas St W) have graciously offered their building for our worship service on both September 1 and 8.
On both Sundays, our services will begin at 4 PM. At the mid-way point of the service, children’s programming will be provided on the 2nd floor for students in the Preschool/Kindergarten and Elementary classes. We will not have a staffed Nursery program.
Amidst many unexpected changes, including our venue and service times, we have an unchanging God. May we take great comfort in our God who is always the same! We look forward to worshipping together again this Sunday. -
[UPDATE ON SEPT 12]
We have received confirmation that the gym will be ready this Sunday! This means that we are officially moving into St Helen Catholic School. Join us this Sunday, September 15 at 10:30 AM for our inaugural service at our new venue.
We look forward to welcoming you to our new worship space! For more information about the venue, please review our FAQs below.
While it has been a long-awaited transition, we are pleased to announce that our permit application for St. Helen Catholic School has been approved for the upcoming school year 2024-25!
Starting Sept 15
New Location:
St. Helen Catholic School
1196 College St
Toronto, ON
M6H 1B8
New Service Time:
Sundays at 10:30 AM
FAQs
When will our first service at St. Helen Catholic School be?
Our first service will take place on Sunday, September 15, 2024.
What time is the service?
We will be changing our service time to 10:30 AM. The reason for this is because more time is required to set-up the building (ie. setting out the chairs in the gymnasium).
Where is St. Helen Catholic School located?
The school is located at 1196 College St. It is near the College and Dufferin intersection, in a neighbourhood called Brockton Village. It is accessible by the College and Dundas streetcar lines, and it is approximately a 15 min walk from Dufferin TTC Station.
Is there parking available?
Yes, there are approximately 20-25 spots available in the parking lot, which will be given first priority to families with infants and individuals with mobility issues. Street parking is available on Brock, College, and surrounding streets.
Where is the entrance of the building?
The entrance of the building is located off College. Look for the teal coloured doors!
Is the building wheelchair accessible?
Yes, St. Helen Catholic School is wheelchair accessible. Street-level access into the school is available through the main entrance. Mobility assistance can be provided for children attending our children’s programming.
Where do I go once I enter the building?
Once you enter, turn right and continue down the hallway. The main worship space is located at the end of the hallway, in the gymnasium.
Where will the children’s check-in table be located?
The children’s check-in station will be located near the gymnasium doors.
Where will the students’ classrooms be located?
Grace West has reserved 4 classrooms for our children’s ministry:
Nursery will be located across the hallway from the gymnasium.
Preschool/Kindergarten and Elementary classes will be in a private children’s ministry hallway on the second floor. Additionally, students will have access to male and female washrooms in the children’s ministry hallway, which will be for students’ use only.
Mobility assistance can be provided for children attending our children’s programming. For any questions or mobility assistance requests, please contact Jenn@gracewest.to.
Will there be hallway monitors on site?
We have a hallway monitor serving every Sunday, and they will continue their role at St. Helen Catholic School. Additionally, the doors into the building will continue to be locked 30 mins after the start of the service.
If you have any additional questions, please reach out to office@gracewest.to.
Let’s work together!
Praying
Praise God for his provision of permits at PCI over the last 2 years
Praise God for our positive relationship with PCI and their caretaking staff
Praise God that our permits were approved at St. Helen Catholic School
Pray for a smooth completion of the renovations at St. Helen and that their staff and contractors would be safe and without injury
Pray that the renovations will be complete by Sept 9 and we would be able to begin service at St Helen.
Pray for positive new relationships to be built with St. Helen and their caretaking staff
Pray for a good move from PCI to St. Helen and that we would be able to move our gear safely
Pray for wisdom for the staff as they consider new routines and training for our volunteer teams
Pray that as a community we would learn how to love and serve our neighbours in the Brockton Village
Serving
We need your help moving! On Sunday, Aug 18, we will be transporting all of our items into storage (Dundas & Jane). If you are able to drive boxes after service from PCI to our storage location, please contact Jenn@gracewest.to or sign-up in the link below.
Additionally, on Monday, Aug 26 we will be officially moving all our materials from storage to St Helen Catholic School. Sign-up to load or unload the moving truck: bit.ly/gw-moving.We will be building up our Sunday Operations volunteer roster so that we have a minimum of 3 volunteers scheduled to serve each Sunday. Our Sunday Operations volunteers also serve as our Hallway Monitor for the duration of the service. Volunteers’ arrival time will be 9 AM. If you are interested in serving, please contact Jenn@gracewest.to.
Dreaming
We want to create opportunities for greater connection and outreach at our new venue. Perhaps you are interested in starting up a weekly coffee time or you would like to organize some a pick-up basketball game after the service. Email office@gracewest.to to let us know what you are dreaming of starting up.
