Descriptive rendition of a church service

As the clock approaches six, a crowd full of well-dressed 20-year-olds enters the doors of Jack Purcell Community Centre, located at the corner of Elgin and Lewis streets in downtown Ottawa.

Held in the centre’s second-floor hall, the Saturday evening service of the Calvary Fellowship of Ottawa begins as about 100 people take their seats in lines of navy blue and orange plastic chairs. An overheard comment indicates that, this week, the service is especially full.

The room is reminiscent of an elementary-school gym, with off-white brick walls complemented by the constant hum of ceiling fans and fluorescent lights. As I enter the large push bar doors into the hall to look for a seat, a balding man in his late 40s greets me with a smile and asks my name, responding that his daughter’s name is also Rachel.

The room echoes with familiar church hymns, as the four-person band begins to play. Afterwards, there is a loud murmur of introductions as audience members turn to greet each other. I acquaint myself with a man sitting two seats away, and he comments that he, too, has a daughter named Rachel.

The 30-something pastor, Andy Falleur, directs the congregants to the next element of the service, asking if anyone would like to share “praises” from their week. Chairs screech as people turn to face the voice of a woman named Rita, seated at the back of the hall.

“I’m going to rehab in Whitby,” she says, detailing the financial difficulties that have prevented her from seeking treatment before. “Welfare is helping me go and is offering to help pay for my train home.”

There are shouts of “praise the Lord,” along with enthusiastic clapping.

Pastor Andy directs people to a biblical passage in first John chapter two on abiding in God and in His teaching, rather than the teachings of ‘the world.’

The sound of flipping pages fills the air. One woman uses an online Bible on her iPad. The light smell of perfume drifts past. The pastor wears a constant smile, recounting humorous tales and frequently bringing the audience to laughter. Church attendees hum and nod their heads in agreement as the sermon continues, occasionally answering with amens.

The pastor ends the service with an a cappella rendition of “Spirit of the Living God”. The crowd mingles over coffee and pink strawberry wafer cookies. As chairs are stacked and the auditorium cleaned, the gathering gets increasingly sparse. With a flick of the lights, the last stragglers make their way outside.