Mission: Who Are We?


We are a church with a mission to be a visible presence of Jesus in the Cowichan Valley.



Vision: Who do we hope to be by 2030?


We prayerfully believe that by loving others as Jesus does, Valley Church will contribute to the flourishing of the Cowichan Valley, will be a community of refuge and will provide a next step for everyone in their faith journey.




Why "Valley Church"?


When we heard from people in the Cowichan area that there needed to be a new church that will contend for the valley, the word ”valley” was repeated so many times. This got us thinking that maybe the name “Valley Church” would be a good idea.


From there, an analogy started to surface. The analogy that came to mind was how often we as people are always looking for a mountaintop experience in our faith journey. Though the mountaintop experience is desirable, it is in the valley where we wrestle through the hard stuff. It is in the valley where the land is fertile and full of growth, and it is in the valley of life where we find ourselves most often. It is often in the valley where we lose hope and can’t see what’s outside of ourselves… but Jesus meets us there! Jesus meets us and brings us hope and promises to never leave us. It became pretty clear that we want to be a people that exemplify this metaphor.

The Story

Here is the story of how Valley Church started. It was birthed out of prayer and several people who were following the Spirit of God and noticing signs of God putting the Cowichan Valley on people’s hearts. People describe what was happening as 'inevitable' and like 'riding a wave that we have no choice but to follow'. This was both exciting and a huge faith step as people committed to starting this new work in the Cowichan Valley. Below is a video created for our first birthday, sharing the story of our beginning and hearing from some of our people.


We first started at the Lindes' house, with 40 people on October 16, 2022. By October 30th, 2022 we had an attendance of 72 people including kids. By November 6th, 2022 we moved our gathering to the Caprice Movie Theatre. By January 2023 a total of 90 people came together to officially and publicly launch this new work in the Duncan area of the Cowichan Valley.


Meanwhile, we launched our Youth Ministry right away in the Fall of 2022 and in the Fall of 2023 launched a Junior Youth Ministry to reach the needs of our growing amount of families with kids grades 5-12.


In May 2024, the Caprice Theatre was not an option on Sunday mornings due to a sale of the building, which forced us to make a temporary home at the Duncan Curling Club. As the Fall was approaching, we needed a new place to meet. It was after signing up to volunteer for the Truth and Reconciliation Walk that the organizer pointed us to the Khowutzun Heritage Centre where we meet now.


Today, we are a growing church of just over 200 people, averaging about 140 people on any given Sunday. Who are these people? About half of them are under the age of 25, they are warm and welcoming and excited about our loving influence in our community, here in the Cowichan area. Most of the newer people we see joining us are:

1) New to the community (moved to the area)

2) New to church life

3) Or new back to church after a long break.

Do these people sound like you and look like your vibe?

We want to become your community for belonging.

STATEMENT OF FAITH


We are a church that is proudly affiliated with the Feb Pacific family of churches. Read our statement of faith here.

Values & Promises: Culture shapers

Ken and Betty.

Jesus Focused 

Everything we do is through relationship with Jesus Christ. 


BIBLE

CENTRED

We will be a people who learn how to follow Jesus through the teachings of the Bible.


SPIRIT

LED

We wait upon the Spirit of God to lead us, not going ahead of where God is taking us.


prayer

First

We will pray first as we gather, also be quick to pray with and for others

Hospitable Fellowship

We will regularly open our arms and doors to every person.


MAKING DISCIPLES

We focus on making disciples who make disciples.


Creating

EMERGING LEADERS

We will build the stage for emerging leaders to stand on.


Generously Giving

We will give our time, our resources, and our efforts to make Christ known in our community.

FEARLESS FAITh

We will not waver to step out in faith as the Lord leads us.


COMMUNITY ORIENTED

We are a people of the Cowichan Valley and will seek to make it a better place by serving the community and sharing our faith in Jesus.


Servant Hearts

We will act justly, love mercy and walk humbly (Micah 6:8).


STORIES OF LIFE TRANSFORMATION

We will regularly share stories of how Jesus is working in our lives and give Him the credit for the transformation.

FAQ

What should I wear on a Sunday?

We are a casually dressed West Coast style people. You are welcome to wear what is comfortable, but typically we won't see any suits or fancy dresses at our gatherings.

As long as you wear clothes. We're good.

Is this a kid-friendly church?

Yes, completely. In fact, we are one of the youngest churches in the city by age and one of the bigger kids programs. Our Valley Kids program goes from age 0 to grade 6.

On a Sunday, you can come in through the front doors of our meeting space and on the left there is a big roll-up banner that says "Valley Kids". Beside that is a bistro table with a check-in station. Someone will be there to help you check-in or register your child(ren).

We want families to be together for a good portion of the gathering. During the service before the sermon, we dismiss the kids during one of the songs. We encourage you to sign out your kids afterwards and not leave them with us.

How did you get to be in this beautiful building?

We are humbly grateful to be meeting as a church on the lands of the Quw'utsun' peoples. We don't believe in coincidences, so we believe that we are placed here for a continual and growing friendship with the Cowichan Tribes. Although we understand this friendship is new, we are happy to serve and listen to the history of our area.

We proudly and annually have many from our church who support the Every Child Matters Walk on September 30th each year. It was from serving at this event that we were asked to rent this building. This cultural site and our church people represent the ongoing effort for reconciliation through our faith in Jesus.

I noticed you don't pass an offering plate. How do I give?

In this digital age, we encourage people if they want to give to give electronically and consistently. This helps us to plan and to reach the Cowichan Valley with the love of Jesus.

If you would prefer to give cash or cheque, please use the envelopes provided on Sundays, drop it through the slot on the front of the AGAPE box in the foyer.