Getting to Know Us
When did Avalon Alliance start?
Avalon Alliance (originally Meadowlark Park Alliance) started in 1973, after relocating to the Neighborhood of Avalon in 1980 we became Avalon Alliance Church.
What denomination is Avalon Alliance?
We are apart of The Alliance Canada (Christian and Missionary Alliance) which is the Canadian branch of The Alliance World Fellowship.
Do I have to belong to your denomination to attend?
Definitely not. We welcome a variety of believers into our building and invite them all to join the Avalon family. We hold to The Alliance Statement of Faith which is not a weighty document and most people from a variety of denominational backgrounds should be comfortable affirming what we believe and finding a spiritual community here.
Does Avalon support missions?
Yes, we do. We support both global and local missions with our finances, our prayers, and our people. We have “Seamless Link” agreements with International Workers who we continually support with prayer and finances, but we also partner with our denomination to support the New Ventures Fund (Canadian Ministries) and the Global Advance Fund (International Ministries). In both local and global missions we have partnerships with past Avalon family members who are seeing God’s work done across the world. Read more about it on our Mission page.
Who are your ministers?
We have two pastors and one parish nurse who are on staff as ministry personnel. You can find more information including a brief bio about them on our Leadership page.
What spiritual growth opportunities do you offer?
Office Administration Hours
September - June
Saturday | Sunday | Monday - CLOSED
Tuesday - 9AM-4PM
Wednesday - 9AM-4PM
Thursday - 9AM-12PM
Friday - 9AM-4PM
(Office is closed over noon hour)
July & August
Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Monday | Tuesday - CLOSED
Wednesday | Thursday - 9AM-4:30PM
(Office is closed over noon hour)
The Office may be closed due to vacations or occasional emergency. Please see our Church Calendar for expected closures.
Pastoral staff may not be in the office during administration hours. If visiting pastoral staff, please contact them or the office before you drop by.
Saturday | Sunday | Monday - CLOSED
Tuesday - 9AM-4PM
Wednesday - 9AM-4PM
Thursday - 9AM-12PM
Friday - 9AM-4PM
(Office is closed over noon hour)
July & August
Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Monday | Tuesday - CLOSED
Wednesday | Thursday - 9AM-4:30PM
(Office is closed over noon hour)
The Office may be closed due to vacations or occasional emergency. Please see our Church Calendar for expected closures.
Pastoral staff may not be in the office during administration hours. If visiting pastoral staff, please contact them or the office before you drop by.
Sunday for Adults
What is the schedule for Sunday morning?
Prayer Meeting
8:30AM (9:00AM in June-August)
Morning Coffee Ministry
9:00AM (9:30AM in June-August)
All Ages Sunday School
9:15AM (No Sunday School in Summer)
Family Worship Service
10:30AM (10:00AM in June-August)
8:30AM (9:00AM in June-August)
Morning Coffee Ministry
9:00AM (9:30AM in June-August)
All Ages Sunday School
9:15AM (No Sunday School in Summer)
Family Worship Service
10:30AM (10:00AM in June-August)
Where can I park?
We have a parking lot behind the church. Across the street at John Lake School, the parking lot is available for us to use on Sundays. There is plenty of street parking available as well. Please respect our neighbours' driveways and other parking restrictions around our church.
Where can I find you?
We're located in Saskatoon, SK in the heart of Avalon at the corner of Cascade Street and Royal Avenue.
How big is the church?
Our church is big enough to host about 250 people in the main sanctuary. On any given Sunday you are likely to encounter 130-180 people during service.
Who goes to your church?
A variety of people from all backgrounds and all ages. Currently we have many young families, but the biggest demographic is people who love Jesus and want to be apart of the Avalon Family.
Do I have to dress up to attend your worship service?
No, we have a variety of people in our church, most people wear comfortable, weather-appropriate clothing.
What kind of things do you do in your worship service?
On a Sunday Morning you will often find we open our services in prayer and scripture reading and also close in prayer and scripture reading. During the service we will have about 30 minutes of worship through music, a kid’s talks which is a 5-minute message aimed at kids before they go to Preschool/Junior Church. After the kid’s are dismissed, we have a 25–35-minute sermon.
Sunday for Children
What do you offer for babies and children on Sunday morning?
On Sunday morning there are 4 places for children during service. Most children only leave during the sermon, where we offer lessons and activities better suited for their learning levels. We often have colouring sheets available for children while they’re in the service. Firstly, children are welcome to partake in the adult service. Parents of babies between 0-2 are able to use the Nursery. It is staffed other than the summer and volunteers will love to support you during this precious time with your child however they can. For toddlers and children aged 2 to 5 we have preschool happening in the downstairs classrooms where they might learn a variety of things about their relationship with God. Finally, for children from kindergarten to grades 5 we have programming called Junior Church where leaders teach them a variety of materials about the Bible, Jesus and what it means to have faith.
What will my kids learn in Sunday school?
Our children's ministries use a variety of tools to teach kids. As the curriculum changes every year the goal of what we teach kids doesn't. Our aim at Avalon Kid's Sunday School is to teach the Bible to our children. They might use videos, stories, crafts, games or activities as well but the goal is that the children learn biblical stories or truths and all that other stuff is used to help facilitate learning. Some of the games might be unrelated to the lesson but making Avalon a space where kids feel safe and have fun is an important part of kid's ministry.
How can I help my kids get the most out of Sunday school?
We don't expect to be able to teach your Child the entire Bible over the course of their childhood. If you want your child to know the Bible it is important that much of that learning is done at home between you and your child. If you want to help make the Kid's Talks or Sunday School lessons extra sticky the best way for that to work is to have a conversation with your child about what they learned that day. If you find your child doesn't have much to say maybe connect with the teacher and ask what the lesson was on so you are able to ask more directed questions to your child about the passage or story they were learning. Any conversation you and your child have about God is a big win and it is probably more important than anything Avalon might be able to teach them.
How is discipline handled in Sunday school?
At Avalon we believe proper discipline is most successful in the parent-child relationship. During Sunday School, Preschool, Junior Church we do our best to lead your children through activities and lessons, if necessary, we will try reasoning with your child. Under no circumstance do we yell at, intentionally embarrass, or hit children. If any teacher was faced with a circumstance where discipline was necessary, our response would only be to come find you and pass the care of your child back to you.
Can my kids stay in the service with me?
Definitely, most of the service they will be encouraged to stay with you, and they are welcome to listen to the morning sermon, we hope the sermon would still be relatable and thought provoking. They can make use of colouring pages that are often found in the foyer of the church.
Giving of Time/Finances
How do I get more involved?
At Avalon we like to encourage people who first start to attend to get to know us before they feel the need to serve. Once you feel like Avalon is your community, we would love you to check out our ministries and think about what ways you might be gifted. If you feel God starting to direct you to serve, reach out to a ministry coordinator and express your interest. If you still haven’t met the coordinator of the ministry, you’re interested in serving or you don’t know where you want to serve, contact our office or any staff member and we will do our best to get you connected and serving.
When I give money to Avalon, where does the money go?
If not specified, money you give to Avalon goes into our General Fund. This covers everything from communion supplies to phone bills to ministry expenses to salaries as the budget recommends. If you designate it to a particular ministry at Avalon your gift will go to covering that ministries budget. If you designate it to Global Advance or New Ventures your gift goes to God’s work in Canada or around the world. More information about some of these things can be found on our Give page.
How much should I give?
To this question we would sent you to 2 Corinthians 9:7, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” As a church family we do not wish to say anything that would make someone feel they have to give either reluctantly or under compulsion. We should each realize that we as the givers are the ones blessed to be able to partner with God, not the other way around. For some, giving is a gradual process, for other generosity pours out of them. The amount or the destination of the gift is far less important than the heart behind it and we all need to trust God with our lives, including in our finances.
Sacraments/Ordinances
Will you perform Weddings?
Possibly, weddings to us are a significant event with both cultural and religious significance. As a church, we prioritize the religious significance of the marriage ceremony. If you are a brother or sister in Christ and hold to Our Statement on Marriage and Family, we would love to be a part of your special day.
What about Baby Dedications?
Baby dedications are moments for parents to reflect and respond to God’s will for their child. During a baby dedication, parents are asked questions where they can express their desire to raise their child for Christ and the church is there to witness, affirm, and agree with the parents in the statement they are making. For that reason, it is an intimate moment for both parents and the church around the raising of a child, this gift from God. If it is your desire to raise your child at Avalon or in another Christian community as God directs you, we would be blessed to take part in that intimate moment between you as parents and God.
What is the process behind getting baptized?
Baptism at Avalon is initiated by the individual. You may over the course of your time here have conversations with leaders or friends prompting you with questions like “Have you been baptized?” or “Do you want to be baptized?” Once you feel the Spirit prompting your baptism, we will make space for you to be baptized as you see fit. We annually and as needed do baptism classes for anyone who wants to attend where we cover the significance and purpose of baptism. After completing the class, we will go over what a baptism service looks like, and we will set a date. Baptism services are joyous occasions that we as a church look forward to taking apart of as well.
Can a visitor take communion?
Visitors can take communion, the message that is said when we take communion is that we are proclaiming Jesus’ death until He returns and so if you also proclaim this, you may join us at His table.
Other Questions
How can I work through problems with people in the church?
Depending on who you have a problem with will affect the process of how to deal with those conflicts. Firstly, we hope you have first attempted to work through this problem one on one with whoever is involved. If your problem is with an attendee or ministry leader, we would have you reach out to Pastor Rob. He will listen to you, hear your heart, try to understand your issue, and if appropriate will provide feedback for the best way to walk through this issue. If you agree, Pastor Rob could work through the next steps for seeing you and the other person come to some sort of resolution.
Can I get counseling through the church?
Yes, our staff do pastoral care/counseling for a variety of needs you might have. If you wish to meet with us, all you must do is call and make an appointment. If you are in need of help beyond what we are equipped to do, we would love to get you connect with organizations who have the resources and training to support you through your circumstances.
With whom do I talk if I want to know more?
Depending on what you’re searching for anyone might be a good resource. If you wish to know more about Avalon, feel free to ask a fellow attendee. If you would like more information about what ministry at Avalon looks like contact our Staff.