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The Acton Free Press Wednesday 1977 STAFF MEMBERS Wayne Smith Judy Mac Donald and Ruth Hargreaves show good riding style as they head off for the round up chapel service at the Peoples Church Ranch In Nassagaweya Roundup chapel services draw crowds to Church Ranch BOUND FOR CHURCH This sleigh packed with hay and youngsters isn t headed for a barnyard The children are being transported from the corner of Fifth Line and No 15 Sideroad to the Peoples Church Ranch a mile down the road There they ride horses attend Sunday school classes and in roundup chapel services together A team of usually pulls the hay wagon down the road to the ranch but when it snowy or slippery a chain tired tractor is used instead Every Sunday morning from September to June some 100 people put on their fivonte if jeans or coveralls and riding Ihen he id for chapel services near At most churches in ihe are these individuals would Ik looked with Mint degree of repugnance for entering house of God in iltirc But it the Peoples Church Hunch locale one mile south of 15 ifth Line a person wears to worship the I ird is not All it matters is that they have taken the trouble to make their way into country so the morn and that ihcy ire anxious learn more about Ihe gospel and spre id the word of God lo believers up Though chapel services don I get underway until 11am Ranch direelor Bruce Chapman his wife Chris and iheir four children are up and about I til lo begin preparttions for the Some of the staff members who itlend high college during the week spend night it the Ranch and arc up helping Ihe The other staff members it the II inch between 7 and a m to di whatever thev can lo help ihe Chap- mans re the ition to show up for the Sunday up The Hound up 1 God as il is begins J a in I ike inform ilitv At this lime my of the people choose to park heir cars a mile north of the Hunch and either hop a horse drawn sleigh hay igon or mount one of the wilting horses as a method f Inns down the rugged road to Hindi re ill enj y going out lo meet people for services Mr Chapm in said It irms Ihcm up lo informality of the and s something they all look forward to now the Hunch has aboul horses and several others hive been promised to Mr Chapman for use in the round up during the coming months Many of Ihe horses hive been given to the Ranch bv friends or neighbors Alio wanted be sure an aging m ire had good home or members of the desire to contribute something to the round up hive donated such items is bales of which can be put lo use it Ihe during the course of the year never lake up tiors Mr Chapman pi lined People give they wish school Upon irnvilal the acre with rustic wooden dotting its rolling hills members of the congregation break small groups according to age and riding The younger children receive Sunday school in siruction inside the log building known as Chuck use while Ihe teenagers adults enjoy a period of fellowship horseback riding ah the ills of the Hani fire on the w the youngsters gathered in circle on the bare floor to sine songs ind hear Bit le stones Two staff members I Hubert and John Hewitt- give riding safch lessons other newcomers inside Chuck House and cookies about an hour every one is re united m benches around the crack line fire pi ice as hot coffee and of home baked cookies are served by Mrs ipman and some of the other women Smielime between 11 and il m the round up chapel service begins inside the Chuck House Inudentilly the Chuck House is only used for prayer meetings during ihe w inter months because it has the best heating facilities of all Ihe buildings at Ranch Dunne the summer chapel services arc either held out doors or in the ncirby anil tin chapel The Service Mr Chapman conducts Ihe western round up chapcf vices aided by his old son Dave and staff member Dale The men wear blue jeans us they reid passages from the Bible and Ihem for ihe group of young icians iccompiny the churchgoers to such tunes as Oh What a Beautiful Morning The Hound Up God Is On and Lord Is My Shepherd overhead projector is lys used during services where lyrics lo songs ire nude visible for the gallon to and imptrl ml points to remember from Ihe day sermon are jotted down special feature of chapel services at Peoples Church Ranch is it Mr in strives lo ex phin complicated Biblical passages in everyday and gives examples of how stories told by the ipplv daily life The prayer meeting is indeed a live service is it is intended be is encouraged on he part of children as well us adults and it appears the people ippreeiulc the tumty to lake an active role in the Sunday worship This is evidenced by the fact that between 100 130 individuals turn out for vices it the Ranch on regu lir basis todiy compared lo just 0 when the chapel ser vices began three years igo Spiritual home Chapman the Hunch is the spiritual home of miny of those who itiend the Sunday services lot of the people who come here their first tunc decisions to receive Christ while attending here during the summer months or during round in the pusl he explained Mr ipman siid campers made firsl time decisions to accept Christ as their personal Savior during lJ7a summer season at the Hunch And others openly they had drifted fir from God came during that time Still oilier a variety of problems such as loneliness ind rebellion were prompted by the Holy Spirit approach some trusted staff member fir counsel Mr Chapman said before the summer session wis over we were receiving letters of gratitude from ircnls he rel itcd One falherwrote There is so much pressure here in the il is diffieull to direct young people it God has done for my son this ye at lie It inch 1 kn will in flucncc his life in I guide him in the yeirs ihe id 10 ye old camper ex pressed much ihe though I Before I came to The it inch I didn re illy believe in But 1 re id the and saw Christ in you Mr Chap man and your stiff mem it all idded up There s to be Now 1 really do believe in God am letter went I in going lo need llim i lot lo help me In my seh ml work I going to si irl re idmg my Bible more m God a ill SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS Nancy Redford the Chuck House Holding up the lyrics for the leads primary students in a sing a long by the children to follow are staff members Tim fireplace during Sunday School session inside MacDonald and Ralph LINDA AND DON CUTHBERT of Campbellville enjoy a walk in the snow before roundup chapel services at the Peoples Church Ranch Parents to seven children aged five to 15 the Cuthberts appreciate the opportunity to have this quiet time together while their children learn Christian values at Sunday school class Bruce Chapman Director of Peoples Ranch heads up family ministry Bruce Chapman is been director of Ihe Peoples Church Ranch since 1172 and con sidcrs i real privilege lo be involved in a ministry of Ihis nature A Ihird generation elder of the Peoples Church of Toronto which is committed to re idling unsaved for Christ and turning Christians from worldhncss lo spirituality Mr ipman siid it was a very natural move for him to lake over the Ranch ministry when the origin director left five years ago My wife Chris and I have always been interested in helping people young people and our job as directors of the Ranch provides us wilh in excellent opportunity lo do his he said Mad own business i nor lo the opening of the Peoples Church Ranch in in 19G9 Ihe had been busy operating their own business and raised horses in the area But upon hearing of Ihe newest or the church missionary work at Ihe acre they decided to offer their service free of charge and on a part lime basis Then when the former Ranch director left Mr Chapman was asked to take over the duties of full lime director isslsted by his wife and their four children family ministry A close knit family the Chapmans believe it is vital thai every member of the family be involved in the ministry of the church at the Ranch Wc feel it a a privilege to be a family upholding Christian values today Mr said during a recent interview Our children are well rounded solid in dividuals who contribute a great deal to community life an well as to the ministry of the church Upholding Christ teachings I them in any way he added A brief resume of their accomplishments is evidence of this Honor students Their oldest son Bill 21 Is a third year honor student Ihe Forestry School at University in Thunder Bay A qualified horsemanship instructor he helps out it Ihe home from his stud Dive gndu itcd from Acton High Seh just over year igo and is involved in pi lyine junior hockey in Ihe ireT His idler says he people lo him like mignet is i favorite counsellor of the children it the Dave is also dor for the c imping sc ison the r up services in s only daughter is ir ye ir Grade honor student and assists The I High tie imp I- or the past two ye she has been n the outstanding female athlete at school swimmer Kircn is on the pool staff it and is active mi camp projects there is well She is ilso a qualified He cording to her f ilhcr is one of the best counsellors it the It inch The youngest is year old Itich who attends Public School where he is known as the Christian boy A lot of his friends and attend round up services at the Ranch with him An adept guitarist Rich also sings and is a talented ventriloquist He is a keen horseman and offers stiff competition to the older boys at the during barrel races his father said Help oik other On Sundays the family is up and about by a al which lime they give the horses Ihe first of their four daily feedings They then pause for breakfast at am followed by a period of family devotion prayer and Bible study Most of the volunteer weekend staff members arrive by a to get last minute prcpirilinns ready for the round up chapel service Everyone works together Mr Chapman why You sec he said communication is to our ministry and it s very easy for people to communicate while doing chores together or riding Ihe trail or enjoying a hot cup of coffee by the fireplace Thai why we do these things as part of western round up he said New concept Though Ihe Ranch has existed since 1969 Mr sud the roundup ire slill i itivelv new concept and into heme Iwo and half ago His services hid held during the summer so could Sunt worship while on it the inch Rut when the summirended so did services However nit of town vicitioners were in I he ones the il summer services of ihe ipman s neighbors enjoyed pari in the lively services was their request Mr in decided lo continue ye round first roundup service wis held in September 1974 with pirlicipinls figures for the round up services con lop the 100 murk They are now held every Sunday throughout ye however religious instruction classes and horseback riding sessions ire suspended dur J Iv because the inch Ihe Quite i cross seclun of n ton come here to worship day We iwiy We re here bee the people like our services lhey feel genuine sincerity in he way the Gospel is presented Ihem and being encouraged lo develop a personal relationship with God through i childlike fulh in llim he said Here Ranch Christianity is much more lhan just church on Sunday he smiled living it teachings lhalis he continued wc stress every of life right from cleanliness lo obedience to unquestioning faith in the Lord re concerned with the individual as a whole deal with the lotal character of the person In addition to reading the Gospel for them It is our hope thai they will then be able lo apply Ihe teachings of Christ to their daily lives Mr Chapman said BRUCE CHAPMAN is director of the Peoples Church Ranch in which serves as a year round campground and as a place for Western round up chapel services on Sundays Feature by Ann HauprichNielsen