Hillspring Church meeting at Garth Webb S.S. by Nathan Howes Special to the Beaver 23 | Wednesday, November 13, 2013 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com No matter who you are or what choices you've made, you're always welcome at Hillspring Church. That's the message Pastor Daniel Young is spreading as the church is now meeting at Garth Webb Secondary School, 2820 Westoak Trails Blvd. "I've been around church long enough to know that is not always the experience people have or what they think they're going to (have) when they go to a church," said Young. "They often think they're going to be judged, but that's not the way God treats us. We want to treat people the same way God treats us." Hillspring is community-oriented and focuses on "what you encounter when you come in," he said. "Church isn't what people think it is anymore. It's not just about coming in and being preached to. It's a community of people learning to love others the way God loves us." said Young. In addition to weekly Sunday morning service, the church provides an activities program for children in Grade 3 or under. Young said it equally values its children's program and adult service. "We really believe in investing in our kids from a young age, making sure they understand how valuable they are to God. We want to make sure they're an active part of the church from a young age, as opposed to being pushed aside while the adults (meet)," said Young. The pastor noted Hillspring chose Garth Webb Secondary School as its new home as Oakville grows north. "A lot of people are in transitional phases in life -- either moving into town or having kids. Those tend to be moments in life when people start to wonder if they should make God a part of their lives," said Young. Garth Webb offers many advantages for Hillspring, he said, adding the school provides better facilities than "most organizations can build on their own." "The kids' area and where we meet is all close together in a great location. It's low-cost compared to building Pastor Daniel Young launched Hillspring Church's new home at Garth Webb Secondary School. It meets Sundays 10:30-11:30 a.m. | photo by Nikki Wesley Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog) a multi-million-dollar facility," said Young. "It frees up a lot of resources." Hillspring directs such resources to its partnership with the Halton Children's Aid Society (CAS). Each year, the church hosts holiday parties for foster children. "It is a night for them to know how loved and valuable they are. We want to invest in them and make sure they have a good time. I want all of us to be involved in helping others in the community," said Young. "It's better to make a large impact in one area." The church has a bursary fund to provide financial assistance to foster children going into post-secondary education. "We do it because we want to make a difference in the lives of the kids. These are kids who didn't have a choice where they ended up in life. We help them understand they still have value and they still have hope," said Young. "At the end of the year, 100 per cent of it goes to the Halton Children's Aid Society. It's an incentive for them to stay in the system until they go to school." While Hillspring plans on staying at Garth Webb for the foreseeable future, Young said a permanent location hasn't been ruled out. "We feel happy we have a building to meet in. There's no reason we should invest millions of dollars into something that will tie up resources," said Young. "It doesn't mean we won't ever build a permanent location, but I think we will evaluate where we're at a year (or two) from now." Those interested in contributing to the bursary fund can contact Young at 905-808-6008 or dyoung@ hillspringchurch.org. For information on Hillspring, visit www.hillspringchurch.org. 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