My Church Winnipeg is an established church in the city with a new name and a new vision.

My Church Winnipeg, formerly Immanuel Pentecostal Church, has implemented a significant name change, which Lead Pastor Tim Crooks says stems directly from the Bible.

"It came from a study of Matthew 16, where Jesus comes to the disciples and says 'who do people say I am?'," explained Crooks. "Peter says you are the Christ . . . Jesus response to Peter was your right, and this wasn't revealed to you by man, but by God. And upon this rock, upon this revelation of who Jesus is . . . I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it."

my church
The church has begun to intentionally focus on communities and on families, creating a space that allows greater connectivity between people. This includes a new play structure where children and adults can play, an artificial ice rink, and a revamp of the foyer space to allow people the chance to connect outside the sanctuary.

"We felt the vision of our church was changing," Crooks said. "That whole idea, what kept coming to us, was a place to connect."

Crooks says the name change came out of intense prayer. The leadership sat down and wondered what would happen if their church would one day disappear. They decided that the community probably wouldn't notice and they wanted to change that. That community focus will spread to all of Winnipeg, but for now, My Church Winnipeg is focused on helping and praying for the community within three kilometres of the church building.

Crooks says that they are "just making it a more community friendly place."