This year, the Niverville United Church, affectionately known by some as the “little white church,” celebrates 100 years since joining the United Church of Canada. As Niverville has grown and modernized, this church has remained grounded to its roots, hopeful about its future.

“We love our little white church,” says Gloria Nicol, who has been part of the congregation since being baptized there in 1962. “The congregation is a very caring family that can get anything done… we’re like the Little Engine That Could.”

Among its charitable work, the church collects food donations through their weekly Sunday service, sending items to the local Helping Hands foodbank.

Many of today’s traditions are also echoes of what came before.

In 1987, Marilyn A. Podjan compiled a history booklet, titled “Where We Began… Where We’re Going,” to commemorate the church’s first 80 years, the current structure having been built in 1907.

However, even by that time the congregation had long been gathering in homes for worship, weddings, baptisms, and funerals. From 1885 to 1905, the first minister, Rev. Alexander McFarlane of Clearspring, held a monthly service in Niverville.

To supplement these services, the community at the time came to welcome student ministers who rotated between Niverville, Glenlea, Grande Pointe, and Otterburne.

Today the congregation shares a minister with Steinbach United Church, meaning that the two churches have a collaborative ministry. In addition, services are made available online, reaching members who can’t be in the pews for a variety of reasons.

“In this day and age where people are so very busy and some of our younger folk are running all around, it’s great that they can watch the service online in their own time,” says Nicol. “The services are on YouTube. I’ve even watched while away on holidays. You have to change with the times and that’s one of the ways we’ve done it, with online services.”

Sunday school, which started in 1918, is still central to the church’s mission.

“I’d love to see our Sunday school grow,” says Nicol. “When I see a little one crawl up the aisle, it brings back many good memories.”

At the heart of the congregation, the women of the United Church have gathered since its inception. In 1901, they were referred to as Ladies Aid and were instrumental in starting and growing the Building Fund which enabled the current building’s construction in 1907, back when it was called the Niverville Presbyterian Church. They met every two weeks to discuss and raise money for ministry expenses and hosted quilting groups, suppers, concerts, community picnics, and an annual fowl supper.

Today the United Church Women (UCW) continue this tradition with a Thanksgiving dinner, a Christmas party to kick off the month of December, and quilting groups that run throughout the winter beginning in January.

“Quilting group is open to all and welcoming of anyone who wants to join in,” says church member Susan Friesen.

Since 2012, the UCW also takes part in a prayer shawl ministry, creating and blessing prayer shawls in an endeavour supported in part by family members in surrounding communities.

 “We’ve sent out more than 1,000 shawls since 2012, including 40 to Humboldt, Saskatchewan during their tragedy,” Friesen adds, referring to the terrible bus crash that took so many young lives.

“United Church Women is a strong presence in this church and has always been within the United Church of Canada,” says Nicol. “For me, it comes with a deep sense of belonging. We come together as a church community and there is nothing we cannot accomplish with our congregation because we are a family. That strikes me as what I am proud of within this church.”

Friesen and Nicol both say the church is open and inviting to all.

“We are on the path of becoming an affirming and inclusive church. Affirming and welcoming to all,” Nicol emphasizes. “Our doors are open to everyone. We are sharing more information with the congregation as time goes on. Eventually we will be voting to see if we will officially become an affirming church. We are starting with sharing what being affirming means, hear everyone’s views, and hopefully we will get a positive vote. Steinbach United is already an affirming church.”

From its earliest grassroot beginnings to its online services today, Niverville United has always adapted. For Friesen and Nicol, that adaptability, rooted in care for one another, is what will carry the Little White Church That Could into its next one hundred years.