When the Reverend Simon Muwowo first stepped through the doors of St. Paul’s United Church in Deer Lake, Newfoundland and Labrador, roughly three and a half years ago, he was given a blunt assessment of the congregation’s health. The reality of the church’s situation was communicated to him in stark, uncompromising terms that left little room for misinterpretation.
“Before I moved here, I was told that the church was in ICU,” Muwowo recalls, using medical terminology to describe a faith community on the brink of collapse. “It was after COVID had hit and, of course, they had suffered quite a lot of decline in the membership.”
At that time, the aging congregation consisted predominantly of seniors. The physical output of the church reflected its diminishing presence in the local community. On a typical Sunday morning, the administration would print fewer than 25 bulletins, a quiet indicator of a dwindling flock gathering in a large space.
Today, that same church tells an entirely different story. The pews are no longer sparsely populated by a handful of traditional worshippers. Instead, the congregation regularly sees 80 people at its Sunday morning services, with attendance sometimes surging upwards of 140 participants. The atmosphere has shifted from quiet resignation to vibrant energy. People of all ages now sing together in praise, teenagers participate actively through dance in worship, children take center stage in Christmas and Easter theatrical productions, and new members are continuously welcoming themselves into the fold from across a broad cultural spectrum.
The catalyst for this remarkable transformation was neither an aggressive marketing campaign nor a traditional theological shift. It was, rather, a free after-school program designed to meet a practical community need.
Muwowo, who is affectionately known in the community simply as “Rev. Simon,” hit upon the idea after spending about a year exploring various ways to breathe new life into the struggling institution. He began by speaking closely with local parents to understand the pressures facing families in the region. Through these conversations, he realized that the community lacked accessible after-school programming for working parents. Drawing on his own memories from his days as a busy father of four on Newfoundland’s Burin Peninsula—where he previously served as a minister—he suggested that the church step into the void by providing a safe, welcoming, and interactive space for local children.
The objective was not merely to babysit, but to foster holistic growth. “They also learn about life and morals, and encounter Christ in the process,” Muwowo explains, framing the initiative as an organic expression of faith through community service.
The after-school program officially launched in October 2024. It is designed to accommodate children ranging from kindergarten to Grade 5, operating three days a week from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The steady demand for the service was evident almost immediately; as of May, 27 children were officially registered in the program.
The daily structure of the after-school initiative is built around enrichment and connection. It offers dedicated story time—which includes accessible Bible stories—alongside creative crafts, healthy snacks, and open, supervised free playtime. The integration between the children’s program and the broader church community is intentional and ongoing. Every few months, St. Paul’s Sunday school hosts birthday parties, extending invitations to the after-school children and other youth from the congregation. These gatherings feature pizza, cake, games, and loot bags, usually following a musical performance by the children during the morning worship service.
The personal impact of the program on local families has been profound. Deidre Stirling vividly recalls dropping off her daughter Lucy, now 11, at the after-school program for the very first time a couple of years ago. The initial drop-off was fraught with typical childhood anxiety, leaving Lucy in tears. However, when Stirling returned to pick her up later that afternoon, the transformation was instantaneous. Lucy “could not explain how much fun she had,” Stirling says, noting that the experience left such a lasting impression that “she never missed a day since.”
Stirling’s observations of her daughter’s personal growth underscore the deep developmental benefits of the church’s initiative. “She went from a kid who was extremely shy to just narrating the Easter play—so the last couple of years have been exponentially amazing,” Stirling says. The positive experience prompted Stirling to enroll her five-year-old son in the program as well.
Although Stirling is not formally a member of St. Paul’s United Church, her involvement in the community life of the church runs deep. She volunteers regularly with the after-school program, lending her time and energy to projects such as helping the children construct their award-winning float for the local community Christmas parade. “I’m not a member, but I’m a part,” she reflects. “I feel welcome here.”
Beyond serving elementary school children, the program has created a valuable ecosystem for youth leadership and mentorship. Teenage students are given the opportunity to earn valuable volunteer hours while simultaneously discovering their personal potential and building critical leadership skills. Currently, 15 youth volunteers assist in leading the program, supported by an early childhood education student who brings professional guidance to the daily activities.
For 18-year-old volunteer Samantha Parsons, the experience of working with the children was so transformative that she was recently confirmed as a full member of St. Paul’s. “I enjoy being with the kids,” Parsons says. “They look like they’re always happy to be here.”
Katelyn Brearley, the director of youth and children’s ministries at St. Paul’s, emphasizes that these young volunteers are the beating heart of the after-school initiative and are entirely vital to its ongoing success. “They help with pretty much everything,” Brearley notes. “I’m the director, but I wouldn’t be able to do it if it wasn’t for all the help of the volunteers. And the kids really look up to them.”
Building on the momentum of the elementary program, St. Paul’s expanded its outreach in April by introducing a Friday evening drop-in program tailored specifically for youth in grades 6 through 12. Brearley describes this new offering as a deliberate effort to create “a safe space for youth to come and hang out with their friends, play some board games and just to get them comfortable coming into the church and feeling like it’s something that belongs to them as well.”
For Helen Reid, finding St. Paul’s was the result of a deliberate search for a welcoming spiritual home. A longtime Catholic who was searching for a church featuring a strong Sunday school program for her five-year-old granddaughter, Reid found that the combination of the church and its after-school initiatives altered the trajectory of both their lives.
“I gotta say, it was the best decision I’ve made in a long time,” Reid says, her voice catching with emotion. “For my granddaughter, I’d say the biggest impact on her has been that she has a sense of belonging. She was a very shy child—she’d come in church with her head down. But she started in Sunday school and then she started in that program, and she absolutely loves it. It has done so much for her character.”
Reid’s connection to the church deepened to the point where she became a member two years ago, and she now serves as the church’s secretary. She observes that the after-school program is “being nurtured by the whole congregation,” playing a direct role in the expansion of the church community. Over the past couple of years, more than 40 new members have officially joined the fold.
In keeping with the old adage that it takes a village to raise a child, the support for St. Paul’s initiative has radiated outward into the broader business and residential community. Local community members and business owners, many of whom have no formal affiliation with the church, routinely contribute funds and donate food to sustain the program. They recognize that the effort is fundamentally about nurturing young people in the present and cultivating a deep sense of belonging so that they develop into the compassionate citizens of tomorrow.
According to Muwowo, the secret to this cross-community resonance lies in a conscious departure from dogmatic rigidity.
“Most of the churches around today, they emphasize so much on doctrine. We don’t talk about doctrines at our after-school program, and we don’t talk about doctrines in our church on Sunday. So everyone finds a sense of belonging,” Muwowo says. “You just have to be you.”