Holy Hipsters

Across Toronto, 20- and 30-somethings are joining trendy evangelical churches, where services feature lasers, confetti cannons and indie bands. Portrait of a religious revolution in the making

Across Toronto, 20- and 30-somethings are joining trendy new evangelical churches, where the pastors have tattoo sleeves and indie bands perform instead of choirs. Portrait of a millennial religious revolution in the making

On Sunday mornings in Toronto, most millennials are lining up for brunch, not communion. The city’s steepled brick churches are slowly being converted into condos, and the 6 God has more disciples than, well, actual God. Yet somehow, a cadre of new churches, many from Australia, is luring the under-30 set into the pews—not that there are actual pews, mind you. Mass is often held in rented high school auditorium Bys, Cc horn is c te in rt ah Gaollnszaanl eds other venues thaat nwdouLuldc oRtihnearlwdiise be empty on a Sunday morning. The services are like ra vP eh sofotorgJ era supsh,y st ba yr ring inkedup pastors, Luis motivational Mora speaker– style sermons, dazzling light shows and stylish parishioners searching for community. It’s mass tailor-made for Instagram.

Bukola Walfall, 24, actor

“I first saw Julie and Damian on Instagram five years ago. They were holding services in a Hard Rock Cafe, and I thought, ‘That looks so fun!’ So I went. Since then, I’ve become friends with so many people at the church. I work in the creative industry, and my colleagues ask, ‘Where do you keep meeting all these cool people?’ I’m like, ‘Church.’ And they say, ‘What kind of church do you go to?’ They can’t believe there’s a church where you can wear ripped jeans.”

Luigi Casagrande, 56, landscaper

“When I first attended the church, I felt very welcome there. I grew up Catholic in Italy, and I found that this church offered a more direct relationship with God. There was no middleman. Last year, we did a performance at the church and I played Father Christmas—except a cool Father Christmas. I wore a jean jacket, tight pants and a hat that said #MeTheNorth. It was hilarious. My friends, even the non-believers, are happy for me. It’s my faith, it’s my life.”

Jonathan Hatto, 32, pastor

“I grew up in England listening to Hillsong albums, and I went to Hillsong College in 2006. I met my wife there, and she is Canadian, so we moved here. Now I’m a pastor at Hillsong Toronto. We help people understand the Gospel, offer them an opportunity to respond and give them their own Bibles. We have fun, too: on Canada Day, we performed a medley of famous Canadian artists. Pastor Damian did Bryan Adams. He owned ‘Summer of ’69.’ ”

Heather Newbury, 39, teacher

“I grew up in Newfoundland, so I got to attend one of Hillsong’s first concerts in Canada. They came on the scene when I was in a youth group. When my family moved to Ontario 11 years ago, we fell in love with the church. We live in Brampton, and we make the trip down every Sunday. It’s not like, ‘I have to do this.’ Instead, it’s like, ‘Yeah, I want to be here at eight in the morning!’ One of my cousins recently said, ‘I still can’t believe how much you love church!’ ”

Dike Aduluso, 20, student

“The first day I went in, I was blown away. I had to come back. Now I do photography and videography for the church. Attending service is one thing, but being able to record it for others to see is amazing. It helps others realize that something cool is going on here. No matter what kind of day I’m having, I walk in and see all the smiling faces and it fills my heart with joy. I live in Waterloo, but I keep making the trip. I took a cab this morning—it was worth it.”

Alesha Spadzinski, 32, stay-at-home mom

“I grew up going to church, but I hadn’t been for a few years. When a friend invited me to check out C3, I was blown away. For the first time, church felt like home, not some place I had to spend my Sundays. Last year, I thought I’d miscarried my daughter. The doctor said there was no sign of life. I asked the community to pray for me and, a few hours later, the ultrasound finally sensed a heartbeat. In February, I took her to her first service at Massey Hall. She was six days old.”

Joji Ariwi, 27, geospatial specialist

“My girlfriend and I met at Impact, a small church in Montreal, and then moved to Toronto and joined C3 in 2016. The first time I went, everyone greeted me. It was so different from most other churches, where you could attend for a year with no one knowing who you are. It was refreshing to see so many young, hip people at church. They fit the Toronto mould: they looked like me and spoke like me and enjoyed living life, but they also loved Jesus.”

Mark Bone, 31, film director

“I grew up in Grimsby, and my dad was a Pentecostal pastor. When I heard about Pastor Sam, I was touched that someone would come across the world to plant a church. I quickly realized he wasn’t a traditional pastor. I could be myself around him. He was blunt and direct, challenging me in ways no one else has. My friends and family have seen how much I’ve grown since I joined. It intrigues them to see so many young people passionately pursuing something together.”

Alyssa Yuhas, 35, art director

“My husband and I grew up Christian, but we could never find the presence of God in the churches we visited. At C3, we found the Holy Spirit for the first time—our faith felt real and tangible. Everyone wants to be part of each other’s lives: we have dinners together and help each other move house. A couple of years ago, we did an outdoor baptism service on the stoop of our church. People were just declaring their love for Jesus, out in the open. It was beautiful.”

Brenden Lee, 29, tech entrepreneur

“I moved from L.A. to Toronto in 2017. I attended service at C3 that month and never left. I’ve worked with billionaires, and their lives always seem unsettled— they don’t know why they’re here. When I looked at Pastor Sam, I saw a man who knew he was created to serve people. A few months after moving to Toronto, I met my girlfriend at a church leadership retreat. I was captivated by her. She was glowing from how much God loved her.”

Bonnie Salamons, 23, nanny and florist

“My church back home in Alberta is Christian Reformed, so it’s strict and traditional—until recently, women weren’t even allowed to hold church office. Here, it’s all about your personal relationship with God. He isn’t just a deity; He wants to chase you, and he wants you to chase Him. I’ve gone through two heartbreaks during my time at this church and all of the girls are super-supportive. I love having a community of women who lean on one another.”

Jason Pike, 26, Apple tech consultant

“I followed my brother, Jeff, to Toronto when he started the church. Our parents wish we’d done something more secure, like medicine or accounting, but they’re proud of us. We used to hold services at the Mod Club, where the manager, George, would work until 4 a.m. Sunday morning and then stay until 8 a.m. to open it for us. Once, we called him on stage and honoured him. In a big city like Toronto, people often try to tear each other down. Here, we try to lift them up.”

Jesse Boland, 26, barista

“I come from a large Pentecostal church with hundreds of people: parents, grandparents, kids. People has a younger vibe, and it’s out of my comfort zone. I’ve been playing drums since I was 10, and now I oversee the church musicians and put our set lists together. I’m going through a time in my life where I’m like, ‘Why am I here?’ Even when I’m not working toward a tangible goal, I get to come to church and be part of something greater than myself.”

Chantal Babin, 24, broadcast coordinator

“When I moved from Ottawa to Toronto, the church helped me plug into the city and get to know people. Unlike the Catholic church where I grew up, there’s no judgment if you walk in wearing a miniskirt or are covered in tattoos. I’m a singer, but I’d never performed before. The lead singer of our band encouraged me to audition and I got in. The first time I got on stage, I felt so much peace. I thought, ‘Okay, this is how I can connect with God: through music.’ ”

Denver Rodrigues, 31, photographer

“I grew up Catholic, and there were a lot of rules and regulations. I just wanted to connect with God. I rocked up to service one day in 2016 and everyone spoke to me as if they’d known me for a long time. Sundays are my time to glorify God. I get a feeling of comfort at church that I don’t get anywhere else. I also love attending Grow Group. We pray for each other and speak about the nature of God, but we also try restaurants, hang out at parks and play arcade games.”