Pastors Brian & Glenda Bishop

So far it’s been an incredible journey of nineteen years in full-time ministry. My formative years weren’t spent attending church on a regular basis or really having a personal relationship with Christ. However, in my late teen years, I was invited to a church service and I have never looked back. I found authentic friendships and an opportunity to grow in the knowledge that God loves me and really does have a purpose and plan for every individual on Earth, if we trust Him to lead us.

As I reflect on the past nine years, pastoring alongside my wife at Northridge and giving leadership to an incredible church, I am no less excited today than I was during the early days of our call to Newmarket. Some of the most rewarding moments God has given me has been to, not just watch as our church continues to grow (numerically), but to see people turning their lives over to Him and seeing a spiritual and character growth that is inspiring!

There is nowhere in the world I’d rather be but where I am! To know that my life has significance (because of God), my life is full of special relationships (because of God), and that I can live a life of influence (because of God)!

Someone once said, “the local church is the hope of the world.” Obviously, God and His Son, Jesus, are the Hope of the world, but what an awesome experience it is to join Him in living out His hope through the community of faith at our local church – Northridge!

If you’d asked me as a teen if I thought I’d ever be a pastor, I’d have run the other way! As a pastor’s kid, I knew what it was to live life in a fishbowl, on the move every few years (customary back then in The Salvation Army), and I had dreams of one day putting down deep roots with my future husband and family.

Today I’m exactly where God wants me to be – working alongside my husband Brian ... as a pastor! And yes, since 2001 happily settled in Newmarket with our three daughters. Do they wish we were elsewhere in another vocation? Go on, ask them!

We’re all part of an exciting journey at Northridge, where our motto is "a place to begin, belong and become" – something Jesus lived out here on Earth. Our leadership is passionate about helping people understand that church isn’t a building or a place for ‘perfect’ people – just ordinary individuals and families seeking to know more about God, discovering His plan to walk with us through the good and bad of life, together living out the purposes He has for each one of us.

One of the most rewarding highlights of Northridge life in recent years has been having our small groups journey through Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Life. Joys from Purpose have included seeing people in our church discover a faith in Jesus Christ, find purpose for living the way God’s wired them, and building authentic, lasting friendships.

I love our church! We’re very real people who desire to live ‘in community’, caring about each other, engaging our neighbourhood, and warmly embracing anyone who wants to join with us in exploring genuine Christianity and how it can make a real difference in our lives! We’d love to get to know you, and share in your faith journey.