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Wednesday, February 28, 2007 · Page 10 Church converts pins to prayers BY DANIEL SCHWAB From strikes to sermons, former North Ridge bowlng alley has been converted nto a church. Since July, work has been nderway to renovate the hunderbowl facility on ounty Road 34 into a cenre for the Antioch Christian inistries. Services that were forerly held at the Woodslee rayer Community Church ave been moved to the new ocation, which held its first ublic service Feb. 4. Pastor Gerrie Armaly said he church's congregation of bout 200 people has outrown the Woodslee buildng, and members of the parish looked into purchasing a number of new locations in the area before deciding on the bowling alley. Donations from the congregation totaling about $200,000 helped the church with renovation costs. Offerings of TVs and other leisure equipment were also provided by churchgoers to furnish a youth centre, expected to open March 15 for an annual conference for young Christians. In July, much of the equipment from the bowling alley was taken out of the facility and put to the side of the road, free to passing motorists. Some remnants, such as some wood from the building, was reused to build a music stage for the church. Armaly said other "huge" renovations include the construction of a banquet hall, offices and a nursery where parents can drop off their children while they attend church services. The youth centre will include a workout room, coffee bar and recreation area where youngsters will be able to drop in and play billiards, ping pong or air hockey. "Our young adults, aged 30 and under, are a great portion of our focus," Armaly said. Her son Jay, a junior pastor, will be leading activities at the youth centre. "Fellowship is important," Jay said. "We wanted to give kids a place to come and sit down and connect with each other." The new facility will be working in partnership with another Antioch centre: the Lazarus Commission in Windsor. Armaly said Antioch Ministries has been officially recognized as a church for 15 years, and its congregations are growing. "We're very pleased with this location," she said, adding that it'll be about a year until construction on the facility is entirely complete. Pastor Gerrie Armaly and her son Jay pose in the sanctuary of the newly renovated Antioch Christian Ministries on County Road 34 in North Ridge. Since July, the church's staff and congregation have been working together to convert a bowling alley into a church, youth centre and banquet hall. MedQuest program taking student applicants Guidance counsellors at Essex County high schools are being encouraged to promote the MedQuest experience to their students. Canada is facing a critical shortage of physicians. In Southwestern Ontario, no where is this shortage more critical than in Essex County. Efforts to address this problem will need to look at short, mid, and long-term strategies to create a lasting and meaningful solution. Students from rural or regional backgrounds are more likely to return to practise in their hometowns. However, students from the major urban centre in Ontario (Greater Toronto Area) apply almost three times more frequently than their counterparts in smaller regional centres. The Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry's Southwestern Ontario Medical Education Network has developed MedQuest, a strategic collaborative program that encourages students from Southwestern Ontario, an area with a substantial rural population, to apply in greater numbers to medical school. MedQuest is a one-week summer program for students currently in Grade 10 and 11 that will have local physicians, nurses and medical/nursing students delivering an exciting and interactive medical based curriculum to encourage students to continue their studies in the field of medicine. Students will be nominated by their schools based on their academic abilities, leadership qualities, and interest in the field of medicine. Celebrate Individual Choices How did he spend his time? What made her smile? In what did he believe? Each life is filled with unique experiences and relationships. It makes sense to celebrate and honour these individual differences. By asking and answering questions, taking care of necessary documents and details, we will help you with these choices. MedQuest is designed to provide students with realistic experiences in the field of medicine using state-of-theart advanced simulator training, peer workshops, and the opportunity to watch physicians/nurses in a clinical setting. Early exposure to the practice of medicine can help influence students' career plans and ultimately increase the chance of successfully entering medical school. The Physician Recruitment and Retention Committee is once again sponsoring MedQuest in Leamington from July 1620. Thirty students from high schools in Leamington, Kingsville, Essex and Lakeshore will be eligible for consideration. Applications must be submitted by March 9. For further information on local participation contact Anne Miskovsky at 519326-5761. For information on MedQuest procedures contact Kathy Van Dinther at 1-877-237-9676. Reid Funeral Home Limited 87 Maidstone Avenue East, Essex Craig & Lorna Baker Funeral Directors www.reidfuneralhome.ca 776-4233