The Chapel looks to be positive community influence

By Joshua Maloni

GM/Managing Editor

The Chapel’s Niagara Falls site is growing – and a brand-new atrium recently opened for congregants and community members to share a snack or join in fellowship.

“It’s transforming how people experience a Sunday morning. There’s time to just sit and have a coffee and a muffin with somebody after service and chat. We’re encouraging that community that we’re striving for,” said Mark Cushing, who took over as campus pastor last year.

When the former Niagara Catholic High School site partially reopened in 2021, the senior hallway served as the entryway, while the former cafeteria became the main meeting and worship center.

Cushing said. “Our campuses … we're like a community. People like to hang out together like families hang out.”

While congregants could do that at the Chapel’s Crosspoint (main), Lockport and Cheektowaga sites, churchgoers in Niagara Falls were limited to just that hallway.

This new gathering area – formerly the NCHS locker room and adjoining workout center – includes a café, several tables and chairs, sofas, couches, TVs, extra bathrooms, and encouraging messages sprawled across the walls.

The atrium also offers “what we call our fireside room, which can also be used as a community group space where there's some couches and chairs,” Cushing said. “And we've got our connection area, which, on Sundays, we direct people who are visiting for the first time or just beginning to identify with our church.”

“It’s a great, great space for us,” he said, noting The Chapel is also developing a plan for an outdoor patio with additional café seating areas.

The Chapel’s Allie Quader and Mark Cushing are shown inside the new atrium at the Niagara Falls campus.

Since having a soft-opening two weekends ago, “There’s just been noise here – people hanging around,” Cushing gushed. “My dad’s 89. But he’s sitting over here with a fellow 89-year-old after the service, having a coffee and a muffin.

“People aren’t leaving as quickly. Because once you leave the worship center, you’re walking down the hallway and you’re gone. Now, families are hanging out here a little bit. …

“It just gives more opportunity for people to interact with one another.”

Having this community connection point “opens up opportunities for just so many things to happen here,” Cushing said. “Midweek stuff. We want to have a group in here, whether it’s church-related or just using it for the community. We can do both those things.”

“People are just excited that it’s open,” he said. “We want this space to partner with other ministries that are doing things in the Falls here. We don’t have all the answers, but we’ve got some space. So, if people need to use it to help their ministry, we’re interested in partnerships.”

Cushing added, “This isn’t about the building. It’s not even about the staff. It's about the people of God loving our community here. …

“That’s what we’re about: community. Because you can’t do it alone. You can try – and you can be pretty good for awhile. But it’s not what we want for people. So, this allows us to do what we’re after, which is to have people in the community growing in Christ.”

The fireside room.

See also >> PHOTOS: The Chapel continues to revive former Niagara Catholic High School site

An ‘interesting ride’ getting to this opportunity

Cushing is from Canada and lives in Niagara Falls, Ontario. He’s been at the site in Niagara Falls, New York, since it first opened. He initially served as the music minister before taking over pastoral duties from Jonathan Drake, who is now The Chapel communications director.

“I’ve been involved in music ministry for most of my adult life,” Cushing said. “Vocationally, I'm a teacher. I taught in public school for 25 years. All through those years, I've been involved in music ministry, and, I guess, the last 14 years at The Chapel. And then only recently, I've moved to full-time vocational ministry, as the campus pastor. I was full-time vocational ministry in music, but then I just transitioned into the campus pastor role. But I still do lead worship on Sundays, because I enjoy doing that – and it's a chance for me to lead the people in a different way.”

Cushing called his first year at the helm “an interesting ride, being a teacher and involved in ministry, and then making the switch to full-time ministry. You know, it's almost like starting a new career, now, as a campus pastor.

“So, lots of changes in the last number of years for me; but I'm excited for what God's doing at Niagara Falls, especially, but in our church, as well. Just the partnerships that he's allowing me to develop, even with the local schools around there.”

The Chapel is working with the Niagara Falls School District, as well as neighborhood elementary schools.

“We've got some good relationships with both Harry Abate and with Cataract,” Cushing said. “We're looking forward to greater community connection with the people that live near our campus. And we feel like we're getting access to do that just with partnerships with the school board, which has been really encouraging to us. Mark Laurie has been a good supporter of us, as the superintendent with the school board, and allowing us to connect with the principals. And then the principals just have been great, too, allowing us to come alongside them, encourage them and support them in different ways.”

“We’re for Niagara Falls,” he said.

The Chapel Lead Pastor Jerry Gillis said, “We are so grateful to have a presence in the great city of Niagara Falls. The expansion of our campus allows us to not only bring spiritual help and encouragement to more families, but also the opportunity to expand our partnerships in the community at large.”

Visit The Chapel at 520 66^th St., Niagara Falls, where services are held at 9 and 11 a.m. Sundays. Chapel Students meets from 6:30-9 p.m. each Wednesday throughout the school year.

For more information, visit https://thechapel.com/ and https://thechapel.churchcenter.com/pages/niagara-falls-campus.

Chapel leadership is considering adding outdoor patio seating to further enhance the new atrium area.