Our History
From 1980 to present
From the vision of Pastor Ivan Antoniuk and eight others, Faith Alive began as a Bible Study in a house in 1980.
Forty-four years later, we are blessed and look forward to the future with great anticipation of all God will do through Faith Alive Family Church for generations to come.
In 1967, Ivan and his wife, Marcia, received Jesus at a Leighton Ford Crusade. That day, their lives were radically transformed. Ivan eagerly shared Jesus with anyone who would listen and even those who didn’t want to hear. Soon, he became known as a good Baptist and adamantly opposed anything to do with speaking in tongues.
In February 1977, Charles and Frances Hunter, who were strong advocates of healing and the baptism of the Holy Spirit, held a crusade in Saskatoon. Along with a few friends, Ivan attended, intending to expose the Hunters as frauds- but God had other plans. As he went to confront them during ministry time, Ivan was suddenly struck by the power of God, and he fell to the floor. When he finally got up, he was filled with the Holy Spirit and could not speak English for two days.
With the same fervency that he had shared the Gospel, Ivan now wanted to see everyone filled with the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues. Soon after, Ivan and Marcia were asked to leave the Baptist church they’d attended for years. That didn’t stop him. He became a firebrand for Jesus, preaching on the Gifts of the Spirit, healing, and the power of God. God began to move powerfully through Ivan in healings and manifestations of the Spirit.
Now, this takes us up to the Bible Study on Ave. B. It grew rapidly, and soon, 125 people, mostly new converts, were cramming into that house. Something had to be done!
In February 1981, they rented a narrow warehouse space on Alberta Ave., and the church officially began. Very quickly, this building became too small, and another move was necessary.
Later that year, In September, Faith Alive relocated to a much larger warehouse located at 819 Cynthia Street, and extensive renovations began. One month later, in October, services began. Faith Alive Bible College and Prairie Christian Academy (known then as Faith Alive Christian Academy) welcomed their first students. With an emphasis on salvation, healing, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the Gifts of the Spirit, and worship, the church continued to grow. These traits marked Faith Alive significantly and continue to be at the forefront of everything we do, even to this day.
Soon, it became necessary to find another location, not only for the congregation but also for the rapidly expanding K-12 School and Bible College. So, in the fall of 1983, the former Sion School property at 830 Idylwyld Drive North became Faith Alive’s new home. Moving there, everyone knew it would be a temporary stop, and God would provide a building to purchase. A short two years later, in 1985, a beautiful church at 335 Ave. G South became available. God provided supernaturally, and they were able to purchase the property. The move took place in September, and almost immediately, new families began flooding in. Many of those families are still actively involved after all these years.
One person, in particular, was the newly saved Brent Rudoski. He had a life-changing encounter with Jesus and started attending Faith Alive, and graduated from Bible College.
Once again, the facilities became too small. An opportunity to stretch their faith was presented in the form of a large church located at 637 University Drive. They had nowhere near the funds required to obtain such a property, but God… He made a way, and on Thanksgiving weekend in 1987, they moved in. The presence and power of God was strong. Lives were changed, and people were healed. World-renowned speakers came to minister, and the church grew in every area.
In the fall of 1999, while on holidays in the US, a couple of church members attended one night at what was known as the Cornfield Revival in Missouri. They came home and shared their experiences. That was the beginning of a journey that dramatically impacted Faith Alive going forward.
In June 2001, Pastor Ivan was diagnosed with Leukemia. He was a man of faith, and although the news was a blow, he steadfastly believed for his healing. As time went by, he cut back on some of his responsibilities and, in 2005, with the agreement of leadership, began to transition Brent & Barb Rudoski into the position of Senior Pastors. In September 2006, they were formally recognized as senior pastors, and Faith Alive has thrived under their leadership. They carry the torch of revivalists and desire to raise up worshipping warriors to carry the presence and power of God wherever they go.
Fast forward to 2015… It was becoming more and more apparent that a new location was needed. The search began looking for land, and we were approached by Meridian Developments. They were very interested in purchasing our property on University Drive.
We found suitable land to purchase on the outskirts of Saskatoon and entered into an agreement with the developer to sell our building to them, and they would construct a new church and school for us. It took approximately two years for all the permits and rezoning to be in place for Meridian to build on University Drive.
In February 2019, we moved to our brand new location off Hwy 41 at the corner of Agra Road and Llewellyn Road. Two new 15,000 square foot buildings – a church and K-12 school have been such a blessing. God is so good! Many hours of volunteer time, along with sacrificial giving, brought the congregation closer together as we saw the promise of God fulfilled before our eyes.
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