God At Work In Canadian Cities
In this part of the interview, Victoria Martin talks about her street life, sex trafficking and her escape from the notorious pig farm of serial killer Robert Pickton. As she entered into witness protection and testified against some of her abusers, she also came to a new beginning as a follower of Jesus.
The remainder of the interview talks about the healing journey and new life she now lives.
Victoria Martin grew up in Downtown Vancouver near the infamous Choklit Park. From her mother’s midnight move from Montreal to British Columbia, young Victoria left behind a father involved in organized crime. But she was no safer with her mother who let men do things to her as a young girl.
In this part of the interview we hear her story of being a street kid who thought she had the world by the tail.
The seeds of her faith started when she visited an ornate church and met the priest. Thinking that he was Santa Claus, she poured out her heart telling him everything that she wanted and dreamed about.
Victoria’s life journey would be far from picturesque, but the presence of God brought her to her new day.
This is part 2 of my interview with Susan Keddy. In this episode we talk about the community impact of the ‘We Are Christ Days’ across Ontario. In these events, churches rallied together to host multiple sites for meeting community needs.
We also talk about how an opioid crisis came into her life after being hospitalized and the grace of God to get her free from it.
Links:
Holy Chaos (Sue Keddy interview part 1)
https://www.sidewalkskylinepodcast.com/sidewalkskylinepodcast/holy-chaos-sue-keddy-interview
Susan Keddy has lived a remarkable life in Ontario and in Hong Kong with travels to Pakistan, Haiti and many other places. She is a catalytic leader that has inspired dozens of churches to empty their pews and go out on the streets.
In part one of this interview, we will talk about her formative years in the church, living through the loss of her husband Jim, her brother Dwight and both parents. In her return to Canada, God had purpose and plans that caught her by surprise.
Through great difficulties she has learned that God is at work where chaos prevails. In this way, the chaos becomes holy as the place of new creation.
Link:
Dream Big With Us
Valerie Good is a graduate of Tyndale Seminary and a Registered Psychotherapist with the College of Registered Psychotherapists. She has been practising in the field of mental health for 20 years. Valerie currently works as a Clinical Supervisor in an accredited community mental health agency.
She and her family live in Bradford, just north of Toronto. Her husband Rob was the founding pastor of Promise Church until recently when he took a staff position at Heartland Community Church in Mississauga.
Rob Good and Promise Church interview:
https://www.sidewalkskylinepodcast.com/sidewalkskylinepodcast/rob-good-and-promise-church
Mark Collins is a consultant on church growth and revitalization and has been a pastor, District leader with PAOC Western Ontario and process guru to many. He and his wife Wendy live at Victoria Shores on Lake Ontario. Mark is a surfer, a sailor and a cyclist and a friend to me in ministry over decades.
Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/mark.collins.92560
Andrew is the Communication and Relations Manager at Open Doors Canada, part of an international ministry that has been strengthening the persecuted church for more than 65 years in more than 70 countries.
Open Doors serves the church through Bible & Christian literature distribution, discipleship and leadership training, trauma counselling, urgent aid, and Christian community development. They stand with the persecuted church in prayer, through presence ministry, and by advocating on their behalf. They also strive to connect Canadian Christians with persecuted family members around the globe, providing truthful research, information, and current prayer resources.
Andrew is married to Kate, and together they have three beautiful girls. They live in Mississauga, ON.
Link:
Open Doors Canada
https://www.opendoorscanada.org/
Anthony Freeman is an urban missionary in New Orleans, Louisiana. From his early days planting All Nations Fellowship, he became the founder of Bridges Christian College & Seminary, an affordable online Bible College with an incredible growth.
As a way to further expose students to ministry needs and opportunities, be started Compassion Corps International. Every year he takes teams on the road on short term mission exposure trips. Anthony is also part of Mission Advancement at Assemblies of God U.S. Missions.
This fall he brought a team of students for mission exposure to New Song Church in Windsor where I pastor.
Links:
All Nations Fellowship
https://allnationsfellowship.org/
Bridges Christian College
Compassion Corps International
On today’s episode, we are getting off the sidewalk and more into the skyline. Dallas Derksen serves with Mission Aviation Fellowship at Prairie Aviation Training Centre in Three Hills, Alberta.
A critical shortfall of new pilots, highlighted by Statistics Canada and global aviation authorities, threatens to ground as many as half of all available flights in Canada within the next decade.[1]
Links:
Dallas Derksen
Mission Aviation Fellowship
Prairie College
https://www.prairie.edu/Aviation/
News Article:
https://canadianchristiannewsservice.com/maf-responds-to-aviation-crisis/
[1] https://canadianchristiannewsservice.com/maf-responds-to-aviation-crisis/
Today I am having a conversation with Sam, a pastor in Scarborough, chaplain at a Mental Health Forensic Unit and averaging three trips per year planting churches in India since 2019. In our conversation we talk about being a worldwide Christian and having ministry in three lanes.
The Gate Church is an Alliance Church in Niagara Falls, Ontario. I’m here with two of their staff. Lead pastor Mark Royall and executive pastor David Gagne. The Gate Church has the unique distinction of owning a former school building with 120,000 s.f., and has become a hub for several different organizations, businesses, residences and ministries to operate.
I’ve known Dave Gagne for 35 years or so and am not surprised that he and his wife Isabel would end up in a ministry like this. When I was a youth pastor in Exeter, Dave & Isabel had a storefront church called Belongers Church. They were ahead of their time with some of the ways that they pastored and conducted ministry. They came with a background in graphic arts. Isabel was a hometown girl in Exeter, just like my wife Marsha. Dave, you and I captured our brides away and took them off to engage in urban and community-based ministry.
This is my first time meeting Mark Royall, so welcome guys.
Links:
The Gate Alliance Church
The Red Frog mission is to provide a positive peer presence in alcohol-fueled environments where young people gather; educate young people on safe partying behaviours; and promote alcohol-free and/or diversionary activities that engage young people in these environments.
On today’s interview, I chat with Andy Gourley, Aussie founder of Red Frogs.
Links:
Red Frogs Canada
Jessica Sanchez is a filmmaker and musician based in Calgary, Alberta, with a profound passion for the arts and artist community in Canada, and the intersection of the arts and faith. With creativity and artistry at the core of everything that she does, she has consistently yearned to express and explore the human experience and faith through her work.
Links:
Ministry Profile and Support
https://paoc.org/canada/workers/jessicasanchez
Renaissance Canada
https://www.renaissancecanada.co/
Artist Profile:
Renaissance Creative Leadership Podcast
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2440036
Maury Blair’s historical account as given by himself at Our City Windsor 2025. The retelling of the childhood trauma and the intervention of God’s grace.
Links:
Breakthrough Ministries
Our City Windsor
On today’s episode, I have four guests that were contributors to a book entitled, “Dysfunction In The Name Of Jesus – Confronting The Idol Of Pastoral Workaholism”. As one who has pastored for all of my adult life and grew up in a pastor’s home, I can speak to the value of such a book and the need to guard the pastoral heart from the world that glorifies busyness.
One of the guests is Karen Stiller, who appeared previously on Sidewalk Skyline Podcast.
Links:
Book – Dysfunction In The Name Of Jesus
https://www.helwys.com/product/dysfunction-in-the-name-of-jesus/
James Ellis III
Karen Stiller interview – Living Holy In Downtown Ottawa
After 33 years of pastoral ministry, Ted Leck has begun a new venture leading a new organization known as The Chaplains Platoon. This follows years of serving part-time as a police chaplain and fire chaplain in Toronto and later Huntsville.
Ted’s organization offers chaplaincy support to every first responder in Ontario. This includes on-call 24/7 support, station visits, leading psychological first aid & debriefs, and when needed, helping first responders find further professional support after a critical incident.
Link:
Pastor, Police, PTSD - Cory Costyra
https://www.sidewalkskylinepodcast.com/sidewalkskylinepodcast/pastor-police-ptsd-cory-kostyra
It’s usually me interviewing someone else or bringing the content of others here to inspire and inform. On this episode, it’s my turn to speak. This was my session recorded at Our City Windsor 2025.
Empire is the human tradition of conquerors and ideologues wanting to build a world in their image. It’s the ninety-foot selfie of Nebuchadnezzar and the pinch of incense in worship of Caesar.
The nation of Israel was not satisfied to be led by a priesthood and wanted to have a king like the other nations surrounding them. Empire is about power and defense. It is the belief that what’s best for us should be enforced on the other nations.
Even churches can fall prey to empire building and miss out on the true intentions of God.
Shalom on the other hand, is the governmental structure of the Kingdom of God. It is the world as God intends it and is established with the love and power of God bringing about peace on earth. Shalom is dependent on the King of Kings and will not be fully realized until he returns. Somehow, we are to live as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven while giving the Caesar what he is due.
Links:
Mission Canada Bio:
https://paoc.org/canada/about/staff/lists/mc-staff/urban-coordinator
Our City Windsor
The team at Leamington Community Help Centre run an active mission for street-affiliated people. Part of this work includes addiction recovery services. At the Our City Windsor 2025 conference a group of recovered addicts shared their insights of ministry to this vulnerable population.
Robert Sandwith is the Manager of Recovery Care. Greg Poloz is the men’s recovery care coordinator. Mary Fehr is the women’s recovery care coordinator. Jason Kacsur is a recent success story of a person supported.
Leamington Community Support Centre
Keith Dow, PhD, is a Canadian theologian, researcher, and writer exploring the beauty and complexity of human limits, care, and community. He works with Karis Disability Services (formerly Christian Horizons) and serves as a fellow with the Psychology Cross-Training for Theologians program through the University of Birmingham and Martin Luther University College. His research explores theology, disability, and the ethics of care, emphasizing the beauty and limits of human life in community. Keith is the author of Formed Together: Mystery, Narrative, and Virtue in Christian Caregiving (Baylor, 2021) and leads the Images of God research project supported by the John Templeton Foundation.
This session was recorded at Our City Windsor 2025.
Links:
Keith’s website
Karis Disability Services
Brandon Blake - Tear Off The Roof (The Chosen Version)
Charles Hermelink brought this message at the Our City Windsor 2025 conference. In it he looks at how God is at work with the movement of people around the world and especially the relevance for us in Canada.
Charles serves as the New Worker On-boarding and Development Specialist, and Coordinator for Mission Canada’s Cultural Language Groups. His focus is to mobilize new workers and strategically see them positioned to reach newcomers to Canada, refugees, and those with various cultural backgrounds and worldviews.
Links:
Neighbours and Newcomers Network National
https://paoc.org/canada/workers/nnnetworknational
Mission Canada Cultural Ministries