Disciple A City (Todd Carlton)

On this episode I travelled to McCrary Park in Peterborough and sat by Little Lake to meet a new friend. Todd Carlton is host of The Toddcast where he interviews a wide range of people about their journey to faith. His own story bears repeating.

Todd is connected to a movement called ‘Disciple A City’ with an emphasis on equipping believers to share their faith on the streets, in parks and in the context of their everyday lives.

Links:

The Toddcast

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-toddcast/id1605174280

Disciple A City

https://discipleacity.ca/

Canada As A Mission Field (Graham Gibson)

Graham Gibson is the Director of Cultural Engagement Studies at Master’s College and Seminary in Peterborough, Ontario. He and his wife Linda have a life centred in students and mission.

In this interview we talked about seeing Canada as a mission field for the Gospel and the importance of cultural engagement.

Links:

Master’s College and Seminary

https://mcs.edu/

Through The Lens (Bill Reilly)

Bill Reilly is the video producer for Sidewalk Skyline Podcast. In this episode we are on a road trip to Peterborough, Ontario where we will record several people involved in urban ministry.

As the voice and face of the podcast, I am always aware of the guy standing a few feet away behind the camera. Bill’s experience and ability to tell stories make him a great accomplice with pursuing the story and entertaining the guests.

Our times together often are filled with conversations about Christ and his work in our lives.

Today we turn the camera around and interview Bill Reilly.

Stonethro Media

https://stonethro.wixsite.com/stonethrostudios/home

Grant Writing 101

Andrea Chang works part-time for the Tyndale Intercultural Ministries Centre (TIM Centre) as an Assistant Leadership Consultant where her role includes research, grant writing and an intercultural development facilitator. Andrea also works for Anchor and Serenity where she is a Spiritual Director and consultant. 

She has assisted churches and organizations in navigating the grant writing for their respective projects. Considering the value of resources in Community work, her experience and expertise is incredibly valuable.

Link:

https://www.tyndale.ca/tim

Cultural Competency For Ministry (Brian Yu)

Brian Yu has been with the Tyndale Intercultural Ministries Centre for more than five years, where he serves as a Qualified Administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI®). He coaches and facilitates intercultural learning for individuals, teams, and organizations.

Brian has been serving as a pastor for over 14 years and is currently one of the lead pastors of The Change Community Church in Scarborough.

He's also the Executive Director of Flow Ministries, a faith-based charitable organization serving a subsidized community housing neighbourhood in York Region.

Links:

Tyndale Intercultural Ministries Centre

https://www.tyndale.ca/tim

The Change Community Church

http://www.wearechanged.com/

Flow Ministries

https://flowwithoutbounds.com/

Being A Cultural Translator In An Ethnic Church - Heskias Mandefro

Heskias Mandefro has been serving in pastoral ministry for over 17 years at the Ethiopian Evangelical Church in Toronto. As the English pastor in an Amharic language church, he finds himself functioning as a cultural translator between generations.

Heskias strives to lead with ideas that are well thought through biblically, and culturally. He is passionate to engage ethnic churches in reaching their city.

Better Together - Ejay Tupe and Cheryl Walsh

Ejay and Cheryl live above a coffee shop on Queen Street in Toronto. As parents of a toddler, they exemplify urban disciples of Jesus living on mission in their neighbourhood.

In this session from the Our City Toronto conference (2022) they share life lessons and guiding principles on the power of collaborative relationship. They depend on each other and rely on other community members in accomplishing good work for their city and neighbourhood.

Both have been guests on previous episodes of Sidewalk Skyline Podcast.

Links:

Mission Canada

https://paoc.org/canada/workers/ejaytupe

Urban Trends In Canada

https://www.sidewalkskylinepodcast.com/sidewalkskylinepodcast/urban-trends-in-canada-cheryl-walsh

Sidewalk Pastors

https://www.sidewalkskylinepodcast.com/sidewalkskylinepodcast/sidewalk-pastors-quest-conversation-part-1

https://www.sidewalkskylinepodcast.com/sidewalkskylinepodcast/sidewalk-pastors-quest-conversation-part-2

Gangland Preacher

https://www.sidewalkskylinepodcast.com/sidewalkskylinepodcast/gangland-preacher-ejay-tupe

Urban Ministry Is A Marathon - Bill Ryan

Bill Ryan started his ministry in Toronto after graduating from Ontario Bible College in 1982. This led to his work at Yonge Street Mission where he served for over 25 years in numerous roles first serving as Program Co-ordinator at Evergreen, Pastor of Church on the Street, Director of the Christian Community Centre, Director of Staff care and Interim Program Officer. He later served as Director of Men’s Ministry with Scott Mission until 2021. He is a seasoned Urban Ministry practitioner for the past 30 years and teaches from his vast experience in ministry. He is a spiritual director and passionate Social Justice advocate. Bill's ministry life has been grounded by being a husband to Lillian and father to Jordan and Caitlin.

Links:

Yonge Street Mission

https://www.ysm.ca/

Scott Mission

https://scottmission.com/

Nomads In The Dale - Errin Oxford

Erinn Oxford was born and raised in Toronto, a city that she loves. She has been working in Parkdale, a neighbourhood in the city’s west end since 2007. In 2012 she was invited into her current role as Executive Director and Pastor. Tasked with re-visioning the work, Erinn sought the feedback of the community and proposed a full reboot, one that would include giving up a building, spilling into the streets, creating a nomadic routine, and becoming The Dale Ministries. She longs for and pursues the building of community in which all people are welcome and those who experience poverty are placed at the core, seeking to nurture relationships where we can understand and learn from one anothers’ histories, experiences and hopes. Erinn is a Christ-follower, caregiver and advocate, mother to Cate, partner to Dion, a musician and lover of the arts, a self-confessed klutz, and an aspiring friend to many.

Links:

https://www.thedale.org/

https://erinnoxford.com/

The Accidental Foodbank

Pastor Vir Mateo and his daughter Rhema Annett started the Good Measure Foodbank out of their church. Listen to their story as to how they saw a need in their community, responded to serve and found critical partnerships to feed their hungry neighbours in Mississauga. This session was recorded at Our City Toronto Conference 2022.

Virginio Mateo

Vir is the lead Pastor of Christ for Life Ministries, a church he planted 28 years ago. He has a desire for the church to be the hands and feet of Christ and to spread His Gospel and make disciples. In collaboration with his daughter, Rhema, they started Good Measure Food Bank as the need in their community became apparent. 

Rhema Annett

Rhema felt called by the Lord to start Good Measure Food Bank in 2016. Her expectation? Small Closet Food Pantry. The reality? A full fledged operation that she had no idea how to operate. Through mistakes and continuous learning she realized that her community didn't need another food bank based on efficiency, but a place where people could go for not only their physical hunger, but spiritual. It would soon become not only a space for those in need to know their value and be loved, but for Christians to be equipped to share the gospel. Since the start of the food bank they have seen salvations from both people who receive food and volunteer. 

Links:

Good Measure Food Bank

http://goodmeasurefoodbank.com/

Christ For Life Ministries

http://christforlife.ca/

Jesus Loves Montreal

My guests today are ‘Patmos People’, a term I coined to describe people that remind me of John the Revelator. From their embedded history in a city, they are uniquely poised to hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church in their location.

Just as Jesus expressed his love through John to the Seven Churches of Asia Minor, these Patmos People are living messages of Jesus’ love for Montreal.

Patti Miller is the lead pastor of Evangel Church, a historic Pentecostal church in the heart of downtown Montreal. Their church is presently developing a multi-story building around the corner that will provide main floor retail, upper church and community spaces and housing units available across the socio-economic spectrum.

Cal and Chrissy Krahn are involved in French language training for ministry and are Mission Canada urban workers.

Jenna Smith is the Innovation Youth Director for Christian Direction, an agency that works at the intersection of faith, community and urban development.

Links:

Patti Miller

https://evangel.qc.ca/home

Cal & Chrissy Krahn

https://paoc.org/canada/workers/cckrahn

Jenna Smith

https://www.direction.ca/

Univer-City Life (part 2)

This is part 2 of my conversation with John Engels, Kelly Johnson, Jazelle Johnson and David Ritz. We talk about the effects of deconstructing faith and how university campus leaders are engaging in meaningful conversations. Many students are experiencing an awakening of conscience and sorting through what to believe about right and wrong.

If you haven’t yet listened to part 1 of the interview you can find it here:

https://www.sidewalkskylinepodcast.com/sidewalkskylinepodcast/univer-city-life-part-1

Univer-City Life (part 1)

It is no secret that public education finds its roots in the Christian faith. Study the roots of any historic university and you will find that clergy and prominent Christian community builders believed that education held the keys to greater wisdom and understanding. Christian faith is built on curiosity and wonder about all of Creation and unveiling its mysteries.

But today if you walk onto the campuses of Canadian universities, you may need to look harder to find a place for Christian faith.

Building on a history of campus chaplaincy, Christian outreach, and discipleship groups we are seeing a resurgence of gospel witness and Christian community emerging as Heaven’s counterculture in the midst of an often-hostile environment.

In this episode I have a conversation with John Engels, Milly Li, Kelly Johnson, Jazelle Johnson and David Ritz.

Links:

Serve Campus Network

https://paoc.org/serve-campus

Serve Campus YouTube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN7cP5T3DKgpd2zRWg5lR9Q?app=desktop

Serve Campus Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/servecampusnetwork/

Milly Li @University Campus Ministries

https://ucmsfu.ca/about/#leaders

Kelly Johnson

https://paoc.org/donate/kellyjohnson

Jazelle Johnson @Lifeline Ministries

https://www.lifelineministries.ca/

https://paoc.org/canada/workers/jazellejohnson

David Ritz - Montreal

https://www.paoc.org/donate/davidritz

David Burke - Lifeline @Ryerson University interview

https://www.sidewalkskylinepodcast.com/sidewalkskylinepodcast/post-secondary-lifeline

Indigenous In The City - part two

My continuing conversation with Levi Samson Beardy and Dan Collado as we talk about the gospel at work in First Nations, Metis and Inuit. With 50% of the Canadian indigenous population living in urban centres, there is a greater opportunity to build bridges and engage in reconciliation.

The billboard in this picture was posted in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in 2014 as part of an art exhibit.

Indigenous In The City - Part One

It is my honour today to invite a team of indigenous Christians from various parts of Canada onto the podcast to talk about what it means to be an indigenous or aboriginal person living in Canadian cities. Stats Canada uses the terms ‘aboriginal’ and ‘indigenous’ to refer to people that are First Nations, Metis and Inuit. It is estimated that about one-half live in urban areas as compared to those living on reservation land and non-urban areas.

Dan Collado, has been serving the Lord in full-time ministry since 1993. He initially took a step of faith and went to live and pastor in small isolated fly-in Indigenous communities in northern Ontario, and later in Nunavut. After some 15 years of pastoral ministry, while continuing to feel the burden for Indigenous initiatives, Dan accepted the role as Academic Director of Aboriginal Bible Academy (ABA) in 2009. Dan is part of the Mohawk nation and resides in Napanee, ON.

Jim Thunder is Director of Economic Development at Norway House Cree Nation and lives in Winnipeg, MB. He is an adjunct professor of Indigenous Economic Leadership at University of Manitoba.

Levi Samson Beardy is the Oji-Cree pastor of Aboriginal Believers’ Church in Toronto.

Links:

Dan Collado - Mission Canada Indigenous Priority

https://paoc.org/canada/workers/priorityindigenouscanadians

https://paoc.org/canada/workers/dancollado

Aboriginal Bible Academy

https://www.aboriginalbibleacademy.ca/about

Jim Thunder MBA

https://ca.linkedin.com/in/jimthunder

Levi Samson Beardy

https://ca.linkedin.com/in/levi-samson-beardy-9639537

Aboriginal Believers’ Church

https://www.facebook.com/AbOriginalBelieversChurch/

Sacred Space And Urban Development (Graham Singh part two)

With hundreds of beautiful, historic church buildings slated to close across Canada, Trinity Centres Foundation is on a quest to keep the footprints of faith in the urban core. Although congregations may have aged out and unable to create the next chapter for their property, TCF brings together the faith community with a mix of investors, community partners and developers to work on strategies that prevent buildings from being lost the community forever.

In part two of our conversation with Graham Singh, we continue the much needed conversation to help mainline churches and entrepreneurs work together in making our cities better.

Links:

Part one of Graham Singh interview:

https://www.sidewalkskylinepodcast.com/sidewalkskylinepodcast/graham-singh-and-the-story-of-st-jax

St Jax Church

https://www.stjaxchurch.org/en/home

Trinity Centres Foundation

https://trinitycentres.org/

Canadian Urban Institute

https://canurb.org/

Le Monastère Cabaret de Cirque

https://le-monastere.ca/en/home-en/ 

Church Planting Canada

https://www.churchplantingcanada.ca/welcome

Graham Singh And St Jax Church (part 1)

In today’s episode we discuss Graham’s journey to Montreal and St. Jax’s as a unique model of urban ministry.

Graham Singh is Founder and Executive Director of the Trinity Centres Foundation, a new Canadian charity established to transform 100 historic city centre church buildings into community hubs.  TCF’s team of 50+ advisors from the social innovation, property finance, urbanism and faith sectors are currently developing what may become one of Canada’s most significant social purpose real estate investment offerings.

 Over the past 12 years, Graham has led four historic building and community renewal projects in the United Kingdom and Canada, including in his current role as Rector of the Anglican Diocese of Montreal’ recent church plant, St Jax Montreal.

 Graham also acts as a consultant in the area of social impact investing, in the private wealth management sector. He is a graduate of the London School of Economics, Cambridge University (Ridley Hall / St Mellitus College), the University of Western Ontario and Asbury Theological Seminary.  He is currently enrolled in Oxford University’s Saïd Business School Impact Innovations Programme.

Brian Egert is the director of Mission Canada, and co-hosts the interview.

Links:

St Jax Church

https://www.stjaxchurch.org/en/home

 ~

Trinity Centres Foundation

https://trinitycentres.org/

 ~

Canadian Urban Institute

https://canurb.org/

 ~

Le Monastère Cabaret de Cirque

https://le-monastere.ca/en/home-en/ 

 ~

Church Planting Canada

https://www.churchplantingcanada.ca/welcome

Bedside Manner - Paul Sharrow interview

Paul Sharrow has been my friend for 35 years. Little did we know when we first met where our lives would lead us and where they would intersect.

To summarize his work life from then until now is a rabbit trail of God’s unfolding grace.

We met in Exeter Ontario when he was working for Compassion Canada travelling with music artists and speakers all over North America. Then he moved to Paris Ontario and worked for a short time with Crossroads Communications.

As I left my ministry post in Exeter and moved to Windsor, our friendship remained intact. After some time, Paul and his family joined us in Windsor. At that time, there was a strong leaning to establish missionary efforts in Bulgaria and the hope was that we would be his home church and sending body.

But then, Bulgaria began to fade and an urban vision for Windsor emerged. Paul found work with St. Leonard’s House helping men from prison find housing in the community. Then, Paul helped Antioch Christian Ministries establish an urban church called The Lazarus Commission.

Then came a season of clinical pastoral education leading to hospital chaplaincy in downtown Detroit and then Windsor. A few years were spent as chaplain at Hospice.

So, from hanging out with Christian rock bands to caring for people in crisis, Paul’s life has been filled with pastoral care.

Creating Space To Belong - Susan McQuinn Wells

My guest today is Susan Wells, author of ‘A Place at My Table: Creating Space to Belong.’ Over the years, we have crossed paths and even shared some group meals at restaurants across the country. She and her husband David Wells currently reside in the Greater Toronto Area city Burlington. David is the General Superintendent of the Pentecostal Assemblies Of Canada.

 In her book Susan says, ‘In some circles a philosophy evolved that the only reason for making a friend outside the church was to convert them. When I was a teen, we were encouraged to share our faith with our friends but not truly be friends with them… This dichotomy can result in Christians never developing a genuine camaraderie with people who don’t hold the same beliefs. They end up praying for souls without befriending the people that embody the souls.’

Susan is a woman of depth and insight. We cover a lot of ground here on the path to the table.

Links:

A Place At My Table (Book)

https://wordcom.paoc.org/products/a-place-at-my-table-paoc-gift-book-susan-wells

 Website:

www.aplaceatmytable.ca

The View From Mount Royal - Gary Connors interview

Montreal is the gateway to Quebec for much of English speaking Canada. One of its citizens Gary Connors talks with Kevin Rogers about ways that God is at work in Montreal, the cities of Quebec and Francophone Canada.

Gary Connors is the coordinator for Quebec and Francophone Canada, a missional priority of Mission Canada and FIT4M (French Intensive Training for Ministry), a national initiative.

Gary has pastored in Quebec for numerous years and has served as Assistant to the Superintendent of the Eastern Ontario and Quebec District and the District Superintendent for the District of Quebec.

Gary and his wife Gwen live in Hudson Quebec.

Links:

Mission Canada - Quebec and Francophone Canada

https://paoc.org/canada/workers/priorityquebecandfrancophonecanada

Fit4M - French Intensive Training For Ministry

https://fit4m.ca/

Institut Biblique du Quebec

https://ibq.ca/