Why I Help People Take Drugs (Dr. Meera Grover)

Today, I’m talking with Doctor Meera Grover who works in Calgary, Alberta extensively in the field of addiction medicine.

Working in Vancouver’s notorious downtown eastside to pay for her theological education at Regent College, Meera Grover was faced with questions about whether or not providing people who use drugs with sterile supplies and a place to inject contravened her faith. She knew she wanted to care for people with addiction but did not know how to do so in a way that fit with her own moral code.

She wrestled with these questions over the years and through her transition, from nursing to becoming a fully licensed physician who specializes in addiction medicine.[1]

Meera has written a book entitled “Why I Help People Take Drugs”. In this interview we delve into the often contested practice of harm reduction and the importance of the human connection in addressing addiction issues.

Link:

Dr. Meera Bai Grover

https://meeragrover.ca/

[1] Benjamin Perrin, flyleaf of ‘Why I Help People Take Drugs’

The Shift Every Decade (Bob Gal interview)

Bob Gal has been an iconic figure in my life for 40 years. From my first recollections of his speaking at youth retreats and leading street ministry outreaches, he has been a man that has followed the cloud by day and fire by night.

He and his lifelong sweetheart Karen live in Edmonton, Alberta where he serves as our oldest Mission Canada urban worker at the age of 74. Today I want to hear Bob’s reflections as we review his relationship with Jesus and the nuanced perspective shifts for each decade.

Links:

Mission Canada Profile

https://paoc.org/donate/bobgal

Lovedmonton Chapel

https://lovedmonton.com/

Complex Trauma And RE/ACT (Tim Fletcher interview)

Tim Fletcher is the Founder and President of RE/ACT (Recovery Education for Addictions and Complex Trauma). He used his skills as a pastor and counsellor to develop a program to help the people he cared for overcome addiction. He realized the need for individuals to first become equipped with tools, and then put those tools into practice in a healthy, safe and loving environment - and herein lies his unique skill.

During his early years, he learned that everyone has a loved one who struggles with addiction, and many people struggled with unrealized addictions and unhealthy coping techniques. He found that 97% of addicts also struggled from Complex Trauma (C-PTSD) - corroborating the research of Dr. Gabor Maté. After researching C-PTSD which was identified as, “A series of events that occur where a victim feels unsafe, and as such, develops mental disorders which inhibit them from coping in stressful or harmful circumstances”, he concluded that research was showing that there is a physical difference between the brains of those who grew up in loving and nurturing homes and those who didn’t – before any addiction became prevalent.[1]

Links:

Tim Fletcher Website

https://www.timfletcher.ca/

Theo Von Interview

(language warning. Theo is a comedian and a spiritual seeker)

https://youtu.be/K60u6ObDsrI?si=_Oc2yXE9OfWqS7lf

[1] https://www.timfletcher.ca/about-tim-fletcher

Healing Spiritual Cataracts (Tim Meisenheimer)

Timothy Meisenheimer has spent decades on the streets with beatitude vision, first in Ottawa and now in Windsor, Ontario. This was his session at the Our City Windsor 2024 conference. Tim takes seriously the path of Jesus in his sidewalk vision of the Kingdom of God.

Links:

Urban Cry School of Mission

https://www.facebook.com/urbancryschoolofmission

Downtown Windsor Community Collaborative

https://www.dwcc.ca/

Capital City Mission

https://capitalcitymission.com/

The Ottawa Mission

https://ottawamission.com/

Infobesity, Technicism and Tekton (Andy Gabruch interview)

This is my interview with Andy Gabruch. Besides being a husband to Annick and father of four teens, he is the pastor of Home Church, formerly known as Vancouver Chinese Pentecostal Church.

 Andy has his Doctor of Ministry in semiotic studies on Christ, culture and the Church from George Fox University and teaches the Contemporary Communication Course at Summit Pacific College.

 Dr. Andy Gabruch has a mentoring ministry called DUCO, meaning “to lead for today.” Since 2016, DUCO has intentionally mentored forty plus young leaders towards full-time ministry, coached dozens of churches on leading, reaching, and discerning younger generations, various strategic projects with non-profit organizations, and planted five next-generation ministries when he was the Next Generations Director with the PAOC British Columbia and Yukon District.

He has written dozens of resources on ministerial leadership and discipleship and is  releasing his first book, Infobesity: How to be Followers of Jesus in an Information Overload World.

Links:

Infobesity Assessment (Promo Code: DUCO)

www.andygabruch.com/redeemdigitalspaces

Infobesity the Book 

www.infobesity.ca

Redeeming Suffering: Contact Andy at duco@andygabruch.com

You’re Not Listening by Katie Murphy

https://www.journalistkatemurphy.com/#ynlbook

The Organized Mind by Daniel Levitin

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/313653/the-organized-mind-by-daniel-j-levitin/

Grit by Angela Duckworth

https://angeladuckworth.com/grit-book/

Receptivity To The Gospel In Canada (Brian Egert)

How receptive are Canadians to the Christian message?

Brian Egert is the director of Mission Canada, an agency that has over 50 workers across Canada to reach beyond the church walls. This episode features a plenary session at the Our City Windsor conference in March 2024.

Links:

Mission Canada

https://paoc.org/canada

More Of The Maury Story (Maury Blair interview)

This is part two of my interview with Maury Blair as we revisit his traumatized childhood in Paris Ontario and the journey to wholeness through coming to faith in Christ.

If you have not yet listened to part one, go to https://www.sidewalkskylinepodcast.com/sidewalkskylinepodcast/revisiting-child-of-woe-maury-blair-interview

Links:

Breakthrough Ministries

https://overcomingabuse.ca/

Revisiting Child of Woe (Maury Blair interview)

Years ago I read Maury Blair’s autobiography ‘Child Of Woe’. I was shocked at the severity of the child abuse he suffered from his step-father. How could a man be so filled with contempt for an innocent child and more miraculously, how could a child of violence grow up to be so compassionate and well-balanced?

In this episode I visited Maury at his kitchen table in Cambridge, Ontario as we revisited his faith journey and ministry. We walked on the streets of Paris, Ontario to see the old homestead, the church and the streets he lived on.

This is part one of two episodes.

Link:

Breakthrough Ministries

https://overcomingabuse.ca/

The Heaviness Of Loss (Kim Court and Mike Morency)

(Recorded at Our City Windsor 2024)

No one is exempt from the impacts of grief and loss. When serving others in community it is imperative that we learn to recognize when and how their grief is showing up. However, it is just as important to learn how our own grief impacts our ability to serve others. Kim Court and her husband Mike Morency help participants better understand grief and provide tips on how they can help others, and themselves.

For the past 25 years, Kim Court (M.S.W., R.S.W.) has provided a safe place for individuals and families to reflect and experience personal growth. She values the uniqueness of each individual’s journey, and supports people of all ages as they become empowered to reach their goals.

As a Christian counsellor, Kim is experienced in helping people with struggles related to trauma, separation/divorce, anxiety, depression, attachment, parent-child, and family conflict, all through the lens of evidence-based practice and the Gospel. She is a certified Grief Educator, and is trained in, Brief Solution Focused Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and Collaborative Problem Solving.

Alongside her husband, and on her own, Kim provides engaging workshops and lectures on a wide array of topics.

Mike is Executive Director of Matthew House Refugee Centre which provides temporary shelter and settlement services for Refugee Claimants. He is a team pastor at New Song Church and a frequent speaker at conferences and retreats. Mike is passionate about helping the people of God find ways to “live out” Christ in the world.

He is also Lead Strategist for Synergistic Solution Groups where he assists churches and community charities develop effective strategies to increase their impact.

Additional resources:

Exploring the Companioning Model of Grief Care

https://youtu.be/pOlgifO9TEA?si=WcnesOUS2Q8uH9wS

My Grief

https://mygrief.ca/

Back To The Shack (Bobby Reaume interview)

Bobby Reaume is the lead operator with Feeding Windsor-Essex’s Soup Shack. Every night from 7-9 pm he ensures that up to 140 people are served with food, snacks, clothing and personal care items. The food is prepared in the kitchens of Feeding Windsor-Essex, a charitable department of New Song Church.

This interview at the Our City Windsor 2024 Conference is filled with stories of hope and the continuing miracle of Bobby’s journey to recovery.

As an update, Bobby and some interested parties are attempting to start a charity of their own to provide a greater platform of services to Windsor’s homeless and street-affiliated population. The Soup Shack would be enhanced by a building where more than food would be served.

In the meantime, donations to help fund current operations can be sent to Feeding Windsor-Essex. Find out how at admin@feedingwindsoressex.ca

Links:

Feeding Windsor-Essex

https://www.feedingwindsoressex.ca/

From Fentanyl To The Soup Shack (Season Four, Episode 18)

https://www.sidewalkskylinepodcast.com/sidewalkskylinepodcast/from-fentanyl-to-the-soup-shack-bobby-reaume-interview

Church At The Community Table (Connie Jakab Interview)

Connie Jakab is planting a church at a new housing initiative in the Ogden neighbourhood of Calgary. As a long time community energizer, Connie has built an enduring presence in Calgary through her work within the arts community, mental health and business sector.

Now her attention has turned to the neighbourhood she lives and grew up in. Ogden Church meets in the common room of a housing development created by The Mustard Seed, a faith-based organization that exists to eliminate homelessness and reduce poverty.

Ogden Church values breaking bread together around a table rather than sitting in rows as passive listeners.

Links:

Connie’s Website

https://conniejakab.com/

Ogden Church

https://www.ogdenchurch.ca/

Ogden Hub 29

https://muchmorethanahome.ca/

The Mustard Seed

https://theseed.ca/

The Gilded Pen of Winnipeg (John Longhurst interview)

John Longhurst's journalistic reflections provoke thought and questions about faith, inviting readers to think beyond their own religions, theologies, and denominations. Why do people believe what they do? What might we learn from each other's acts of faith?

John Longhurst is the recipient of the 2021 Lieutenant-Governor's Award for the Advancement of Inter-religious Understanding in Manitoba. He has served as the director of communications for several international relief and development organizations and continues to write for the Winnipeg Free Press and many other publications.[1]

His most recent book is a collection of writing from his Free Press column and is entitled, “Can Robots Love God And Be Saved?’

[1] https://www.commonword.ca/ResourceView/82/27814

Links:

Book: Can Robots Love God And Be Saved?

https://www.mcnallyrobinson.com/9781987986198/john-longhurst/can-robots-love-god-and-be-saved

Winnipeg Free Press

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/biographies/john-longhurst

Living Holy In Downtown Ottawa (Karen Stiller interview)

Karen Stiller is the senior editor for Faith Today magazine and has written for Reader’s Digest, Ekstasis, The Walrus and Christianity Today. She is the author of ‘The Minister’s Wife’ and co-author on other books.

She also lives in downtown Ottawa where life has shaped the writing of her most recent book entitled ‘Holiness Here: Searching For God in the Ordinary Events of Everyday Life’.

Links:

https://karenstiller.com/

Faith Today

https://www.faithtoday.ca/

Holiness Here book

https://www.amazon.ca/Holiness-Here-Searching-Ordinary-Everyday/dp/1641587458

Gospel Transformation In An At Risk Neighbourhood

For 10 years, New Song Church has been alongside one of Windsor’s more challenging neighbourhoods of social housing. What we affectionately call the Glengarry neighbourhood is a series of four high rise apartments, several rows of townhouses and an assisted living facility. It experiences the most tragic of life experiences as well as a quieter majority that are just trying to survive.

Through collaboration initially with The Downtown Windsor Community Collaborative and partnership with Windsor Essex Community Housing Corporation, we run a 4 day per week drop in centre, a community garden, the cafeteria contract in the assisted living facility along with a weekly Bible study and prayer meeting for residents with spiritual desire.

In this episode, Kevin Rogers interviews Kevin and Paula Saunders as well as Elizabeth Anderson.

Let Nothing Be Wasted (Ejay Tupe)

One of our podcast regulars, Ejay Tupe brought this message ‘Let Nothing Be Wasted’ at the Our City Windsor - Signs Of Hope conference.

His years of experience in urban ministry are informed by his reading of the Scriptures.

Ejay is an urban worker in downtown Toronto.

Link:

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

Signs Of Hope (Brian Egert)

Brian Egert brought this opening message at the Our City Windsor ‘Signs Of Hope’ conference in March 2024. One hundred people gathered at New Song Church in Windsor Ontario to reflect on the hope that Canadian churches can bring to their cities.

Brian is the Director of Mission Canada, an agency committed to raising up workers with a heart of hope for the nation of Canada.

Link:

Mission Canada

https://paoc.org/canada

Becoming Bilingual (Cal & Chrissy Krahn interview)

With almost 30 years of ministry experience, Cal and Chrissy Krahn have often been drawn to those outside of the church walls. As urban workers with Mission Canada, based in Montreal, Quebec, they care for those around them who are lonely, hurting, or in need of a friend. This can be through involvement at the local food bank, sharing a meal or a coffee with someone, connecting newcomers to Canada with helpful resources, or simply giving a granola bar to a person who’s hungry.

In the words of Loren Cunningham, founder of Youth With A Mission (YWAM), "When you take up residence among them, you have an opportunity to do things for transforming that community and those people not only spiritually, but it will change their lives economically, socially, and educationally, and all the things that follow. YOU can make a difference in the world.”
In a province where less than 1% of the population attend an evangelical service on a Sunday morning, and where many do not trust religion or have been hurt, Cal and Chrissy desire to embody "the Jesus way" by living their lives based on the example of Christ - full of generosity, hospitality, and love.

 Links:

Mission Canada Profile Page

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

From Organized Crime To True Religion (Alan Campbell interview)

Years ago, I worked as a federal chaplain at a halfway house. I learned so much about the value of faith-based community friendships for men and women returning to the community.

Alan Campbell has devoted his adult life to Jesus-inspired care for people being released from jail. He is humble and virtuous in his approach and remains focused on the mission. l am grateful to know ‘Refuge Ministries Canada’ and to serve them when I can.

Alan shares his story of conversion from incarceration for his involvement with the Toronto Mafia, God’s call to help prisoners and the role of suffering in his ongoing transformation.

Links:

Refuge Ministries Canada

https://www.refugeministriescanada.com/

Refuge Freedom Stories

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/refuge-freedom-stories/id1524349333

Widows, Orphans and Warming Centres (Jess Disabatino interview)

Today I’m talking with my friend Jessica Disabatino. Jess and her husband Dave co-lead Journey Church in Calgary. Our connection goes back to the early 2000’s when they were pastoring Lakeshore Church in Toronto. We began dreaming together with Braeside Camp to launch Camp Inner Change, a week of summer camp for inner city children and youth.

Eventually Dave and Jess moved to Calgary to lead Journey Church. Jess also worked for a season in the lead team of Mission Canada.

She has also been a podcaster and a frequent speaker at conferences.

Links:

Journey Church, Calgary

https://www.myjourney.church/

Braeside Camp

https://www.braesidecamp.ca/

 Down To Earth Podcast

https://www.downtoearthpodcast.com/

Persecuted For Jesus' Sake (Gary Stagg interview)

In 1955, a Dutch Christian named Andrew van der Bijl began smuggling Bibles into Communist Poland. Through successive years he would enter Communist countries at every occasion to secretly bring God’s Word to places where Christianity was illegal. Brother Andrew began an organization named ‘Open Doors’, a ministry that tells the story of persecuted Christians around the world.

The Canadian director of Open Doors is Rev. Gary Stagg. In this interview we talk about the harsh reality of 365 million Christians being persecuted, imprisoned, tortured and even executed for their allegiance to Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

Link:

Open Doors Canada

https://www.opendoorscanada.org/