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/

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.

Pandemic And Poverty - Timothy Meisenheimer (part 2)

Part 2 of my conversation with Timothy Meisenheimer from Ottawa. In this episode we discuss some of the challenges for the poor brought on by pandemic restrictions.

Also, the spiritual formation that can take place when people experience grief and loss.

Links:

Ottawa’s Heart with Ears - Timothy Meisenheimer interview (part 1)

https://www.sidewalkskylinepodcast.com/sidewalkskylinepodcast/ottawas-heart-with-ears-timothy-meisenheimer-interview-part-1

Capital City Mission

http://capitalcitymission.com/

Ottawa Mission

https://ottawamission.com/

Ottawa's Heart with Ears - Timothy Meisenheimer Interview (part 1)

Timothy Meisenheimer is a lover of Jesus in each person he meets on the street. For more than twenty-two years God’s grace and mercy has given him wisdom as an Urban Missionary.

As the founding director of Capital City Mission in Ottawa and more recently as the Senior Manager of Chaplaincy Services at Ottawa Mission, Tim is a heart with ears walking in the path of Jesus.

In this interview segment we talk about some of the heart-wrenching realities in the lives of street affiliated people.

Links:

Capital City Mission

http://capitalcitymission.com/

Ottawa Mission

https://ottawamission.com/

Tim Schindel - Providing Spiritual Care for Politicians

We are 5 days away from a federal election in Canada. I don’t know how political you are, but the Bible does have some things to say about kings, governors and those who hold positions of authority in nations that we live.

Throughout Scripture we see God’s people living under political systems from the elders at the gate of your city, to kings and queens of nations and as conquered people living under slavery. There are examples of God-fearing politicians and of oppressive despots.

Paul was writing his letters to the churches while the Roman government was in power. The same government that would crush, torture, and execute good people like Jesus, the disciples and many in the early church. And yet, we hear a message of another government called the Kingdom of God. It’s a system that grows in seed form globally through all time and it does not go to war against its enemies. It is a government that does not originate in the world as we know it.

In Paul’s pastoral letter to Timothy, he said:

1 Timothy 2:

First, I want you to pray for all people. Ask God to help and bless them. Give thanks for them. 2 Pray for kings. Pray for everyone who is in authority. Pray that we can live peaceful and quiet lives. And pray that we will be godly and holy. 3 This is good, and it pleases God our Savior.

Have you prayed for the politicians of your nation asking God to help and bless them? Have you given thanks for them today?

My guest today has something to say about praying for leadership. I’m talking to Tim Schindel from Victoria, British Columbia. I met Tim several years ago as his vision for chaplaincy was in its early stages. The last time we were together in 2018, we had lunch and a tour of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia along with Jason Goertzen, the chaplain there.

Seeing the need and an opportunity to serve, Tim founded Leading Influence in 2006 to fulfill the vision of providing excellence in pastoral care to politicians across Canada.  Under his leadership, Leading Influence has grown to a national ministry with a chaplain team that reaches from Victoria, BC to Quebec City.  Tim serves as the National Director for Leading Influence and serves as the Ottawa chaplain.[1]

Links:

[1] https://leadinginfluence.com/chaplains/