Traumatic Beginnings
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
Shalom vs. Empire (Kevin Rogers)
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
Tools For Recovery In Street Ministry (LCHC team)
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
Disability And Faith 101 (Keith Do
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)
Maury Blair At Our City Windsor 2025
At 87 years of age, Maury continues to be filled with light and hope. From recounting the horrible child abuse he suffered to the overflowing joy of his journey with Jesus, we leaned forward to soak up the wisdom.
Maury continues to have daily conversations with people in his community to tell them about his hope.
Links:
Breakthrough Ministries
Revisiting Child of Woe
More of the Maury Story
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
Capital City Mission
https://capitalcitymission.com/
The Ottawa Mission
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:
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
