So What Exactly Do You Do?

As a missionary living in Vancouver, many people ask "What exactly do you do?"  In general terms, like any other missionary in other cultures, I find ways to connect with people and bring Jesus Christ to them.  Living in Canada makes it a little challenging because many people already have an idea (it could be inaccurate in our minds) as to what Christianity is about. 

In the practical sense, I serve at Five Stones Church as the Children's Programs and Social Outreach Director.

It has been a really good challenge for me to think of ways to teach little kids biblical truths so they can apply them and at the same time, make their Sunday school experience a positive one.  The kids recently finished making their own "Creation Books" based on the seven days of Creation.

My heart is in Social Outreach.  It's been so great that I have been given so much freedom to explore ways to connect the church with the community.  Being with SIM has been a perfect partnership because missionaries in Canada are called to be missional in their respective communities and this is exactly what I am wanting to do.

Some ways I've been trying to connect with the community is by partnering up with other social agencies in the city of New Westminster (where we are).  We are in talks with UGM to open up a GED program together using UGM's resources, me to teach it (being a former UGM GED teacher) and using Five Stones' building.  As far as we know, this would be the first GED program in the city.  

We are also finding ways to support another local organization called Purpose Society.  We recently connected with a Young Parent Support Worker with Purpose Society who shared that one of her clients (a young, single mother) was in need of basic household items.  Many people at Five Stones came together and donated furniture, money and toys to this young mother.  From talking with the Support Worker, the young mother was overwhelmed by the generosity.  Purpose Society is not a Christian organization and they've never had a church approach them about helping them with any of their programs before.  I'd like to think that this is a small, first step in showing Christ's love to people who benefit from PS's programs.

Five Stones is also wanting to open up a preschool and after school program in the building.  We have completed the application process and are now waiting for approval by the City.  We are also beginning the process of looking for a Preschool Director and Assistant.

My week is filled with things like talking to Ashley, a homeless woman who attends Sunday service at Five Stones and comes and visits throughout the week, calling community groups and organizations to see whether we can support them in any way, putting together Sunday School lessons and doing a bible study online with a gal (a friend's daughter) who's in high school.

So in a nutshell, this is what I do and I really enjoy it.