On a sunny evening in late August, about 60 people are gathered in Karen Reed’s East Vancouver backyard. They sit in chairs – around tables on the patio and on the grass in tight circles – and stand near the open…
Forming any sort of abiding face to face community is becoming rarer in our culture. Robert Putnam’s classic study Bowling Alone charts the accelerating demise of participation in community groups and associations from the years 1960 – 2000.[1] There are multiple factors…
Just over a month ago, the Jacob’s Well community was not sure whether it would be able to carry on, having been evicted from its long-time home at 239 Main Street, just north of Hastings Street. The team decided to close its doors…
This Sunday (June 11), churches across Metro Vancouver will address one of the great challenges of living in our region: social isolation. The idea for One City, One Message came as a friendly but passionate challenge from Vancouver City Councilor Andrea…
A couple of years ago, The Globe and Mail featured a story called Vancouver churches unlocking their land value, noting: Urban churches are sitting on some of the priciest real estate in the province, and they’re using the situation to their…
The same sermon theme will be preached in churches all over Vancouver on Sunday June 11. Our theme: welcoming the stranger. I feel giddy with anticipation as I type! This is a response to the present fear-based political climate, especially…
This email was sent out March 16 to people who have taken part in the Vancouver Consultation process. We invite all Christians in the city to participate in One City, One Message. It’s time to begin planning how you and…
Last Tuesday evening (March 7), the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver (JCC) was targeted. After an emailed bomb threat, the building was evacuated. A few hundred adults attending a concert and a few dozen teens playing sports were inconvenienced.…
About 15 years ago, our fellowship at Marineview Chapel realized that our neighbours in Dunbar were simply not open to invitations to church outreach events. Their lives were already over-resourced and over-committed. So when we approached them with invitations to join us…
The area around Brentwood Mall and the new SkyTrain station is undergoing a dramatic makeover. Life has been disrupted, but there is at least one oasis of calm in the midst of all the upheaval. Connections Coffee House has been quietly…