A couple of years ago, my family and I walked a few blocks to our church to take part in its annual Christmas lunch. The cross-section of people in attendance was remarkable: middle-class families from our church, older homeless men…
I live in East Vancouver just off Commercial Drive. My house looks like a nondescript ‘Vancouver Special’ from the street, but it’s far from ordinary by our city’s standards. Over the past two years, I have shared my home with…
For several years, Barry Jung has been going out of his way to meet his neighbours, build relationships with them and strengthen his South Cambie / Oakridge neighbourhood. Recently he has been sharing his experiences and insights with members of…
Many churches are looking for creative ways to get to know their neighbours, but few have done as well as Brentwood Park Alliance Church, which has been running Connections Coffee House in a quiet Brentwood neighbourhood for the past eight years.…
Andrew Stephens-Rennie presented this paper as part of the Christian Witness in Cascadian Soil conference at St. Andrew’s Hall May 10 – 11. Hosted by Ross Lockhart and the Centre for Missional Leadership, the gathering featured some 20 papers from…
Barry Jung recently sent this note out to pastors on the West side of Vancouver, but his experiences are valuable for anyone living in Metro Vancouver. Some of you may know of my story of slow transformation through engagement with…
Every week I hear of new and creative ways in which churches and individual Christians are working for the good of the broader community. And I am sure that I don’t hear about most of them, even though I’m always…
Some are inclined to think that Missions Fest – which takes place all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday (January 17 – 19) – focuses only on overseas missions. That never was the case, but the local focus is stronger than…
Anika Barlow, hospitality coordinator at Vancouver’s Kinbrace Refugee Community Society, spoke with Peter Stockland of Convivium about the power of faith to bring new arrivals and hosts alike closer to encountering God. Convivium: What is Kinbrace, and how did you…
Peter Biggs of The Light Magazine is researching one Metro Vancouver / Fraser Valley municipality each month, and producing a focus on each one. The September issue features the first of three ‘snapshots’ devoted to the City of Vancouver. Following is a portion…