Hello Folks,
Many of you have wondered about the work of “integral mission” by Grandview Calvary Baptist Church in Vancouver. It is a complicated story with many parts. The church is attempting to be faithful to a conversion story and narrative as well as a justice and mercy narrative. This is difficult, not always successful, but a brilliant, Godly and devout attempt to hold these biblical imperatives in balance/tension. (Balance is an over-used word, tension suggests conflict; both are true).
Much of the initial funding for the property around Grandview Calvary was financed by Shirley and Howard Bentall. The God-drenched imagination and patient hard work has been the call of faithfulness from many people, including Tim and Mary Dickau. Tim and Mary serve in very different areas of leadership. They are truly gifted and prophetic. It is still an archaistic marvel (and as a parishioner, an embarrassment) that Mary serves unpaid. Monica Hof and Emmanuel Ndabarushimana are part-time pastors serving the evening and morning congregations respectively.
So attached is an explanation of what the umbrella groups and community partners of Grandview Calvary is about: Salsbury Community Society. The second page is a list of the component groups, their February prayer concerns and the names of their directors and their contact information.
You may want to share your our journey in these matters, or model a ministry on one of these works. Regardless, they represent a fascinating call on God’s people in this generation.
Warmly
In Christ,
Jeremy
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WHO WE ARE: A community of locally-rooted initiatives committed to the welcome and support of vulnerable people in the radical tradition of Christ. SCS is composed of four non-profit initiatives (NPIs): REED, Kinbrace, Co:Here and Crossroads. We have two partner organizations, Grandview Calvary Baptist Church and JustWork, and one covenant partner, Stillpointe.
- Community: We have deliberately chosen to define our relationship in terms of community as defined in the ecological sense: “a group of interdependent organisms of different species growing or living together in a specified habitat.”
- Locally-rooted: Each of the initiatives has grown out of the neighbourhood vision of GCBC.
- Vulnerable people: We are particularly called to journey with people who are poor and marginalized of our society.
- The radical tradition of Christ: In our vision and approach to our initiatives we seek to follow the ways of Jesus and be directed by the Spirit of God.
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OUR VISION: Through a holistic and relational approach to mutual transformation we seek to nourish individual, local, and global well-being.
- Holistic: Not only does each initiative seek to value and offer dignity to the whole person, but by joining together with other initiatives we are able to be more holistic in our approach and in our actions.
- Relational approach: Each of our initiatives seeks to break down the barriers of service provider and client and instead relate to all individuals as fellow members of community.
- Mutual transformation: We recognize that we are all in need of growth and healing. Our vision is that as we journey together we will all be transformed.
- Individual, local, and global well-being: We are inspired by the biblical vision of shalom, which brings peace, reconciliation, healing, and justice for all people and all of creation.
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WHAT WE DO: SCS is committed to fostering an inclusive, holistic community of mutual transformation and empowerment through work (JustWork), prayer and worship (GCBC), housing/hospitality (Co:Here, Kinbrace, GCBC), advocacy (Crossroads, Kinbrace, REED), education (REED, Kinbrace, GCBC, Crossroads), justice (REED, Kinbrace, Crossroads), and support (Kinbrace, Crossroads, Co:Here).