When a church begins to count

Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.  And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. 
1 John 4:20,21

Ten years ago I was part of an energized group starting a new church in North Markham.
My responsibility was to lead 'Branch Out', a church venture to ensure we didn't get stuck in the pews.

Yesterday I was asked to give a brief retrospective of 'Branch Out' which may be of help to anyone looking to see their church more involved in the surrounding community. It works from the premise that a church doesn't really begin to count until the community around it is impacted by 'the love.'

Friendship Centre - east of Sherbourne on Dundas

The photo you’re looking at here is of The Friendship Centre, a drop-in for people living in the Dundas and Sherbourne area. It attracts all sorts of people - homeless people, women in the sex trade, people struggling with addiction or mental health issues and people who are frustrated at not being able to get a job.
The Toronto City Council in its efforts to stop the gravy train and cut the fat from government expenditures decided to close the Friendship Centre. 
But the people for whom the Centre was home protested - so vehemently - that the City hosted a meeting in the nearby church sanctuary where over 250 people crammed in. It was amazing. 
One of those who stood up to speak was a woman in her early 30’s who said that she had been a model for Vogue magazine when she got hooked on street drugs. In her words, ‘were it not for the Friendship Centre, I’d be dead by now.’
As the result of their protest, the City reversed its decision, provided additional funding and partnered with an agency called the Good Neighbours Club to keep the place going.

Branch Out began with the desire to so impact the surrounding neighbourhood that if for any reason our church had to close its doors, the surrounding community would protest so vehemently that they'd do anything to keep us going. Like the Friendship Centre.

The challenge for us in those early years was: we were not really a community based church.
Many who were attending Sunday services lived and worked miles outside the immediate neighbourhood. The people we were attending church with on Sunday were not the people we were spending the rest of the week with. 
So the question became: “How could we impact the community surrounding the church if most of us are only here on Sunday?”

We came to the conclusion that if we can’t bring the neighbourhood into the church, then we would have to bring the church into the neighbourhood - specifically into the neighbourhoods where we spend the majority of our time. We had to become like a Friendship Centre on wheels.

Which immediately catapulted our catchment area from North Markham to the GTA.

And we went crazy. Goodness ran wild. Branch Out became compassion on steroids - endeavouring to say yes to everything that was asked of us...
Some went to Participation House to lead worship services there. 
Some went to Pathways for Youth to connect with at risk youth in Richmond Hill and Markham.
Some went to Sanctuary to work with the homeless in the area south of Bloor and Yonge.
Some prepared and served meals to refugees at Matthew House, while others brought live music which had everybody dancing.
Some invited some of those refugees into their homes expanding who they now consider as family.
Farmer Mike Widdimore donated hundreds of pumpkins with the proceeds from their sale going to the Food Banks in Markham and Stouffville.
Hundreds of bags of good clothing were collected and distributed to women’s shelters and homeless shelters and inner city churches and missions.
Desserts were being served to over 400 homeless people in an old church near Allen Gardens. And they were sung to.
Worship services for the elderly at Unionvilla and for homeless people at the Scott Mission
TOB youth befriending street people downtown
used bikes being sent to Malawi
donated cars going to poor families through Wheels for Humanity
home cooked meals being delivered to people recently hospitalized and others driving people to doctors’ appointments
appeals being written to various levels of government for affordable housing and increases to minimum wage
And 10% of the church’s income was being re-directed to assist individuals and families in need, as well as to agencies like World Vision and Emmanuel International and local social agencies like the York Region Abuse Centre and Ronald McDonald House. 
All these and much more were being done by so many, too many to name - all with the intent of making this church a Friendship Centre in every neighbourhood we could - it was amazing.

Then we entered our park bench phase. 
The phase when we moved from steroids to whole wheat, from quick fixes and incidental encounters to really taking the time to work with those in need. 
David Chalmers and Owen Alton have been instrumental in this transition.
We got involved with agencies like Light Patrol, Teen Challenge, Young Life, Hands Across the Nations and other agencies that would allow for frontline involvement and relationship building, working with people to help them move from dependence to self-reliance.

It really was a park bench approach - Owen, Ian and others sitting with people taking the time to fully appraise their situation and then saying: ‘now let’s see together how God is going to resolve this!'
We started working with other churches to provide co-ordinated assistance to communities like Kin Village. This process in helping people get back on their feet proved to be so effective that Restore Canada was born…

So where do we go from here?
As far as we want to. Whatever it takes to get the surrounding community to beat down our doors were we ever to think of closing this place.

To close on an entirely personal note - there are four images I have when I think of Branch Out.
One is of Barb Dawson providing foot care to homeless people in the Regent Park area.
Another is of Andy Philip doing his magic routine to spell-bound audiences at Matthew House and Ronald McDonald House.
Another is of Judy Hazlett and Cynthia leading a conga line of Participation House residents in their wheelchairs to dance.

Billy O'Sullivan and Hercules Pilatos

The last is of Hercules Pilatos and Billy O’Sullivan, one Greek and the other Irish and whatever else Billy is.
One was in a desperate housing situation downtown, the other in a precarious living situation near Markville Mall. 
Both had known great success in their respective careers. 
Both had experienced severe turns in their lives that had them truly wondering if they’d ever survive. 
Both understand whatever money they have in their wallet is only theirs until they meet someone who needs it more.
Both came to our attention through members of this church - Hercules via Jyoti and Billy through Matt and Blaise.
Both of them thank God for us and we thank God for them.
They met for the first time several months ago at a service we do at All Saints once a month. And after a heart to heart conversation, Billy’s wallet was a little lighter.

This is what Branch Out is about. 
Friendship and help - among people who’d otherwise never meet.
Where individuals and communities are helped and God is praised.