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| A view of the YWAM location in Winnipeg, also home to Little Flowers community & Jamie and Kim, the base directors. |
Winter's setting in here in Winnipeg and as I write this update it's -13°C/8°F outside, and inside the YWAM base on Furby Street it's significantly cooler then usual. It's just over two months since I began working with YWAM Winnipeg again after my internship this past March, and already I've been able to contribute to some great stuff. I recently finished designing a brochure for next year's Peace & Justice Internship to be emailed, and handed out to local churches and anyone interested. It's great to be up and at it again using graphic design to contribute to the ministry that's being done here.
Hospitality Series at Little Flowers
"Church history teaches us that the intensity & intimacy of a grassroots community is directly related to our capacity for true hospitality." -Jamie Arpin-Ricci
Currently at Little Flowers we're going through a sermon series on hospitality, drawing from its place in the early church, up through the ages as it's changed in form, as well as ways its used today in society. For those of you not familiar, Little Flowers is the church community that meets out of the base here in the West End. It's a community formed by those in the neighbourhood, and those aspiring to live in the neighbourhood, and also something Joelle & I are involved in in addition to our work with YWAM. The sermon series explore the interestingly tight nature of hospitality in the early church, highlighting among other interesting points how elements of modern society have commoditized aspects of hospitality that were once mainstays in regional culture, and automatic expectations of the Church. I'm really excited to see how this series unfolds, and glad to be involved in Little Flowers, as Joelle & I have begun leading worship some Sundays and helping host Sunday nights, where we meet together over a meal, teaching, and worship.
A View Into Work with YWAM: Chiara House
One of the project YWAM in Winnipeg is involved with is called Chiara House. Chiara House is, " a new initiative of Little Flowers Community, in partnership with Mennonite Church Manitoba and other organizations. Guided by the values and leadership of these ministries, Chiara House will welcome Christians from various churches to participate in the community and mission. It is not designed to be a shelter, detox program or food bank, rather it is a group of people called to love God & their neighbour together in the context of shared life & community." Last week, I walked with Kim over to Chiara House's location in the West End to see how things were coming. Chiara House has logged over 3,500 volunteer hours over the last few years as a run down apartment complex is getting turned into a refurbished living area for the Church and people in low income situations to live side by side in intentional community. During my visit, walls had been painted, windows were all put in, and all the cabinets and bathroom fixtures were in place. Chiara House has come a long way since its initial vision, and I'm excited to see how it takes shape in the future. YWAM , with Little Flowers, Will be providing the pastoral presence of Chiara House.
Prayer & Support
All of the work I do with YWAM in Winnipeg is self supported. YWAM operates out of a value of self support so that missionaries can participate in ministries that wouldn't be possible in a typical salaried model. If you would like to support us financially in our ministry in Winnipeg, please feel free to contact us by email at Jon.T.Owen@gmail.com. As well, we always appreciate your prayer support for us, it's much needed! Please also feel free to email us any time you have prayer requests you would like us to pray for. And thank you again so much for taking time to read about what we've been up to recently. You're a blessing, that's for sure!
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