This past Sunday, June 15th we had our friend Dion Oxford with us to share a bit about what he has been up to recently and some opportunities to participate with him in what the risen Christ is doing in our part of town.
From the website: “Causeway is a Christ-focused initiative of The Salvation Army. It is committed to living out the Gospel of Jesus Christ by intentionally connecting members of the local church with people who were recently homeless but are beginning a new life in a neighbourhood. The purpose is to build unlikely yet mutually beneficial friendships.”
Causeway exists to bridge the gap between the church and the street by intentionally forging unlikely friendships.
The Salvation Army runs 5 shelters throughout Toronto (3 for men, 2 for women) and as people transition out of these shelters to a more permanent home they often need a friend to walk alongside of them. Causeway is committed to living out the Gospel of Jesus Christ by intentionally connecting members of the local church with people who were recently homeless but are beginning a new life in a neighbourhood. The purpose is to build unlikely yet mutually beneficial friendships.
As members of the church here in Riverdale, Dion challenged us in particular to be the church by forming friendships with folks in our neighbourhood who were recently homeless but are now living and working in our part of town. It’s really important to note that this is not a social service program. It is not about providing “services” to “clients”. Rather, it is about forming real friendships with people who are new to our neighbourhood and sharing life together with them.
It’s also worth noting that Gateway, one of the Salvation Army’s five shelters, runs a social enterprise about 100 yards from our church called Gateway Linens that provides job training to men who are moving from the shelter to a home. You can learn more about that initiative in the second half of this video:
Might you be willing to enter into just such a friendship? Those who are interested will be trained in topics such as biblical/theological understanding of the poor, boundaries, and social determinants of health and well-being before being matched with someone.
“The road to healing is often frustrating and those beginning the journey need a friend to guide and encourage them through the obstacles they will face.”
Will you be that friend?
If interested, contact Jonathan – jonathan@stmatthewsriverdale.org
