Mission in the City: February 2020

Affiliate Needs

Our affiliate partners often have needs that you can help meet including prayer support.

ADAM HOUSE

• Next Friday social on Feb. 21, 7 pm

• Assemble and donate Welcome Hygiene Kits (~$70) for newcomers to Canada arriving at the house and Start Up Kits (~$120) for residents leaving the house to settle in the community (Mabel has contents details)

• Volunteers to help residents move

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Prayer for 22 residents (including 3 children) that Adam House be a pitstop on their long journey of asylum-seeking where they can get some rest and care, and meet some new friends who can support them in their journey forward

• Prayer for residents who moved out of Adam House, that God put good neighbours into their lives who can help them adjust to life in their new communities

LIGHT PATROL

• (Urgent) RV driver needed for some outreach nights on Mondays and Thursdays

• Donate tarps, clothing (e.g. hoodies, warm socks, underwear, long johns), and winter gear (e.g. blankets); or donate money to purchase sleeping bags, waterproof bags

• Food volunteers needed for the fall/winter term

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Prayer for new youth to be open to receiving help and that that will lead to building important relationships in their lives

PREGNANCY CARE CENTRE

• Donate baby clothing (contact Mabel for drop off details)

• Volunteers needed -- women to walk alongside expecting mothers, and men to walk alongside soon-to-be fathers

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Prayer that Saturday outreach will continue to operate, so expecting mothers have the help they need on the weekend

SAFE FAMILIES

• People who would be willing to host children in their homes, for a temporary period of time, in order to provide care and respite to parents who are in need of extended family-like support during a difficult time

• Grace Gathering groups who are willing to be trained through Safe Families to be an extended family-like support for a family in crisis in our city

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Prayer for a spirit of hospitality to grow among churches in the GTA

• Prayer for God's protection and provision for families in our city who are isolated and alone amidst challenging circumstances

SQUADS

• Join sports program for elementary kids, Thursday evenings

• Join youth choir leadership team

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Prayer that the Squads Ministry will be able to keep their current building, so kids and youth in Regent Park can continue to attend programs in a convenient location

• Prayer for the safety of families in Regent Park amidst rising gang violence, that their bodies and minds be protected

TORONTO CITY MISSION

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Prayer for families served by TCM

For more information contact: mabel@gracetoronto.ca

Mission in the City: December 2019

Affiliate Needs

Our affiliate partners often have needs that you can help meet including prayer support.

ADAM HOUSE

• Next Friday social on Dec. 20, 7 pm

• Assemble and donate Welcome Hygiene Kits (~$70) for newcomers to Canada arriving at Adam House and Start Up Kits (~$120) for residents leaving Adam House to settle in the community (Rosemarie has contents details)

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Prayer for 2 families and 4 individuals who moved out of Adam House, that God put good neighbours into their lives who can help them adjust to life in their new communities

• Prayer for residents (including 6 new ones) that Adam House be a pitstop on their long journey of asylum-seeking where they can get some rest and care, and meet some new friends who can support them in their journey forward

LIGHT PATROL

• (Urgent) RV driver needed for some outreach nights on Mondays and Thursdays

• Donate tarps, clothing (e.g. hoodies, warm socks, underwear, long johns), treats, and winter gear (e.g. blankets); or donate money to purchase sleeping bags, waterproof bags.

• Food volunteers needed for the fall/winter term

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Prayer for new youth to be open to receiving help and that that will lead to building important relationships in their lives

PREGNANCY CARE CENTRE

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Prayer for a woman who had an abortion, who is starting a post-abortion program; pray she finds healing in Jesus Christ

• Prayer for a past client who is facing a difficult situation and needs emotional support

• Prayer for a woman who received support from the PCC but is now experiencing legal issues regarding custody; pray for strength for her through this time, and for the information she needs to navigate this situation properly

• Prayer for PCC to build more partnerships with local churches to provide support for mothers

SAFE FAMILIES

• People who would be willing to host children in their homes, for a temporary period of time, in order to provide care and respite to parents who are in need of extended family-like support during a difficult time

• Grace Gathering groups who are willing to be trained through Safe Families to be an extended family-like support for a family in crisis in our city

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Prayer for a spirit of hospitality to grow among churches in the GTA

• Prayer for God's protection and provision for families in our city who are isolated and alone amidst challenging circumstances

SQUADS

• Join sports program for elementary kids, Thursday evenings

• Join youth choir leadership team

TORONTO CITY MISSION

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Prayer for families served by TCM

For more information contact: rosemarie@gracetoronto.ca

Mission in the City: November 2019

Affiliate Needs

Our affiliate partners often have needs that you can help meet including prayer support.

ADAM HOUSE

• Next Friday social on Nov. 15, 7 pm

• Assemble and donate hygiene (~$70) and kitchen/household welcome (~$120) kits for newcomers to Canada (Rosemarie has contents details)

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Prayer for 2 families and 4 individuals who moved out of Adam House, that God put good neighbours into their lives who can help them adjust to life in their new communities

• Prayer for residents (including 6 new ones) that Adam House be a pitstop on their long journey of asylum-seeking where they can get some rest and care, and meet some new friends who can support them in their journey forward

LIGHT PATROL

• (Urgent) RV driver needed for some outreach nights on Mondays and Thursdays

• Donate clothing and blankets for winter

• Food volunteers needed for the fall/winter term

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Prayer for new youth to be open to receiving help and that that will lead to building important relationships in their lives

PREGNANCY CARE CENTRE

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Prayer for a woman who had an abortion last week, who is starting a post-abortion program; pray she finds healing in Jesus Christ

• Prayer for a past client who is facing a difficult situation and needs emotional support

• Prayer for a woman who received support from the PCC but is now experiencing legal issues regarding custody; pray for strength for her through this time, and for the information she needs to navigate this situation properly

SAFE FAMILIES

• (Urgent) Family willing to host a 2-year old boy with autistic tendencies for the month of December

• Families willing to temporarily host children and walk alongside other families who are going through difficulties

• Small groups willing to be trained to support and care for families/children in crisis

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Prayer for a spirit of hospitality to grow among GTA churches

• Prayer for God's protection and provision for families in our city who are isolated and alone amidst challenging circumstances
  

SQUADS

• Join sports program for elementary kids, Thursday evenings

• Join youth choir leadership team

TORONTO CITY MISSION

• Assemble gift bags for families who attend programs (Rosemarie has contents details)
  

For more information contact: rosemarie@gracetoronto.ca

Mission in the City: September 2019

Jocky’s Story

I have been serving on the Adam House team at Grace for the past two and a half years. Adam House is a refugee shelter near Dufferin and Bloor. It provides not only shelter to refugees for up to four months in a city where accommodation is hard to come by, but also immigration and settlement services for them. Before I started going to Adam House as a volunteer, I was invited to visit several times by a fellow Grace Toronto member, Timothy, who is also a leader of the volunteer team. I always felt that I did not have enough time or energy to serve others. At the same time, I was saddened by the news about the refugee crisis in the Middle East at that time. Eventually, I decided to go and see what was going on in December 2016 and have been part of the team until I leave Toronto in September. The main involvement of our team is to spend one Friday evening every month with the current and past residents at Adam House, playing games, chatting and sharing a meal or a snack together. I especially love to play Dutch Blitz with the residents because it is a very simple game to explain, and at the same time very tactile and competitive. I was also involved with the annual Scotiabank Marathon Charity Challenge, where I ran my first (and probably last) half marathon to raise money for the shelter. Equally fun was to spend every other Saturday morning training with residents and volunteers who were also participating in the race. After the practice we also had a great time eating brunch together.

The goal for our team is to eventually form deep and meaningful friendships with the residents, ideally to keep in contact with them even after they move out. Also, some residents do not know Christ, and it is a great opportunity for us to be good witnesses and share the good news with them. The challenge for me is that I am a bit of an introvert; coming to Adam House after a full day of work makes it somewhat difficult for me to socialize with the residents. As a graduate student, I often felt that I had to spend all my time in the lab and work on my research; if I didn’t, I wouldn’t achieve what I want in life. Through serving in Adam House, I was able to find joy and fulfilment that was not found in work. With better time management and organization, I realized that sparing a few days a month is not actually too taxing. I really encourage everyone to start serving in any capacity they can.

The reward of serving people and God is much larger than what you think you need to give up. For those who are struggling to take the first step, I suggest that you prayerfully consider who are you most concerned for in the city and what are your abilities and skills. Look at the different ministries that the Grace Centre for Mercy and Justice (GCMJ) is partnered with and go to one and see if you like it. For those that cannot commit to serve on a regular basis, you can also find out what particular needs different ministries have through GCMJ. For Adam House, hygiene kits that include items such as toothpaste and shower gel or helping a resident move are always appreciated. It will also be great if you can sponsor the marathon team this year (see link under Affiliate Needs).

I truly believe that serving at Adam House has been a blessing. I have seen God work in wonderful ways. His care for the refugees and the love and dedication of the staff and volunteers that are clearly from the Holy Spirit has been a massive encouragement.

Affiliate Needs

Our affiliate partners often have needs that you can help meet including prayer support.

ADAM HOUSE

• Next Friday social on Sept. 20, 7 pm

• Sponsor marathon runners: tinyurl.com/yy4w29lx

PREGNANCY CARE CENTRE

• Participate or sponsor riders to raise campus outreach funds: pccfriends.ca/event/ride-for-the-pcc

• Annual fundraising dinner (Rosemarie has tickets): pccfriends.ca/event/dinner2019
  

SQUADS

• Join sports program for elementary kids, Thursday evenings.

• Join youth choir leadership team, starting in October.

For more information contact: rosemarie@gracetoronto.ca