A Living Alternative

Over the last few months, our ministry (YWAM Urban Ministries Winnipeg) has been in dialogue with a denomination to partner with them in the planting of a new church in our inner city neighbourhood. As we were still in conversation about possibilities, I kept many of the details under wraps. However, we are now at a place in this journey where both groups are confident that we are going ahead with this exciting partnership, therefore allowing me to share with you more details.

Last year, my good friend Norm Voth, Director of Evangelism and Service Ministries for Mennonite Church Manitoba, approach Kim & I about the possibility of partnering with us (YWAM) in forming a new missional church plant in the heart of our community. While we had always dreamed of the possibility of seeing a new church plant emerge from our life and ministry in the area, we were particularly encouraged at the potential to partner. Norm is a guy I have come to deeply respect for his passion, wisdom and vision. He is also someone I am happy to count as a friend. This dynamic played a big part in our openness to the possibilities.

As part of his role for the MC Manitoba, Norm is responsible to see new church plants happen. He plays an important part in identifying potential church plants, developing resources and working with the developing congregations. Through relationship with us and his excitement about our new missional thid place, The Dusty Cover, Norm felt the partnership would be a good one. While YWAM is not denominationally oriented, our local expression resonates deeply with many of the values and practices of the Mennonite Church and Anabaptist tradition.

Our vision is to see a locally rooted group of missional-minded Christians who will make the choice to orient the rhythmes of their lives, not only with each other, but with the neighbourhood we are called to love and serve. To this end, we hope to intentionally resist becoming a commuter congregation, looking rather to see it as a church by, for and with the local community. To that end, our desire would be that the most significant portion of our church community would be from the neighbourhood. Few things could make me happier than seeing those outside our area who wish to be a part our new community choose to relocate their lives to the neighbourhood to missionally align with our vision. However, it is the local residents where our primary commitment is focused.

Our hope is to meet for worship in The Dusty Cover as an intentional resistence to identifying with any place or building as "our church". This will offer three promising dynamics- first, it will challenge us to live our lives in the open to the neighbourhood; second, it will encourage us to practice the discipline of hospitality in our homes; third, it will link us to a place (the bookstore) of missional engagement with the community. We vision would be that the bookstore as a missional third place might grow alongside our growth as a missional community.

We are under no illusions that this will be easy. I have already had several sleepless nights considering what we are getting ourselves into. While Kim & I have essentially been pastoring a small community for several years, it is more akin to leading a monastic/mendicant order than a more "traditional congregation". We also know that partnering brings it's own challenges.

However, we are excited and confident about the future. We will keep you all posted. If there are any in Winnipeg who are interested in being a part of this new vision, please drop me a line.

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