I am just starting to book some speaking engagements to let people know about Street Hope’s “Threshold House” project. My first approach was to the church from which Linda and I were launched on the trajectory which has led us here.
About 20 years ago the Principal of Taylor College, David Edwards, asked me to join him at the college as the head of Evangelism Studies. 19 years ago, we moved to Saint John and I took up that mantle. Soon after our move we became members of St. James the Less. These were formative years for our family and our children grew up in the nurture of this loving community.
Then David made another request. He asked me to consider coming to his inner-city parish to help there. I had never left a church before other than because I was moving cities, so I talked over the issue with the then pastor of St. James. He proposed an elegant solution, St. James would commission us as missionaries to Stone Church and the inner-city mission. I remember well the congregation gathering around us and ‘sending us off’ to this new field of ministry. Linda and I have returned often over the years to report and rekindle.
It feels natural then to return one more time to share our excitement about the vision for Threshold House. It always feels like a home coming!
Looking back, I see that much has changed. My son who used to run projection long before every church did so, attended every worship practise because he knew it as his ministry, now preaches regularly at his own church. My daughter took several mission trips and now is married with a child of her own, has a wonderful ministry of kindness and encouragement. Our lives have changed, and ministries have evolved but there is a remarkable persistent consistency. Like the magi following the Star of Bethlehem, I see that we have, for the most part, followed a singular path.
Eugene Petersen wrote about a ‘long obedience in one direction’ and I see that as I look back. Despite all the unexpected twists and turns the trajectory of our lives and ministries is marked by dogged persistence. We continue as Threshold Evangelist, Linda for 40 years and me for 39. We continue as ‘missionaries’ to the inner-city just as we were commissioned by St. James Church. There have been times of despair and temptation to give up and give in, but God has proved faithful through it all.
We believe that this same faithful God will see the successful launch of Threshold House. We have informational events at our Mountain View location, coming soon:
October 5th – Brunch 10 AM
October 8th– Drop In 1 – 4 PM
October 15th– Dessert & Worship 7 PM
Hope & Reedemption 