Missions, The Church Of Our Lord, Reformed Episcopal Church in Victoria BC Canada

Missions

We are involved in supporting a number of missions, both at home and internationally. One of the most important is to help the many who come to our door in downtown Victoria, by providing assistance, counsel and where necessary, referral to other service organizations. These are also some of the missions to whom we relate and support.

Sanctuary Youth Centre
SYC provides a safe, drop-in centre for youth at risk and street kids. The hope is that it will also serve as a bridge between these young people, who are virtually untouched by the Church, and the local churches. This ministry includes a variety of activities including a weekly worship event, small focus groups, fun activities, and individual pastoral care. The Arts (music, drama, dance and visual arts) will be used extensively as a form of communication, exploration, recreation and worship.

The person behind the vision is Rob Trepanier. He has worked with young people on and off the streets for over 26 years and was Chaplain at the Youth Custody Centre for nine years. He has the respect of community leaders, pastors and churches, and the young people themselves. Rob is the first to recognize that this is a team ministry, and he already has a group of trained volunteers, a board, and spiritual advisors in place.

The Centre is located in the basement of Church of Our Lord’s new Community Ministry Centre, and includes washrooms and shower, a washer and drier, and kitchen facilities, all designed to meet practical needs. Recreation facilities such as a pool table are also available. This has already been blessed by the generosity of so many, but finance is still needed to keep the centre running. Sanctuary is a ministry of the wider Church of Victoria and has the support of many churches and community organizations in the city. Website: www.sanctuaryyouth.org

Leading Influence Ministries
Leading Influence Ministries is an independent, non-partisan, not-for-profit ministry that is governed by a board of directors and led by Tim Schindel. Tim has over 25 years of ministry leadership experience as a team member, solo pastor, team builder, team leader. He is a visionary and catalyst.

The vision to establish a chaplaincy ministry to political leaders began in the summer of 2004 and came into fruition in May of 2006.

Leading Influence Ministries is based in Victoria, BC. Our vision is to establish a ministry presence in every province and territory in Canada. Website: www.leadinginfluence.com

Victoria Prayer Counselling
VPC is a safe place where hurting people can come and open their hearts to Almighty God and receive his healing. It is a Christian, non-denominational ministry of prayer counselling, primarily for those who have suffered from spiritual, physical and emotional trauma. The ministry is based on the power and working of the Holy Spirit and grounded firmly on scriptural principles.

Rt. Rev. Charles Dorrington and his wife, Claudia, along with their staff of counsellors, draw from their personal healing experiences with God, to pray into the hurts of people’s lives. Phone/Fax: (778) 426-3212

The Cridge Centre for the Family
In 1873, Rev. Edward Cridge and his wife Mary, having cared for orphans in their own home for several years, opened the BC Protestant Orphan’s Home in a cottage in Victoria. From these modest beginnings, with a name change to The Cridge Centre for the Family, this has grown into a multi-service organization, caring for needy families, providing counselling, training, support and residential services for a wide variety of family needs, as well as daycare, kindergarten, and programs for childcare. Tel. (250) 384-8058, Fax. (250) 384-5267. Church of Our Lord members serving the Cridge Centre include Pat Bailey - executive secretary, Davina Antonik - programme coordinator, Sylvia Van Kirk - board: ministering to children, adults, seniors, abused women, survivors of brain injury. Website: www.cridge.org

Christian Friends of Israel
CFI is a diverse Christian international ministry with it’s international headquarters in Jerusalem. The two main focuses are to bless the people of Israel and to teach the church its Biblical foundations, in the love of Jesus. Thomas & Rita Augustine are the Canadian directors, with an office in Victoria. For further details; Tel/Fax: (250) 380-5036, E-mail: cfi@islandnet.com

Reformed Episcopal Church, Malawi
In 1996 at the initiative of Pastor John Chirwa, we entered into a relationship of fellowship and partnership with the Reformed Episcopal Church in Malawi. With about 50 pastors, another 25 in training and 12 evangelists, the church is growing rapidly and planting congregations from the Nkhatabay district in the north to the Blantyre and Chikwawa districts in the south.

Transport is a huge challenge, but Church of Our Lord has been able to help with the purchase of bicycles for the pastors to get around. Education is important and the Malawi Church oversees eight nursery, three primary, and one secondary school. Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world with an annual average income per person of about $160 US, and like many in Africa, devastated by AIDS. The Malawi church cares for children in two orphanages. Many of these children have lost their parents to the disease. Feeding the children is a constant challenge.

In July 2007 Pastor Rod Ellis visited the church, a school and orphanage and spoke at a conference to encourage the pastors.

In November 2008, Lisa Ellis visited the church and ministered with the women and children from a school and two of the orphanages in the southern areas.

HATS
Standing for Hands Across The Sea -- Haiti, (a ministry of Christian Village Ministries) provides help to disadvantaged people, especially children, in the Artibonite Valley. A sponsorship program for education has been in operation for several years with 175 children able to go to school in 2002-2003 who would otherwise not have been able to do so. Karen Hull has been involved in setting up a "Children's Village" which provides homes for orphaned children. E-mail: hats.haiti@starband.net, or khull@starband.net.

Scripture Union
An international ministry in over 140 countries who aims to share the gospel with young people, and provide daily devotional reading notes for all ages. Lynne Ellis was the former Vancouver Island Director and is now our volunteer Bible reading representative. Scripture Union website: www.scriptureunion.ca

The Warehouse
Ministering to high-risk youth, AIDS victims, orphans and the unemployed in Cape Town, South Africa. The Warehouse website: www.warehouse.org.za

Wycliffe Bible Translators
Stan & Sandy Anonby and their two daughters Gillian & Raquel, are in Brazil where they are teaching at a Seminary. Stan studied Theology in Saskatoon, Sandy is a qualified nurse, both have studied extensively in linguistics and have a call to cross-cultural mission. Until recently they were pastoring in a Kwak'wala speaking congregation in BC. Website: www.wycliffe.org

African Enterprise
AE is a Christian interdenominational, interracial ministry of evangelism, reconciliation, leadership training, and relief and development. Started with the vision of South African evangelist, Michael Cassidy on 1961, its teams now minister throughout the African continent. Their mission is to evangelize the cities of Africa, through word and deed, in partnership with the Church with support bases around the world, David Richardson heads up the Canadian office in Vancouver, B.C. Tel. (604) 228-0930, Fax. 228-0936, E-mail: aecanada65@cs.com Website: www.africanenterprise.com

Missions in Cuba
Iglesia San Marcos, Moa & Iglesia San Juan, and Ciego de Avila are Refomed Episcopalian Diocesan mission outreaches. The church in Moa was established in the fall of 2004 and the further outreach to Ciego de Avila in the fall of 2006. At present, the two churches have a combined membership of over 210 people. Bishop Charles and Claudia have paid a number of visits to this area, which is one of the poorest and most polluted in Cuba. As well as giving them general oversight and teaching, they have taken them Bibles, Prayer Books, clothing, toys, vitamins and medicines. The funds raised are used to provide the people with daily necessities; Bibles and church supplies; and also to cover the travelling costs of Pastor Roman, which included the repair in 2006 of a much-needed Jeep. If you wish to make an extra designated donation to Cuba, please make your cheque out to ‘Diocese of Western Canada & Alaska’ & send it to the Diocese at 70 - 7570 Tetayut Rd, Saanichton, BC, V8M 2H4.

Reformed Episcopal Church Foreign Missions
The REC supports mission work and church planting in countries around the world under the oversight of Bishop Royal Grote.
These include:

Greg & Helena Wright of Arab World Ministries	Bishop Gerhard & Grace Meyer in Germany
Bill & Dianne Jerdan in France	Judy King in Brazil