By UUMC member Brian Heymans
UUMC is going on a pilgrimage this summer to First United Church in Vancouver, Canada. The purpose is to seek out how we should do God’s work by seeing how it’s done in a city that deals with the poorest in North American city life every day.
First United Church in East Vancouver is a large inner city church in the heart of the poorest and most crime-ridden part of Vancouver. The surrounding area hosts a large population involved in drugs and prostitution, with the inevitable poor and homeless population. Some years ago this congregation began its decline and decided it had reached a tipping point in its existence. It either had to go out of business as a traditional church or redefine itself.
It now serves as a base for a many ministries to the homeless, the working poor, drug addicts and sex workers. With over 60 employees, many of them former “guests,” First United provides four meals every day of the week, housing for several hundred folks who sleep in the pews, plus a host of other services, health care, advocacy services, housing, counseling, job search services, and much more. Go to www.firstunited.ca to see who they are and what they do.
The senior pastor is an old friend of mine, Ric Matthews. He has a very clear vision of the work of the church. Church as we know it does not operate at First United Church. Because of the scale of this work, they look at the total system, from mercy to justice, from charity to holistic renewal of each guest. They collaborate with city government, the police and other Canadian agencies.
The purpose of this pilgrimage is to learn about caring for the poor and homeless from almost every angle, to be submerged and to engaged, in a learn by doing experience. Ric Matthews will make sure that participants see every aspect of this large ministry, its frontal engagement with the poor to the behind the scenes justice and advocacy work for the poor. What UUMC does for about 6 hours on a Saturday, First United church in Vancouver does 24/7.
What we hope to learn will be extremely useful to our own Open Door ministry and will also be useful for those dealing with the Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN), Interfaith Care Alliance and Hands on Housing among others.
We need several people to accompany Bill Hyatt and Mike Blankenship, Co-Directors of Open Doors, on this exciting pilgrimage. Accommodation and food will be provided, and people will be expected to chip in and give a hand, because the best learning is by doing. There is no 5-star accommodation, but Ric will make you comfortable. Participants are asked to pay their own airfare. Bill Hyatt will lead this pilgrimage. Our expectation is that people return with ideas, and be prepared to give a full report to the Open Door Committee and the Church Council. Be prepared to be challenged. Let me warn you, though. Ric Matthews will fill you with a new imperative that you won’t expect, and you should expect to be a different person when you get back.
You are not required to be on this Pilgrimage for the full 7 days, but you can go for a shorter period if you choose. But plan to be there between August 23 and 31. You should make your own flight arrangements but send your itinerary to Brian Heymans once you have flight confirmed. Note that Bill and Mike are travelling on American Airlines on those two days. You will need a passport, spending money, very casual clothes, toothbrush etc. Keep valuables down to a minimum.
Applications to John Elford (jelford@uumc.org) or Brian Heymans (bheymans@mindspring.com), coordinator of the trip arrangements, by August 6, 2010. More information: 478-9387.
