Facebook like box provided by myApi, the Facebook bridge for Joomla

Servants Vancouver is an intentional Christian community, based in the Downtown Eastside, made up of singles, marrieds and families with children.  We are a community called to practice radical hospitality amongst those who are marginalized in our society.

Our approach is to simply offer a space in our home and daily lives to those living on the street, struggling with mental illness or drug addiction, where they can experience Christian community, love and healing in our midst.

We commit ourselves to simplifying and consolidating our lifestyles in order to be more intentional about our calling to build God’s Kingdom among the poor.  Our community has rhythms of prayer and fellowship, eating and celebrating together. By opening our home and our meal table to our friends and neighbours in the Downtown Eastside we have seen that the intimacy of a shared meal can forge relationships which cross social boundaries.  We also share a common commitment to nurturing and caring for the children in our community and inviting others to experience family in our midst. We have seen homeless friends begin to experience healing while interacting with our children.

This is a video showing a glimpse of our community life.  If you cannot view it, click on the link below. 

For a more in depth podcast interview with co-founder Craig Greenfield click here.

Kids on the Block from Veritas Media Productions on Vimeo.

Ministries

Prehab

Access to addiction treatment programs is a significant problem for our homeless friends in the Downtown Eastside. Difficulties arise due to long waiting lists and in some cases, conditions of entry, such as the need to have several days clean before entry. We take guys in to live with us in our community house and help them get through that initial tough period of detoxing and waiting to get into a recovery program (we call this "prehab"). During this time we pray and support them 24/7. Prehab Companions (volunteers from outside the community) help us carry this load by coming in for 4 hour shifts to hang out and help out.

Community Garden

In early 2009, we initiated a community garden in an unused parking lot on our block. Neighbours and local groups quickly got involved and now there is now a daily flow of people hanging out, watering the garden and tending to the plants. The garden has been another good way of building relationships and a number of our contacts there have joined us for meals and become friends.

Creative World Justice

Combining worship, prayer and creativity with justice and activism, we have been meeting on Tuesday nights with folks from the nieghbourhood and beyond to plan holy mischief and learn about God's heart for the poor. So far, we have organized 30 days of prayer for Burma, which 1000 people participated in from all over the world, protested land evictions in Cambodia, actions outside Singaporean embassies (we dressed in chains and cleaned the embassies) to protest the treatment of foreign maids in Singapore. Our latest focus is the treatment of lower level cruise ship employees who work in virtual slavery with no days off. Contact us if you would like to come along to one of these meetings.

Some of us are involved in the international leadership, advocacy or administration of the wider Servants body. This overlaps a bit with the training of preparers that we commit to as a community. Our office is located on the same block and is used for a range of activities for Servants.

Located on the ocean and bordered by snow-capped mountains to the north, Vancouver is one of the world's most beautiful cities. As Canada's gateway to the Pacific Rim, Vancouver has become increasingly ethnically diverse and Asians now constitute 25% of the population.

Drug Addiction

Fuelled by cheap, potent and available heroin and cocaine, including crack cocaine, and - increasingly - crystal methamphetamine, the Downtown Eastside's drug scene has exploded over the past decade. Drug dealing now takes place in full public view - as do the drug overdoses. Vancouver averages about 150 illicit drug overdose deaths per year. Most of these in Downtown Eastside.

HIV/AIDS

The Downtown Eastside has the highest rate of HIV infection in the Western world, largely attributable to the sharing of infected needles by intravenous drug users. Hundreds of people have contracted HIV and hepatitis C from injection drug use. In fact, injection drug use is responsible for half of new HIV infections and 80% of newly identified hepatitis C cases.

Homelessness

Downtown Eastside is the third most densely populated place in North America. In 1999, the City Council declared homelessness a national disaster. It is estimated that more than 1200 people are homeless on the streets of Downtown Eastside on any given night. First Nations people are disproportionately represented and it is estimated that at least two-thirds of those on the streets suffer severe addictions to drugs and/or alcohol.

The Servants Vancouver Team is a community committed to practising the radical welcome of Christ. Recognizing that those who want to journey with us have different needs and expectations, we have identified 4 main types of people who we welcome to spend time living and participating in our community life and ministry:

1. Guests. Firstly, we practice radical hospitality for guests who will usually spend anything from a couple of days up to 2 weeks living with us. These may be homeless friends from the street, those considering an internship or simply people interested in knowing more about Servants.

2. Interns. Internships will usually be for 1, 3, 6 or 12 months. Interns participate fully in the life of our community, complete readings and assignments, volunteer at local ministries and meet weekly with a mentor from the team.

3. Preparers. Thirdly, we welcome those who are working towards joining another Servants team somewhere in Asia. These preparers are focussed on gaining the skills and experience needed before they go overseas. They will complete the usual internship formation materials, any remaining Steps to Joining as well as additional activities based on gaps in their experience/skills.

4. Long Term Team Members. The final group of people are long term team members. These team members have completed the Steps to Joining and are committed to participating fully in the life, vision and ministry of the Servants Vancouver community. This includes investing in the lives of our neighbours, guests, interns and helping in the Servants Office.

Contact us if you are interested in finding out more about the new team or volunteering some of your time in the Vancouver office or another North American city to help us see the urban poor and their communities transformed by Christ.