North America
Servants Vancouver is a newly established Western expression of the Servants vision to see the urban poor and their communities transformed by Christ. The team is building on the work and relationships of one of the members of the Servants eldership, Charles Ringma, who most recently has been Professor of Missions at Regent College. This is what we are dreaming of:
- Locally: Playing a part in seeing God’s Kingdom come amongst our urban poor neighbours in the Downtown Eastside, Vancouver. We live in the Downtown Eastside as an intentional Christian community, practising radical hospitality and sharing
our lives and the love of Jesus in simple and practical ways
with the surrounding community, hand in hand with a local
church that shares the same vision. Our emphasis is on building relationships with our neighbours, rather than service delivery.
- Regionally: Creating a hub for Servants ministry in and from North America, grounded in a prophetic lifestyle and grassroots work in the inner city, but with a global vision. We are setting up an office that will serve and equip those who want to serve the poor in Asia. Our aim is to blur the line between "home" and "field" in missions, creating a sense of flow between Asia and the West.
- Globally: Speaking up on behalf of the 2/3 of the world’s poor who live in Asia. Advocacy on behalf of Asia’s urban poor is an important aspect of our calling, and what better place to do so than in a city where at least one in four trace their family to that continent. We are passionate about contributing an international vision of God’s heart for the urban poor to the local church and Christians in Vancouver and beyond.
Servants Vancouver
- the context
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.
The
area known as Downtown Eastside is the oldest neighbourhood in
Vancouver and the poorest in all of Canada. The Downtown
Eastside is an inner city neighbourhood, with disadvantaged
and displaced populations, high occurrences of HIV/AIDS and
substance abuse, and a relatively high crime rate. However,
the neighbourhood has a rich and colourful history, diverse
culture and a strong fabric of community.
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.
Journeying with Servants Vancouver
The Servants Vancouver Team is a community committed to practising radical hospitality. 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.
Links to Fellow Travellers
We are good friends with Jacobs Well and Salvation Army 614 Corps
We partner with Grandview Calvary Baptist and the
HNGR (Human Needs,
Global Resources) Program at Wheaton College
