The Church Beyond the Four Walls

By: Dorothy Wong | Manager of Operations

Growing up in the church, it was almost a right of passage to serve in my church. Perhaps it was the same for you. You start off as a classroom helper, helping your Sunday School teacher pass out the crayons and scissors to do the craft. As you became an adolescent, you would serve by taking on different roles in Youth Group and of course in the summer Vacation Bible Camp (VBC). As an adult, you are invited to serve as a Sunday School teacher, lead a small group, be a part of a ministry team, and the list goes on. There was always a need within the church. I loved - still do - my church so it meant a lot to me that I could help in any way that I could.

What I did not realize was that God was at work even outside of my church’s four walls and that He was inviting me to be a part of that work too.  I’ve always had a heart for children to know God and His saving grace. In 2009 God expanded my heart to youth impacted by poverty to be transformed by His love. A close friend of mine invited me to volunteer at her junior high program with Toronto City Mission where she was on staff. I was nervous at first because this age group was out of my comfort zone, and I was more comfortable in a church setting. While visiting, God allowed me to see how much bigger His Kingdom is. His love surpasses ethnicity, socio-economic status, family background, etc.

As I write to you today, I am not asking you to choose serving at your Church or outside of the Church.  Rather I am asking you to consider both.

I am reminded of the story of Peter and John in Acts 3. They were on their way to the temple.  Although their plan was to pray with fellow believers, they were also ready to “see” what God was doing outside of the temple and prepared to join Him in whatever He was inviting them to be a part of.  So when they saw the lame beggar they didn’t turn a blind eye to him and just focused on entering the temple.  Not only did Peter see the beggar, he looked straight at him and addressed him.

Prior to the story of Peter and John, we learn of the believers devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching,  to fellowship, and to sharing in meals and prayer.  I find this to be foundational as we talk about seeing, not with our physical eyes, but with spiritual eyes.  According to the American Optometric Association, “For the first two months of life, an infant's eyes are not well coordinated and may appear to wander or to be crossed. This is usually normal. However, if an eye appears to turn in or out constantly, an evaluation is warranted.”  Similarly, our spiritual eyes need to be developed and learn to focus on what God sees.  If our eyes are not focusing in the right direction, we need to examine how we are developing in this area.  Are we looking through the lens of God’s Word and preachings from our pastors?  Are we spending time with fellow believers and being accountable to what we choose to fix our eyes on?  Do our hearts see the material things of this world as gifts from God that are meant to be shared?  And do we spend time in prayer so that the Holy Spirit can reveal to us what God sees?

Do you have the spiritual eyes to see your neighbours the way God sees them?

What is happening in the neighbourhood that surrounds your church? It is often said that the church is not a building but the people so for this purpose, when I use the word Church, you can refer to wherever you spend time, so it may be your home, where you go to work or school?

The Community Around You

What are the demographics of the people that live or spend time near your Church?  Are they like you or are they different?  Take some time to understand the needs of those around.  What are their material, spiritual, or emotional needs?  You can find more of the physical needs of communities by going online.  Here are two links that you may find helpful:

City of Toronto Neighbourhood Profiles , City of York Census

If you happen to live in Kingston-Galloway or near south east Scarborough or perhaps you live by the Ontario Science Center where Flemingdon Park is located, we would be happy to connect with you to share more about these communities.  Did you know that there are even needs in Willowdale where in the midst of the multi million dollar homes, there sits a small Toronto Community Housing complex called Willowtree.

What is God Already Doing?

When Jesus first called the disciples, He didn’t sit them down and start the lecture on 101 of ministry.  He said “Follow me”.  Ever since the creation of the world, God has been at work.  Psalm 121:1 says that our God never slumbers nor sleeps.  So we need to remember that God is not waiting for us to come up with a brilliant plan to build up His Kingdom.  He is already doing the work and we are simply to join Him.

Do you know the churches and ministries around you?  Are they already reaching a group of people in your neighborhood?  Is there a way for you to work together to make a greater impact.  At TCM, rarely do we go into a community if we do not see opportunities for partnership.  We recognize that we cannot minister to these communities on our own.  We also recognize that as a parachurch organization we are not a Church and it is important for the families that we serve to ultimately be part of a Church family.  

There may be even secular organizations that you may want to be a part of with the intention of bringing the truth of the Gospel to the “good works”.  TCM works with organizations like Toronto Community Housing and the local schools to make connections in the community and to be Christ’s light where there may not be a lot of Christian representation.

What is God Leading You To?  Isaiah 43:19 Behold, I am doing a new thing

Sometimes, God invites us to be the earthly pioneers of His plan.  He may be preparing a plan for you that has not been revealed to others yet and perhaps He has intentions for you to begin a new thing.  Are there gaps that you have noticed in your neighbourhood that need to be filled?  And is there a passion in your heart that God desires for you to put into action that aligns with this need?  When TCM considers entering a community, we do a community assessment.  Included in the assessment is what is lacking in the neighborhood that TCM can offer to help develop from within.  In 1999, TCM moved from serving the poor in the downtown core to different communities across Toronto.  We recognized that families impacted by poverty were dispersed in different pockets across the city and instead of them coming to us, we made the decision to go to where they were. There was a need for free after school programs so we provided KIC (Kids in Community) where children could learn about the Gospel and be part of a safe community with positive role models.  We also recognized a need for academic help and so we provide one on one tutoring known as EPIC (Education Provided in Community) where volunteer tutors not only provided homework help but guided the students to love learning.

At the end of the day, it is important for us to be aware of what God is doing in our larger community and to join Him in that work.