This week, I was reflecting on a couple of meetings I had with the people at Neighborlink North York. As you may know, during the second half of 2022 we decided to support the food bank (called the 415 Food Hub) run by Neighborlink in the Willowdale area. They were unable to operate for one month last year due to a lack of finances, so we decided to support this ministry so that they could continue to operate and provide food for the people at 415 Willowdale.
One of our goals at Lifespring for 2023 is to develop the area of missions both locally and abroad. Over the past few years we’ve been hearing from God about being blessed to be a blessing, to love God and love others, to give, go, grow, and so on. As a result, we committed finances in 2022 to the Food Hub and to building wells, as well as many other projects and missionaries. This year, we hope to continue to grow in this area of missions, but in a way that is “same same, but different.”
As I think about the opportunity for Lifespring to serve with Neighborlink, I realize that this would not be so different from what Lifespring has done in the past–in this sense, it’s “same same.” We have been long-time partners with Neighborlink, and participated in some of their projects in the early 2010s. We’ve been supporting the Food Hub financially, and have committed to continuing this for the first quarter of 2023. We also have experience with serving food and ministering in marginalized communities. For years we visited Parkdale monthly with ICC and hosted barbeques on the street, where we had the chance to have conversations and share the gospel with others. In many ways, working with Neighborlink’s Food Hub would be a familiar experience and similar to what we’ve done in the past.
On the other hand, working with Neighborlink would also be a new stage in local missions for Lifespring. While we’ve been supporting the Food Hub financially, this would be the beginning of a more hands-on approach to its ministry. It would also be the first time that the entire church would have the opportunity to be involved with something local. The Food Hub is located at Willowdale and Church street, just 5 minutes from WPC. This proximity opens opportunities for a more relational approach to local missions. Our involvement with Neighborlink would not need to be limited to helping every so often. There may be opportunities to become more involved with not only the Food Hub, but with the families who make use of its services. All of this would be new for Lifespring, and a bit of a stretch for local missions. While working with the Food Hub is “same same,” it’s also “different.”
In many ways, I think the idea of “same same, but different” is characteristic of the way that God often works in our lives. There is a sense of continuity in the way that God challenges us and causes us to mature and grow. God rarely directs us to do something that is so different or opposite from what we’re used to. God builds on the work that He has already been doing in our lives, to take us from where we are today to where He wants us to be. On the other hand, God is always pushing us to new things, and to step out of our comfort zone. In my journey, I’ve found that there is no way to “stand still” in my relationship with God. Either I’m pushing forward–even if it is slow–or I’m sliding backwards. The need to be renewed and transformed is a constant in spiritual life if we are to grow. Growth means that things never stay completely still–we may only move forward slowly, but we are moving forward.
Walking with God is “same same, but different.” Local missions this year at Lifespring will be “same same, but different.” Let’s commit to putting our ear to God, always ready to respond to the new things that God is doing among us.