Making A Difference This Christmas | Trinity Talks

Here we are, guys.

Hello.

Thank you for joining me and thank you for giving up your time in gingerbread decorating.

You've made it, like you said, it's a big sacrifice.

Glad to do it.

But we're really happy to have you all three here for our Trinity Talks podcast.

This is our first Sunday of Advent, so it's a pleasure to have you joining us for this

important Sunday.

As we heard today that we are working through the Advent conspiracy, which is going to be

our theme that carries us throughout this season of Advent, we learned that the Advent

conspiracy is a movement where we're really challenged as people to move away from overt

consumerism and busyness and stress of the season and refocus our hearts on relationships

and love and worship and giving and generosity.

That's why I'm really happy to have you three here, because one way that we can focus our

hearts is through acts of generosity and through giving.

Something that Trinity has always really put an emphasis on every Christmas.

We're partnering with three different groups and organizations this Advent.

I was hoping that over the next maybe 20 minutes or so, we can chat about some of the opportunities

that we have here at Trinity.

Jen, you are working closely with the Trinity Care Fund, right?

Lynn is here with us and she's the executive director of The Open Door.

She was just telling me actually that we as Trinity has partnered with The Open Door for 39 years.

And then Mike, you're president of World Vision Canada and we do have a great program that

we're going to be supporting as well this Advent season.

So I was hoping we can talk a little bit about our ministries, but before that, it is Christmas

time and Rob was talking about turning on the radio.

What is your favourite Christmas song at Christmas time?

So my favourite is Oh Holy Night.

Okay, so a reason?

I just find it to be a super worshipful Christmas carol, I guess.

And yeah, it just gives that sense of the holiness of Christmas.

Holy Day instead of holiday.

Yeah, I think I'm going to think that now too, right?

Holy Day.

Yeah.

What would you, Lynn?

Mine is Oh Come All Ye Faithful.

And I just love it because it's a real call to worship and it's just jubilant and triumphant.

So full of joy.

And I love the words, especially the chorus, Oh come let us adore him, Oh come let us adore

him.

And I find that the words in that carol really speak about who Jesus is.

And I really enjoy that because it just really brings me into a place of worship.

Thank you.

And Mike?

Yeah, for me, I mean, I love Silent Night and I think that's my favourite carol.

I will say though, and this is maybe going to take us in a different direction, my favourite

Christmas song because it triggers that it's the start of the Christmas season.

And it's a joke that shared with my daughter and me whenever we hear this on the radio.

Not everyone's heard it.

It's Dominic the Christmas Donkey.

It's the story that started in the 1960s and it starts chickadee chung, hee haw hee haw.

It's Dominic the Donkey.

All right.

I'm making a note to share this with Luby for next Sunday.

Yeah, it may not be on there, but it's the craziest, kind of stupidest song.

But it makes us laugh every time and whenever one of us hears it on the radio for the first

time, we know it's a story of a donkey who helped Santa out because the reindeer can't

climb the Italian mountains.

Believe it or not.

It's a story that needs to be told.

It's a story that needs to be told and it will make you laugh.

That's great.

Oh my goodness.

All right.

Well, I will keep my ear out for all of those songs this Christmas.

But Jen, we did mention that you work with the Trinity Care Fund and that you've been

volunteering with this fund.

I think it's gone by a couple of different names over the past.

But what led you, because it is volunteer work, what led you to decide that you wanted

to serve in this way?

So in the past, it was called the Christmas Wish Fund.

And we've decided to rename it the Care Fund this year so that we can keep it going throughout

the year.

And so traditionally at Christmas time, we've had people from the church giving to the fund

and then we take from it to bless families at Christmas within the congregation and broader

community around the church who have needs at Christmas time.

So we have, it's been a great blessing in the past and I've been involved in that and

I've seen people receiving the gifts that we've given and it's just, I've seen people

so blessed by that.

That's so beautiful.

Yeah.

It's such a beautiful thing to be able to tangibly help people like that.

And I think it communicates not only love and compassion, but also a sense of worth

to people.

And right within our own family.

Yes.

Right.

Yes.

Yes.

Right within our own family.

And I mean, I myself this week, my husband's mom died last week and so we've been getting

the meal train this week from Trinity and just getting those meals every night has been

such a beautiful thing.

And that is just another tangible sort of way that we bless and help one another and love

one another.

And I've just being a recipient of that.

I've been like, wow, I feel so loved.

And I imagine that's how people feel when they receive financial help from the church

in their time of need.

I love that.

And so what called you?

What called you to sort of step into this role?

I guess just seeing needs that have emerged in my own sort of time in ministering and

working at the church.

I've just seen people come with different needs.

And yeah, just seeing the need and just seeing like, what can we do here?

And we can do more to help one another and bless one another and love one another.

Yeah.

And I've known, I mean, I've known you for many years now.

And I would say that's one of your gifts is to be in tune with people in that way.

Yeah.

And to build relationships.

That's lovely.

That really does fit your gifting.

Thank you.

And I think it's things sometimes we don't see it right within the congregation.

Someone kind of looks fine on Sunday morning, but you know, we don't really see the need

that's there within our own congregation and within the community around us.

Sometimes people come to Trinity looking for help from the church and we can do that.

Yeah.

We can help.

Well, that's so great.

And so at Trinity this Christmas, is it financial gifts that would be the most beneficial?

Yes.

So the care fund is a fund.

Like it's a money fund that we'll draw from not only at Christmas, but we're going to

roll it out to do throughout the year.

So we can continue to help people because people have needs beyond just Christmas.

That's very true.

And something that sometimes might get overlooked at the Christmas time.

So I think that's wonderful that this does continue.

And is it just you or do you have a group of people that you're working with?

So we have a committee, the care fund committee, and we are actually at the moment creating

a whole policy and best practices around how to manage the fund year round.

And so it's a committee and then there'll be, I don't know how we'll exactly roll it

out.

There's a staff person and one person from the committee who kind of ongoing manage it.

So that's exciting.

Yeah.

It's a new thing.

Perfect.

Wonderful.

Thank you very much.

And now, Lynn, you are the executive director at the Open Door.

And what, as you said, you've been there for 39 years.

Why did you start with the Open Door?

What called you into that type of work?

Well, I really feel that it was a process of being led by God into the ministry and

just to come to love him and to love his people.

And then kept having all kinds of ideas for the ministry and the selection committee invited

me to be a part of it.

But the reason I feel I love to be there is because I just really feel God's presence

in the ministry.

And I just see how he really orders circumstances and just how he meets with people in the most

wonderful ways.

And so it's really, it's just awesome to be able to be a part of that, just to be able

to witness all of that.

And then to me, and befriend all the beautiful people that come in that are going through

such difficulty in their life.

And we have an opportunity to just really listen to them and emotionally support them

to pray with them.

And we can actually offer material help as well.

So that's a huge thing.

And then another huge thing that draws me is that the wonderful interaction that you

have with the churches and especially Trinity all these years, and also all the volunteers

that are so wonderful and the volunteer groups that come in.

So all those relationships that you form with them and all the prayer that we have every

day with people.

Like what an opportunity to be in the middle of the city and huge shopping mall and having

the freedom to speak of the Lord and to pray for people and encourage them in that way

too.

So it's been an incredible opportunity and especially to, I think another thing that

really appealed to me was also that the churches together can be so visible where the people

are to bring help to the people and to say, we're here and we want to help you and God

loves you and cares for you.

So I just find all of that and many other reasons, it's just so inspiring to be there.

So that's what calls me and keeps me.

That's wonderful.

So, and I like that you said it's in a busy mall.

It's for those of you who don't know, it's right in square one mall, right?

So that's right in the heart and center of Mississauga, which is an ever-growing city.

So probably ever-growing needs as well.

So could you tell us just a little bit more about what kind of work is done there?

Okay.

Well, I'd say the most important thing that we do is befriending and caring for people

who are going through all kinds of different difficult situations in their life.

So we do like a lot of emotional support and a lot of praying with people every day.

But also we do, thanks to Trinity and others, we are able to provide right now, especially

winter coats and all that gear for winter.

And we have meals that people join us that we invite them to.

Some people really need that meal just to survive and others are coming for fellowship

because they really need just that encouragement of being with us and other people, too.

They're kind of like we're their family for now until we can get them planted into churches

or other.

And some we never can because they're not going to be able to for different reasons.

And then back to school, we do all the supplies for kids going back to school and we make

sure everybody has a thermos.

So they get leftovers from the night before for dinner to take.

And just so many different things.

I'm probably forgetting some of them actually.

But also, of course, at Christmas time, which is really important right now.

So we will be providing people with the ability to have gifts and dinner in their own homes

for Christmas where they're able.

So like that's probably about at least 200 people, maybe 300 people this year.

And then for about another 50 or 60 people, they're not able to either cook their own

meals or they might be in a room or also they may be in circumstances that they need to

have a Christmas dinner for them.

So we will have a Christmas dinner in the open door for a smaller number of people to

help them celebrate Christmas, too.

But the biggest thing is just loving people and just, you know, if people can just know

that God sees them and that people care about them, they can face anything, no matter what

it whatever your circumstance, whatever you're going through.

So that's what's so important in the ministry that we do there.

Well, so much.

Oh, and I should say, too, just the opportunity to offer like all our volunteers like we've

got so many volunteers from Trinity, for instance, and groups and stuff like that.

But to offer an opportunity for our churches to be able to come in and do hands on ministry

and to be a part of reaching out to people that wouldn't just come walking into their

churches.

So I think you mentioned that the senior youth from Trinity are coming.

Yes.

This week.

Yeah, they'll be here on Wednesday night to start clothing and helping that way.

And a small group just did provide a meal and served it.

I guess a couple of weeks ago now, and we have actually people in Trinity that are on

our board of directors, two people on our board of directors and our boards only a very

small board.

So a large majority.

Yeah.

And of course, with me there full time and a Trinity person and we have part time person

to and then and that and then also all kinds of people in the congregation that also even

head up programs for us.

For instance, you know, right now I know people helping with the Christmas program.

Tammy does that every year.

And there's all kinds of people that do so many things for the open door.

Well, I'm helping so many ways.

So I think Trinity is very happy to be a part of it again this year.

Yes.

Thank you.

Yes.

Thank you.

Now, Mike, you are president of World Vision Canada.

And I'm wondering just maybe you could tell us what brought you to that role.

But what do you love about that role?

Well, it's very much a chance to lean into and live out my calling.

I think, you know, one of my favorite quotes is by a Christian author named Frederick

Bietner, who said, the place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and

the world's deep hunger meet.

And I feel like every day in my role and in my organization, I get to live that out.

So any chance where I have a chance to live out or share our gifts and experience in a

way that makes a difference in the world, it's powerful.

And I've been given a sort of slice of mission that I followed and really glad to be part

of World Vision and this partnership with Trinity to have that joy in your work.

Exactly.

You're following in the right way.

Joy and purpose.

Joy and purpose.

All right.

So here at Trinity, we have supported World Vision in the past.

And you mentioned that we're partnered right now with the Nueva Frontera, which is a village

in Honduras.

But then you mentioned a specific project that if we do give financially this Christmas,

then it's going to support a special project over at our partner village.

Can you tell us a little bit more about that and what kind of impact it's going to have?

Yeah, of course.

So we've had a partnership with Honduras, Nueva Frontera for more than a year now.

It's more than 60 children and families, 60 families here at Trinity sponsor children

within the development programming in Nueva Frontera.

And that's on top of other support.

But this is a special initiative for that same community that we've already built a

relationship with, and it's a women's empowerment group.

It provides some training, training on things like gender equality.

They're meeting their specific needs to provide support and encouragement, but also brings

women primarily together to focus on savings and empowerment around small businesses.

One of the key issues is the lack of economic opportunity.

And for women in this community, and a quarter of them are headed by single moms, they need

particular support.

And there's something about coming together where they can pool resources.

It's a savings group, cooperatives, and they're getting training on business opportunities

like chicken farming and other initiatives like selling clothing in the market and so on.

So they're provided support and training, as well as a scheme to pool their resources

to make a difference together, all for the benefit of the children that we serve in the community.

That sounds very important, very exciting.

You had the opportunity to go to Honduras and meet some of these women.

Do you have any stories that you may have seen or witnessed while you were there that

you might want to share with us?

Absolutely.

I had a chance to go with Trinity.

I've been in Honduras and a number of other places where I've seen this same program in place.

These savings groups are really quite powerful.

We think of it in Canada.

We have access to credit, credit card in our bank.

For many of these women, they're facing so much poverty that they really don't have access to credit.

They're very small ways.

They gather together.

They're taught financial literacy.

They are supported.

When I see come together and you see how they have this whole way of everybody puts some

money in every time.

They report on how they're using their funds and how those are tracked and they encourage each other.

It's really, really powerful.

You hear these stories about women who say, thanks to the savings I had here,

when I faced a difficult moment, and this is often where the stress comes.

For example, my child fell ill.

I remember hearing one mom in Honduras talk about this.

I was able to access resources to take her to a hospital that I wouldn't have otherwise

been able to save for.

I could build that back.

I had my business that is supporting.

I can then pay that back in.

Those same funds can then multiply and be used for others in moments like that.

Things that we take for granted.

Often, people who are living on the margins, resilience is really what you want to build.

That chance, if there's a shock of some kind, economic or cultural or personal or health,

that there's a way for them to have a little bit of margin to be able to tackle that.

That savings group in that mom's life and that child's life was the difference between

being devastated by a health scare like that and actually being able to get through and

get beyond that, and then giving back and supporting others.

It's really a powerful story of community.

We get to extend that community right from here all the way to Honduras.

It's fantastic.

Those devastations in anyone's life are inevitable.

They're going to hit us in so many different ways.

To equip and to empower people that we may never meet is such a beautiful way to touch

our greater world.

I think this is really exciting that we have these opportunities here at Trinity.

I know that there's going to be some giving messages going across the screen.

If anyone feels inclined to give right now, I know that there's definitely ways to do

that online.

Before we go, I need to play a game with you guys.

All right?

I can't leave without a game.

I used to run a summer camp, guys.

I used to be a primary teacher.

This is the inner teacher, summer camp director in me.

I've come up with this beautiful, for those of you who are watching, you can see it.

If you're just listening online, I've got a little Christmas tree here with some Christmas

ornaments.

Attached to each ornament is a little question.

This idea was actually inspired from the family kit in the Advent Conspiracy.

We're encouraged as a family to maybe get some Christmas decorations.

I think they even suggested jelly beans or candies.

Associated with each one of those be a question that might inspire some conversations around

worship.

I was wondering if you guys wanted to pick a Christmas ornament.

Then I'll read you the question.

We're ready.

All right.

Jen, which one?

We'll start with you, Jen, first here.

Just describe each ornament, which ornament you'd like.

And then I'll read the question.

I'll have that little pine cone or the red pine cone.

The red pine cone.

Perfect.

And I've learned from doing this earlier that I do need scissors.

I wrestled for about five minutes with the tape earlier.

So all right, Jen.

Here's your pine cone.

Okay.

Thank you.

Oh, I get to keep it.

Of course.

Thank you.

Okay.

So Jen, this question is, who can you show gratitude to this week?

Who can I show gratitude?

I can write a little note of thanks to every lovely person that made a meal for our family

this week.

Oh, that's right.

That's right.

That'd be lovely.

Oh, I'm sure.

So yeah.

Thank you.

And thank you to everyone who does contribute to that fund.

It's a great way to bless people here at Trinity.

All right.

Lynn, what ornament just really gets your goat here?

I can't choose, but I'll take the red one.

This one?

Sure.

This one?

Sure.

That's fine.

Anything.

She doesn't care.

I like them all.

They're all Dollarama's finest.

There we go.

Heirloom quality.

Exactly.

This will go down.

Pass on for generations.

There we go.

Okay.

Thank you.

Okay, Lynn, what is one of your favorite Christmas treats?

One of them.

Turkey.

Turkey.

Good answer.

Good answer.

All right.

All right.

You pick.

Me?

Oh my goodness.

Well, I think we're going to have to go with the one at the top.

Okay.

Mostly because it's the most accessible.

All right.

There we go.

Thank you, Jen.

All right, Mike, your question is.

Thank you.

What is one of your talents?

This isn't even a Christmas question.

This is just a guess.

One of your talents.

Well, we might learn something here.

Well, I play the piano and the ukulele, and so that comes out.

It's helpful at Christmas carol time.

I don't play the piano nearly enough, but I always seem like when carol time comes,

I'm the guy at the piano playing for the carols.

That's great.

And again, we don't have a ukulele right now on our worship team, so we might make room

for one more.

But anyway, I do want to thank you guys for joining me.

This is great.

Thank you so much.

Thanks for the generosity of Trinity during this incredible conspiracy.

We'll keep this all under wraps.

All right.

Okay.

Now I hope you have a wonderful Christmas, Trinity.

Yay.