Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Church at the Manor...it's official!





The town will be rebuilt on its old foundations; the mansions will be splendid again. Thanksgiving will pour out of the windows; laughter will spill through the doors…Jeremiah 30:19    (the Message)

We are excited to share with you about an opportunity that God has given to us here in Guelph. We are starting “Church at the Manor”. The Manor is a strip club and bar with a motel attached called, ‘Sue’s Inn’. The motel houses people that are trying to stay clean and sober.

It started with the desire to give gift certificates to those living at the Inn which in turn led into a conversation about the possibility of renting the bar area to do church. After hearing our vision, permission was granted within minutes! Roger Cohen, the owner, has stated “So let me get this right, you want to bring light into a very dark place”. Yes! We have been very forthcoming with him regarding our intent and purpose. He thinks we’re crazy, BUT has been amazingly open and receptive to the point of making sure that everyone knows when our services are going to start.

Church at the Manor will be a missional church focused on being the hands and feet of Jesus and seeing people come to experience the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit. We know that it is God’s desire to see people saved and set free from their addictions and their past. We really have sensed that God has placed before us an open door that no one can shut.

April 20th, Resurrection Sunday is our start date to bring life to the Manor! We will be starting at 12:30 p.m. with a free lunch for all those who are interested or curious. Lunch will be followed by a time of worship music, testimonies, the Gospel shared in creative ways and prayer ministry.

If you would like to know more about this ministry or how you can be involved please contact Jack and Sharon Ninaber at 519-780-3854 or email jackninaber@gmail.com


There are a number of ways to be a part of this:


1. Financial support for this ministry.  Make a donation


2. Prayer covering for those serving in this ministry


3. Preparing and providing lunch for those attending


Thanks in advance,

Jack and Sharon

Monday, February 3, 2014

Love Your Neighbour...easier said than done!



Matthew 22:36“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.

These are very familiar verses to me and I have to admit I’m glad that Jesus kept it really simple when he laid out the commands for our life in loving God and loving others or that’s how we sum it up.  Jesus essentially took 613 Old Testament laws and said this is the most important!  Loving God with all my heart, soul and mind involves everything from my complete and total surrender and my heart’s longing to being always aware of His presence.  However, I want to focus this post more on the second command, love your neighbor as yourself.

When studying this passage we like to expand on who that ‘neighbour’ is and really talk about the people who live in our communities and our world.  We talk about the people that we rub shoulders with everyday.  So, what about our specific neighbours, you know, the ones that live directly beside you??

Sharon and I have lived in a number of different places and have had all kinds of neighbors that we have been able to get to know well.  When we moved to Guelph, we quickly discovered that the person living next door to us was the self-proclaimed, ‘street witch’ also used interchangeably with words that rhyme with witch.   It was an older couple who apparently had moved here hoping to find a peace and quiet.  Well, our street just happens to be full of kids.  There are as many as 30 on our end of the street.  We live on a cul-de-sac and we started playing road hockey like we did in any neighbourhood that we had been a part of.  She proceeded to take pictures of our kids and called the city to complain and sure enough the police would arrive and tell us that it is a by-law issue and so, no hockey.  We also had a self-standing basketball net and we played at the end of our driveway.  Again, more pictures and more visits from the by-law officer with a sticker placed on our net with the request to move it so now it sits at the front of our garage.  A street party was arranged annually and approval was sought only to be told if a ball landed near their vehicle, more calls from the police.  Rylan would play soccer in the backyard but if the ball crossed over to their yard, it would be gone.  She had someone there ready to confiscate the ball into her house.  It was quite a scene.

We also have a dog, Josie, who likes to bark to get back in the house and a visit came shortly after we got her from the humane society checking out her credentials and a payment needed for an updated license.  In the summer a fence was erected and it stands 9ft. tall The city by-law is actually less than that so you can imagine how tempting it has been to make a few calls myself!

They really wanted nothing to do with anyone and the more private, the better! So, needless to say, loving my neighbor hasn’t come easily here in Guelph.  I still tried to make small talk now and then when in the driveway, but not much took place beyond that.  Then, Sharon, had this crazy idea before Christmas to bless them with homemade cookies.  She would make them and I was assigned with Rylan and Addi to deliver them.  We knocked and you can imagine the shock when they opened the door… on both sides of the door.  We were shocked that they opened it and the husband happened to be in a wheelchair because he broke his ankle.  We didn’t even know that.  So, he graciously accepted them and that was the end of that. 



That was until Saturday’s latest dump of snow and I was outside shoveling our driveway.  I was almost done when I saw the ‘witch’ come out with one crutch attempting to shovel her driveway.  The snow banks were really high so there was no acknowledgment of each other and I completed my task and went inside. I then went to check in on Sharon who was resting from eye surgery and then peeked out the window to see the lady still attempting to shovel.  I knew I had to go outside and help her but everything inside of me wanted to just ignore her.  However, that is when I knew that I couldn't. The Holy Spirit was working on my heart and outside I went again and asked if I could help.  She was surprised but was so thankful and I was able to get it cleared.  At one point, she tells me that yelling at the kids on the street is one way of ‘keeping alive’.  Then she shares, ‘I just had chemo two days ago….the cancer is starting to grow back.” She proceeds to pull her hat back and I see that she has very little hair. So, I ask what type and she tells me it is breast cancer.  At the moment I asked if I could pray for her healing.  She responded yes and there in her driveway, I put my arm around her and she held me and I prayed for her like I would pray for my own family with the firm conviction that God could do a miracle.  She was encouraged and I was blessed and it was a huge reminder to me that Jesus’ commands were just meant to be memorized, that were meant to be lived out!


So, here is some simple truths that I learned as a result of all of this.

·         Seek out your neighbor - Don’t wait for them to come to you.  Take the time to get to know their story.
·         Be real – It is so important that people get to see the real ‘you’.  It doesn't hurt for them to know that you don’t have it all together or have all the answers especially if they know you are a Christian.
·         Bless those who persecute you.  We are never off the hook no matter how much we think we have been offended or our rights have been denied.
·         Sacrifice – It always costs us to reach out to others and those in need.
·         Respect boundaries – We can’t force the issue.  If they do not want our help, we have to respect that and not keep pressing the issue, the advice etc…
·         Be a good listener – listen to the Holy Spirit at every moment that you are in conversation with someone because He is the best prompter and He will give you the words to share.

I just caught up with her husband yesterday.  He had the biggest smile on his face as we talked and he shared that his cast is coming off today!