Why Did Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship Start A Community Dinner Instead Of Sandwich Run Or A Food Bank?

Why Did Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship Start A Community Dinner Instead Of Sandwich Run Or A Food Bank?

Most of us have heard the Chinese Proverb: 'Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.'

Sandwich runs and to a lesser degree Food Banks offer scant opportunity to fellowship with or establish a meaningful dialogue with the homeless and marginalized. Both can make it awkward and embarrassing to those on the receiving end of a sandwich or food from a relative stranger. This can be a great stumbling block to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ as the 'volunteer' may appear condescending or patronizing to a homeless or marginalized person.

It is extremely difficult to share how faith in Jesus' sacrifice allows all to be equal in the eyes of God, especially if they find out that volunteers are paying a fee to give a sandwich to them! At the cafe, there are no fees required to volunteer. BLCF Cafe Community Dinner guests, who are the homeless and marginalized, are treated with dignity and respect, served a warm meal with music, and fellowship. These conditions are perfect for meaningful dialogue and to establish friendships as a launching point to witness as equals at the same dinner table.

 

A short testimony and shared scripture are given as the dinner's second course, served between the main and dessert. Over time, our guests develop an appetite and appreciation for spiritual sustenance as much as the dinner served at the cafe.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit some of our guests now help to serve others at the dinner, giving of themselves, showing that they have learned to become fishermen/women and embracing the Mission Statement BLCF Cafe Community Dinner: 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did it to me.’
- Matthew 25:40

A number of our guests have made a decision to accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour, which demonstrates how marvelous and great the work of the Lord is when we trust him to transform a simple function as serving and sharing a community dinner into a meeting of faith and worshiping of our Lord. Many returning guests feel that the community is their church meeting. Jesus knew what He was doing when he fed the multitude as He shared His message on the mount.

BLCF Cafe Info Brochure

BLCF Café Contact Info: Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship 1307 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON | Phone: 416-535-9578 | Email: blcfcafe@yahoo.ca | BLOG: blcfcafe.blogspot.com | Facebook: BLCF Cafe Facebook | Web Page: blcfchurch.ca

The Passing of Our Brother, Val

In Celebration of

Val "Valentyn" Polakiwsky

May 23, 1934 -  March 8, 2017

Went to be with his Lord! Val Polakiwsky, God’s servant passed away peacefully in the presence of God to be with his Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Husband to his beloved wife Valentyna, a constant to his adoring sons Yuri and Marko and dotting “Dido” to his favourite grandson Terrance (Tarasyk). He was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine, 1934. He was a fiery volleyball player, skier and tennis player, a designer for Ontario Transport Systems. A singer of the gospel, faithful churchman and BLCF Cafe Community  Dinner volunteer. A great soccer fan. He will be remembered as a joyous investor of the Kingdom of God. Inspired by Christ’s love he supported orphans, provided a cup of water for the thirsty, supporting God’s work throughout the world in hope of seeing God’s justice be done. As always, who in his last final days would say, “remember it’s the small things.” His greatest desire was that everyone would come to know Jesus Christ on a personal level. To have known him, would have been to experience God’s love.

Visitation - Friends may call at the Turner & Porter Yorke Chapel, 2357 Bloor St. W., at Windermere, east of Jane subway on Friday from 5-9 p.m.

Funeral Service will be held in the Chapel on Saturday, March 11, 2017 at 10:30 a.m. Interment York Cemetery.

His wish that in lieu of flowers donations could be made to his beloved “Father’s House”, a refuge for orphans and forgotten children in Kyiv, Ukraine. (For more information, contact Turner and Porter - see link, below).

http://turnerporter.permavita.com/site/ValValentynPolakiwsky.html?s=40

 

The Coming of the Lord

¹³ But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.¹⁴ For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁵ For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.              - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (ESV)

Don't Be An Hour Late To Church This Sunday!

Don't Be Late To Church This Sunday, Avoid Clock Confusion!

Prayer Walk at Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship - BLCF Church

Prayer Walk at Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship

- BLCF Church, home of BLCF Cafe Community Dinner  

Tuesday March 7, 2017 at 7:30 PM

Join us, along with five other local churches, for a Prayer Walk,

Tuesday evening, March 7 at 7:30 PM in the heart of Toronto at

BLCF Church, 1307 Bloor Street West. 

What is prayer walking?

Is it biblical to go on a prayer walk?

(from gotquestions.org)

Question: "What is prayer walking? Is it biblical to go on a prayer walk?"

Answer: Prayer walking is the practice of praying on location, a type of intercessory prayer that involves walking to or near a particular place while praying. Some people believe that being close to a location allows them to “pray nearer to pray clearer.” Prayer walks are taken by individuals, groups, and even whole churches. They can be as short as a block or as long as many miles. The idea is to use the five senses—sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch—to increase the intercessor’s understanding of prayer needs. For example, if you walk through your neighborhood looking for things to pray about, you might come across a yard that is extremely untidy and rundown. This might prompt you to pray for the health, both physical and spiritual, of the residents inside. Some groups prayer walk around schools, prompting prayer for the teachers and students inside, for their safety and peace, and for the schemes of the devil in their school to be thwarted. Some people feel they can concentrate and direct their prayers more effectively by walking near the people and places they are praying for. Prayer walking is a relatively new phenomenon, the origin of which is not clear. There is no biblical model for prayer walking, although since walking was the major mode of transportation in Bible times, clearly people must have walked and prayed at the same time. However, there is no direct command that prayer walking is something we should be doing. To believe that prayers offered in any setting, or while in any position, are more effective than those offered at another time or in another manner is not scriptural. In addition, while we may feel we need to be close to a location or situation to pray more clearly, our heavenly Father, who is everywhere at all times, knows exactly what needs are present and will respond to them in His own perfect will and timing. The fact that He allows us to be part of His plans through our prayers is for our benefit, not His. We are commanded to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and since walking is something we do daily, surely part of praying without ceasing is praying while walking. God hears all prayers offered by those who abide in Christ (John 15:7), regardless of time, place, or position. At the same time, there certainly is no command against prayer walking, and anything that prompts us to pray is worthy of consideration
.

https://www.gotquestions.org/prayer-walking.html

Info: BLCF 416-535-9578 or blcfchurch@yahoo.ca