If you would like to find out more about the program and to register for the spring session, please email or call the office at 604.953.1114.

Blessings,

Cynthia Cavanaugh
Leadership Development Director

Pastor Steen Laursen was my friend. A man I looked up to and respected. I am sad/happy to hear that he has gone home to be with the Lord. Happy to know he’s dancing with Jesus, free of pain and suffering. Sad, because he’ll be missed by us waiting to go home to Glory!

Pastor Steen was pivotal to NightShift’s beginning. It was at his small street church in 2004, that God planted the first NightShift seed that has grown into a thriving ministry in Whalley. The Gentle Shepherd was our roof for six months, and the dwelling place where I first fell in love with our friends living on the street. He had a heart for those perishing on the street. Scripture tells us that God is close to the broken-hearted. Pastor Steen and his wife Lyn emulated God’s heart as they served faithfully and tirelessly for many, many years serving ‘the least of these’.

I know angels are rejoicing. I can only imagine what that must be like. He is joined in Heaven, by many who have gone before, that Pastor Steen had introduced to Jesus. What a hallelujah party that must be!

We’re coming Pastor Steen. See you on the other side!

Mac

A Memorial Service will be held at 1 pm on Saturday, 18th February
at Southgate Community Church, #120-5501 204 Street, Langley, BC

To provide the context, our team walks the designated route, handing out hot chocolate, and we usually stop by the skate park to hang out with the youth there for a bit. We all pour hot chocolates, sit and chat. On this night, we sat down with a group of young guys and asked if we could pray before we left. They all seemed really responsive and one guy spoke out and shared about his mom’s state of health, saying she’d been on medication for 17 years. Recently she had to have surgery, which she was finding so hard to handle. He was really upset and wanted us to pray for anything to help the situation. So we joined him and pleaded with God to step in.

Two weeks later we saw the group again. After some conversation, someone asked the guy we’d connected with before how his mom was doing. In response his eyes lit up…”Dude,” he said, “My mom is totally healed! She is completely off medication after 17 years…it’s a miracle. God answered your prayers. Thank-you.” 

I was shocked and couldn’t help almost crying on the spot when I heard that. I know that some of our street friends embellish stories, that’s the reality of addiction; but this guy was different. God used the innocence of a young man to show that he hears our prayers and answers them. Even in my doubt, I had to believe this story!

Sometime it feels like I just go hand out some hot chocolate, have a conversation, sometimes pray and then move on…BUT there is more. We do those things, but God stays – he swirls around wherever we move, whoever we talk to and he lingers after. It’s beautiful and I’m so grateful that God moved the curtain that night and we got to see a bit of his plan in the life of  this son and his mom. He’s moving beyond the nights we go out. He finishes every conversation we start and has the power to continue to spiritually “feed” his children beyond our hot chocolate and muffins.

Those little glimpses of answered prayers provide hope and purpose to keep on going, keep serving, and most importantly, loving the people God puts in our way well. He will do the rest. 

Britney

Every evening, a dedicated team of volunteers organizes, prepares and serves that meal to anyone who is hungry for nourishment, warmth and compassion. Year round, NightShift coordinates donations to provide the ingredients on a nightly basis, and hundreds of people are involved in ensuring that these needs are met.

At this time of year, when the bitterly cold weather adds to the perhaps bitter-sweet memories or painful reminders of a different Christmas, one spent with loved ones in different circumstances, it can be particularly harsh out on the street. We therefore appreciate all the extra help we can get to help ease the pain, to lighten the load and to share in the gift of time spent with friends.

• Two weeks ago a small fleet of vans and mini-buses transported our street friends to the Uptown Church in White Rock for a special Christmas Dinner. 
• This Friday we look forward to a feast of prepared turkey, salmon, prawns, fried rice, mashed potatoes, gravy, veggies, salad, stuffing, dinner rolls, and scrumptious desserts, all generously provided by the Overwaitea Frood Group in Langley.
• On Christmas Eve, the Whalley Legion (13525 106 Avenue) will be serving a sit-down meal from 5 pm, for our street friends, and the NightShift team will be handing out stockings and singing carols around the streets of Whalley. 
• At our regular serving in the evening on 25th December, our volunteer team will be out with lots of support to serve dinner and celebrate Christmas together.

Ours is definitely a mixed menu of very special delights, as we witness people coming together to share food, of their time and of themselves. Regardless of who we are and what we share, we are all receiving so much more than we can imagine.

Merry Christmas!

Andria
Volunteer Services

Our Sisters and NightShift volunteers track daily the items needed most by our street friends, as they replenish the clothing truck from which we hand out clean supplies and blankets every night of the year. We are so thankful for all the extra offers of help to collect warm winter wear and extra layers under which to sleep. One family we know is giving up their own gifts to provide gloves and socks to those who so desperately need them. Local community groups, teams of colleagues, such as the RCMP family of personnel, and whole businesses are turning their focus to supporting others this Christmas. In lieu of parties, we know of fundraisers being planned (for example, at Exclusive Floors and Cotter Architects) to benefit individuals in need. We are also receiving dozens and dozens and dozens of Christmas stockings (Surrey Red Hat Society and Regent Christian Academy and so many more) for distribution on Christmas Eve and care packages and food items for Christmas hampers…what a wonderful time of the year!

This year we are again so very, very thankful to be the intermediary beneficiary of the REALTORS Care Blanket Drive campaign. In Episode 12 some of the donations are literally being driven and dropped off at NightShift…

For all your contributions now and throughout the year, thank you.

Angie
Coordinating clothing donations
for NightShift and Sisters Thrift Boutique

Saturday’s Gala was an awesome evening of light! Every year the team pulls together – with such a drive and determination – to provide a delightful evening of celebration and sharing, reflecting on the year and looking to the future of all that NightShift can be. Every year this most important fundraising event in our calendar brings people together with the desire to make a difference. In the spirit of community and corporate responsibility, we can each individually accomplish much together.

Seeing a packed room with everyone dressed in their finest is surely a stark contrast to what we see daily on the street. We have much to be thankful for. It was therefore all the more heartwarming to have some of the members of our Street Soccer Team join us. They had – no pun intended – a ball! Lee Aaron and her musicians were amazing.

Everyone had a purpose for attending, which was to support NightShift and the people we love on the street. We shared details about our plans and walked our guests virtually around the Care Village in Fort St. John where we are building a place of retreat and restoration. 

I would once again like to thank everyone who participated in any way they could, from our generous sponsors to the donors of the wonderful live and silent auction items, from our guests on the night to anyone participating from afar, from every individual who shared of their time, talent and tirelessness to each of you who pray for NightShift and the people we serve. Thank you.

MaryAnne Connor (Mac)

Photos courtesy of Derek and his team at LeaderBoard

2. The Care Village is also the focus of our fundraising efforts at the 5^th Annual Gala of Light. Please join us on Saturday 19^th November as we welcome Lee Aaron to perform for all our guests. Support NightShift’s pursuit in offering hope, love and care with your attendance, sponsorship or donation.

3. NightShift is a proud participant at this year’s Beyond Homelessness Conference, presented by City in Focus. Join the series of expert panels, workshops, discussions and key-note speaker, Brian Walsh, this coming weekend 28-29^th October at Tenth Church in Vancouver.

Once again NightShift is a designated operator of an overnight Extreme Weather Shelter, ready to open as given notice during the November – March season. This morning we held an orientation session for potential volunteers interested in providing a caring heart for those who need it most this winter and an opportunity to find out more about NightShift’s street outreach and involvement in the local community. 

Participation was good and the information easily grasped, with even a few light moments in some recanted shelter stories. We split the presentation into two segments giving a short break in between and leaving some time at the end for Q&A. It was good to see old friends and new faces alike as we now look forward to meeting the needs of our street family a little better and with what we feel will be a great collection of servant hearts. 

We hope to be able to accommodate another training session for those who couldn’t make it this morning, possibly with B.C. Housing, next month. Please email for further details.

Blessings, 
Michael Smith
Outreach Coordinator
“Takin’ it to the Street”

NightShift is planing to build ‘a village of retreat, recovery and reintegration’. The Care Village is a safe haven for people seeking restoration. By enabling individuals to rediscover purpose and unconditional love - by supporting them with counselling, life/work skills education and all-round care - the village of care will foster longer-term hope and healing, leading to a real chance at reintegration in the community.

The village already exists, but we are seeking funding from the Aviva Community Fund to restore, extend and furnish the buildings. Help us to build this vital link in the recovery program: all we need today is your vote. Click on the AVIVA link to read more about the project and to vote for The Care Village: a refuge for people who wrestle with addiction, mental or physical illness, who have no place to turn for help and who may find themselves alone, living on the street.

Vote daily to help as move on to the next round:

Round I: 3-19 Oct
Round II: 24 Oct-9 Nov
Round III: 14-30 Nov
Semi-Finals: 5-16 Dec

Thank you for spreading the love.

MaryAnne Connor (Mac)

We welcome youth groups on a drop-in or regular basis. On Thursday mornings we are pleased to have a group of students from Langley Christian Middle School regularly help in our storage facilities and – weather permitting – support our Adopt-A-Street clean-up.

If you are interested in bringing out a youth group during the evening or daytime to support NightShift and the people we serve, please email info@nightshiftministries.org or visit the youth page for further information.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Carmen
Volunteer Services