What is God doing on the fringes of Canadian culture? Flying under the radar of pop-Christianity, experimental churches are quietly establishing genuine Kingdom outposts in settings both feared and forgotten. ‘One Size Fits All?’ uncovers the obscure story of these Canadian missional communities and its leaders.
It’s very different from the Hip 2B Holy documentary that was on Global TV recently, and while that had it’s place, One Size Fits All, is so much more representative to me of the direction God has been taking the church.
There’s nothing else like this that I’m aware of from a Canadian perspective.
People and communities that are featured in this include:
Rob Abbott, theGig – Kitchener, ON David Brazzeal, Curieux – Montreal, QC Nick Brotherwood, Emerge – Montreal, QC Gary Castle, neXt Church – Kingston, ON Kristen Cato, The Open House – Vancouver, BC Kate Dewhurst, The Agora – Halifax, NS Al Doseger, Rustle – Kingston, ON Cyril Guerette, Freedomize – Toronto, ON Pernell Goodyear, FRWY – Hamilton, ON Jamie Howison, St. Benedict’s Table – Winnipeg, MB David Manafo, The Gathering Café, Montreal, QC Kyle Martin, The Open House – Vancouver, BC Paul Moores, Living Room Church – Vancouver, BC Joseph Moreau, Ecclesiax – Ottawa, ON Greg Paul, Sanctuary – Toronto, ON Helen Ramfield, St. Benedict’s Table – Winnipeg, MB Kim Reid, The Open Door – Montreal, QC Domenic Ruso, The Embassy – Waterloo, ON David Sawler, Lighthouse – Glace Bay, NS Brad Sommers, Pax North – Halifax, NS Scott Williams, Club 365 – Mission, BC
And there are so many other stories that weren’t captured and have yet to be told.
Check out the trailer below, and buy your copy here. My hope is that denominational leaders who are holding vacant buildings and the purse-strings to the future will see this… and maybe, just maybe, they’ll creatively invest in carving out a new path for being the church in Canada.
In Dreams of my Father, Barack Obama talks about not wanting to associate with the one other black classmate because it would only remind them further of their isolation. I feel that way sometimes when I’m surrounded by Asians.
Asians are rarely included in the black-white race discussions
I’ve heard people say where black and white are on the extremes, yellow and brown are ‘just right’.
Along with the color remarks, I’ve heard people use the term ‘banana’ for Asians that act white. I’ve always wondered if there was something similar for Asians acting ‘black’. Beef patty is the closest thing I can think of, yellow pastry on the outside, dark on the inside?
Labels are rarely helpful, but where else would we start?
When Asians are mentioned in conversations on reconciliation it seems to be merely for the sake of inclusion, not that there might be some form of weight behind it.
Being Asian typically carries more stereotypes behind it than an actual narrative
Many of the circles I travel in, from old-school pastoral gatherings to emergent networks, I’m the only Asian dude.
I wonder if I help validate the movement of Christ to all people when I show up.
Truth is, I long for a truly multi-cultural church as well
At my wife’s school, there’s typically only one token white kid in her classroom.
With the Chinese ethnic church booming over the past decade, black and white pastors have asked me, when will the Chinese church begin reaching back out to them?
We as a church need to have a better theology of the human person and of diversity.
God’s not colorblind, and when we avoid the discussions as we do in Canada, we’re negating a part of who God created us to be.
Is there affirmative action happening in our churches? Is that a good thing?
This Saturday, I’ll be at the Cultivate Gathering – for those who are interested in church planting or creating mission-shaped churches. Let me know if you’re interested.
But if I was still a student, I’d be at this.
It’s modeled very much after the TED conferneces and it’s right in the heart of Toronto. They’ve made it free if you’re a student or a teacher, and limited capacity of $500 for everybody else.
If anyone’s up for film & coffee this friday, The Ordinary Radicals is screening at the Bloor Cinema at 7:00pm.
Let me know if you’re interested.
The film features interviews with: Becky Garrison, Shane Claiborne, Jim Wallis, Brian McLaren, Tony Campolo, Rob Bell, John Perkins, Brooke Sexton, Michael Heneise, St. Margret Mckenna, Logan Laituri, Zack Exley, Aaron Weiss and our very own Brian Walsh.
Get tickets now by clicking here.
Here’s a quick synopsis of the film:
In the margins of the United States (and Canada), there lives a revolutionary Christianity. One with a quiet disposition that seeks to do “small things with great love,” and in so doing is breaking 21st Century stereotypes surrounding this 2000 year old faith. “The Ordinary Radicals” is set against the modern American political and social backdrop of the next Great Awakening. Traveling on a tour to promote the book “Jesus for President”, Shane Claiborne and a rag-tag group of “ordinary radicals” interpret Biblical history and its correlation with the current state of American politics. Sharing a relevant outlook for people with all faith perspectives, director Jamie Moffett examines this growing movement.
As Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw write in the book, “This is not a set of political suggestions for the world; this is about invoking and embodying the alternative. All of this is an invitation to join a peculiar people- those with no king but God, who practice jubilee economics and make the world new. This is not the old-time religion of going to heaven; this is about bringing heaven to the world.”
to Darrin Patrick’s Emerging Conversational, Emerging Attractional, and Emerging Incarnational…
not to mention other labels/streams like catholic, orthodox, purpose-driven, simple, neo and non-reformed, etc, etc, etc.
It seems every now and a group of us have a need to repackage the thing all over again… and I think we need to, because terms do get old, and sometimes words are necessary to bring greater clarity. However, I think we need to just as much reclaim the labels behind the great movements of the church throughout history as well, and not simply abandon them.
Can’t wait to hear what the latest one will be called…
The multiplying church is an excellent primer on catalyzing church planting movements.
If you’re well-versed in all of this, you might not find too much that’s new other than Roberts’ passion and unique stories. I found that it spoke to me in just the right ways at just the right time in my life right now.
ie. I love the simple burnout deterrence mantra he shares:
1. I am not invincible. I can get sick, sin, and weary. 2. I am not immortal. I am going to die. 3. I am not indispensable. The kingdom keeps going without me. 4. I am not an island. I need friends around me.
Joe Manafo just sent me the documentary he made with Nathan Colquhoun, called One Size Fits All?
