– from The Star Toronto’s diverse neighbours live in harmony

Steve and Sophie Mickelson minister at BLCF Cafe Community Dinner in the heart of Toronto at Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church – photo Toronto Star 2010

TheStar Toronto’s diverse neighbours live in harmony.

The buildings at the corner of Bloor St. and St. Helens Ave. are unlikely neighbours. One has clients who worship the flesh, the other has the faithful who worship the lord.

Every Wednesday evening, the small congregation at the Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship serves dinner to 100 marginalized and homeless people.

Next door, the folks at Club Paradise strip club serve up sexy dances.

“They are good neighbours, they keep up with maintenance,” says BLCF board member Stephen Mickelson as he stands in front of the two buildings. “Aside from several of their clients urinating at our front door, but their management probably isn’t aware of that.”

When first asked about the interesting contrast with his neighbour, Mickelson replied in an email:

“By contrast to our practices and beliefs, namely the exploitation of women, what happens next door to our Church can best be summarized by a quote from Martin Luther, to paraphrase: ‘Where Christ builds a church, next door Satan put a temple.’”

When asked the same question, the staff at Club Paradise hung up the phone, and when pressed, gave “no comment,” as their official comment.

In a wood-panelled room, Mickelson, his wife Sophie and a few volunteers are cutting buns for the Wednesday dinner service. The oven is broken and one fan moves the stuffy air around.

Mickelson said there is mutual tolerance between Club Paradise and the church, even though values are different.

“It’s not a show here. We have enough money to pay the bills,” Mickelson said of the church.“We work through kindness and love. The people who work there, many may have had a hard life.”

The previous pastor at the congregation used to have a late night café for some of the women who worked next door. The program stopped when the pastor left the position last November.

“Thursday nights, we’d open the front doors and some of the girls would walk in for crafts, coffee and tea,” Sophie Mickelson said.

Some of the dancers have also come in for church services, her husband said. The only reason he knows is because they tell him.

“A generation ago, they might have been the exception. Now we’re the exception. The Lord’s Prayer is not in schools, but this is our heritage. Some people don’t know what a church is,” Mickelson said.

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2010/08/02/torontos_diverse_neighbours_live_in_harmony.html

 

6 Toronto Churches Gather At BLCF On February 1, 2011 For A Community Prayer Walk

Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship Church to host multichuch community prayer walk

JOIN US

TO PRAY FOR OUR COMMUNITY !

***********************************

On the first Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m.,join with those from other local churches

to worship, and to pray for one another and for the surrounding neighbourhood.

*******************************************

On TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1st.

we will be gathering at

BLOOR LANSDOWNE CHRISTIAN

FELLOWSHIP

1307 Bloor St.W.

(just west of Lansdowne Ave.,

parking at Value Village)

**Get an update on the exciting outreach initiatives**

that are giving BLCF an important street presence and ministry !

EVERY PRAYER COUNTS !

…so let’s join together in faith looking to God for His blessing

on our community !

Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship Church – Join Us

A Church With A Heart For Toronto's Homeless

BLCF Church, 1307 Bloor Street West.                                                      Phone #416-535-9578                                                                                                              Join us 11AM Sunday morning at Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship Church’s Praise and Worship Service. Guest speaker Valentyna Polakiwsky will share the message entitled ‘New Year’.   Here is a link to  BLCF Church Bulletin: Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship Church Bulletin Jan. 30, 2011

Join us Jan23, 2011 at 11 AM for BLCF Church Praise and Worship Service

Join us Sunday Jan,23 at BLCF –  Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship Church for 11AM Praise and Worship Service, where the message will be shared by Pastor Joao Alves. For info call BLCF at 416-535-9578 Link to BLCF Church Bulletin: Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship Church Bulletin Jan.23, 2011

A Church in the Heart of Toronto – Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship

 

,

Sharing food, fellowship and the gospel with Toronto’s homeless

‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ – Matthew 25:40

BLCF Cafe was established by and is run under the auspices of Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship Church, every Wednesday evening since January, 2008. The BLCF Cafe Community Dinner feeds and fellowships upwards of 150 homeless and marginalized people weekly in the heart of Toronto, (over 500 a year!) This is not a “soup kitchen’ program. It’s more like inviting neighbours over for dinner. The tables are set, the ambiance is friendly and we serve our guests at the table restaurant-style, hearty and homemade meals and tasty desserts, with a spiritual break in-between. Dinner is served from 6 to 8 PM. Throughout the dinner,there is live music: Folk, Blue Grass, Gospel, usually featuring our friend Terry Sywanyk, guitarist / vocalist and songwriter of the duo ‘A Cup of Cold Water’.

To volunteer at the café, or for more info Contact BLCF Cafe Director: Sophie at 416-535-9578 or email: blcfcafe@yahoo.ca

BLCF Cafe on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000740765625#!/pages/Toronto-ON/BLCF-CAFE-Community-Dinner/10150089502335626?ref=ts&__a=7&ajaxpipe=1

Why does Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship operate a Community Dinner for homeless people?

Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship Church runs a Community Dinner

Q: Why Did Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship Start A Community Dinner Instead Of Sandwich Run Or A Food Bank?
A: 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. This makes it 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! In a Community Dinner 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. At BLCF Cafe, 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 food served at the dinner. Through the power of the Holy Spirit many 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, 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 when He shared His message on the mount!
BLCF Café
Established in January 2008 and operated under the auspices of BLCF Church, BLCF Café feeds 100+ homeless and marginalized people every Wednesday evening. BLCF Café has the following mandate: Provide all guests with a nourishing meal; to treat our guests with dignity & respect; augment meals with music & fellowship; establish significant relationships; and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
HOW YOU CAN HELP THE CAUSE OF THE BLCF CAFÉ? A $150 donation will enable the BLCF Café to feed 100 guests. Donations of non-perishable bulk food items to will help make meals. Volunteers for the BLCF Café are welcome. Tax receipts are available upon request.
BLCF Café Contact Info: Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship 1307 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON, Phone | 416-535-9578 Email | blcfchurch@yahoo.ca BLOG | blcfchurch.blog.ca Facebook | BLCF Cafe Facebook | BLCF Church

Volunteers and Donations welcome to help feed 100+ homeless people weekly at BLCF Cafe

Volunteers Needed For Community Dinner To Help Feed The Homeles

 

Volunteers & Donations to help feed the homeless at BLCF Cafe Community Dinner

BLCF Cafe Community Dinner needs Volunteers and Donations to help feed the homeless!

 BLCF Cafe was established by and  run under the auspices of Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship Church, every Wednesday evening since January, 2008. The BLCF Cafe Community Dinner feeds and fellowships with over 100 homeless and marginalized people weekly, (over 5,000 a year!) This is not a “soup kitchen’ program. It’s more like inviting neighbours over for dinner. The tables are set, the ambiance is friendly and we serve our guests at the table restaurant-style,  hearty and homemade meals and tasty desserts, with a spiritual break in-between. Dinner is served from 6 to 8 PM. Throughout the dinner,there is live music: Folk, Blue Grass, Gospel, usually featuring our friend Terry Sywanyk, guitarist / vocalist and songwriter of the duo ‘A Cup of Cold Water’. 

For more info Contact BLCF Cafe Director: Sophie at 416-535-9578 or email: blcfcafe@yahoo.ca 

BLCF Cafe on Facebook at:  http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000740765625#!/pages/Toronto-ON/BLCF-CAFE-Community-Dinner/10150089502335626?ref=ts&__a=7&ajaxpipe=1

‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’                                          – Matthew 25:40

                                                                                                       .                    

Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship Community Dinner

Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship Community Dinner

Last week we had high school student volunteers from College Street YMCA and this week university student volunteers from the KVA(Korean Volunteer Association) help us with the BLCF Cafe Community Dinner. A big vote of thanks to both groups for your help with the dinners.This week we fed about 110 homeless & marginalized guests, which is surprising considering how cold it is tonight.

FACTS ABOUT BLOOR LANSDOWNE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP – BLCF: A Church with a vision in the heart of Toronto.

  

 

BLCF Cafe Community Dinner – serving the homeless in the heart of Toronto

BLCF Café Community Dinner Motto: ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’           – Matthew 25:40

Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church
A Church with a Vision in the Heart of Toronto

Some 70 years ago, a group of believers embarked on a mission to bring the message of the gospel to the Bloor Lansdowne area in a relevant and meaningful way. The membership moved into a converted truck garage on Bloor Street near Lansdowne Avenue establishing the Church of the Crusaders. Now seven decades later the church, now known as Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship, continues to meet the challenges of actively preaching and practicing the message of the gospel in relevant and meaningful ways to the local community, such as Bloor Lansdowne Community Dinner, renamed December 2009 as BLCF Cafe, a weekly Community Dinner feeding upwards of 150 homeless and marginalized guests weekly, over  7,500 annually.

 

BLCF Cafe was established in January 2008 by and is run solely under the auspices of Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church with the help of a dedicated core of volunteers. The Bible says that a church is not mortar, brick and wood, but the body of believers who gather together to worship, pray, sing, teach and celebrate God’s path of salvation, through accepting Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross at Calvary.

Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church, 1307 Bloor Street, Toronto, ON, M6H 1P1 or 416-535-9578.

http://www.blcfchurch.ca  – blcfchurch@yahoo.ca – blcfcafe@yahoo.ca – twitter: @blcfca

Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Cafe Community Dinner Disclaimer – January 18, 2011

 

Disclaimer: Joe Elkerton resigned from Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLF Church in November 2009 and is no longer employed by or involved with BLCF Church, BLCF Cafe (Bloor Lansdowne) Community Dinner or any of BLCF Church’s outreach ministries. And Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church was never partnered with Project 417, UA – Urban Adventures, Ekklesia Inner City Ministries or any of its affiliates. Contrary to information still posted on several BLOG’s and Web Pages, Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church and its Community Dinner is not now, nor never has been, partnered with Project 417, UA – Urban Adventures, Ekklesia Inner City Ministries or any of its affiliates.

On several occasions, a message sent by a representative of the Board of BLCF Church to the author/administrator of these various BLOGs and web pages with a request to remove or correct these inaccurate statements regarding Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church having been partnered with Project 417, Urban Adventures (UA), et al and only once received a response, a sarcastic email reply questioning just who the Board of BLCF Church is to tell him what to publish; showing no apparent regard as to whether what was posted is accurate or truthful. And so the fautious statements continue and BLCF must continue to post this disclaimer against claims of fictional partnerships that never happened, nor never will.

We do not know any good reason why the author continues to refuse to correct or remove his  fatuous postings about a church and its mission to help Toronto’s the homeless. Unfortunately, as long as the various BLOGs and web pages maintain a the fatuous position that part or all of Project 417 was ever or is currently in any partnership with Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship, we are forced to keep this disclaimer.   

The Web sites making such fatuous partnership claims may be found if you Google search: ‘Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship Partnership Project 417’. Some of the web pages that inaccurately claim past or current partnership with Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship that never existed are:

TO Streets – Homeless BLOG – (http://tostreets.wordpress.com/)

missionlog BLOG –  (https://missionlog.wordpress.com/tag/project-417/)

The Restaurant at the End of the Internet BLOG – (http://restaurantattheendoftheinternet.blogspot.ca/2009_05_01_archive.html)

Further, Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship Church and BLCF Cafe Community Dinner for the homeless and marginalized uses no outside web-based donation service; receives no government funding; has no corporate sponsorships; and maintains a strict policy of not charging any participatory fees to its volunteers. Finally, since its inception in January 2008, BLCF Cafe, (also called Bloor Lansdowne), Community Dinner was established by and is operated solely under the auspices of Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church.

Please direct all volunteer enquiries and donations to Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church, 1307 Bloor Street, Toronto, Ontario, M6H 1P1 or 416-535-9578, www.blcfchurch.ca . Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church, January 18, 2011

Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. Hebrews 13:18

 

Fatuous BLOG postings claiming a partnership between Project 417 and Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church. Never happened and never will. BLCF does not know why the author continues with these partnership myths, refusing to correct or remove them?