Aaron White on the Common Pitfalls in Efforts to Serve the Poor, Why Prayer Must Come Before Acts of Justice & the Power of Partnerships
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Jason sits down with Aaron White this week, a local ministry leader in the Vancouver area with positions at 24-7 Prayer Canada, Westminster Theological Centre, and Jacob’s Well. Aaron shares about choosing to live in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver and how although many people see the area as dangerous or rundown, he finds great beauty and community within it. He talks about how many people can come to the area, hoping to share Jesus with those on the streets, but are often surprised to learn that Jesus is already there.
Jason picks up on that theme, asking about what it means for churches and Christians to not come in with a prideful spirit, but to still find ways to effectively minister to the needs of their city. Aaron encourages him that if the church is the church in its own neighbourhood, that actually blesses the wider society. Not every church needs to be in the same area or trying to serve the same people, but through the fabric of the local church in a city, all kinds of needs can be met. When talking about serving the poor and working to bring compassion and justice to our cities, Aaron insists that prayer must be the first step. It’s through ministering to Jesus in prayer that we learn to care for and minister to those He loves.
“We need the church to be the church in its own neighbourhood. If the church is the church in its own neighbourhood then our whole society will be blessed.”
Aaron ends by talking about the similarities between addicts and pastors. The opposite of addiction isn’t sobriety, but connection. And sadly, many pastors are not living with deep, meaningful connections. Through the emotional toll of pastoring and the social challenges that can exist, disconnection is a place many pastors end up. Aaron and Jason both express their deep desire for pastors to do life deeply with others so they can be healthy and whole as ministers in their cities.
We hope you are challenged and encouraged by this conversation with Aaron White.
Aaron White
Aaron White is the National Director of 24-7 Prayer Canada. He has been a pastor, missioner, justice worker and prayer instigator in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver for the past 16 years, where he lives with his wife and four children in a community home. He is the co-author of Revolution and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Kingdom of God; co-creator of The Creative Way Down discipleship resource; and author of the upcoming book Recovering: From Brokenness and Addiction to Blessedness and Community.
Coming Up Next
Next Episode: Anu George Canjanathoppil
Anu George Canjanathoppil is the Executive Director of International Justice Mission (IJM) Canada. Anu joined IJM in 2011 as the Director of Legal in the Chennai office. In 2012, she led IJM’s Google-funded project to equip NGOs across India to rescue and rehabilitate bonded labor victims using IJM’s casework model. Her pioneering courage and innovation to build this project from scratch resulted in the rescue of 4,000 people in just three years. In 2019, she was named the Executive Director of IJM Canada.