The Upper Room Newsletter - Fall 2002

“People Caring for People”

Boards Meet

             The Upper Room was pleased to welcome the Open Door back to its neighborhood this fall.  With the Open Door opening at 935 Pandora Avenue in the former Victoria Gospel Chapel the two agencies are now directly beside each other.

Both Boards of Directors -- the Upper Room and the Open Door -- met in October to discuss the new arrangement. It was a precedent setting meeting and the boards came to several conclusions.

First of all they agreed that the ministry was the work of the Holy Spirit, as was the opportunity to buy the Victoria Gospel Chapel. This is an example of faith in action, they said, as they approached their ministries with renewed vigor.

Communications will be much easier now that the two agencies are sitting side by side on Pandora Street . It will also require that the two work more closely than ever before, using the new model being developed by the boards and the staff.

            This union can be a model for the churches in Victoria and beyond to work closely together and to give up things that keep them apart. They were advised to not fight over space. They must nurture the ability to let go of some things and to maintain other things that are not negotiable. This will take patience and understanding on the part of both boards.

            The two managers--David Stewart and Alan Tysick—took part in the meeting and they agreed that the boards and the institutions will be around long after both of them are gone. This demands that they practice Christian love and understanding and that the agencies do likewise.

We Are Learning

            A powerful story comes for the days when pipe organs in theatres and churches were provided with the necessary air by a “bellows boy”.

            One particular evening a very gifted organist was performing in a theatre filled with the ‘establishment’ of the day.  The first half of his performance was greeted by thunderous applause form the audience.  The organist walked off stage as the bellow boy stumbled down the ladder covered in perspiration.

            The artist declared, “Wasn’t I great?”  The young bellows boy drank some water and attempted to recover his strength.

            Intermission over, the artist walked on stage to great applause as he sat down and placed his fingers onto the keyboard.  No sound was forthcoming.  He shouted, “Come on, boy!  Let’s go!”  Again he prepared to play—still nothing.  In anger he shouted louder, “COME ON, BOY!!”  The final time when he shouted the boy spoke up and said, “Say ‘we’ Mister and it will work.”

            The Upper Room and the Open Door are learning to say ‘We’.  Individually both organizations have served those in need by providing food for body and soul, friendship and advocacy, housing and homelike atmosphere. 

            For the past several years we have attempted to co-operate but with obvious difficulty when separated by blocks.  Both the Board of the Upper Room and the Board of the Open Door were faced with inadequate facilities.  Recognizing that we serve the same family of people and that we both come to ministry with a sense of response to Jesus Christ, we have been blessed with being able to share in the purchase of property side by side.

            Now the Open Door and the Upper Room jointly own the property from 919 to 935 Pandora Avenue .  While we remain as two individual servants, we are in a position to work together in our calling to serve the needs of those most in need.

            As we learn to say ‘we’ the staff has come together, the Boards have come together to explore ways and means to give expression to our calling.  And to provide the facilities and human presence to respond to the ever-increasing members who need us.

 Special Meals

Masonic Lodge Pays for Dinner

            Thanksgiving dinner was special for 575 people who ate at the St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Kirk Hall. The dinner was cooked and delivered by the Upper Room staff and was paid for and served by members of Masons Lodge.

Bringing in the New Year

            On December 31, 2002 we will serve a free turkey dinner to about 600 people. It’s nice for people to end a year knowing they are cared for, and to start the year on a full stomach. See related article; Mrs. Stevens.

Watch for it!

            The Valentine’s Lunch will be held at First Metropolitan United Church and paid for BC Ferries employees. The ferries’ employees also gather for several evenings ahead of the meal to help prepare the mountains of vegetables required and to slice the roast beef.

Good Friday

          We celebrate Easter with a fine free meal serving about 650 people. We welcome men, women and children to all our meals at the Upper Room. We especially appreciate the extra volunteers who help us prepare in advance for the meal, as well as those who cheerfully serve others on the special day. Thank you.

Upper Room feeds people from other agencies

          More and more agencies are referring people to the Upper Room. This year so far the number is 16,950 meals. These agencies have no capacity to serve meals or else they have reached their limit of meals for the day. These agencies include St. Vincent de Paul, the Mustard Seed, Salvation Army, and Streetlink. The Upper Room is an invaluable resource to those people who need two hot meals a day.  Many have little or no means to buy the food. Some have no cooking facilities, while others need the companionship offered at our meals. We are there to meet these needs.

Number of Meals

            The total number of meals served so far this year is about 89,000. That’s a long way from the 500 meals served when the Upper Room started 40 years ago, above a store,  in downtown Victoria .