Saskatoon Native Circle Ministry

Time does not stand still! It seems like only yesterday when our native mission was hoping and praying for the Lord to send us a new building of our own. I dreamed of the day when we could set up our chairs for worship and not have to put them away when the day was done. And then, at the May meeting of the National Native Ministry
Committee, we learned that there was some funding available if we wanted to begin the search for a building that would fit the budget of Canada Ministries.

Over the years, Saskatoon Native Circle Ministry (SNCM) had established a relationship with the owner of a Chinese Restaurant on 20th Street West. Once a
month, we ordered chicken and fries from May’s Gourmet Chicken for our potluck Sundays. May would always give us a good deal on the food because she wanted to
help us serve the people she had grown to love. During the summer of 2008, I mentioned to May that we had been looking at a couple of buildings in the area and that we were interested in buying a building of our own. I told her how much the other sellers were asking for their buildings and May suggested that we should buy her building because she wanted to retire and she thought that her building would be ideal for our ministry. She was right. So, on November 1st, 2008, Canada Ministries
purchased the building at 450 20thStreet West, Saskatoon, at a very reasonable price. Our dream had come true. In 27 years of ministry, I had never been able to work in a building so well suited for native ministry, one we could call our own.

Our Sunday worship service and Healing Circle are also growing, and we are seeing people come to church, people whom we thought would never enter a worship service. People who are heavily addicted to drugs and young women who work on the streets are now beginning to get curious about what we have to offer them in our worship service. Suddenly, Christ doesn’t seem so frightening, especially when they learn that Christ is a friend to all people.

Purchasing a building and moving is a lot of work but it was worth it. We are busier than ever and serving food to more than double the amount of people we had in October. We feed sandwiches and snacks to the inner city people five times per week. On our busiest days we will see 200 people come through our doors. We are making new contacts every day, and the people are beginning to get close to us. They appreciate the service we offer to them, especially on those cold winter days - and this winter has been severe. Our Sunday worship service and Healing Circle are also growing, and we are seeing people come to church, people whom we thought would never enter a worship service. People who are heavily addicted to drugs and young women who work on the streets are now beginning to get curious about what we have to offer them in our worship service. Suddenly, Christ doesn’t seem so frightening, especially when they learn that Christ is a friend to all people.

Church groups and individuals have donated all kinds of things to us this past year. We have received knitted goods, toys, stuffed toys, blankets, baby blankets, food items, donations of money, and even volunteers who have come out to make sandwiches. Churches that closed their doors donated furniture, a piano, a wooden cross, a small sound system, a communion table and communion plates, chalice and serving trays, offering plates, dishes, coffee pots and endless other items. God is truly amazing! You just have to come out and see it all for yourself.

There are lots of repairs to do in the coming months, and utilities and insurance that have to be paid. But not to worry! If God can provide the building, I am certain that the support will continue to come in as long as we continue to do the work that the Lord started so many years ago. There are already indications that the funding for repairs will become available in the near future. So any donations that come in, can and will be used for food and programs.

Thank you to everyone who prayed for us and who supported us in a committed and faithful way. And thank you for your gifts to Presbyterians Sharing, for your generosity and for your part in making our dream come true. And a big thank you to Canada Ministries and to our Board for believing in us and for all the good news you
have brought to us in 2008. May God bless all of you in 2009. All my relations.

— The Reverend Stewart Folster