A Home Mission Grant Story from Middleton Park B.C
In 2024, Middleton Baptist Church received a YBA Home Mission Medium Grant to strengthen their community-focused ministry. The grant has supported the work of their Community Pastor and helped the church continue encouraging every member to live missionally in their daily lives. They call this being a “red dot” on their frontline. It’s a simple idea, but it has opened doors for deeper relationships, stronger connections, and faith stories that continue to grow.
Faith Shared Through Everyday Conversations
One of the most encouraging stories began with a workplace conversation. A deacon reached out to a colleague who was grieving a bereavement and shared how God had helped him during his own difficult season. That small act of compassion led the colleague and his wife to attend special services and an outreach event. Eventually, their granddaughter joined Kids Klub, and the daughter connected with the Make Lunch trip and family activities.
The wife later joined Alpha, which the church runs alongside Discovery Bible studies. At Pentecost, when three participants chose to be baptised, she stood alongside them in support, saying she was still exploring faith. Months later, she returned in tears explaining that God had spoken to her through the book of Job and that everything had “fallen into place.” She is now joyfully preparing for baptism at Easter.
A Chance Encounter That Changed a Life
Another powerful moment unfolded after a team had just finished leading a service at a local care home. While carrying a cross back to the car park, two members were approached by a distressed man who desperately asked whether they offered deliverance ministry. They shared the hope of Jesus with him, prayed, and he immediately felt a weight lift.
Over the following weeks, they continued to meet, listen, pray, and guide him in understanding the gospel. He joined Alpha, began reading the Bible, attended services regularly, and at Christmas invited four family members to the Christmas Eve service because, as he said, “I want them to find what I have found.”
He continued to grow in faith and was baptised on Pentecost Sunday, with the first two rows filled with his family. Today, he often says with joy, “I feel the love of God in my heart. I just want everyone to know that love.” His story has inspired many within the church.
A Family Drawn in Through Make Lunch
The impact of the grant has also been evident through community programmes such as Make Lunch. Last summer, a mother attending the sessions requested a Bible and began reading and listening to Scripture on YouVersion. She soon started attending family services and inviting others to join her. In December, she brought seven members of her extended family, spanning four generations, to the Pop-Up Nativity, along with a friend and her children.
Her daughter engaged with Youth Alpha last year and continues to explore faith. As the mother grows in her own understanding, she has been sharing what she learns with family and friends. Recently, she shared that God had spoken to her through Jeremiah 20:9, saying that He was setting a fire in her heart and encouraging her not to be distracted by the “smoke” of life’s challenges.
Why this Matters
Middleton Park Baptist Church remains deeply grateful for the YBA grant. It has allowed them to continue employing a Community Pastor and to stay fully engaged in the work God has placed before them. With limited hands and a growing community to serve, having dedicated pastoral leadership has been vital. The grant has helped them keep saying yes to the opportunities around them and to walk alongside people who are encountering Jesus in real and meaningful ways.
A big thank you to everyone across the YBA whose giving and prayers make this kind of everyday mission possible. Your support is strengthening local churches and helping stories like these continue to unfold.