“This is something the Church needs to do, in terms of focusing on what’s around us.”

Craig Macartney
Spur Ottawa Writer

Bedbugs and cockroaches, high crime rates, and lots of people who have never heard the gospel—it’s the perfect neighbourhood to call home…that is, if you are a MoveIn-er. MoveIn is a ministry started in Toronto that challenges Christians to live as local missionaries, making their homes among the urban poor.

“The mission is to see the Church present and reproducing disciples in more urban, unreached, poor communities,” explains the MoveIn lead for Ottawa, Christine, whose name has been changed to ensure the ministry is not compromised. “We do that because we become part of the neighbourhood and visible for a purpose: to be there prayerfully and communally.”

Christine has lived as a MoveIn-er in Ottawa’s Lower Town for the past seven years.

“I caught the vision and couldn’t get it out of my head. When I was accepted to university, I moved straight into the neighbourhood. I feel it is something the Church needs to do, in terms of moving in in your own country and focusing on what’s around you.”

“There is something to be said for living in the same community and environment as the people you are reaching out to.”

MoveIn is all about being intentional about sharing and living the gospel. Christine says, practically, it looks like getting to know your neighbours in a meaningful way, having them over for dinner, and finding ways to meet their needs.

“There is something to be said for living in the same community and environment as the people you are reaching out to,” says Chloe, another Ottawa MoveIn-er. “These communities are full of beautiful men, women, and families who haven’t had a chance to hear the gospel, let alone have meaningful contact with Canadian Christians. This has given me a platform for reaching out to them.”

Christine agrees, adding that it has stretched her faith and trained her to take more time getting to know her neighbours.

“We met one gentleman through the ministry and he now goes to our church and he is involved in his apartment building.”

“I like to say that MoveIn is a 24/7 ministry. It brings it to your doorstep. You are always on and ready to meet with people, whether it’s coming to your door at 8 o’clock in the morning and asking for prayer, or meeting them on the street.”

While some people put up walls when you talk about the gospel, Christine says most people have opened up to them. One way she reaches out to her neighbours is by helping single moms with babysitting. She says she has given them Bibles and they have “seen the gospel through us in how we act.”

“MoveIn is a very accessible ministry, in that it can look unique for each individual according to what they can commit to and are passionate about,” Chloe explains.

“You put in the time and God knows what happens to people’s hearts.”

Ministry can be a slow process of investing in people’s lives and praying for transformation in their lives, but Christine says, through MoveIn, they have seen some encouraging fruit.

“You put in the time and God knows what happens to people’s hearts,” says Christine. “We’ve seen a few people give their lives to the Lord. We’ve come alongside people who were already introduced to faith and we’ve seen them grown in their faith. We met one gentleman through the ministry and he now goes to our church and he is involved in his apartment building.”

The Lower Town team is currently finalizing plans for their annual block party, scheduled for August 26. They have a local Christian DJ coming, a Christian rapper scheduled, and people who will share their testimonies. The event also features a free barbecue and circus games for kids.

“It’s definitely become a neighbourhood staple. People look forward to it every year. It’s a great community event. Because of it we’ve established a lot of relationships with families and people in the neighbourhood, which still continue to this day. We have become a well-known group in the neighbourhood.”