In several of Toronto's 'gateway communities' - places of entrance to life in Canada (such as Regent Park, Thorncliffe Park Village and St. Jamestown), Christians in and through their churches, in denominational partnerships and with agencies both spiritual and 'secular,' are joining together in many new ways and on many different levels to receive, welcome and give practical assistance to people newly living there.

Toronto is known as one of the most culturally and ethnically-diverse cities in the world. St. Jamestown includes thousands of new immigrants and is the most culturally-diverse community in Toronto. Here live people as a microcosm of planet earth.

Legal and immigrant counsel, food and clothing, cultural advice and welcome are being given, as well as spiritual counsel (where possible and welcome). Resource-sharing for intentional church planting (building loving, welcoming, inclusive Christian faith and fellowship communities) is being made possible through the creative interventions and leadership of many younger and older leaders and by missional families moving to live incarnationally on the floors of apartments and townhouses there. They come together regularly to pray and to plan - and to try to discern what Jesus is doing, and to join Him if and as He wills, in the challenge of ministry.

This (new and welcome) spirit of cooperation, and meeting to dialogue, share, plan and resource others in these loving tasks in the Spirit and Name of Christ, shows missional resolve.

We are seeing the pushing through and beyond historical boundaries and barriers of denomination, theory, theology and practice. In a day of continuing mission and Good-News-Sharing opportunities and challenge in the GTA this is not only welcome but also essential. The Body of Christ in harmony and unity, despite and often because of much diversity, still may wonderfully reflect the holistic concern of God for ALL of people. God's love remains as God embraces still this broken, black and blue planet.

God so loved the world (the cosmos) that He gave His only Son . . .

Whatever else 'missional' may mean, it means apprentice-followers of Jesus are to join in a Spirit of unity and cooperation with Him, and with each other, in all of His loving concerns. We need Him and each other much more than we have yet believed or put into practice.