Status: a team of six college-aged’s–all studying or working full-time–have moved in as a praying team.

The Story: in the summer of 2008, university student Andrew* had the opportunity to serve for two months as an intern in an incarnational church-plant in one of Toronto’s toughest neighbourhoods. The experience rocked Andrew’s world and left him with the insatiable desire to love and serve God in a whole-life kind of way and, specifically, to do something similar in Ottawa - where he would return to finish his last year of university that Fall.

A couple of the MoveIn crew moved in to help by researching some of Ottawa’s neediest neighbourhoods.  One afternoon, Andrew drove up to Ottawa with a friend, Audrey, to see these neighbourhoods first-hand - all in one short weekend. In one of the neighbourhoods, they encountered a group of high-risk high-schoolers who couldn’t believe they were actually considering moving into their neighbourhood. “You would move in here?” they asked, incredulously.

The communities Andrew and Audrey visited that day were each so full of needs that they had a difficult time deciding which of them God might be calling them to. On returning to Toronto, they shared what they had seen with some friends; and more began to catch the vision.

One chilly late-summer night after an evening church service, a group of young people–Andrew, Audrey, and a few of their Ottawa and Toronto friends–found a quiet place behind the church building and prayed together for God’s heart. They prayed for the neighbourhood–as yet unkown–that “hung in the balance”; and for God’s leading as they sought to ‘move in.’

Through much prayer, discussion, and some more research, the now-forming team felt that God was calling them to Lowertown, a neighbourhood filled with generational poverty at Ottawa’s core. By this time, five were committed to move in: Andrew, Audrey, David, Caleb and Sandra. Little did the team know how hard it would be to actually do it. It meant trying to find housing in a place that was 100% government housing, explaining the vision to their families (who, understandably, were concerned at their desire to move into one of the city’s least safe quarters), and couch-surfing for an uncomfortable month or so as they waited for God’s provision.

After much prayer, God opened up a four-bedroom house for the guys. Two weeks later, He provided a similar accommodation for the girls - just five houses down from the guys.

Since that time, a new member (Savannah) has joined the team - making six college-aged’s who are also all going to school or working full-time. Together they have distributed little Christmas packets (containing, among other things, a Jesus DVD and candy cane) to more than 3,000 homes in the community, had hundreds of conversations with neighbours, volunteered at the local youth centre, and started a baking club for kids.  Throughout it all, they have been on their knees - and, specifically, devoted an evening to prayer each week. These times of prayer have enabled the team to reach right into their neighbourhood - into the needs and broken lives around them; to share their burdens; to bond as a team; and to hear God’s heart on the way ahead.

In January 2009, a couple of the team members went into one of Lowertown’s most run-down apartment buildings, a veritable ghetto of drug addicts, prostitutes, and other forgotten people - all on government assistance. They knocked on many doors and received few answers. As they were leaving, they knocked on one last door. A 70 year-old man, Pierre (not his real name), answered. His story broke their hearts. Pierre had lived in Lowertown his whole life - for 70 years.  As they asked Pierre questions, they were shocked at what they heard.  Pierre did not recall even one occasion when a Christian had knocked on his door to share Christ’s love with him. When asked if he had heard the gospel, Pierre responded, “You won’t find that here.” When asked what he had seen of Christianity, he spoke of the priests who were themselves frequent clients of the local prostitutes. When asked what he thought about the idea of a group of Christian college students moving in to help the community, he said, “I don’t think anyone would do that.”

How many Pierres are there in Lowertown? How many Pierres are there in Ottawa? Where has the church been for the 70 years of Pierre’s life - in a city where thousands routinely gather for Christian concerts? How many Pierres are there in Toronto, in Canada, around the world? Had the Lowertown team not moved in now, would anyone have reached Pierre in time?

And so we have a sense of urgency. Please join us in praying for Lowertown. Please also seriously consider moving in yourself to one of Ottawa’s, Toronto’s, Canada’s, the world’s neediest neighbourhoods. You are needed.

The Neighbourhood: aka “Lower Town,” Lowertown has been poor for its 180-year history. It is a mostly-government-housing community in downtown Ottawa and just minutes from the Parliament buildings. Lowertown’s total population today is roughly 11,377 people (2006 census). According to the City of Ottawa website, 3,530 of these are Francophones.

The majority of Ottawa’s inner-city poor and homeless live in the 2 squared-kilometre area which makes up Lowertown. A few non-profit, faith-based agencies such as The Salvation Army, Capital City Mission, YSB, Shepherds of Good Hope and The Ottawa Mission provide invaluable service and resources like beds, food, and drop-in centres for at-risk youth and the homeless. Although each of these agencies look after many needs in the community, they are designed for short-term stays.

According to IGS.net, there has been a 60-year decline in religious activity in Lowertown. (Note: most of the duration of Pierre’s life. See “The Story” above.)  The community is home to two Catholic churches–St. Bridget’s and St. Anne’s–and the Notre-Dame Basilica.

Click the image to the right for a full-size view of Lowertown.

According to Wikipedia, much of Lowertown “is struggling, with vacant areas, and has become the centre of the homeless population of Ottawa.” Bytown.net states, “right from its very conception Lowertown was a planned community meant to be home to [a] lower class of people.” (In contrast, Uppertown was developed in the 1820’s for “rich aristocrats and merchants.”) Click here for more on Lowertown’s historical poverty.

Today, Lowertown includes African, Caribbean, Asian, South Asian, and Lebanese businesses, a library, a large grocery store, an Orthodox Jewish synagogue, and the two Catholic churches.

Almost a quarter–2,235 people–have a mother tongue other than English or French. 2,495 are visible minorities.

More on Lowertown: 2001 Census, Wikipedia, Bytown.net, IGS.net, Google Maps

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The Challenge.  Would you be willing to move into one of Ottawa’s neediest neighbourhoods?

Read the MoveIn vision here.

*Names changed