In watching her parents model a lifestyle of active service to God and sharing their faith with others, Ellen O'Brien learned firsthand that Christianity goes beyond merely accepting Christ and serving in the church.

"I think that you can only be a healthy Christian if you're fulfilling your life mission," she says. "It's a maturation process, waking up to the reality that Jesus is shaping you to reflect Him."

For O'Brien, the maturation process began at the feet of her parents, watching them demonstrate the principles of being awakened to God's call to draw others to Him.

"For me it came partially because of the modeling of my parents, seeing how they lived out their relationships with Jesus--even who they invited into their home. In reading the Bible, I understood that the costs were high for being a Christian, and I wanted to give my all to God like they did."

O'Brien is currently giving her all through the ministries of Cityview Baptist Church in Vancouver, British Columbia, a church pastored by her husband Craig. She credits the church with helping to foster that same awakening to God that she and Craig have experienced in many of the church's members as well. In fact, the church waits for God to move at least two people specifically and individually to begin new ministries before the church starts any such ministry. It's a method that God has chosen to use time and time again at Cityview.

"It's amazing," she says, "how many times God speaks to the hearts of two people, moving them to recognize a need and then revealing their participation in it." It's one of the marks of being awakened to God's call to be involved in his work, she explains, looking for ways to use unique gifts and spiritual "style" to serve through the church and reach those who don't know Christ.

A favorite story goes like this.

Kim Warren began sharing her lunch with hungry folks who came by the church's Mainstay Centre, a storefront ministry where financially needy people could get coffee and shop for a bargain, perhaps even find on the racks a new coat or pair of shoes. It occurred to her that providing a hot meal would be a good addition to the ministry. In the next few weeks, she pondered how.

Meanwhile, Cynthia Lim attended a women's conference. She returned home fired up over the idea of using her house as an outreach. Telling about her weekend, she commented to her husband that she wished she could cook soup--large quantities, for people who needed it. He gently reminded her that their kitchen was not adequate for such a big undertaking.

One day the two women compared notes. "Oh, really?" they said almost in unison, hearing the other one's story. With their recognized need and enthusiasm, they pursued a solution.

The result is the Soup and Friends Ministry, a once-a-week opportunity for feeding the hungry and sharing Christ. Now managed by Christina Muise, it is a place where people for whom the month is often longer than their paycheck come for split pea or chicken noodle or spicy vegetable--and a devotional for dessert. Many have trusted Christ in this setting, and each month more and more unsaved but hungry people from Vancouver's poorer section show up.

Thanks to two women who were awakened to a need and to their own unique way of meeting it, dozens who did not know Christ now have fuller lives and fuller stomachs.

And according to O'Brien, that's what Mainstay is all about, "serving the community and helping people in the church get involved in what God is doing in Vancouver."

--Sean Taylor