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Our Mission
To serve as a bridge between the poor and the gospel, and between the local church and the local poor.
Our Vision
Mission to the Margins will be a dynamic extension of the local church. Through acts of mercy and prayer as well as the proclamation of the gospel, we will see lives transformed among the poor as well as the church. Among the marginalized: as they engage with and are changed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. Among the church as Christian volunteers are shaped and matured through engaging with the poor in meaningful relationships.
Our Story
Founded in the Autumn of 2020, Jeff took the step from the security of a day job to committed ministry to those on the margins of Cambridge and Waterloo Region. Amid the lockdowns of COVID-19, with the support of his wife and their church, clear favour and open doors from many of the marginalized, Jeff established a ministry of presence which would become street chaplaincy and then, with the partnership and support of a number of Cambridge churches and ministry partners, Mission to the Margins: to see the poor engage with the gospel and the church engage with the poor.
It was always M2M’s heart to serve the Waterloo Region, however, the needs were greater than one chaplain alone could manage. In 2023, Jeff approached Karen, a missionary to youth on the streets of downtown Toronto, to invite her into pioneering M2M in Kitchener. Karen came on staff in January 2024. We wish to be a faithful presence in the lives and the fabric of the marginalized community, serving with mercy and care, fostering relationships to see discipleship flourish, and witnessing to the saving power of Jesus in word and deed.
Mission to the Margins is a collaborative ministry made up of many volunteers and co-workers. We recognize that the need is great and the harvest is plentiful, so we are excited to see how God grows Mission to the Margins to fulfill His Great Commission.
Lord willing, looking ahead we want to continue to be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit as He directs this ministry movement.
Our Staff Team
Jeff Hesselink is our Ministry Director and Cambridge Street Chaplain. Before planting M2M he directed an adult urban ministry as well as steering committees in similar Christian ministries. As a younger man Jeff lived on the streets of Calgary, Vancouver, and Guelph, as well as living life from the inside government public housing. It was God’s hand through these experiences that influence and drive him in this work now. Jeff is married to Eliza; they have four children and live in Hamilton, Ontario.
You can contact Jeff at: jeff@mission2margins.org
Karen Bast is our Kitchener Street Chaplain. From Drop-Ins to In-School to Street-level ministries, she has spent the majority of her working life with youth on the margins. Karen is passionate about going to places otherwise ignored or forgotten and pointing people in the direction of healing and spiritual wholeness available only through the work of Jesus Christ. Karen is married to James and they have three kids.
You can contact Karen at: karen@mission2margins.org
Our Counsel of Advisors
We have a counsel of women and men who are invested and committed to providing prayer, wisdom, and insight gained from their experience in different service sectors including municipal government, psychology, public health, social services, chaplaincy and church ministry.
Our Office
Grace Bible Church
2 Grand Avenue South
Cambridge, ON
N1S 2L2
Hours
Call for an Appointment
Phone
(519) 829-0842