House Blend Ministries

Mission

Our Mission

To create caring communities through whole life discipleship with, and among, people who are poor in the city of Winnipeg.

Our History

House Blend Ministries is a registered Canadian charity that began as an initiative of Missions and Church Extension through the Mennonite Brethren Church of Manitoba.

A group of people felt a growing sense that God was calling our denomination to engage the city of Winnipeg in new ways. At the 2007 annual convention Fred Stoesz formed this group, which became known as Hope Winnipeg.

Hope Winnipeg started meeting regularly to pray and to seek God’s leading, with the desire to do things God’s way and in God’s timing, and prayerfully developed a proposal for the MB Church of Manitoba. This proposal was accepted and became House Blend Ministries in the Spring of 2008. The proposal recommended that rather than starting a new church or a new ministry in an inner city neighbourhood, that the focus should be on finding people who were passionate about developing relationships with people who were poor as part of a team, and to allow the ministry and mission to flow from their unique mix of gifts and passions.

Interested people were invited to come together for a weekly potluck to get to know each other, to learn more about the residents of Winnipeg’s inner city neighbourhoods, to pray, and to discern God’s direction for the ministry. In the fall of 2009, this group felt that God was calling them to focus on the West Broadway neighbourhood and to look to purchase a home there.

In the spring of 2010 we purchased a house and began the renovation process. In September, the first members of our community began to settle into the new community house. Since that time our group has continued to grow and deepen in our relationships with the people who also call West Broadway home.

In December 2011 we began renovating our third floor to add 3 more bedrooms and an additional bathroom. In February we also began work on our basement. Both projects should be completed by spring 2012. This much needed work will help to reduce our overall energy bills and also adds a total of 4 bedrooms, allowing us to increase the number of community members living in the home and also to provide short term housing for friends in need.  Please consider making a donation or contacting us for more information about volunteer opportunities.