Better Together

by Michael Mileski

I’m the pastor of Benediction Church, which meets near Main St East at St Clair - but if you’re not part of our community, you may remember me from such TrueCity Conference appearances as “Fundraising Ask 2025” or “Fundraising Ask 2024” or “Fundraising Ask 2023”. Within TrueCity, I’ve gained something of a reputation as a fundraiser, which is ironic because if you ask anyone on the Leadership or Finance Teams of Benediction, they’ll tell you I don’t know the difference between budgets, bonds, and bills. I do a few things effectively, and for the rest, I depend on the people that God has brought into our church community. We trust each other to serve faithfully, and do what we can so that it’ll be - even just a little bit more - in Hamilton as it is in heaven. 

We joined TrueCity at our earliest opportunity because we see it as a community of communities. In the same way that a church is made up of members who serve according to their gifts, so is TrueCity. And in TrueCity, each church brings something important and beautiful. 

A few months ago I participated in one of our TrueCity pastors’ gatherings; these are meant to offer encouragement and relationship (and free lunch) to church leaders. This particular gathering had as its focus the “Crisis of Secularism” (per Andrew Root). There was teaching, conversation and testimony of  the ways that secularism is affecting our churches, and we listened to many of TrueCity’s leaders and pastors share about how we “do church” differently in light of secularism’s influence on the culture. It was awesome - I felt so seen! I gained a language for what I’d often felt but couldn’t describe well. Then as we heard some of the ways we’ve tried responding to the “crisis” I gained practical ideas and tools I’d never thought of before. The whole thing was so encouraging - it was like a seminary course for ministry Hamilton, by Hamiltonians. The solidarity and unity were tangible, and I’m still pulling from the ideas we shared that day.

I still don’t know my way around a budget spreadsheet, but I’m encouraged and strengthened to press on in ministry in a secular culture. Not only that, I know that I have peers nearby who know exactly what it’s like, who I can pray for, and who pray for me. Experiences like this have been the rule for me, not the exception. I’m so grateful for TrueCity, and excited for what’s ahead in this new ministry year!