Alumni: Paul & Elizabeth Millar

 Paul (Alumni 93-94) & Elizabeth (nee Goodbrand, Alumni 91-92) Millar now live in Hamilton with their four children, Alexandria, Gabriel, Hazel and Sophia. In addition to being Carmel alumni, both Paul and Elizabeth served on staff in the mid-nineties and were actively involved in the Carmel community for many years.
We thought that a number of you might be interested to hear how they’re doing, so we’ve asked them a few questions.

MC – What has stuck with you out of your experiences at Mount Carmel?
PM – Mount Carmel introduced me to ministry to both the inner city and to newcomers to Canada. This has defined my life over the last 13 years and has increased my passion for those on the margins. This is where we first started thinking about marrying the Great Commission with the Great Commandment. For both of us, Mount Carmel introduced us to a great community of people. There are friends of the road and friends of the heart – we discovered both at MC. That has been priceless.

MC – How are your kids doing and what are they up to?
Millars – Kids are doing great! Learning lots, growing fast and keeping us laughing.

MC – Could you tell us about Micah House, what it is and how you’re involved?
PM – Micah House is a refugee reception house here in Hamilton which provides short term housing and settlement support. It’s a ministry funded solely by the local churches and interested individuals. I’m the director there and do everything from leading the staff and volunteers to putting out the recycling. Our greatest joy about being there is giving people a safe and warm welcome their first night in Canada, particularly if just a few nights earlier they wondered if there was such a place.

MC – Could you tell us about your involvement with Forestview church?
PM – My position is called Director of Community Outreach and it has the dual components of finding places where Forestview can serve the marginalized in our community and mobilizing our faith community to enter into these people’s lives. Finding needs is the easy part…
EM – I’ve been thinking a bit about faith and arts and have had the opportunity to make Advent and Easter banners for church. I was also able to commission a local artist to do three large paintings for our sanctuary and we unveiled them at an arts night. It’s prompting us to see God and His creation in a new light. Exciting stuff.

MC - What are you reading, or what have you read recently?
Millars – We’re re-reading Shane Claiborne’s The Irresistible Revolution which seeks to shake the western church out of its individualism, consumerism and complacency. Unfortunately, the church too closely mirrors the rest of society.
EM – I’m in the middle of Godspace: Time for Peace in the Rythms of Life, by Christine Sine which is a great book about making space for God and discovering a “Christlike pace that liberates us from the frenzy of a culture enslaved by time.”