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By Jack Krayenhoff
JOHN AND GAIL Bones have served Christ separately: John
in his work, as an assistant deputy minister in government; while Gail
has been remarkably successful in personal evangelism. Now they have
started to work as a team also, in a gospel blues band. It’s fun to
listen to their stories.
Though churchgoers (“for the sake of our
children”), they did not commit their lives to Jesus until later in
life. A crisis arose, driving them to God for rescue. Gail got there first.
She did not tell John right away, fearing she would be
scorned for “being born again”; but after three weeks, John
observed: “There’s something different about you. Something in
you got settled.”
Gail prayed, and a little later John had his own
encounter with Christ. “After that, I was a sold-out
Christian,” he says.
John’s commitment manifests itself primarily in
his work. “In my job I’ve had to bring people together from
different walks of life, such as First Nations, environmentalists and
industry people. We had to reach agreement on very difficult issues.
“There can be a lot of resentment and suspicion
to overcome, especially related to past injustices. I always armed myself
with prayer, for wisdom and discernment to bridge gaps. I’ve had a
lot of success that way, and I knew it was because God arranged
circumstances that made it possible.”
Gail delights in telling people about what Jesus did
for her – and what he wants to do for them. She cringes at the
description ‘evangelist,’ because of its association with the
word ‘televangelist’ – but it clearly is her gifting.
Her husband says Gail is “quick to talk to
anybody about the Lord. Some telemarketer is calling in – and within
minutes, she is talking about his need for Jesus.”
Many women in fitness classes which she ran in
Brentwood Bay became Christians though her; but her hip replacements put an
end to that. Now her forum for sharing the good news is the Mustard
Seed – where she does haircuts, prays for people and teaches a course
at the Hope Farm.
How did that gift for evangelism develop?
“The day I gave my life to Jesus, a joy entered
me that has not left me to this day – that deep, deep down
joy,” she says. “That thought, ‘Jesus Christ, the Son of
God, loves me’ – that was staggering. From then on, I just
could not keep from talking about him.”
Gail has a background in secular counselling, and she
gives credit to that as well. “Those listening skills are valid:
focus on what people decide to tell you and what they don’t tell you.
What they make jokes of. The last thing they tell you is often what really
counts.”
And why did she start giving haircuts?
“A homeless guy downtown said he was applying to
rent a really nice room, but was worried he’d not get it because he
was looking so bedraggled. I said, ‘Come back tomorrow. I will
bring some scissors, cut your hair and pray for you.’
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“But I was not a hairdresser, so I said to the
Lord, ‘I’m sorry, I had no business saying that; but since I
promised it, will you fill in what I don’t have?’ So next day,
all prayed up, I gave him his haircut. Someone else looked at it, and said,
‘Damn good haircut.’”
Others wanted haircuts too, and she found it a very
effective way to connect with people.
“It’s like sitting down at a bar –
people start talking,” she says.
She is particularly happy since she started at the
Mustard Seed.
“It’s a Christian place; the staff are men
of integrity, and the gospel is sheltered there. People come from other
downtown help centres, and they say, ‘It’s different here
– there is peace.’”
A few months ago, the couple started a new joint
ministry. John’s love for gospel blues music led them to form an
outreach band, with talented Christian musicians from local churches. While
John’s expectation was to play harmonica, God stretched him to take
on a singing role with Gail.
“I felt very shy about it,” he says,
“but when it’s totally about God, he will make it
happen.” Although they play monthly at their local church, their
favourite ‘gig’ is at the Mustard Seed Street Church
outreach dinners.
“Those people really respond. They are living the
blues, they have the problems we can only sing about: not enough money, no
place to live, alcohol abuse.”
He calls the band Doctor Bones’ Blues Project,
because he often ‘doctors’ secular blues lyrics to make them
“good news blues songs.” Their music has been good enough to
get them invited to the ‘Back to the Blues’ Gospel Blues
Festival in Chilliwack July 25 – 27.
He concludes: “We hope other people will use
us for outreach. We don’t charge anything.”
Contact www.myspace.com/drbonesbluesproject or
250-652-4002.
July 2008
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