Organizers hope Walk for Jesus will bring healing to a divided Winnipeg

A modest walk with a powerful message is set to unite Winnipeg in prayer and hope this weekend.

From a small beginning in Steinbach

After launching the event in Steinbach, Walk for Jesus organizer Todd Sperber faced an unexpected turnout.

“We were all pumped up, ready to go see a bunch of people walk, but there were only four people there, and that's considered a Bible town," he says.

Despite the low numbers, Sperber and his team didn’t give up. "We made signs with them, and then we got a lot of honks. We’re like, 'OK, we have to bring this back to Winnipeg.'"

A city in need of hope

Now bringing the event to Winnipeg, Sperber is motivated by what he sees as a city in pain. “I believe the City has a lot of hurting going on right now. People are divided and isolated from our pandemic, and there's so much brokenness,” he says.

"I just want to show what Christianity can do for people—what Jesus can do for people—which is accept them no matter what."

Walking with a mission

The walk will begin at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights at 3 p.m. on Sept. 14.

Sperber shares the heart behind the event: "The vision is to go after the people that are broken on the streets, the people that are trapped in anxiety, depression, addictions, as Jesus would come for those people and really want to heal them."

The route will take participants across Provencher Bridge, down Tache Avenue, and through various stops where the group will pause to pray.

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"We're going to stop and do another prayer behind St. Boniface Hospital along the Riverside," Sperber said, noting how each point is intentional.

An uplifting, non-disruptive experience

Throughout the walk, uplifting music will play, and Sperber emphasizes that the event is meant to inspire, not disrupt. “We’re not closing down any streets, and we’re not here to disrupt anyone’s life,” he assured.

The walk will conclude at The Forks, where participants will gather for a group photo by the Winnipeg Sign and share testimonies.

At its core, Sperber says, the event is meant to unite the Church and glorify God.