Words from the streets of Kings Cross and Bondi Beach

About Jon Owen

I am the Pastor and CEO of Wayside Chapel. I write with my heart wide open and my eyes looking at life. I am a philosopher, a dreamer, a tower of weakness, a leader and a follower, a husband and a father and I hope to give you a flavour of life by the wayside.

All The Masks We Wear

Dear Inner Circle, There is a gift hidden amidst the rush and noise of a typical day at Wayside, and it isn’t so much given,

Simply the Best

Dear Inner Circle The cold has descended upon our streets and the results of the latest Sydney Street Count has confirmed what we already know

Daring Kindness

Dear Inner Circle, We are only beginning now to reap what we have sowed as a society over many decades. It has happened slowly and

Wounded Healer

Dear Inner Circle, So many people come to Wayside Chapel feeling like a failure, having suffered from systems that have attempted to fix their problems

But First, Connection

Dear Inner Circle, My local barista is a bit of a legend. Everyone who wanders into his little hole-in-the-wall is greeted with an enthusiastic smile

Father and son holding hands

Dangerously Nostalgic

Dear Inner Circle, Life certainly moves inexorably forward. From the early days of chasing toddlers, with long days but short years, Lisa and I have

Grand Final Beginning

Dear Inner Circle Our vision of “Love Over Hate” is beyond us. It’s speaking to the world we want to live in, the one where