2020 – CBOQ Youth

10 12, 2020

Pastors Tip #3 (December 2020)

By Alvin|2020-12-10T20:08:07-05:00December 10th, 2020|Alvin Lau, Pastor Tips|0 Comments

“Gather a collection of thanksgiving year-end prayers (video, written, etc) and showcase them.” None of us could foresee the way things transpired in 2020. Yet even with all the disruptions, chaos and confusion, God has revealed in so many ways the ways he continues to bless us with and carry us through challenging times. One way to show our gratefulness is to offer collective prayers of thanksgiving (in-person or online). Here are some ways to do that. IN-PERSON Each person has a piece of paper

3 12, 2020

Treasuring the Moment

By Alvin|2020-12-03T14:37:08-05:00December 3rd, 2020|Alvin Lau|0 Comments

Most years, the Christmas season feels busy and sometimes rushed—even in the church. Many of us juggle different celebrations, gatherings and other obligations. This year, however, it’s changed and a lot of us are feeling a different anxiety or longing for missed traditions. In Luke 2, we read these words: “Mary treasured up all these things” (v19, 51). In fact, we see those words twice! The first time after the

27 11, 2020

Giving (Any) Tuesday)

By Alvin|2020-11-27T20:10:40-05:00November 27th, 2020|Alvin Lau|0 Comments

The season of Advent is upon us. In the last few days, you may have been inundated with ads for Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping deals. To help swing our collective focus away from consumerism and towards charity, tomorrow is Giving Tuesday. For Jesus’ church, it goes without saying that every Tuesday (or any day of the week really) is Giving Tuesday. Jesus reminds us we are to serve, not be served. We are called to give rather than receive (which

10 11, 2020

November 2020 Monthly Zoom: Missions During and After COVID-19

By Alvin|2020-11-10T10:40:19-05:00November 10th, 2020|monthly zoom|0 Comments

Note: There were unforeseen disruptions in the setup and during the recording. Our apologies for those who were not able to join online. 3 Key Insights from Adrian and Louise For many in other parts of the world, COVID-19 isn't in the top 3 of their current crises. Our Canadian churches have much to learn from the Global South. Partnerships between Canadian Baptist churches and field

5 11, 2020

Advent Preparations

By Alvin|2020-11-05T13:19:35-05:00November 5th, 2020|Alvin Lau, youth ministry thoughts|0 Comments

Christmas is (at the time of publication) 46 days away. It seems soon, and perhaps overwhelming when, with our current pandemic, many of the ways we celebrate Christmas will change. Changing how we celebrate doesn’t lessen the significance or the message of Jesus’ birth, however. I (Alvin) hope your church (at least within your youth ministry and among some of the church leaders) has already started those conversations about what Christmas celebrations will look like this year. If you haven’t,

25 10, 2020

Stretching, Wider Steps

By Alvin|2020-10-23T16:38:10-04:00October 25th, 2020|Alvin Lau, youth ministry thoughts|0 Comments

Many youth continue to look for ways to make a difference with their life. As the church that is invested in the lives of these young people, we desire to see them deepen their faith and develop the gifts and skills God’s entrusted to them. We care about their faith development. One key question is: what could be a next step for them? In what area do they need help to stretch and grow as disciples of Christ? There are many ways your church can help facilitate next steps. It could be partnering youth (individually

15 10, 2020

Oct 2020 Tip 2

By Alvin|2020-10-15T16:11:06-04:00October 15th, 2020|Pastor Tips|0 Comments

“Identify your high school grads and their plans.” High school graduation is an exciting time in a person’s life. It’s the closure of one chapter and the anticipation of the next one to come. As the pastor, acknowledging this rite of passage is crucial. At least know who’s graduating this year in your church. You may not be able to connect with them regularly, but at least knowing who they are is a great start. What specific

13 10, 2020

October 2020 Monthly Zoom: Digital Discipleship

By Alvin|2020-10-13T23:23:20-04:00October 13th, 2020|monthly zoom|0 Comments

3 Key Insights from Tanya Digital discipleship needs to be an integral part of the entire discipleship strategy. Curate a playlist (of activities, videos, etc.) for asynchronous learning. Learning can be customized specific for the individual based on their learning intelligence, current faith stage, interests, etc. Bonus Content Designing Faith Formation Playlists (from Lifelong Learning) Designing Faith Formation Playlists (from Vibrant Ministry) Guide

12 10, 2020

October 31 Plans

By Alvin|2020-10-12T19:42:37-04:00October 12th, 2020|Alvin Lau|0 Comments

In a couple of weeks, neighbourhoods across Quebec and Ontario will be celebrating Halloween. It’s a time when people in the community are out and about sharing a little fun with one another, which gave us opportunities to interact with them. Pre-COVID, many of our youth ministries were involved in community Halloween events or fundraising efforts such as “Trick or Treat for Hope” to share the love of Christ. This year will look different. First of all, stay up to date with what your local public

7 10, 2020