For many youth ministries, the kick-off over the last two weeks exudes energy and excitement, but as students and leaders start to settle down that excitement won’t last. So how do you support students and leaders into the “meat” of the ministry season? How do you make sure your leaders are cared for? Sometimes (I’m guilty of this many times) as leaders, we focus so heavily on the program and
Over the next couple of weeks, youth groups all over Quebec and Ontario begin another season of ministry. Some old friends return; and new ones join in. In the midst of the kick off, be sure to celebrate! Celebrate the past. Review what God has done both in the group and in each student through the summer. Consider posting t some pictures or have a running slideshow as students enter.
Can you believe that Labour Day is only two weeks away? For some of you have been able to slow down the last few weeks. Others have been on the go at a high gear. So before the “new year” starts after Labour Day, take a look at the following (not completely exhaustive) checklist for your consideration: Have you taken time to rest and breathe, even for at least one
For 10 days, three churches converged in Montreal to serve.. They started as strangers and became friends under the name of Jesus. From July 23 to August 1, FBC-Welland and FBC-Dunnville joined Montreal Chinese Baptist Church in the heart of Montreal. Their first weekend began with some training and team bonding. (Welland and Dunnville soon discovered that MCBC was an epic location for Manhunt plus a Poke stop was right
A couple weeks ago, I spoke at Camp Kwasind for their week, 1 camp. While I was responsible for two messages a day, I had time in between. At first, I would take my laptop to the deck, sit in a Muskoka chair and work away, but, internet access isn't the strongest there. I had to make a choice. I could work, waiting impatiently for files to open and to
Henry Ford once said, “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” One of our key Baptistic principles is association, that we can be better when we work together. That includes supporting and being supported by others. In our Canadian Baptist circles, we have different layers of association. Regionally, we have associations (in fact, 16 of them). There are some vibrant networks within associations such
The last three months have been a big push of deadlines, from the CB Youth and Family Forum to the re-release of Faith Formation 2.0 to the launch of our new theme and ministry resource guide and the soon-to-be-released 2016/17 Rerooted curriculum. As these deadlines pass, more are coming, but with a change of pace. For me (Alvin), the next few weeks will be filled with speaking engagements (including Week
Next week is March break, the unofficial signal that we’re in the final stretch of the ministry/school year. Here are some of the ways youth ministries across CBOQ will spend next week. Many churches provide VBS-like day camps. Some groups of youth are heading out for short-term mission experiences. In fact, we have representatives from 4 churches forming our CE-DR team heading to Los Alcarrizos on Friday. You can follow
Today, the CBOQ staff settles into our new work home. Moving to 5 International Blvd brings an exciting sense of a fresh start. But, as with any change, there are a few things to keep in mind. Very rarely will it go according to the original plan. No matter how many times you’ve moved and no matter how meticulous you are in preparations, there are always unforeseen details that impact
Toronto Raptors games are one of the hottest tickets in Toronto right now! On March 20, almost 500 students and leaders gathered at the Air Canada Centre to witness a Raptors victory. What happened afterwards was even more significant. As part of our post-game program, 80 students gathered on the court for our 90-second layup contest. All the churches were represented. Each contestant won a Raptors drawstring bag or a
