Blog – Page 17 – CBOQ Youth

March 2020

The Great “Reset”: making the most of the situation

By Alvin|2020-03-29T03:21:45-04:00March 29th, 2020|Alvin Lau|

It’s been two weeks since students have been in their classrooms. Many have spent a LOT of time at home (likely a considerable amount in their rooms). Some go to their default past-time (whether it’s gaming, Netflix binging, Tik Tok videos to name a few), others complain of being bored (despite not being willing to do anything). There is a better way for students to use their time, and for you to encourage your youth in the process. Before we start, a couple of considerations: A person doesn’t need to tackle all 5 areas. Some may overlap. If any

5 Tips For Tech in Ministry

By Alvin|2020-03-27T11:41:20-04:00March 28th, 2020|Alvin Lau, best practices|

In the past couple weeks, many churches have started using technology (especially streaming and video conferencing) to meet and connect with one another. As this form of connection becomes more familiar to us, here are some tips, ideas and considerations moving forward. DIFFERENT TOOLS FOR DIFFERENT AUDIENCES No one tool will work for everyone, and different tools serve different purposes. Many churches are streaming their services through Facebook Live or YouTube Live. Zoom is the choice for many who need a group discussion setting. Instagram chats,

Helping Essential Service Workers

By Alvin|2020-03-29T17:32:36-04:00March 27th, 2020|Alvin Lau|

Families that include those who have to go to work (whose jobs are deemed essential services), face a dilemma. Who will care for their children? At the time of this posting, based on the list provided by the Ontario government, individuals may be able to provide home childcare services for fewer than 6 children. Could our members (including youth) help those in their neighbourhoods by providing childcare? A few days ago, CBOQ Kids developed a virtual day camp template. It includes ideas for

COVID-19: a few days later

By Alvin|2020-03-23T08:35:33-04:00March 23rd, 2020|Alvin Lau|

Yesterday, almost all churches have gone to some kind of digital gathering. In the last 1-1.5 weeks, youth leaders are figuring out what's their best approach in light of social distancing (some have suggested using the term "physical distancing" instead). Some observations I've (Alvin) made (without any too conclusive): The way we approach ministry is shifting dramatically (obvious statement). It's pushed us to lean on more networks of support. I've

Prayer Conference Calls

By Alvin|2020-03-19T10:50:25-04:00March 18th, 2020|Alvin Lau|

While youth ministries are adjusting to the temporary reality influenced by COVID-19, we are gathering to pray (virtually) on Mondays at 7:00 pm, Wednesdays at 7:00 pm and Fridays at 10:30 am until April 9, 2020. To join, dial in with a number listed at https://www.fongo.com/conference-calling/. Use our CBOQ Youth office # as the pin: 4166202946. Feel free to invite any youth leader, children's ministry leader, next generation leader (or

CBOQ Kid’s Virtual Day Camp

By Alvin|2020-03-14T20:46:42-04:00March 14th, 2020|Alvin Lau|

With the extended school closure, what will your youth (and the kids in your church and neighbourhood) be doing? While some parents/guardians are able to take that time off (or may be self-isolating as well), others may not have that option. They may be turning to your youth to supervise/babysit those kids. CBOQ Kids has just released a virtual day camp as a resource for your youth (and parents) to

Post-Secondary Considerations

By Alvin|2020-03-07T14:41:06-05:00March 7th, 2020|Alvin Lau|

Do you have students about to graduate high school this June? What are their next steps? Here are some considerations and options in helping them make their next move. If they’re heading to school in another city, plan a visit to their prospective campus. If you as the youth leader can’t accompany them, encourage the students to visit campus with their parents/guardians. If you have students heading to Ontario universities

CBOQ Sunday 2020

By Alvin|2020-03-01T13:14:01-05:00March 1st, 2020|Alvin Lau|

Yesterday, many of our CBOQ churches celebrated CBOQ Sunday. I (Alvin) was with Windsor Chinese Baptist Church (WCBC) for the weekend and it reminded me of the many reasons why CBOQ exists. This weekend, I had the honour to leading WCBC's Friday night youth group, facilitating a ministry audit, reviewing some key areas in their English ministry and speaking at their Sunday English service; I even had a chance to

February 2020

Today’s Teens Conference 2020 – review

By Alvin|2020-02-24T00:12:56-05:00February 24th, 2020|event recap|

Last Saturday, over 1000 youth workers and student leaders converged at the Meeting House in Oakville for Ontario's largest and longest running youth ministry conference, hosted by Youth Unlimited. All were encouraged and inspired that, with all that's happening in the world, THERE IS HOPE BECAUSE OF JESUS; all were challenged to bring that hope to their spheres of influence. Some key reminders from some of the plenary speakers: Mark

20th Anniversary Online Tour

By Alvin|2020-05-07T17:04:23-04:00February 11th, 2020|Events|

We celebrated 20 years of ministry as CBOQ Youth. In early May, several of our youth leaders plus our past directors joined us for our online celebrations; thank you for those who came. We reflected and gave thanks. We looked to what possibilities might come. Below is a Zoom interview done with Matt Wilkinson, Tim McCoy and Darren DeGraaf. Plus, you can win a prize package valued at over