Last September we launched Maximizing Ministry. Our intention was to host a monthly gathering to look at some key youth ministry issues. While we still want to provide those kinds of opportunities, we realized our ability to maintain monthly Max Min gatherings is not sustainable. Instead, as we move forward, we will host these discussion gatherings as key topics arise. We invite you to share your topics of interest for
Ask your children/youth: I wonder, what your expectations are this Christmas and New Year? It’s always good to gauge the expectations the next generation has at this time. Perhaps they notice things you may not. It could be as simple as asking a random number of kids/youth this question. You could also challenge other adults to ask this question and listen (not debate). If you want to get creative, record
Tip: Understand what your children and youth know about the key issues for Indigenous peoples, and how they would like to respond. In the last couple of years, the awareness about issues facing Canada’s engagement with Indigenous peoples has escalated. Children and youth have a deeper understanding and recognition through media reports, social media posts and in their classrooms. Understand the pulse of what your children and youth perceive about these issues. Some initial questions could be: Do you have any friends who are
Next March break, what will your youth ministry be doing? While you may still be readjusting to what on-site programming looks like now or navigating other parts of youth ministry, it’s a good time to begin discerning what could be happening a few months from now. For many youth ministries, March break is an opportunity to serve beyond what their group normally does. At this point, an overseas Compassion Experience
On Saturday, November 6, Wycliffe College (along with partners like CBOQ Kids) is hosting the Toronto Children’s Ministry Conference. This may be a great training opportunity for you. You might be asking, “What does a children’s ministry conference have to do with youth ministry?” Here are five reasons why I (Alvin) think you should consider going; There are some renown speakers at this year’s conference. There are many great workshops
On October 4-6, we had a small group of six youth pastors come to Camp Kwasind for our annual Youth Pastors Retreat. In light of the 18+ months of adapting (and readapting) youth ministry in our current times, many felt tired and weary. Together, we took time to rest. Our schedule was slow-paced. We had time to be renewed personally and sharpened in our ministries. Matt led the group
AVALANCHE AND BLIZZARD 2022 RETREATS UPDATE Our CBOQ Youth flagship retreats approach their 22nd year. Last year was our first ever fully online retreat experience. We were amazed at how God continues to bring his message of hope through these new channels for us. Many were asking, “What will Avalanche and Blizzard look like this January/February 2022?” Our aim was to host a hybrid retreat experience for both Avalanche and
This year, we are excited to announce our seven scholarship recipients. Through the legacy of the Baptist Leadership Education Centre, seven scholarships were awarded to young adults who are pursuing undergraduate post-secondary education or short-term ministry training ‘to live a life of impact – wherever they are and whatever they do’. Our recipients are: Angela Shen (Mississauga Grace Missionary Baptist Church) Jaden Pierson (First Baptist Church, Ingersoll) Joseph Xie (Immanuel Baptist Church,
The pandemic has led to the formation of new habits and expectations. Some have voiced the concern that some youth have become too comfortable with online interactions and just stay there with their cameras turned off; they believe there should be a greater “nudge” to in-person gatherings. This is a consumer-based point of view. While some of these concerns are valid, we must ask some deeper questions because there may
The pandemic showed our primary (in many cases sole) dependency on synchronous in-person gatherings. Some ministries were able to pivot to other ways of helping youth in their faith development; others stalled and were unable to adapt. It’s clear that we need to consider other ways of engaging in discipleship to allow for greater adaptability, whether it’s for individual or societal reasons. There are 4 channels for consideration: 1:1 connections Synchronous onsite / in-person
