Blog posts from Alvin
The following is an excerpt from our book Faith Formation 2.0. There’s an old and wise saying: “It takes a village to raise a child.” This is just as true in a child’s faith development. Ultimately, we recognize it is God who desires children to develop profound, life-changing faith in Jesus. No one person is responsible for the entire faith development of a child. After all, the Apostle Paul reminds
The following is an excerpt taken from our book Faith Formation 2.0. Mentoring has become the buzzword in the discipleship of children and youth. It’s the biblical model of discipleship that Jesus demonstrated and Paul with Timothy exemplified. That’s more than a buzzword! It has been shown to be one of the most effective and high-impact means for supporting students in their faith development, because mentors are able to
One key way we come to know God is through Scripture. We believe it is the inspired word of God, a primary channel through which he shares his love and his directives with humanity. We've also seen that biblical literacy is very low in the Canadian church (e.g. just 14% of Canadians read the Bible at least once a month in 2013, down from 28% in 1996). Building biblical understanding
The other day, I (Alvin) read an article in New York Magazine called “Meet the Adults Who Love to Color”. The premise of the article was that many adults are re-exploring the art of colouring, and in some ways, re-living moments from their childhood. It got me thinking about youth ministry. Youth ministry can be characterized as chaotic, intensive, deep, social or impulsive. Some envision high-ropes courses, while others think
This past year, we’ve had MANY people helping with our ministries. As we finish the ministry year, we’d like to recognize all our volunteers and staff (93 in total) for their contributions since September. Aaron White Abraham Sen Adrian Karasmanis Alfred Yuen Alyssa Oliver Alyssa Sampson Amy Huang Andrew Rutledge Anna Maria Fruscione Ariel Hartwick Ashley Esposito Becky Nichols Braeden Clarke Brandon Manuel Breanna Oke Brenda Filyer Brennan Rabbets
This past weekend, over 500 people from our family of CBOQ churches gathered in Toronto. This annual Assembly is our “family reunion” and our theme this year was “Growing Up Together”. Indeed, we are all growing up together. Friends renewed acquaintances. Believers celebrated and worshipped God with one voice. Our presenters and speakers each challenged us with ways that we can grow together (from the various ministries to church operations
They say that nothing in life is constant except change. It is inevitable. For many, June is a time for changes, with students graduating, ministries either winding down or ramping up for the summer, school ending and so much more. (Perhaps you’re also about to have a transition in your own life.) Here are some reminders as you move through these changes and transitions: Aim to finish well. You see
As we head into the final month before the summer, many youth ministries are looking to finish their ministry season well. Here are some great ways to wrap up: Celebrate achievements: Whether through an online forum or in your final youth meeting, celebrate all the ways God has blessed these students. Perhaps have them write down specific highlights and either post them on aboard for the church to see or
Over the last 2 weeks, Matt and I travelled to 10 cities, spanning from Windsor to Ottawa, with the Canadian Youth Network’s Youth Worker Resource Lunch Tour. Along with Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship, Power to Change and Ambassadors for Christ, we facilitated a discussion about students transitioning from high school to post-secondary studies. During our tour, we met with approximately 450 youth pastors who supplied a multitude of ways they are
This past weekend, a group from Mississauga Chinese Baptist Church and Kanata Baptist Church visited Six Nations. Led by Joe Elkerton, this group of six explored First Nations culture through their tour at the Woodlands Cultural Centre, with friends at Ohsweken Baptist Church and in group discussions. Here are some soundbites from three participants: I've come away from this weekend with a new respect and interest in Aboriginal culture. I
