Alvin Lau

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

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

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

3 10, 2020

Giving Thanks and Clergy Appreciation Month

By Alvin|2020-10-03T21:50:53-04:00October 3rd, 2020|Alvin Lau|0 Comments

It goes without saying that 2020 has held unexpected events. So much has happened since March. We are asked to approach Thanksgiving with hearts of gratefulness, but as it approaches being grateful will be easier for some than for others. There are many in our communities (local or regional), and maybe in our churches, who are feeling great anxiety, tension and stress as a result of COVID-19. However, the question remains for each of us individually, “Do I come to God with unreserved thanksgiving?” In Psalm 27, David reminds us of

27 09, 2020

Coaching the Class of 2021

By Alvin|2020-09-24T13:16:27-04:00September 27th, 2020|Alvin Lau, youth ministry thoughts|0 Comments

Although most high school students are getting into some kind of back-to-school rhythm, their year will be unlike any other. And think about how different it will be for those who are graduating in 2021! It’s just as vital as ever for us to come alongside them as they navigate their move from high school to whatever post-secondary chapter they choose. Our grad mentoring kit is still available as a

26 09, 2020

Camp and Youth Ministry: working together

By Alvin|2020-09-26T15:42:10-04:00September 26th, 2020|Alvin Lau, youth ministry thoughts|0 Comments

Youth ministry has a great symbiotic relationship with camps. Youth ministries and Christian camps both strive towards the goal of the next generation knowing and growing closer to Jesus, but we each have our specific platforms in which to accomplish that. That being said, there are many ways we can complement each other in attaining that goal. (You can see specific ways Kwasind, Kids and Youth do this as CBOQ Next Gen in our onboarding guide.) Resource Sharing: God has equipped each of our individual churches and camps with various

14 09, 2020

Initial Insights into Gen Alpha

By Alvin|2020-09-14T09:53:33-04:00September 14th, 2020|Alvin Lau, youth ministry thoughts|0 Comments

Recently, McCrindle (a research organization in Australia) released a report on “Understanding Generation Alpha”; these are kids born approx. 2010 and later. Some are starting to enter youth ministry. Here are some key highlights (especially as they differ from Generation Z): Personalization is key. It’s not just having their “names” on everything; they are growing up in a world where a service or resource is channeled specifically to them individually. This isn‘t a case of entitlement; it’s just “how it