Now more than ever, it is becoming crucial that we take serious the need for our churches to invest into the ongoing equipping of our leaders who are called to reach and engage this next generation with the person and message of Jesus.

This highly practical program will span the period of 18 months in which the participants will receive three 3-day Retreats, 2 on-site 3-day trainings and more. Each module will be facilitated by CBOQ Next Generation staff along with invited youth ministry professors and ministry leaders from across Canada.

Each participant will be paired up with a veteran youth ministry mentor for monthly coaching sessions, be given access to youth ministry resources, and have an opportunity to network with other ministry leaders through their cohort experience.

Along with Matt and Alvin, here are some of the guest speakers scheduled for this coming cohort.

Kaarina Hsieh has served actively in pastoral ministries for over 25 years in a variety of contexts. For 17 years, she also served on faculty and is the former Dean of Students at Tyndale Seminary. There she gave oversight to Student Development and Chapel ministries and her particular areas of teaching foci at the Seminary were in Youth and Family Ministries, Gospel, Church and Culture and in areas of Spiritual Formation.

Since 2012 Kaarina has served as Lead Pastor of Parkway Forest Community Church located in North York (Toronto). Parkway Forest Community Church is a dynamic, multi-cultural, age and socio-economically diverse church that is always seeking to build bridges into the community, finding ways to love the city to Jesus. Kaarina also serves on the Board of Directors for Youth Unlimited GTA and continues to champion for the spiritual growth and health of youth and their families to greater wholeness in Christ.

Kaarina and her husband Wayne live in, love and serve the community they’ve been called to with great joy and a deep sense of God’s Kingdom purposes.

Kaarina will be speaking on mentoring.

KAARINA HSIEH

SID KOOP

Sid is the Executive Director of the Youth Worker Community which has shaped ministry to adolescents in Canada through various research project partnerships (Renegotiating Faith and Hemorrhaging Faith), youth worker training conferences (equipping thousands of youth workers each year), and now consulting and coaching. He continues to speak regularly to teenagers and is passionate about helping the next generation see and experience the truth of Jesus Christ.

Sid will be speaking on managing hot topics.

Dave architects the vision and values of Church on the Rock, spearheads new initiatives, and spiritually feeds the Church on the Rock family. In his spare time Dave heads up the Tyndale Seminary in the Youth and Family Department. Dave loves to writes and has several Canadian best-selling books in ministry. Dave speaks across North America and is a trainer at Arrow leadership. He loves canoeing, camping and playing the guitar.

Dave will be speaking on evangelism.

DAVE OVERHOLT

BRETT ULLMAN

Brett Ullman travels North America speaking to teens, young adults, leaders, and parents on topics including parenting, mental health, men, sexuality, pornography, dating, and media. Brett’s seminars engage and challenge attendees to try and connect our ancient faith with our modern culture we live in. He leads and directs Worlds Apart, a charity focused on empowering individuals to re-align their lives with Biblical core values often muddled by media but central to Christian living.

Brett was a teacher with the Toronto District School Board for 10 years before moving into speaking full-time back in 2005. Brett has a Masters degree in Evangelism and Leadership from Wheaton Graduate School in Chicago and is also a graduate of the Arrow Leadership Program. Brett is currently working on his Masters in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University.

Husband to Dawn, and father of Bennett and Zoe, Brett and his family make their home in Ajax, Ontario and attend Sanctus Church (formerly C4 Church) in Ajax since 2004.

Brett will be speaking on mental health and parenting.

Kevin is passionate about seeing youth grow closer to God and helping them to be better members of our community. He serves as Pastor of Youth Ministries at Cornerstone Christian Community Church in Markham since 2007.

He loves making music, cycling, playing basketball and being with people.

Kevin will be speaking on developing student leaders.

KEVIN WHITE

MATT WILKS

Matt has served as a youth pastor, lead pastor, executive director, and a host of other roles in his almost 25 years of ministry experience. He has worked for national organizations in Chicago and Kansas City as well helping churches and ministries with interim projects.

Matt currently runs a ministry consulting company called Baseline Ministries which provides ministry organizations and churches with a variety of different ministry solutions. He is found presenting at many national training events and Matt is recognized as a leading voice for youth ministry in Canada. Matt teaches at many Bible Schools including Ambrose University, Prairie Bible College and Rocky Mountain College.

You can read Matt’s first published book entitled, Cultivate: A Youthworker’s Guide to Establishing Healthy Relationships, which is the topic he will be speaking on. Matt has been married to Michelle for 28 years and has two daughters, Maris and Macauleigh

Tanya serves as the Children and Family Ministries Associate at CBOQ after spending more then a decade as a pastor in youth and young adult ministry in downtown Toronto. Tanya is passionate about coming alongside churches and ministry leaders seeking to grow in ministry effectiveness with children and families, particularly in intergenerational communities of faith. Tanya is a graduate of Tyndale and the Arrow Leadership Program.

Tanya will be speaking on churches supporting children and youth in transitioning from one life and ministry stage to the next.

TANYA YUEN

Our next opening for applications will launch in spring of 2024.