|
WEST COAST
Mark van Vliet is the campus director of Every Nation
Campus Ministries in Vancouver and youth director at Every Nation Church
Vancouver. He is also chairs the Association of Christian Clubs at the
University of British Columbia.
“I see a generation rising up to take their
place / With selfless faith / I see a near revival stirring as we pray and
seek / We're on our knees.”
The lyrics from the Hillsong Saviour King CD captures what is
happening amongst our youth and students in Vancouver. Prayers carried
forward from See You At The Pole in September, to joining with over 7,000
others at GM Place for the Passion Work Tour the next month, to Missions
Fest coming in January, along with preparations for the 2010 Olympics
– there is a move of God welling up in this city. Various ministries
and churches are unanimous in their desire to work together, and make a
difference amongst this generation. What is true of Vancouver is also true
of this nation. God is on the move using ordinary people to do
extraordinary things. As you discover the ‘options you have on this
journey, as you choose your future,’ may you point people to the
source of eternal life so that they can drink deeply of this living water.
This is how ‘I see a generation rising up to take their place, a near
revival stirring.’
PRAIRIES
Rob Haslam is the director of Canadian Youth Worker
based in Winkler, Manitoba. He is also a youth pastor in Morden, Manitoba.
Do you encourage a ‘Thomas’ when they
doubt? Here in the Prairies, I seem to frequently encounter youth and young
adults that are tired of how they interact with faith. Growing up in the
Christian community we are encouraged to ask questions – within
certain restraints. Youths that ask hard questions of faith can genuinely
be viewed as potential ‘backsliders.’ Some youth pick up on
that, become frustrated and walk away from the church. This doesn’t
mean that they walk away from Christ, but unless there is an arena to ask
critical questions we may find students no longer interested in the
answers. When we read of Thomas questioning Jesus’ resurrection we do
not read that Christ condemned him or dismissed him. I ask myself,
‘Am I okay with students questioning the validity of Jesus’
claims?’ ‘Do I allow for students to actually rediscover their
faith in a new way and perhaps some for the first time?’ My prayer is
that we wake up to what is a mass exodus of youth and young adults, and
allow Thomas to come back to church.
ONTARIO
Stefan Cherry leads a new, multicultural church plant
in Ottawa. He also works half-time with the Mennonite Central Committee
Canada as their domestic policy analyst, engaging the government on issues
related to people in situations of poverty, refugees, aboriginal issues and
restorative justice.
When my wife, Pascale, and I responded to
God’s call to plant a new, multicultural faith community in Ottawa
this year, we thought our calling was unique. But upon arriving in
Canada’s national capital, we were thrilled to start bumping into
other kingdom-oriented GenXers who have been called from all across Canada
to do the same thing. The neat and exciting thing that all these young
adult leaders share is that we are so much more interested in investing in
the broader kingdom than just into our own individual churches.
We all want to be used to transform communities and neighbourhoods by an
outpouring of God’s love through random acts of service and kindness.
And what’s even cooler is that we all want to work together at this
rather than in isolated silos. Our common vision is that we want to equip
the youth, young adults and adults in our communities to just get out
there and be the
kingdom wherever we are. Because we really believe in the idea of Emmanuel
(God with us) – so wherever we go, he is already there.
That’s where the kingdom is, and that’s where we wanna be!
|
QUEBEC
Allaina Van Reeuwyk is the campus director with The
Living Room, a church which meets in the student bar at Concordia
University.
After almost three years of discussing matters of the
heart and faith (or lack thereof) with young people in Montréal (the
least churched city in North America), I’ve noticed that although
many are disillusioned by religion, they crave real relationships and are
interested in spiritual matters. At Concordia University this fall, some
students and I roamed the campus with a video camera interviewing their
peers about what came to mind when they heard the words
‘church’ and ‘Jesus Christ.’ Many students’
thoughts were not so negative towards Jesus, whom they perceived as one who
loved and served people. More were cynical towards the disconnect they saw
between what Jesus taught and how they see many church-goers living. Young
people in Quebec are looking for unconditional love, longing to be heard
and wanting to live lives that effect change in the world. If churches and
ministries are willing to take the time to love, listen to and
sacrificially serve our cities, we will have an opportunity to be an
example and an agent of hope and life to the youth of this province and
nation.
ATLANTIC
Dale Stairs directs the youth ministry program at
Acadia Divinity College, as well as youth and family ministries for
the Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches.
A few years ago our esteemed Prime Minister got
himself in trouble by alluding to a culture of defeat in Atlantic Canada.
Within our churches we often hear sentiments that encourage us to think we
are lagging behind the rest of Canada when it comes to growing the kingdom.
Perhaps we (and all Canadians reading this) need to hear of some of the
great things that are happening among Atlantic Canadian youth. Did you know
that two of the 15 large annual youth events in Canada happen here? These
two youth conferences draw a combined total of over 5,000 youth every year!
In virtually every city we have thriving networks of youth pastors who are
planning events together and encouraging each other in ministry. Youth
pastors from at least five denominations are planning a week-long mission
event called ‘Tidal Impact’ for the summer, expecting over
1,200 youth! Speaking of youth doing mission, there is a very significant
increase in the number of youth who are travelling internationally to be
involved in short-term mission projects. A culture of defeat in Atlantic
Canada? Perhaps, but we are witnessing a generation that is connecting with
other believers and living out their faith in a way that is unprecedented!
Options Winter 2009
|
