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Church Planting Canada Congress - October 24-26 in Calgary (website)
Do you or someone in your network want to attend this conference? VMC has discounted tickets available. Email Jeremy Malloy for details.
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Summertime Ministries - September 2023
Preparing Young Leaders at Summer Camp
Gavin Hall & Faith Bible Camp

The Psalms as a playlist for life.

That was Gavin Hall’s creative way of sharing God’s Word to the senior high campers at Faith Bible Camp on Lake Winnipeg this summer.
Believing that God wants our hearts and desires honest conversation with us (with the confidence that God can handle all of our emotions), Gavin explored the Psalms in their wild and practical diversity - 
thanksgiving, lament, praise, worship, imprecation.
Teenagers from northern Indigenous reservations, local churches, and friends of friends were challenged to ask good questions and to think deeply about life and faith.

The 21st century pace of cultural change and technology pose some challenges for sure, but the human desire to matter and to connect with others and with God remains the same.
Gavin was encouraged by their persistent desire to figure out life and their relationship with God.
They want to know the Truth.

Summer camp is an unique experience.
A sort of spiritual greenhouse and intense community time, summer camp has a way of giving campers the freedom to play, the space to think and feel, and the company of seasoned guides who love Jesus.
Faith Bible Camp’s self description is biblical, relational, and affordable.
The 7 churches that support Faith Bible Camp desire to give their campers a fun and faith-filled camp experience.
They want people to grow in the knowledge and love of God - while spending a week on the shores of the 11th largest freshwater lake in the world. 

Invigorating church leaders - present and future - is part of VMC’s guiding vision.
We want to see people - spiritually mature and flourishing - being the Good News of Jesus in their churches and communities.
A week of summer camp is part of the preparation of such leaders.

The Church: A Place of Belonging & Connection
Heather Klaver & North Park Community Church

Imagine the church as a place of belonging and connection - with each other and with God.
What a beautiful signpost of heaven!

Heather at North Park Community Church in London, ON organized two day camps for children this past summer.
As an imitator of Jesus, Heather wanted the children of North Park and their friends to know that they are loved by God and that there is a place for them within the church body.

God was gracious.
A young newcomer to Canada who spoke no English attended camp.
Heather prayerfully matched children with leaders for the week, trusting that God knew what was best.
So it was with great delight, Heather watched this child easily connect with his leader.
The other children found non-verbal ways to support him - helping him understand the games and joking around with him.
The camp experience helped this young child be better prepared for school in September.
It seemed like a grace of God.

Another camper had a hard time engaging.
The first week wasn’t a great week for her.
However, the persistent love of summer camp staff and the Spirit working all things out for good enabled this girl to thoroughly enjoy her second week of camp.
She played the games and interacted with others!
It seemed like a little miracle.

There was another child who looked like he was paying zero attention all week.
Then he surprised them all by raising his hand during discussion time and saying the requested Bible verse by heart.
Who knew?
God was working, despite the lack of visible proof.

Heather was also witness to the love and connection of Christian community.
One camper found a friend!
It was an answer to prayer..
The two young friends ran to each other, hugged, exchanged phone numbers.
The human desire for relationship was met and the unity of the body of Christ was right there.
God’s delight seemed evident.

Looking back, Heather’s reflection of the summer centred around the presence of God.
Amidst the busyness of summer day camp, she knew that God was with her and that God is the foundation of all that activity.
God is the One who created, loves, and sustains these campers.
And God continues to draw people to Himself.
Practising Hospitality & Nurturing Community
Beverly Brown & Westview Bible Church

Ice cream.
Bowling.
Ice cream.
Mini-golf.
Ice cream.

As summer approached, Beverly from Westview Bible Church in Montreal, QC, was thinking of the women of Westview.
She knows that it’s hard to get to know each other on Sundays and that summers can sometimes be lonely.
So when she was approached to help organize summer activities for the women, she gladly used her gifts of service and organization and led the bowling and mini-golf get-togethers.

These summer events were a place for people to meet others outside their regular circle or demographic. 
They were also safe places to bring friends - people who wouldn’t typically attend church.
These events provided relaxed time together outdoors that was conducive to conversation and friendship-building.

As the fall rolls around, Beverly hopes that these summer connections deepen and grow and that a warm and welcoming culture that mirrors God’s hospitality continues to flourish at Westview.
Especially for those who are not familiar to church or are on the edges, she wants them to know that God is here.
That God desires relationship with us.

So who knows?
Maybe God sometimes uses ice cream.
A Gift to the Community: Safe & Caring Child Care
David Lee & Don Valley Bible Chapel

Providing child care and a positive safe environment all through the summer with their Summer in the Son Day Camp is a way that Don Valley Bible Chapel (DVBC) in Toronto loves their neighbours.
Children and parents appreciate the adult-to-child ratio and the way the staff cares about the campers.

Prompted and sustained by their faith in Jesus, the day camp staff from DVBC prayerfully and intentionally sow gospel seeds all summer.
They plant the truth and love of Jesus in the hearts of the children and demonstrate God’s grace in tangible ordinary ways - during games and crafts and snack times.

One camper specifically acknowledged that this camp felt different!
Parents regularly voiced their appreciation for the way the staff cared for the children.

David Lee had the chance to be camp director this year.
Although he had volunteered in previous years, directing was another whole level of responsibility.
And there were challenges - less government grant money, additional fundraisers, increased work load.
Yet through it all, God was constant.
Even during the times of discouragement and busyness, David learned to rely on and trust the presence of God.
He knew that God was in control and he practised participating with God and going along with the Spirit.
It was a full summer, often exhausting - but in the end, spiritually rewarding.

That’s the great thing about participating with God and the redemptive mission that God is all about - the grace of God touches everyone.
Event Calendar
Inter-Generational Diaspora Seminar
Opportunities & Challenges

Passing faith on to the next generation is a challenge facing the diaspora church. Parents love their children and desire harmonious relationships with them to build and sustain a strong church, but generational cultural differences often create tensions and challenges.

At this seminar, diaspora leaders share their experiences and learning to help inspire unity between generations.
Saturday, October 14
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Church in Toronto
671 Sheppard Ave E,
North York, ON

Co-hosted by:
Canadian Bible Society logo
Vision Ministries Canada logo
Thinking Shrewdly 2024
April 18 - 20, 2024
Save the date for VMC's national, in-person conference happening next April in Ontario!

Come join others from across Canada to celebrate, learn, connect and be encouraged together! There's lot of planning still to happen but we are thrilled that our featured presenter will be James K. A. Smith. You can learn more about the award-winning author, speaker and philosopher at jameskasmith.com

Watch for details at vision-ministries.org/ts2024
VMC Storytelling
Every week, we share stories from across our network of churches that show how God is at work in and through His people.

Here are a few stories:

Watch for more stories by following us on Facebook, or Instagram or visit vision-ministries.org/stories
Pray with Us
Please join us as we gather and pray together online each month for our VMC churches and leaders.
  
To sign up or request further information contact Henrietta at info@vision-ministries.org

The VMC prayer team gathers on the first Thursday of the month at the following times across the country:  1:00-2:00pm (Atlantic), Noon-1:00pm (Eastern), 11:00-Noon (Central), 10:00-11:00am (Mountain) and 9:00-10:00am (Pacific).