Tonight at youth we will be learning about why and how to read our Bibles. The youth need to know the value they hold in their hands, when they hold a Bible. I pray they will understand the heart / Spirit of the word, and not just the knowledge it posses. That they understand the potential of hearing from God through its pages, and the great value that brings to the kingdom and knowing their place in it.
We have 4 families committed to being part of this campaign... we are looking for 21 more. Would you please pray for 21 people to invest $25 for 25 months?
Our lead student team is meeting now on Tuesday afternoons. There are many ongoing projects for us to be part of. Pray for wisdom to participate in the right ones.
We continue to need prayer for Cardinal and planning a Jesus focused summer camp for the community. The churches and people are ready and open to welcoming new families in. Father, help us to create a rural camp that will bring in new faces hungry to know you.
We are headed into a busy time, and have hit a few snags in the last week along the way. Your prayer covering is really needed heading into this next while. Please feel free to share these letters to those that have a heart to pray for the youth in Upper Canada. Thank you for your heart and committed prayer to all that we are doing together. God Bless!
Upper Canada Youth for Christ, serving churches by building relationships, sharing resources, and following the heart of God where it is already beating.
Here are a few things we wanted to share about our recent past...
January 25, 2017 Johanna attended the eastern regional retreat in Kingston Ontario. During this time we learned to be at rest during seasons of business. Above, some of the staff who serve on the National team with Youth for Christ Canada.
On January 29 we participated in a youth lead service at St. John Anglican Church in Prescott. It was a blessing to attend with youth that don't frequent church.
February 1, 2017, we facilitated Alpha training for all of the churches in Brockville. There were about 40 small group leaders in attendance. Currently there are 10 Alpha groups running in Athens, Prescott and Brockville and Kemptville, these groups include, Church, Young Adult, Youth and Men's small groups. For more information please visit facebook.com/Alpha-Brockville
3 of our Youth, and Johanna were able to volunteer and learn from the Children's pastor, Desirae at Centennial Road church through the event "Midnight Madness". It is because of events like this that we are able to learn processes and bring them to bless other rural churches in Upper Canada.
Our Tuesday night group in Prescott continues to grow. God has brought two new regular attending youth to us, and two that come occasionally. Youth have been pulling me (Johanna) aside, and asking for individual prayer after group. Last week a newer girl asked for prayer for her extended family because her cousin had just committed suicide at the age of 16. Another has asked for a friend with an eating disorder, and another for a friend who's family who grow, smoke and deal pot. The youth trusted in our care every Tuesday night are dealing with issues that may never even darken our doorways. Please pray for the next generation of youth. The ones that know they need Jesus, because nothing else works... for their minds, and heart to know the truth, and them to be kept whole and pure.
There is so much we could more share about what we have been doing. It is only through your obedience in giving that we have been able to be obedient to our call. Thank you for making this happen for us, and for the youth we have touched together over the past months. The number of youth your giving reaches is great and increasing. Thank you for being part of the family of God in this way.
Upper Canada Youth for Christ, serving churches by building relationships, sharing resources, and following the heart of God where it is already beating.
Here are a few things we would like to share about our future...
The Rotary Club has asked Upper Canada YFC to manage their ice cream shop in the lighthouse at the marina in Prescott this Summer. This opportunity will provide jobs for 4-6 of our youth, and open doors for our ministry in new ways that the youth can be actively involved in. We are honoured to use this opportunity to love our community and continue to be a light wherever God sends us.
The Prescott Youth group will be teaming up with the Town of Prescott to help organise an annual clean up. This event will take place on April 21 and 22nd. We have the honour of connecting with local schools and churches to encourage their participation.
On April 7-8, five youth groups will be gathering from Athens, Brockville, Kemptville and Prescott to have the Alpha weekend. Youth Alpha is series of video’s that help youth answer some of life’s biggest questions and explore the Christian faith. The purpose of the Alpha weekend is to give youth the opportunity to experience God in new ways.
In the Fall of 2017, Youth Alpha will be releasing new videos. Much like the Global Alpha Campaign, they will be promoting and using the videos around the world. It is our hope to see every high school in Brockville, Athens, and Prescott have a youth-led Alpha that is sponsored by a church with weekly lunches provided. Please consider this an invitation for your local church body to invest in.
We have partnered with Beattie Dodge on a plan that will allow youth from high schools in Athens, Brockville, and Prescott to attend Leadercast on May 5, 2016. Students will listen to Leaders from around the world talk about their experiences. This will grow our relationships in the local high schools, and help youth learn how to further lead with purpose.
Following Leadercast in Brockville, we will be challenging the attendees from local high schools to go back to their schools and invest time into making "milk mats" for people in West Africa. Milk matts are used for everything from sleeping to selling for small businesses. This is where leadership will be put into practice; teens recycling garbage, and blessing people overseas.
This Summer we will be using what we have learned while volunteering at C-Road Church's "My Summer Rocks" Camp and using it to run a summer camp with St. Paul's Anglican Church in Cardinal, ON. The Pastor at St. Paul's is excited to do follow up services geared toward families that will meet them at a place where they will be able to engage the Word with the church community as a family.
We have begun our social media campaign "hashtag 25". This campaign invites 25 people to give $25 for 25 months to join us in blessing youth in our communities. Summer is a busy time, and we need to be prepared for all that God has asked of us. Do you know someone that is curious about what we do, maybe you would like to help out. Please contact Johanna or click the link below.
Upper Canada YFC is looking for new people to come on staff to bless more churches, which means the blessing of more youth, and having greater reach for God’s Kingdom in Upper Canada.
There is also a need for Johanna to become full-time, which means we are hoping to partner with more people to allow to her work 30 hours a week. We have designed the “hashtag 25” campaign with this purpose in mind.
Please ask God if there is more you could give, or if there is anyone who may want to be involved in partnering with us. We have been so blessed by you and I hope we have been a blessing to you as well.
Stay tuned for the second half of this report, Back to the Past. (coming Saturday)
Upper Canada Youth For Christ, serving churches in Upper Canada by building relationships, sharing resources, and following the pulse of God where it is already beating.
This Tuesday following our Pot Luck dinner, we have a parent of one of our youth giving his testimony. We will take a one week break from Youth Alpha and start up again next week. Please pray that the testimony from this parent has a great impact for the Lord for the youth that hear it.
There is also a group from the Anglican church (4 of our youth) that will be in Montreal this week on a short term mission trip. Pray for safety, and that God will show himself in ways that will leave changed hearts.
This week we will begin our "Hashtag 25" campaign. There is a link below that you can share with people that you may think are interested in being one of 25 people to give $25 for 25 months to Upper Canada UC YFC.
Would you please pray for 25 people to invest $25 for 25 months?
