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The Open Door 6

An Unexpected Journey 14

I Was a Stranger 24

The Adventure of a Lifetime 34

Blizzard Wrap-Up 37

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Dear Canadian Baptist Friend,

Collected here in this year’s The Canadian Baptist are your stories of how God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, is opening doors of ministry and mission all around us. I am consistently encouraged and amazed by the impact you are having on your com-munities through your efforts of advancing the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout On-tario and Quebec.

I talk a lot. Especially about CBOQ and the exciting ways God is blessing our fam-ily of churches. For 128 years now, our lo-cal communities of faith have been caring for others and seizing opportunities for the sake of justice and mercy, mission and edu-cation, teaching and equipping in the name of Christ and under the banner of Canadian Baptists.

Paul writes in I Corinthians 16:9 “…a great door for effective work has opened to us, and there are many who oppose us.” I am grateful for those of you who recognize what God is doing in your communities—the doors he is opening—and are confident of the effective work he has lined up for

you. As you read the following pages, I trust you will be inspired by the faithfulness of those who are trying different opportunities and options and find purpose and mean-ing as they carry out the effective work that awaits them.

You’ll read about the victories and challeng-es of participating in God’s mission and may find resonance or divine inspiration as you consider how to get involved in the days and years to come.

CBOQ, this great family of churches, trans-formed by Christ, is revealing God’s king-dom through stories like these and stories like yours. Thank you for your significant part in advancing and supporting the mis-sion and vision of CBOQ. We are better to-gether because you are walking with us for effective work.

May the strength and joy of the Lord be yours,

Tim McCoyExecutive Minister, CBOQ

Cover photo:Greg Banik, youth pastor, and the youth of Heron Park Baptist Church, Scarbor-ough.

Editor:Jacqueline SolomonCommunications Associate

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About Assembly

The Open Door

The Big Risk

Seven Signs You Might be a Church Planter

It Takes a Village

Americus V. Timpany: Canadian Missionary to India

An Unexpected Journey

How Is your Church Praying: Part 1

Quiz:Are You Open to God’s Leading?

Wonder, Story and Play

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Great News for Fragmented People

For I Was a Stranger

How Is your Church Praying: Part 2

Connected by Association

The Holy Intruder

Building Up, Tearing Down

How Is your Church Praying: Part 3

Breadalbane and Aylmer: The Overcomers

The Adventure of a Lifetime

Blizzard Wrap-Up

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32

33

34

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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…a great door for effective work has opened to us, and there are many who oppose us.

I Corinthians 16:9

BAPTIST.CA/ASSEMBLY

JUNE 9-11, 2016Hilton Mississauga/Meadowvale | 6750 Mississauga Rd | Mississauga, ON | L5N 2L4

CBOQ ASSEMBLY 2016

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We live in a world of opportunities and options. Doors are everywhere.

Which doors of opportunity has God placed before you or your church? Through which doors will we venture? What will we encounter on the other side of that door?

At Assembly this year, we will explore the remarkable opportunities for ministry and mission that God has placed before us. Mission, church planting, ministry to the next generations—all are before us. With those opportunities there will be challenges—no doubt about that. But will we use the strength we have to move ahead with God?

Christians are called to bring forth the gospel in the midst of stormy seas. What things prevent us from being bearers of the good news to our culture today? How do we deal with them so that we can present to those who have never met Jesus an open door to the gospel? Jonah’s experience of bearing God’s message

in a complex world might help us to navigate these troubled waters.

Open: Following God’s Lead to New Opportunities is our theme for Assembly 2016. For many of us, that call to follow into new situations forces us to confront the unfamil-iar. It calls us to pass through doors that may have been closed for a long time. This year’s plenary speakers are Anna Robbins, Academic Dean and Associate Professor of Theology, Culture and Ethics at Acadia Divinity College, and Tim McCoy, Executive Minister of CBOQ.

PLENARY 1: TIM MCCOYWALKING THROUGH OPEN DOORSWhether we see it or not, God is al-ready at work in our communities and welcomes us to partner with him. What doors is God opening around you? What is easy to see? What might we have missed? How can our fami-ly of churches engage more fully and effectively in what God is doing? To-gether we will learn how to walk to-gether into new places and spaces for

the sake of the gospel.

PLENARY 2: ANNA ROBBINSRUNNING SCAREDRapid change, and a sense of insecu-rity about who we are in Christ, has left the western church disoriented and afraid. Like Jonah, we find it eas-ier to run away from culture than be open to our mission. How can we acknowledge our fear, and build our confidence so that we are open to what God is doing—and wants us to do—in the world today?

PLENARY 3: ANNA ROBBINSANGER MANAGEMENTThe gulf between what it means to be a Christian and what it means to be a Canadian seems wider than ever. Sometimes Christians find it easier to confront culture with a judgmental attitude than to present an open door of love and grace. Jonah thought God forgave too easily, and he was angry about it. How do we move past our anger to consider that God loves the world and is already at work all around us?

ABOUT ASSEMBLY

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THE OPEN DOORWe stand

g a t h -e r e d —

no, huddled—cling-ing together as much from fear as for warmth, looking up at a large wooden door looming over us, dark and fore-boding. Inside for such a long time, we look up with hes-itation, unsure of whether we actually want it to open or not. We seek the key, the password that will open the door and make everything

how it used to be. Except that it will nev-er be that way again. We got used to traffic coming in, not going out; the hinges warped into the groove of inward direction. Now, it’s clear that we have become stuck in here, making what was once a refuge into a prison for ourselves.

Surrounded by the things we love and things that make us comfortable, we have little sense of what might be out there. Whatev-er it is, it is alien. Threatening. Risky. Here, we have safety. Here, we have our God. His song is in here, not out there. In here is har-mony; out there is noise. And yet, we have heard whispers of the Spirit that we have been in this place, in this way, for far too long.

Slowly, hesitantly, one bold soul steps for-ward and utters a word. The sound cuts through the stillness and we wait, warily

hopeful. Silent expectation is soon dashed. Wrong word. Wrong code. Wrong program. Wrong agenda. One after another, nothing seems to work. The door won’t budge.

Some, afraid of what is outside, linger at the edges, ready to run. This has been their safety. They feel uncertain of what to do if the door should swing open wide. Anything could happen. It’s best to be prepared.

Others stand to the side with weapons at the ready should the door open to the un-welcome. They are ready with an assault of words, and dogmatic demands. If you enter here, you enter on our terms or not at all.

Our numbers grow smaller by the day. Al-though the door opens inwards, few come this way any more. When they do, they often wait by the door to sneak out again when another comes in. We are the remnant, in hushed mourning.

In the silence, we hear a song. It starts down low, and then grows strong. We press our ears to the door, together pushing in to lis-ten to this sweet sound. As we lean in to hear, our weight against the door causes it to creak and shift. Suddenly, the room is filled with light, the door open wide. We squint our eyes against the brightness, disoriented at first. But then the muted forms transform into a world of technicolour beauty, of love, and joy. We rejoice. We also see a world of pain, of hated and hunger. We get to work. There is so much to do that we forget how much we loved the rose-coloured carpet that covered the floor just inside the door.

The song we thought we’d forgotten is now all around us, out here, in the open.

BY ANNA

ROBBINS

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By Kevin Makins,Eucharist Church, Hamilton

It was October 2010, just two months after we had started coming together as a congrega-

tion, that we did our first “outreach event” in a park next to our meeting space. At the time our community was meeting in a small fashion studio inside an old factory. Next to us was Gage Park, the largest outdoor space in downtown Hamilton.

It was Halloween, which meant all the neighbourhood kids would be outside, walking the streets, collecting candy, and generally being adorable. It seemed like the prime opportunity to connect with the broader neigh-bourhood. We bought a ton of can-dy, set up some games, and created a small “All Saints Day” candle display. It was awesome! Dozens of children visited, playing games, eating snacks, and lighting candles. It also gave us a great opportunity to connect with their families.

The next year we doubled down on the idea. We spent weeks build-ing massive cardboard robots that would fill the park. We bought dou-

ble the candles, prepped twice as many games (we added a rope maze and a bean bag toss), and tripled the amount of All Saints Day Candles (by popular demand).

And… no one showed up.

Like, I’m not even kidding. No one. Not even the kids from our own church!

It was like the entire city decided to play a practical joke on us. We grieved our loss, trashed the robots, and called that fated evening “The Night the Children Never Came.”

Since then, we’ve continued to throw ourselves into creative projects. We’ve hosted parties, created public

art, started bike lane campaigns, and refugee sponsorship projects.

But it never gets easier. Every sin-gle time we start from scratch with a nervous question in the back of our minds: “What if this bombs?!”

But that’s the way these things go.

You have to throw yourself into it, because that’s what it means to be liv-ing church: it means you have skin in the game. It means you are still listen-ing. It means you are open to God’s leading. And, let’s get honest: it’s scary. It might sink or it might swim or it might explode into a million tiny pieces. But whether it “works” or not is not our job. Christians aren’t in the “success” business. Our job is to be faithful.

To listen faithfully, to show up when God calls us, to play our role in the work God is doing. The results are entirely God’s business.

So may you continue to be open to the calling of God. May you continue to take risks, try new things, and pio-neer. And may you know that, what-ever the result, you did what you were called to do.

THE BIG RISK

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SEVEN SIGNS YOU MIGHT BE A CHURCH PLANTERBy Carol GouveiaAdministrative Assistant

Church planting isn’t for everyone. It can be difficult and discouraging, but if you have an undeniable call to be a church planter, it’s an exciting way to live. Are you a church planter? You might be... if:

1. You walk in to your local coffee shop and talk to six people before you place your order.

2. Your friends think you have a little too much faith. 3. You look around the neighbourhood and think,

“wouldn’t it be great if—” 4. You know the exact population of the city you live

in, how many of them go to church and how many don’t.

5. You constantly want to start something new.6. You’d rather hang out with misfits.7. You can take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’!

Think you’re a church planter? Contact Dallas Friesen, Director of Congregational Development to find out more at dfriesen@baptist.ca.

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By Jacqueline SolomonCommunications Associate

There are entire shelves at book-stores dedicated to parenting teenagers. And it’s no wonder. As burgeoning adults begin to push back against parental authority and start to question everything, there is bound to be some fric-tion—especially when it comes to issues of faith. What Christian parent doesn’t have some trep-idation that their children will walk away from Jesus? The tran-sition from childhood to adult-hood is a true pilgrim’s journey, replete with snares, distractions, blessings, and traps along the way. It is impossibly difficult to grow up, but in the midst of the

snarling and death glares of the teen years, it can be difficult for parents to exercise the compas-sion, grace and patience that may be required.

Standing in the gap between parents and their teenagers are the youth leaders. Charged with shepherding the next generation of Christ-followers, theirs is one of the most challenging roles in the church—and arguably one of the most rewarding.

“[Adolescence] is when kids start to ask themselves: is this what I believe? Is this who I am? It’s good to be there when peo-ple are asking the questions. As they go through life, they have

big questions. That’s the first time young people are deciding for themselves,” says Greg Ban-ik of Heron Park Baptist Church in Scarborough.

Being there for the young peo-ple in his community is clearly working. The youth that sur-round him are visibly fond of him and each other. They have a safe place to ask the questions that they may not feel comfort-able asking their parents, ranging from the personal to questions on the geographical location of heaven. And because they are confident that they are cared for, they have an undeniable rapport and sense of belonging that few teenagers would get elsewhere.

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

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That sense of family isn’t limited to Heron Park. Brampton Chinese Baptist Church shares an ethos of cameraderie—a connectedness that comes from long association and common identity.

Erwin Au is the chairman at his church and volunteers with the youth. “To keep the church going, the youth are important. They’re the next gen-eration. If we don’t build them up, down the road the church will be less and less.” He is committed to serving his church’s young people to build their faith and sense of belonging and it shows.

There may be a temptation at this point in this article for you to say, “Oh good. They’re being well cared for. How nice,” and move on. But as church families, we are the village. And it will take all of us to raise up the next generation for Christ.

There are many ways to serve the youth in your community. Even if you’re not a gifted youth leader, you are gifted in other ways. Do you have the gift of hospitality? Teenagers are

always hungry. Feed them. (Or bet-ter yet—teach them how to cook.) Do you have the gift of helping? Ask your youth leader if you can support them in some way. Are you an ath-lete? Dust off your baseball glove and head out to the diamond. Can you pray? Then pray like crazy for the youth around you and their lead-ers. They need it. Demonstrate care, including simple things like “Hey, didn’t see you last week. Hope every-thing’s ok. How can I be praying for you?” Small acts like this show young people that you really see them, you

care about them and you like them— just the way they are.

When youth know that their church loves them—strange clothes, digital devices and all—they will know that they belong and that they are valued. They will know that even when rela-tionship with parents may be strained, there is still a bigger family there to give them a place to be understood.

Find out more about how you can connect with the youth in your church online here: cboqyouth.ca/sdm_downloads/transitions/

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AMERICUS V. TIMPANY: CANADIAN MISSIONARY TO INDIABy Adam McCulloch, Archivist, Canadian Baptist Archives

Named af-ter a fa-

mous explorer, it is perhaps no wonder that Americus Ves-pucius Timpany left the relative safety of home.

Americus was born in Bayham Town-ship in Elgin County on December 21, 1841. When he was 19, he em-braced the Christian faith and attend-ed Woodstock College. Before his graduation, Americus contacted the Missionary Union in Boston, USA in

order to secure missionary work. He was assigned to work in the Telugu mission in India.

On October 15, 1867, Americus married Miss Jane Bates and on Oc-tober 24, the newly married couple left for India. They travelled from Canada to England, to South Africa, and finally arrived in Nellore, India, in May 1868. In 1870, Americus and his family moved to Ramapatam, In-dia, where his ministry was successful and within five years he had founded a theological seminary.

In 1876, Americus and his family returned home to Canada. At this time he resigned from the Missionary Union in Boston, and began working as a missionary of the Foreign Mis-sion Society of Ontario and Quebec. Between 1876 and 1878, he visited many Baptist churches, helped to or-ganize mission circles and assisted in founding the Missionary Link.

In September 1878, Americus, Jane and their youngest child returned to India, while their two oldest children remained in Canada. During the next several years, he was a whirlwind of

activity. He established the Telugu and English Chapels in Cocanada, a girl’s dormitory, the Akidu and the Canadian mission boats and a com-pendium of theology in Telugu.

Tragically, Americus died on Febru-ary 19, 1885 of cholera. Although he was only 45 at the time of his death, he left a lasting legacy. In summary of his efforts, his friend, John Mc-Laurin wrote, “When he died, after 17 years of toil for the Telugus, there were three distinct Baptist missions in the Telugu country, 20 stations, 28 missions families, seven young ladies, two theological seminaries and over 30,000 church members.” (McMaster Monthly, 1892, 109-110). Americus Vespucius Timpany’s commitment to his calling helped to shape the Canadian Baptist missionary efforts in India for all those that came after him, and his testimony pro-vides a won-derful example of what can be achieved through a life given to Chris-tian ministry.

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ANUNEXPECTED JOURNEYAn Interview with Gonzalo BolañosBy Jacqueline SolomonCommunications Associate

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A bright light ap-pears in the sky. An angel de-

scends and hands you your orders, a timeline, an advance on all the re-sources you will need, a divine ID verifying your connection to the Most High and a direct line for any of your future ques-tions.

Wouldn’t that be nice?

That’s rarely how it works, though. Even those biblical heroes who re-ceived angelic visitations went on to have moments of feeling lost, con-fused, and abandoned in their lives. The journey of faith is not without challenges. For Gonzalo Bolaños, now the pastor at El Redentor Bap-tist Church, Toronto, the road to ministry was fraught with complica-tions.

Gonzalo became a Christian in Co-lombia in 1988. In his heavily Cath-olic context, becoming a Protes-tant seemed almost akin to treason, which might have been bad enough, but Gonzalo was also a successful enough businessman to have oth-er concerns. In a political context where abductions were increasingly common, Gonzalo felt it was time to move his family so he and his wife Neida made the difficult decision to leave their comfortable life in Colom-bia behind and head north to New York as refugees. The transition was anything but easy.

“It was the first time we had to de-pend on God completely. In my own country, I had resources, money, but I didn’t feel that God was totally nec-essary for my life…When I moved to the US, I started to lose everything…For the first time in my life, I really had to look to God and say, ‘What do you want?’” says Gonzalo.

Despite his business skills and his wife’s legal skills, finding work in the US proved challenging. But at last he accepted a job cleaning the church he attended. For the next two years, this formerly well-off businessman repaired fixtures, swept floors and repainted the walls of a Spanish-lan-guage church—all while living in the basement. “It was a time where God was working with me. If you really want to work with God, you have to start all over. We bring so many things that we think are useful, but for God, no. We have to learn every-thing. It’s one thing being the person who cleans the church; it’s another thing being the pastor of the church. I understand that God gave me train-ing—I started from the bottom.”

After the first two years acting as church janitor, Gonzalo was appoint-ed to lead a small mission to the lo-cal Spanish-speaking population, his first foray into pastoral ministry. All seemed to be going well until Sep-tember 11, 2001.

Stuck in the bureaucratic immigra-tion nightmare that followed, Gonza-lo and his wife were rendered illegal immigrants. At the time, Gonzalo re-ports, it was hard to see God’s hand in anything that was happening, but in retrospect, “It’s one thing to work with illegal people when you’re le-

gal; it’s another thing if you’re illegal, too.”

Developing empathy and a deep per-sonal experience with what it is to be an “illegal” has been enormously helpful in his ongoing ministry. But Gonzalo’s challenges were still far from over. They decided it was time to leave the US and their community and resettle (again) in Canada.

Once in Canada, Gonzalo began at-tending El Redentor Baptist Church in Toronto. Despite a rather circu-itous introduction to the commu-nity, he quickly integrated and just ten months later was appointed their pastor. There was just one problem. He needed formal training; Gonzalo had none at the time. After meeting with Ken Bellous, CBOQ’s then-Ex-ecutive Minister, things began to look up. Gonzalo worked with CBOQ to embark on an education plan. De-spite some hiccups along the way, Gonzalo finally attended the New Pastors’ Orientation, and began the process of ordination. In 2009, near-ly a decade after he began full-time ministry, Gonzalo was ordained as a CBOQ pastor.

While Gonzalo and his wife have had more adventures since then, includ-ing spending two years in Colombia and returning to Canada to now pas-tor two churches, he is confident that God has placed a call on his life—a call is prodigiously difficult to ignore. It hasn’t been easy and the road hasn’t always been clear, but being open to God’s leading is an adventure. Gon-zalo shares some wise parting words, delivered with a smile: “God decides where you need to be. You can try to run, but you can’t hide.”

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HOW IS YOUR CHURCH PRAYING? Part 1: An Interview with Cheryle Hannah, Fourth Avenue Baptist Church, Ottawa

By Melody CurrierDirector of Operations and Membership

You have probably heard about baby showers, but have you ever heard of a shelter shower? That’s what took place at Fourth Avenue Baptist Church, Ottawa last fall. Let’s backtrack a bit to late 2014, when Pastor Cheryle Hanna and the church were praying about how to reach out in their community. This led to praying about how God might be preparing their church to be in-volved with Restoring Hope Ministry and their work with homeless youth in Ottawa. Praying like this can have pretty big consequences. 1 Corinthi-ans 16:9 speaks about the opening up of a huge door of opportunity for good work. In this case, Fourth Avenue, quite literally, has opened its doors. Last December its sixteen-bed shelter began welcoming homeless youth. Behind this was much prayer and intentional following of God’s lead to new opportunities. So what about that shelter show-er? Pastor Cheryle refers to this as the “stirring point” and describes the shower as “more like a down-

pour than a sprinkle.” It was a full-blown community downpour. Other churches have given beds and offered work teams and meals. People not part of any church gave sheets, tow-els, socks, and other items. Through-out all of this planning, meeting, and training was much prayer—prayer by the people of Fourth Avenue, by oth-ers in the area, and by CBOQ staff. As part of this family of churches we call CBOQ, we have covenanted to pray for one another; to encourage and support one another. How can you do that? If you live in the Otta-wa area, call the church and ask how you can volunteer. If you live farther

away—pray. Sustaining this ministry will take continued planning, meet-ing, and training. You can be part of that through prayer. And let’s not forget prayer for the newly expanded community of Fourth Avenue, in-cluding the youth who occasionally call it home. Fourth Avenue Baptist Church, Otta-wa prayed about how to reach out in their community. How is your church praying? Let us know at howisyourchurchpraying@baptist.ca.

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1. When someone tells you how much you hate change do you:a. Muse about how wrong they

are then continue to do what you have always done.

b. Run because someone used a bad word.

c. Pause to reflect about how you could work on embrac-ing change.

d. Immediately change ev-erything. You’ll ask God for guidance later.

2. 2 Timothy 3:16 says “Every scrip-ture inspired of God is also prof-itable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness.” When you read this, you:a. Feel happy you have a way to

change that annoying deacon.b. Wonder what your pastor

does all day because if he/she really read the Bible he/

she would be more righteous.c. Keep reading so you can find

out how to be more like Je-sus.

d. Read the whole Bible, cov-er to cover, three times in the next six months.

3. Reading a book of testimony about God’s timing, you think: a. “Isn’t it nice how that works

for everyone except me.”b. “If God’s timing is perfect

why doesn’t he promote me now? I am such an amazing person. I deserve to be rich and famous!”

c. “How encouraging to know that I am not alone as I wait on God’s still small voice.”

d. “I will ask the opinions of ev-ery Christian I know and act ASAP on what they say.”

4. When a challenging opportunity presents itself to help someone

who needs what you have, you:a. Hide.b. Hope someone else will help.c. Ask God for help, then offer

your best effort.d. Dive right in. Those oth-

er commitments can wait.

5. After hearing the same scripture referred to in several places, a faithful friend brings up the same topic. You:a. Are amazed at your friend’s

psychic ability.b. Hop on a ship to Joppa. c. Quiet your heart, ask God for

clarification as you read over the text, and consider what action you need to take for his glory.

d. Immediately, whole-hearted-ly, do what you feel is right.

ARE YOU OPEN TO

GOD’S LEADING?

By Dana BarberReceptionist

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6. At church on Sunday, you read that your church needs help with the children’s ministry. You do not have a lot of experience but you’re willing to learn. Do you:a. Look around the sanctuary to

spot the one avoiding God’s call?

b. Avoid eye contact with any-one involved with children.

c. Ask if there is a way you could be helpful even though you do not have experience.

d. Enroll in a children’s ministry program at your local Bible school.

7. Every day you leave for work at the same time as your neighbour but, in two years, you have not asked her name. You:a. Leave for work two hours

earlier to avoid seeing your neighbour altogether.

b. Wave and smile until it’s awk-ward, hoping your neighbour will reach out first.

c. Say “hi” a little louder and in-troduce yourself. Maybe even offer tea on the weekend.

d. Run right over, introduce yourself and invite them to church.

8. You wonder if it’s time to change jobs. People who know you well have been affirming your gifts in areas not related to your current job. You:a. Don’t believe these two

things are related. b. Why would you ever switch

jobs? That’s just crazy!c. Look into possible ways to

use your gifting in your cur-rent work place.

d. Quit your job and wait for the next opportunity to unfold.

MOSTLY As AND BsIf most of your answers are As or Bs, it’s possible your hairstyle hasn’t changed since 1990. Changing and allowing yourself to be led into new seasons or ideas is difficult. Most peo-ple feel reluctant to change. And of course we all like our own ideas best. Take some advice from the Psalmist (105:4) “Look to the Lord and his strength, seek his face always.” Per-haps we will find that God leads us into a beautiful future.

MOSTLY CsIf C was the answer you circled most often, you are probably trying to be brave for God’s glory. Feeling some of the aches change brings is expect-ed. Trying to be more like Christ is not always easy but it is a delight the world cannot offer. So let’s “keep our eyes fixed on Jesus”. If you have re-cently been led to a place in life you never expected and it is honouring to God, well done!

MOSTLY DsIf most of your answers were Ds, it is possible you enjoy all things new. Your enthusiasm is unmatchable. Your church needs you but be careful not to fizzle out from involving your-self in too much at once. Remember to take the time to be still and lis-ten for where God would lead you. Thanks for your energy and willing-ness to serve with your whole heart.

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20

WONDER, STORY AND PLAYBy Jacqueline Solomon

Communications Associate

“Welcome. Are you ready to listen to the story?”

For children who are ready to listen, an usher walks them into a quiet, dim space where they take a carpet square and sit on the floor. For those that aren’t ready, the greeter waits outside with them until they decide it’s time to go in. Unlike the frequent hustle and bustle of children’s programs, this begins quietly, slowly.

When the children have seated them-selves, this week’s storyteller, Carolyn Bridge, kneels down and begins the story with deliberate patience. She lays down a mat in front of her and runs her hands over it a few times. She begins to remove the pieces from the box. As the story continues, she begins to build. A scene emerg-es, piece by piece. The story comes to life in low light of the room.

The effect is immersive and almost hypnotic. At the end of the story, the storyteller invites the children to share their thoughts. “I wonder what God is telling us in this story…” And the children share their ideas—some of which are surprisingly profound.

This is Godly Play—a form of chil-dren’s learning that borrows heavily from the Montessori method. It in-vites children not just to listen, but watch and participate in the stories of the Bible. Each story is present-

ed through a story box kept safely in a box on a shelf. Whether the children are aural, vi-sual or tactile learners there is something for each of them.

For churches like First Baptist Church, Sim-coe, which has incon-sistent numbers of children, Godly Play has been, well, a god-send. Appealing to a wide age range, Godly Play presents the story in simple terms for the very young, but offers the opportunity for greater reflection for

older children. Whether a church has only a few young people or sporadic attendees, Godly Play is inclusive and provides a sense of the grand nar-rative of the Bible. While there are some significant startup costs in pur-chasing the story boxes, FBC Simcoe came up with an alternative solution and now a gifted congregation mem-ber, Ted Southern, puts them togeth-er as part of his contribution to the church.

“It’s more like how Jesus taught,” says Jim Carroll, FBC Simcoe’s Mu-sic Director. “He got people to think about what they were learning… If you let kids know that any response is okay, they will respond—not just the kids with the right answers.”

The result has been that children and their parents are developing a great-er understanding of the stories and the meanings behind them. Connor is one of the children who has sig-nificant experience participating in Godly Play. In his words, “It’s just a big story. Everything. And eventually when you’re my age, it’s like a puzzle. You put them together in a certain order and it all makes sense.”

To find out more about Godly Play, contact Tanya Yuen, Children and Family Minis-try Coordinator, at tyuen@baptist.ca.

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22

We live in a fragment-ed world. Our com-munities and our

churches are full of people with fragmented lives. The Great News is that through Christ our personal baggage, failures to live in healthy relationships, and the injustices around us are re-deemable. Christ, as the way, the truth and the life, shapes and molds fragmented lives. Christ transforms fragmented churches by giving them a common sto-ry—we are recreated by God so that we can welcome and bless others.

Throughout our Canadian Baptist family there are stunning stories of individuals and churches that are entering into the messiness of life in or-der to offer a story of hope to fragmented people. That is great news. In surveying churches over the last few years, we are seeing four trends of how churches are engaging their communities:

1. Partnerships with local missions, church-es, and agencies: Often churches don’t have the resources to start programs, however we are seeing our churches partnering and serving alongside others. As we serve with others, we illustrate how Christ brings together those who previously might not have worked together.

2. Children and youth: Vacation Bible School and youth events can be ways to tell the story to children, youth and young families who often live such disjointed lives. We have the story that offers identity and purpose to young people.

3. Local events: Being present for various community activities such as parades and fairs enables we who know the story to come into contact with those who don’t

GREAT NEWS FOR FRAGMENTED PEOPLEBy Dallas FriesenDirector of Congregational Development

23

know it. It doesn’t have to be difficult. Some churches are simply handing out hot choc-olate or bottles of water in Christ’s name.

4. Faithfulness in the neighbourhood: People choosing to do life with others (whether it is walking, eating, shopping, praying or playing in the same neighbourhood) can become peo-ple of peace and characters of hope in their neighbourhoods.

Growing up, I often heard my hopeful father re-spond to “how are you?” with “I am great and get-ting better.” In some ways that is my encourage-ment and prayer for our CBOQ churches. Keep sharing the great news for people whose lives are fragmented and for the sake of Christ. Together, we keep getting better at living this out.

What are the postures of the heart and the com-munal practices we need to adopt in order to live faithfully present in the communities where God has placed us? Let these ideas prompt your prayer:

1. How can you bless, resource, or highlight those who are serving in partnership with others?

2. How can you adapt your children and youth activities to better serve neighbour-hood children? Some churches are trans-forming their approach to VBS by ask-ing neighbourhood families about their needs; finding out how to serve better.

3. What is the unique gift that only your church could offer the community? One church noticed that their local annual street fes-tival didn’t have places for people to sit. They brought chairs, a few tables, color-ing sheets and crayons, bottles of water and gave people the gift of rest on a hot day.

4. Can you simplify your own life in such a way that your life doesn’t feel fragmented and that you are an example of the abundant life that Christ promised?

As Canadian Baptists, we are a family of localized missions that are living and offering great news for a fragmented world and we are getting better.

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By Jacqueline SolomonCommunications Associate

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You have ten minutes. Say goodbye to your home, your friends, your work and much

of your family. Pack what you can carry; take any money you can get hold of; get in your car and drive. Along the way, your car will be con-fiscated, your money stolen and the few belongings you have left will be lost or taken. By the time you arrive to a place of relative safety, all you will have left is the clothes on your back and the keys to a house you no longer own. If you are lucky, you may still have all your family members.

You are a drowned child and a terrorist—an innocent victim and a threat.

You are a refugee.

The church family at Gilmour Me-morial Baptist in Peterborough, On-tario, listens to the news. But they don’t just listen to the news. They are also paying attention to what God is calling them to do in response. So when a CBOQ presentation on spon-soring refugees arrived right before a missions committee meeting attend-ed by veteran sponsor Julaine Palmer, it didn’t take long before the church

decided that God was calling them to sponsorship. Julaine and her hus-band, George Neil, had sponsored refugees before so getting the paper-work filled out was the easy part. In a fairly short time, their first refugee, Yasameen, arrived and was soon fol-lowed by another family, Yassmein and her two daughters, all from Iraq.

It’s tempting to see the safe arrival of refugees as the end point, but get-ting refugees to Canada is really just the beginning. “Canadians are impa-tient,” remarks Julaine with a smile. It is easy to think that resettling will go quickly and smoothly—a job found, a language learned—all within a few weeks. But in fact, adjusting to a new country, culture, and language takes time. Even for Yasameen, who is flu-ent in four languages, it was difficult to find a job. However, she is now working part-time at a seniors’ care facility and studying food services for a career in a hospital. As for Yass-mein and her daughters, their task is to learn English before pursuing anything else. (That, and hone their

tobogganing and snowman-building skills!)

While it will still take time for every-one to settle in, the Gilmour family is patient and feels greatly blessed by the gift of hospitality. Pastor Ben Denhoed is obviously enjoying wel-coming new refugees, and is proud of his church family for their warmth. Together they’ve helped Yassmein and her girls find and furnish a small, impeccably tidy apartment. They’ve thrown them a pantry shower to help get their kitchen started. Church members periodically drop by with fresh baking—a welcome gesture ev-erywhere in the world. They are serv-ing the stranger in their midst, and serving Christ while they do it.

If your church is considering sponsoring a refugee family, visit our website at baptist.ca/refugees where you will find all the infor-mation you need to get started.

26

HOW IS YOUR CHURCH PRAYING? Part 2: An Interview with Malcolm Young, Park Street Baptist Church, Peterborough

By Melody CurrierDirector of Operations and Membership

About halfway through the book of Eze-kiel, there is a dramatic statement “I the

LORD have spoken. The time has come for me to act.” Responding to this statement has led Park Street Baptist Church, Peterborough to begin an outreach to seniors in its commu-nity. But it didn’t happen overnight. It took two year’s of prayer, asking God for vision for their community. Perhaps your church has lamented about be-coming older and getting smaller, just as Park Street did. How do you move from words (perhaps even grumbling) to action? Park Street decided to pray. First Pastor Malcolm Young and other leaders prayed. Regular prayer for vision led to a group participating in a 13-week leadership series (“Lead From Where You Are” by Willow Creek). After the

series was done, there was more prayer, which others joined. The Park Street group praying for vision and direction continued to expand. God was working. He led these prayers to 37 ideas, which were grouped into several catego-ries and were finally narrowed down to three missional categories. One of these was outreach to seniors who no longer attended church. This door opened fairly easily and their Friday afternoon out-reach started last fall. The two other missional objectives, outreach to international people and to the community around the church, have proven more challenging. The direction the Lord was leading is clear, but the “how” is still being prayed through. The church thought an opportunity at a local high school was the place it should go, but God kept that door closed. The church is learning that it needs to continue to pray, even after God has led them to embrace a missional objective, be-cause many doors need to be opened as they follow God’s lead. Park Street is continuing to pray and to follow God’s lead into directions they had never be-fore considered. How is your church praying? Let us know at howisyourchurchpraying@baptist.ca.

CONNECTED BY ASSOCIATIONBy Brian CraigDirector of Leadership Development

Church anniversaries are a regular occurrence: usually once a year!

And we at CBOQ frequently cele-brate them with congregations. But this year, when Gord Tetley, pastor of North Dresden Baptist called to ask if I’d join them for their 143rd anniversary, I made a passing sugges-tion: “Maybe you could think about the possibility of adding some oth-er events to the weekend, since I’m coming anyway.”

Gord took hold of that idea and ran with it. The pastors of the Western Association gather at least once a year, so together with Brian Horrobin of Wallaceburg Baptist, we planned a day’s retreat. Larry Forsyth of “The Hub” in Chatham offered their building as a place to meet. Over 20 pastors from the region gathered to explore Abraham’s “Journey without

Maps.” And the Western Association funded a gift of five books for each pastor.

Gord also thought his board could benefit from some reflection on how to be a more effective. He had been host to a workshop I had led at the 2015 Assembly, so he suggested we hold the same workshop for local churches. Saturday morning at “The Hub,” we gathered with around 40 church leaders from multiple church-es to think together about the “why” of being a church board member or deacon. Beyond the content we con-sidered, we also saw congregations building links with one another over shared challenges and joys.

Gord also pastors the congregation of Louisville Baptist. He’s a busy pas-tor. So, since I’d made my suggestion,

he invited me to be at that congrega-tion’s service on Sunday morning —a chance to let folks meet someone from CBOQ and ask any questions they might have.

Sunday afternoon brought the week-end to a close with the North Dres-den Anniversary service, with par-ticipants from other congregations celebrating God’s faithfulness.

As churches of CBOQ, we can truly benefit from cooperation and cre-ative sharing of events like these. What might your association or sim-ply local group of churches envision? What can you accomplish together that might never be possible alone? Maybe my new friend, Gord, could give you a few suggestions.

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28

THE HOLY INTRUDERAn interview with Freda To,Logos Baptist Church (York Region), Markham, ON

By Jacqueline SolomonCommunications Associate

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It is no small thing to be called by God.

It is rarely convenient, financially profitable, or without obstacles. For being the “straight and nar-row” path, God’s plan often seems to take us on remarkably long and winding journeys.

God undoubtedly called a young mom with two small children fin-ishing up her CGA. During a morning worship time at her new church, Logos Baptist Church (Milliken), Freda To had a sudden, clear sense of that call. She was to become a pastor. But just be-cause God has called us to some-thing doesn’t mean that everything will suddenly be easy. Freda found

29

herself utterly adrift as she began to discern if her calling was real, or just a moment of post-worship-session euphoria.

Rather than boarding the next ship for Joppa, however, Freda began a process of discernment to deter-mine if she was correct in under-standing God’s will for her life. She read, prayed, sought wise counsel and waited. She served in her church. She began walking toward a pastoral min-istry career—and still the waters were troubled.

“God wasn’t just inviting me to be a pastor, but…to go into a deeper rela-tionship with him—to let him intrude in my life. I was shocked and scared. My immediate response was not a yes. This wasn’t a good answer to me because it brought me some guilt and shame. I thought I was a very good Christian, but when God invited me to go deeper with him, I was kind of scared to lose control. That kind of fear haunted me for a while. After that I was at peace. It was a journey with God and I let him change me and lead me somewhere…a closer relationship and a greater opening up of my life,” says Freda.

With the next natural step being seminary, it nonetheless seemed im-possible to start right away. But God

wasn’t only speaking to Freda. Much to Freda’s surprise, her church plant’s senior pastor, Rev. Dr. Michael Lau, and the church board also had a sense of God’s calling on her life. They of-fered to help her with the costs of seminary, opening a door that Freda never thought possible.

While she learned, Freda also served in a new church plant, Logos Bap-tist Church (York Region), beginning in children and family ministry and working toward integrating young people into the church communi-ty. All the way along, Freda’s church community walked alongside her and supported her.

More recently, Freda received her second call—the call to or-dination. While it again seemed im-possible, she found herself once more supported by Rev. Dr. Lau, and the church’s leadership team. She began to

delve more deeply into spiritual for-mation, and continues to learn more about how to serve her community better. To Freda and her church, or-dination is an affirmation on her call, passion and giftedness to pastoral ministry, It is about seeking God’s will and discerning how Freda can best contribute to the kingdom of God. With a thankful heart, Freda witnessed the work of God for her and the church during her ordination on Dec 5, 2015, a moment of cele-bration and counting God’s blessings.

Freda now serves as Pastor-in-charge of Chinese ministries with a team that she enjoys in a church that she loves. She is living out her calling and it shows. The peace of Christ is with her. Despite all the things that should have come in her way—other career opportunities, family responsibilities, a lack of experience—Freda found that God opened doors for her when she least expected it.

“I believe God has a plan for every-one and his grace is sufficient for us to make that happen.”

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ENGAGEChurch isn’t a spectator event. You aren’t buying tickets for a show; you’re joining a family—a family that is committed to helping one another thrive and grow.

That invitation to coffee hour after the service? Go! Meet some people; shake some hands. Make yourself available to others. Swiss Chalet/the restaurant of your choice/lunch will still be available a little later.

EDIFYAs a community, it can be easy to let the small things build up. A small slight, a forgotten thank you, or being overlooked for a committee appoint-ment can turn into a festering wound unless our community of faith looks for opportunities to build each other up. Diligently seeking these oppor-tunities, being aware of both “up front,” visible and the “behind the scenes” giftings takes work, but it changes a church from being social club to a real family.

ENCOURAGEYour leadership team takes a lot of heat when things go wrong. A ser-mon that fell flat, a note that went flat, or a forgotten announcement can result in significant negative feedback. Being the voice of encour-agement can help your leadership team see that you value them even when everything doesn’t go quite as planned. (A backhanded compliment is not encouragement!)

ENLISTA church needs volunteers—peo-ple who serve one another. Get-ting people involved based on their gifts makes for a better functioning community because the service is God-honouring. Are you a good or-ganizer? Plan events. Are you a musi-cian? Join the worship team. Do you have a memory for faces and names? Greet people at the entrance and help them to feel welcome. (Just confirm your gifts with a few others in case assessing your own gifts isn’t your gift.)

EXPORTIf your church is healthy, large, and bursting at the seams, don’t keep it to yourselves! Consider sharing the secret of your success with other CBOQ churches, or maybe even con-sider church planting. We have lots of training and resources available to help you get started.

You probably know the old song, so take it seriously:

Hide it under a bushel? NO!

BUILDING UP

5 Ways To Improve—or Ruin—your Church

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GOSSIPGossip is one of the Big Bad Things you can do to your church. Sharing a story of dubious sourcing with the goal of tearing someone else down (no matter how well you dress it up), is a sure-fire way to pour poison into the soul of your church. Listening to someone else tell a tantalizing tale without lovingly stopping and cor-recting them isn’t much better. Save yourself the inevitable blowback and keep the gossip to yourself.

GRUMBLINGSo you didn’t like that last worship set. Or the pastor’s sermon. Or the room was too cold/hot. These things happen. Before you start lamenting, ask yourself a few questions. Is this something I can/should change? Would it be helpful to those around me? How would I like to receive feedback from someone who didn’t like something I did or the way I did it? Before you offer your opinion, consider “What is the gentlest, most loving way that I can clearly say this?” Then proceed with extreme caution.

GREEDTithing isn’t really up for interpreta-tion. If you’re a part of your church, you need to give to it. Part of that giving feeds and houses your pas-tor(s), but a big part of your giving is also to share with those around you in ways that help people under-stand more about Jesus. Give to your church and get involved in how gifts are used. Find compassionate, inclu-sive things to do with your collective giving that share Jesus with others.

GOOGLINGAre you sitting in the service? In coffee hour afterwards? At a Bible study/small group? PUT DOWN YOUR PHONE. Yes, of course, you may be reading your Bible on it, but if you’re tempted to check Facebook updates, read your texts, or view the stock report, just bring ye olde fash-ioned booke Bible and turn off your phone. (And really, how the Habs/Sens/Leafs are doing can wait.)

GUILTWe all know the sting of guilt—that decision we’ve made that wasn’t en-tirely above board. But this isn’t that kind of guilt. This is the kind of guilt that we wield against each other. “You can’t help out? Oh, that’s fine... No I’ll do it. I was supposed to be looking after children, but I’m sure you have more important things to do...”

Hitting people with guilt isn’t a good way to make them feel motivated or happy to help, and is likely to just make you mad. So unpack your bags and cancel the guilt trip.

TEARING DOWN

5 Ways To Improve—or Ruin—your Church

32

By Melody CurrierDirector of Operations and Membership

Prayer. Our family of churches has val-ues, one of them is prayer. We are con-vinced that effectiveness in ministry is

dependent upon prayer. I am certain all of our churches have some sort of prayer ministry and also spend time in corporate prayer. Imagine ex-panding this to involve prayer for other church-es: churches praying for other churches in our CBOQ family. It’s already happening. Four years ago, the churches in our Northern Association began systematically praying for one another. Prayer requests are exchanged on a monthly basis. In addition to the benefit of the Lord answering specific prayers, there has been increased under-standing and fellowship among the Association churches and their pastors. “Each month, it is a privilege to share in the burdens and joys of a sister church and know that people elsewhere are praying for you,” says Floyd Wilson, retired pastor from Calvary Baptist Church, Sudbury.

And it seems this idea is spreading. Last fall the Middlesex-Lambton-Huron Association (MLHA) began a similar regular exchange of prayer requests among its churches. Dave Sni-hur, pastor at Egerton Street Baptist Church, London, says ““We hope that as the churches of the MLHA pray regularly for each other that it will help all of us to really care for one another and to feel more apart of both the MLHA and the CBOQ—and that seems to be happening!” The Northern Association and MLHA represent just 31 of the about 350 churches in our CBOQ family. And perhaps there are other Associations praying in the same way. These Associations are raising the level of prayer in our congregations. Imagine the greater reach of effectiveness in ministry our congregations can experience with this added level of prayer! Churches reaching out to pray for other church-es. How is your church praying? Let us know at howisyourchurchpraying@baptist.ca.H

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BREADALBANE AND AYLMER: THE OVER-COMERSBy Adam McCulloch, Archivist Canadian Baptist Archives

Two hundred years ago, two Baptist churches were formed in what is now

known as Ontario. The first church was formed in Breadalbane on Au-gust 2, 1816. The community was formed by Scottish immigrants, who had left Scotland in June 1815 to pur-sue a better life in Upper Canada. Within a single year they had estab-lished a Baptist outpost in the Ottawa Valley, and this church remained the only Baptist congregation in the re-gion for nine years.

The church was formed with thir-teen members: Allan McDiarmid, Janet McDiarmid, Margaret McDiar-mid, Mr. and Mrs. Peter McDougal, Mr. and Mrs. John McDougal, Peter Stewart, Mr. and Mrs. Duncan Camp-bell, Mr. and Mrs. Donald McLaurin

and Mrs. J. McLaurin. There was no official minister in the group, so two elders, Allan McDiarmid and Peter McDougal, were chosen and with-out any formal training they led the church for many years. In 1831, Rev. William Fraser, the first minister of the church arrived to find the con-gregation still meeting at members’ homes, as the first chapel was not constructed until 1835. By its fiftieth anniversary a new stone chapel had been built to accommodate the 177 members of the growing community.

Several hundred kilometers to the west in Elgin County another church was established on October 1, 1816 by the Baptists of Malahide Town-ship. The church was formed by twelve members: Deacon and Mrs. William Teeple, Deacon and Mrs. William Davis, Daniel McKenny, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Leek, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Davis, Kate and Polly Mann and Mrs. John D. Brown. In 1817, Reuban Crandell became the first minister of the church and it began to grow. By 1843, the first chapel was built in the growing town of Aylmer, and the new building was large enough that 300 people could attend

a service or revival meeting.

In 1866, fifty individuals were bap-tized and the total number of mem-bers was 237. This led to a new church being completed in 1870 that was designed to seat over 700 indi-viduals. By its seventieth anniversary, the church had acted as a mother to several daughter churches in the sur-rounding area. The 1st and 2nd Yar-mouth Churches, the Malahide and Bayham church, and the St. Thomas church were formed by members of the Alymer Baptist Church. In cele-brating 200 years of ministry, the sto-ries of Aylmer Baptist Church and Breadalbane Baptist Church act as a reminder of how humble and simple beginnings can manifest into endur-ing testaments of Baptist faith and mission.

(Sources: Breadalbane Baptist Church: Eighteen Hundred and Sixteen to Nineteen Hundred and Sixteen; Historical Sketch: Baptist Church—Aylmer, Ontario: 1816-1916.)

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In a world where kids are pressured from a young age toward extreme aca-

demic and sporting achieve-ment, summer camp could be a place where kids just spend time playing.

But a different story is coming to light. Summer camp isn’t just child-care—it’s a place to build character, develop social skills and learn the val-ue of community attributes like fair-ness and citizenship.

Michael Budman (co-founder of Roots clothing company who met his co-founder Don Green at summer camp) famously said that “camp is the great leveller …Without parents, homes, material possessions, camp al-lows opportunities for everybody to be equal.” Whereas academics and competitive sports can pit one child against another, “Camp provides a safe and nurturing environment, but at the same time it is structured to allow children to challenge and test themselves. This fosters self-confi-dence and independence.” And as our Executive Director, Matt Wilkin-son says, “When it comes to Chris-tian camping, a camper experiences all that in the context of a community that is seeking to be a living demon-stration of God’s love while provid-ing campers the opportunity to move one step closer in a relationship with Jesus.”

CBOQ’s Camp Kwasind is one such camp that is telling a different story and seeing lives of campers affect-ed for the better. Kwasind and oth-er camps like it offer positive envi-ronments to thousands of campers,

“I have seen a big change in our 9-year-old daughter in the last 2 years and I strongly believe that a big part of it is because of camp. …She was the first to volunteer in wor-ship time, loved to be on the stage, made new friends and loved the staff. Her self-es-teem grew, her interest in Je-sus increased and this shy girl has come out of her shell!”

—Denise, mom of Abigail, 9

“We found that [Saman-tha] had better self-con-trol/self-monitoring, social skills and was not so against engaging in her summer tutoring program. ...I think she also really enjoyed hav-ing to be more self-reli-ant without her parents there taking care of her every need and want. She blossomed in so many ways!”

—Maggie, mom of Samantha, 10

Photo credit: Rebecca Meyer

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building treasured memories and lasting friendships that go deeper and last longer than most other places in life. At Kwasind, in the heart of beautiful Muskoka in Ontar-io, each summer hundreds of campers are able to hear the message of Jesus—often for the first time—and see it lived out in the staff and in some of their peers.

Last summer we saw an overwhelming spiritual response week after week. While we hope to see campers engage with Jesus, we don’t give out Bibles unless a camper spe-cifically asks for one. This summer we ran out. Clearly, our hope of seeing each camper take one step closer to Jesus is being realized. We also seek to care for the entire camper—for spiritual, physical and emotional health and development, and want to see campers thrive in all areas. For most kids who come, Christian camping is the start-

ing point of a great adventure experiencing Jesus as they develop into successful and creative adults who learn what it is to serve others, lead well, act graciously, and remain open to trying new things. Many do all this while supporting and encouraging others to do likewise.

As Camp Kwasind and other camps like ours, our con-tinuing story is about how privileged we are to be able to offer the memorable, meaningful and fun camp expe-riences while witnessing and contributing to the holistic growth of thousands of campers. We’ve witnessed shy children grow to be Christ-following staff members. Our campers become mature citizens and parents who bring to camp the next generation, starting the adventure once again.

THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME

By Susan MurphyRegistrar, Camp Kwasind

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BLIZZARD 2016 WRAP-UPSpeaker: Mike Gordon

Worship: Life Support

In attendance: Nearly 800 excited, active, boisterous, God-created, playing, grow-ing, bonding, eating, sharing, worshipping, learning, tubing, laughing, dancing, overtired, over-sugared kids hearing about Jesus and connecting with others.

What was Blizzard 2016 like?

EPIC. With a packed out building, full of young people who are engaged in their churches and with God, it is easy to see there is hope for our future. Struc-tures may change, church decor may get some updates and the next generation of pastors may

not even own a suit, but Jesus is as relevant for this gener-ation as he was for his con-temporaries. At an age where people are beginning to think about who they are, Blizzard and Avalanche give young peo-ple the opportunity to discover their identity in Christ and be lit up by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are blessed to have them.

When the world looks to us they see you. CBM is honoured to support the global mission work of CBOQ churches like yours.cbmin.org

CBOQ_ad2016_final.indd 1 2016-02-08 3:28 PM

37When the world looks to us they see you.

CBM is honoured to support the global mission work of CBOQ churches like yours.cbmin.org

CBOQ_ad2016_final.indd 1 2016-02-08 3:28 PM

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I want to join with CBOQ today in supporting and growing our family of Canadian Baptist churches.

Name (Please print clearly.)

Address

City Province Postal Code

Phone Email

5 International Blvd | Etobicoke, ON | M9W 6H3 | Phone: (416) 622-8600 | Fax: (416) 622-2308 | info@baptist.ca | @CBOQ | www.baptist.ca

Enclosed find my gift of $ by cheque

I authorize CBOQ to make monthly automatic withdrawals of $ from my account starting on the 30th of . (month) Please enclose a void cheque.

I understand that I may cancel this authorization at any time by notifying CBOQ in writing.

For credit card donations, please go to baptist.ca/donate.

Who are the Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec?

We are YOU. CBOQ is a family of churches, transformed by Christ, revealing God’s kingdom.

Together we are training, equipping and caring for your pastors. We are helping you plant new churches, and giving you the resources you need to make your church better. We are creating experiences and opportunities for young people and their leaders to focus on their love of God and each other. We’re providing grants for the innovative ministry projects that God has placed on your hearts. We’re telling your stories to encourage and inspire you. We’re supporting people in need around the world through Canadian Baptist Ministries. We’re finding new

opportunities, creating resources and working together to help make our church family stronger and more Christ-centred as we live out and share the good news of Jesus.

The Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec have been around for more than a century...

...and we’re just warming up.

Give to CBOQ today at baptist.ca/donate.

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A family of churchesTransformed by ChristRevealing God’s kingdom

5 International Blvd | Etobicoke, ON | M9W 6H3 | (416) 622-8600@cboq | info@baptist.ca |baptist.ca

EVENTSMarch 20 Centre CourtToronto, ONcboqyouth.ca/centrecourt

April 19Church and Change WorkshopCBOQ OfficeEtobicoke, ONbaptist.ca/events

April 25-28 New Pastors’ OrientationFair Havens Retreat Centre, Beaverton, ONbaptist.ca/npo

April 22-23 CBWOQ Women’s Retreat My Soul at Rest Mississauga Chinese Baptist Church, ONbaptistwomen.com

May 6-8 Compassion Experience: Six NationsSix Nations, ONcboqyouth.ca/sixnations

May 10Turn Around Church WorkshopCBOQ OfficeEtobicoke, ONbaptist.ca/events

June 9-11 Assembly 2015: Open: Following God’s Lead to New OpportunitiesMississauga, ONbaptist.ca/assembly

June 25Reel Family TimeMontreal, Kitchener-Waterloo and Torontocboqkids.ca

October 3-5Youth Pastor/Worker RetreatCamp KwasindMuskoka Lakes, ONcboqyouth.ca/ypr