Activate Ministries

New Brunswick - Fredericton & Quispamsis Update

2011-05-21T14:00:00.000-06:00

We are nearing the end of our trip, and while we have been posted a few videos/pics on Facebook from time to time I thought it would be nice to give a little summary of ministry we've been apart of since landing in NB.

As I mentioned in the last post we were in Fredericton. Working with two pretty awesome youth pastors, Pastor Landon & Tarrah McAllister. What a joy that group is! We had a great time hanging out on Friday night. I believe it was 3 students there, that gave their lives to Christ for the first time. Praise God for that!!! Then on Sunday how incredible it was just soaking in the presence of God with them.

One of the cool things that seems to be universal is that youth just LOVE to have fun. Every place we visit there is some sort of crazy game. What's not to love?!?!

Fredericton Youth were PROS at the Oreo cookie game... ALWAYS fun to watch

Kings Valley Wesleyan Jr. Youth - Quispamsis, NB

Kingsway Pentecostal, Quispamsis, NB

And the cool thing is, it didn't end there... we are getting to see those guys again this weekend! Its always refreshing to see familiar faces when we are on the road so much. God has already been doing amazing things at MYC. Excited to see where God takes us tonight and tomorrow... Until next time!!

Activate in New Brunswick - Day 1

2011-05-13T11:16:00.001-06:00

Keep a lookout for our video updates while ministering through New Brunswick in the next 10 days.

Currently we are on highway #2, good ole trans Canada highway. About 45min from Fredericton. We are definitely needing some lunch so that will be our first stop once we arrive. The flight to Moncton wasn't bad at all. But there's something all travelling, short or long hauls, doesn't matter... Still pretty tiring! The super 8 treated us good that's for sure. And still there are 2/4 of us sleeping in the van as I type. But all for good reason... We are so pumped to begin ministry. Tonight we will be hitting up the youth group at Evangel with Pastor Landon McAlister. Should be a good trip !!

Manic in the Hat... Generations Youth Conference, Medicine Hat, AB

2011-04-16T15:58:00.019-06:00

Testimony time - "Can I get a witness...!!

Pastor Drew

Last weekend we loaded up the van and headed to the furthest south that Activate has travelled in Alberta... Medicine Hat! We had been invited to Medicine Hat First Assembly- Youth Group by P. Michael to lead worship at the Generations Weekend Conference so without hesitation, we had to be apart of it. Drew Riach, Emerging Generations Pastor of Lakemount Worship Centre, Grimsby, Ontario brought the Word throughout the weekend and we were all challenged with some solid teaching. This young group has a hunger for the heart of God, so it didn't take long to see them entering into worship or opening themselves up to Word of God. It was also pretty amazing to see the heart they have for their youth group; Wow are they servants to everyone who walks in the door. As a team, we were blessed by the amazing cooked meals, the extra hands that wanted to help unload the van or set up equipment... and the words of encouragement from both young and old, incredible! If you are looking for a church in Medicine Hat, this one has some wonderful people. If you are in the area, you need to check this group out....

LoBbY SeT-uP

Afternoon Worship with Drew, Aaron and our very own Nathanael.

Creative Worship... powerful

Northwest Family Church Winter Retreat - Calgary

2011-03-25T14:21:00.000-06:00

Just a few weekends ago, we headed out to a beautiful winter retreat. For the 3rd year in a row, we have had the opportunity to join Pastor Joe & Danielle from the crew at Northwest Family Church. Traveling 15 min. west of Calgary we gathered together at Camp Kiwanis for an awesome couple of days. With everything from campfires, late night movies and the saturday afternoon dodge-ball, jello eating competition and sock wars, this retreat has no chance of ever being boring. Regardless of what's going on in life, they set it aside have just have fun! But at the heart of this group is the desire to worship God. Both in worship and while interacting with others there's no problem to see joy in their lives. So refreshing!

This year our district Church Ministries Directory, Paul Fraser challenged us all with the word! He spoke about the "knots" in our lives that distract us from pursuing a deeper relationship with God. Several youth took what God was speaking into their lives as a call to action and spent time seeking God for direction. And for some that resulted in them receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

How cool it is to see the growth that has happened in this group over the last three years. The much-needed balance between having fun and spiritual maturity is what appears to be a satisfying combination for today's students! And what a blessing to be able to witness that in this group. Wow!

Sunday morning testimony time with Pastor Paul...

CRAZY BUNCH... If there's any place we fit in, its with this group!

Thanks again NORTHWEST FAMILY CHURCH

Ministers Gathering - Banff, Alberta

2011-03-07T00:58:00.001-07:00

As young leaders we are always excited about any opportunity we get to learn for established, well grounded leaders of our time. So when asked to lead worship for the Ministers Gathering for the Alberta and NWT district of the PAOC, we were both honored and nervous. We traveled out to the incredible mountains of Banff, AB where we gathered with 300+ other leaders.

There were spent 3 refreshing days of worshiping God together and hearing

from the very articulate, captivating Jack Hayford.

What privilege to be in the same room with some of the most respect and well-known leaders!

403 Rally - Calgary

2011-03-07T00:14:00.013-07:00

Every year, the PAOC churches of Calgary gather together to hold a city-wide youth event. Led by Pastors Ken McIntyre of Revolution Youth Ministries at Beddington Pentecostal Church and Tim Mason of Area403 youth ministry at First Assembly, this is one quality event. It draws 300+ students every year and reaches out to as many churches as possible. One way they make it accessible to all churches is by sharing the opportunity to host to other youth groups; this year the rally was held at Christian Life Assembly.

As a team, this was the second time we've had the privilege to be apart of the event and honestly, it wasn't just fun for the youth, we had a blast as well! There were games, prizes, a few larger give-a-ways, worship and sharing from the Word. And afterwards, there were even snacks! I mean, what's not to like about an event like that, especially when you get to share it with 300 other people.

Its pretty cool to see that the youth ministries of Calgary have no problem coming together from time to time. Its can be so easy to be competitive, even in ministry; who has the most youth in their group? who is using the most up-to-date technology? But when they come together they share ideas, share resources and ultimately show their youth that cooperation is the true way of the kingdom. It speaks volumes when leaders display cooperation with other leads, youth can then see that they are no alone on this Christian journey. There are hundreds of other young people just like them; sharing in their struggle with insecurities, peer pressure and pornography. They are not the only one who sometimes feels left out, ugly or confused about what to do when they graduate from high school. While it is not important that a youth group is built on numbers, it is amazing what occurs when youth realize that they are not alone!

Sunday Morning service at Beddington Pentecostal Church with Pastor Ken and the amazing youth of Rev Youth ministries.

St. Paul, AB Continued...

2010-11-22T13:19:00.000-07:00

Well its definitely been a cold weekend and this morning was a frigid -24....brrrrr. But that didn't stop us from some amazing times at the retreat. This crowd was energetic and really loved having fun of God's presence, which is what we're all about. We shared time together in the morning and evening to experience what God has for us through worship and hearing from the Word. Its so easy to get caught up in the innocence and immaturity of youth sometimes, but this weekend we were encouraged that regardless of age or experience God has a plan and each young person, if they are willing, has a part in what God wants to do around them.

Saturday night was one of those nights when we all just soaked in God's presence and sought his face for whatever it was that was personal on our hearts. Hearing the youth talk about the service on Sunday and even now seeing Facebook updates... it is evident that God spoke to the hearts of youth, reconfirming dreams for the future.

Its no trouble to have fun with this group. If we weren't in the activity centre playing games... us ladies were in the lodge getting facials and manicures while the guys were creating sliding stunts. And well, even some of the guys couldn't resist getting a facial as well (have a look above it you don't believe it...HA). Its been a great weekend... perhaps we'll have the privilege to visit this group again sometime.

THANKS St. Paul!

St. Paul, AB - Fall Retreat

2010-11-19T18:18:00.000-07:00

We just arrived in St. Paul...well 20 minutes outside of St. Paul, at a Belle View Bible Camp. Equipment is set up and sound check is beginning. Pastor Mike P. (youth pastor) says he expects about 40 of us in total. Even though its -18ºC (brrrr......) we know how awesome this snowy retreats are. 40 people encountering God over a three day period through worship, hearing the Word, building relationship and just plan having fun!!! We trust that you will pray along with us as the youth of this area of encouraged to seek the real meeting of relationship with God. Pray for transformation, for their lives to be activated and for them to live in the authentic love of Jesus Christ!!!

Ontario

2010-10-18T13:23:00.002-06:00

Napanee, Ontario

This fall Activated walked into new territory. For three years now we've been packing up and heading to Montreal to do ministry. This year we decided to extend the trip out east and make connections to Ontario. This being home to Rick, it didn't take long for the team to get excited about this one. After ministry in Montreal, we headed into Napanee & then on to Ottawa, where we met up with a good old friend from Vanguard, Katelyn Amour. We had been introduced to the Pastor Jeremy through Katelyn and from there an amazing night was planned. In the afternoon we received a tour of the church and a little overview of the church's vision. Wow! Its encouraging to see a church with such a passion for their community. This congregation has stepped up and opened the church in the afternoons for an afternoon program where youth and young adults can mentor and help children with homework. This also serves the practical need of parents in need of child care. It was definitely a moment of reflection for the team when we can step back and see that this is a church that seems to be doing something amazing!!

Another episode of "Life-Size Rock-Paper-Scissors"

Woodvale Pentecostal in the Capital (Ottawa, ON)

Peel Pentecostal in Brampton, Ontario

From Ottawa, we moved on to Brampton then into the beautiful Niagara

region, aka Rick's neck of the woods. We joined the youth at Peel Pentecostal in a Saturday night service in Brampton then drove a little ways pass Hamilton, to participate in the Sunday services at in Welland, On. That following week we hit up the several youth groups in that area. We were in Dunnville, Hamilton, Wainfleet & Fort Erie. Youth from Port Colburne also joined us at a few of those rallies. The energy of these youth was contagious! They worship with such joy and really understand what it means to have fun in God's presence.

On Wednesday we visited Niagara Christian Colligate to help out with the school chapel. Afterwards we heading to the cafeteria to eat lunch with youth and then on the gym to play a little ball before class started again.

This school is a private boarding school where youth are given an amazing education as they are taught within Christian guidelines. We received a tour this campus and it was amazing to hear the history. Parts of the campus grounds are dated back to almost 200 years ago and the older buildings that remain are just magnificent.
It was one pretty cool tour!

Later that night we held a rally in the same chapel, where youth from Fort Erie and Port Colburne came out. It was awesome to see the familiar faces of those we had lunch with. We seemed to connect with many of the youth. Some of us almost got roped into attending class with them for the afternoon. But that didn't fly so well. Gotta love going back to school!

What a way to open a youth event! A "pizza eating contest"???

Activate is back in Montreal

2010-10-18T11:22:00.008-06:00

It has been a crazy couple of weeks. We left Edmonton Thursday, Sept. 23 and flew into Toronto. From there we drove to Montreal and began our ministry trip. Home base for us was Trinity Pentecostal Church, an english speaking congregation in LaSalle (a section of Montreal). There we were welcomed with open arms by youth Pastor Mark and Mandy and cooperated to hold a youth rally, special service Sunday night as well as young adults event on Monday. Saturday night was an evening off so we Sunday morning we visited Laval Christian Assembly, where we met up with some old friends from past trips to Montreal and meet a bunch of NEW friends!

Rick speaking @ Trinity Pentecostal

Youth playing "Life-size Rock-Paper-Scissors)

Youth Rally @ Trinity Pentecostal.
We met youth from Laval Christian Assembly,
Trinity, Bethel Pentecostal & Greenfield Park. What a fun night!!

This being Activate's third trip back to Montreal, it is encouraging to see God's work continuing in the ministries we visited with before. Ministry in Montreal presents such a unique dynamic, especially when most of our team do not understand French well. This is why in the last few years we've transitioned into ministry, mainly in english speaking churches. Since being welcomed into english churches, we've connected with so many youth and youth ministry leaders. There is such a passion among these youth to see friends and family encounter God. And as we've

said before, Quebec being predominantly a Catholic province, it can be difficult to bear witness to others. This is not because the transformation that Christ brings is not evident, but there appears to be much different understanding of a person's connection to God. To many people God is a distant being, whose favor can only be earned. Things like grace and relationship with a Savior are not common ideas outside of the protestant church. But in the last three years, a hunger to seek God and be the change that youth want to see in their province, is stirring. God is at work in the dark places of this world. While we hear so much about hurting youth involved in self-harm or substance abuse, broken families, homelessness & divorce. God hears the cries of his people and is responding by birthing new dreams and visions to see His Church to reach out. Be encouraged, get involved!!!

It has been a treat to be back in Montreal!

Thank you for welcoming us each year, you make us feel @ home.

Chauvin Youth Camp

2010-04-09T16:15:00.002-06:00

We had great expectations for this camp. We've met up with this group several time

in the last year or two and how God works, never ceases amaze us. These youth are so fresh and

new to their relationship with God. Many of them are still figuring out if they want a

relationship with God but the leaders are constantly showing them the

love of Christ through their lives... asking questions like "If God exists why doesn't He just reveal Himself". Woh! How do you begin to answer that? But during discussion time and conversations around the campfire, the leaders had a chance to teach these searching youth about God's love and how He shows Himself to us through creation, relationships and His amazing attributes.

The three days we spent with the Chauvin group was filled with all kinds of activities. There was swimming, volleyball games, campfires, human foosball and even an outdoor easter hunt. Can't wait until we see this group of awesome youth again!

Camp Season begins....

2010-04-05T11:28:00.000-06:00

Even though its only April 5, camp season had begun for Activate. Today we're heading to Camp Nakamun for the Chauvin youth retreat. This will be the first of several youth camps we will be apart of this summer and we are very excited. Keep us in your prayers and we'll update as soon as we get back!

By The Bathroom Mirror: Teenage Girls & Identity | Youth Specialties

2010-04-01T10:56:00.000-06:00

Every now and again I find myself rapped up in an article or a good youth ministry book that provides me with a new perspective or perhaps a revamp of one my old ones. As those who minister to youth and wish to see positive change in their world, perhaps the best way to be effective is to know their world. Regardless of our age, we need to continue to be students... of culture, of theology and of ministry. Today more than ever the identity and innocence of youth is under attack and we as leaders need to be prepared.

Today I came across this article on the Youth Specialties website:

By The Bathroom Mirror: Teenage Girls & Identity | Youth Specialties

by Melissa Brown

It’s an age old question passed from one generation of men to the next: Why do girls always need to go to the bathroom together? As I female, I can confidently answer that we do this just to annoy you. Well, that’s the not real reason. We really do it because we females are very relational and most activities become an opportunity to connect and talk. Yes, this includes going to the bathroom, which I realize violates the man rule that states men should never, under any circumstances, talk to each other in the bathroom. While going to the bathroom in groups may seem odd, trips like this are crucial as teenage girls form their identity. Most teens have difficulty figuring out just who they are and what they were created to be and do. I recently did a self-portrait exercise with a group of ninth to twelfth graders, mainly females, and they had problems defining who they are. For a couple minutes, they stared blankly at their papers and then looked at my self-portrait for an example of what to draw. Even after they drew something, their views of themselves were very narrow and focused on just a couple of their interests, mainly just their art, which they spend many hours of the day doing. My heart ached for them, especially the seniors who were ready to leave us and still didn’t know who they are.

“Who am I?” is one of the major questions teens are asking right now, outwardly or subconsciously. A couple years ago, Youth Specialties’ Core Training focused on ministry to guys and girls, and the three basic questions an adolescent must have answered: Who am I? Do I and my choices matter? Where do I fit? While both girls and guys deal with these questions, it is important to understand the answers to these questions are very different.

Because I live with high school students full time in a residence hall at an arts conservatory, I interact with students at meals, on campus, and in hallways on a daily basis. I also get the unique opportunity to sit at a main desk at least 14 hours of the week while ninth to twelfth graders either walk by during their day, stop to talk with me, or hang out with their friends and classmates in the building.

In What's up with Boys? Crystal Kirgiss gives the top 16 ways teenage guys and girls are different. Some of these differences include “girls focus on people; guys focus on things,” “girls make conversations; guys make noise,” and “girls focus on intimacy; guys focus on independence.” I see all of these on a daily basis. It’s common to see a group of six girls walk by laughing, giggling, and talking a mile a minute. They may be on their way to eat a meal, going to class or practice, or just hanging for hours, but they are doing it together. It is unusual to see a girl by herself, and when I do, it is usually only because she is racing off to class, going to meet someone, or because occasionally she wants time to herself.

On the other hand, the guys tend to be by themselves. When they are in groups the discussion is about where they are going and is more subdued. The guys usually hang out in pairs, silently playing ping pong for hours, or jamming on guitars and then later quietly watching TV together in their rooms. As I check on the girls at night, they are usually on the phone or computer, again talking and connecting with others. Girls are much more verbal and communication is a key component to their relationships, whereas guys can just hang out together and everything is cool.

Since girls focus on people, conversations and intimacy it’s no surprise that teenage girls “define themselves in terms of their relationships and the quality they deem those relationships to have” (Footnote 2). There are so many relationships in their lives, almost too many to count. Parents, siblings, extended family, friends, peers, boyfriends, coworkers, classmates, teachers, youth leaders, church families and even the actor or musician she has a crush on all help answer the questions “Who am I?” and “Where do I fit?”

Peer Groups and Identity

Peer groups are often the hardest places for teens to form relationships as everyone is going through the same identity formation and struggle together. Yet it is a significant place their identity questions are answered. They are working on developing their identity separate from their parents and need opportunities to gather as peers.

Youth workers who care about helping girls with their identity need to create opportunities for just their teen girls to spend time together as females. This needs to happen in an environment that is safe both physically and emotionally. In these groups we can help them see what their identity is: she is a loved child of God, whose presence is important to us. Before they are open to Christ, though, they need to have relationships with believers. InYouth Ministry in the 21^st Century, Rick Lawrence reminds us that “teenagers will welcome a relationship with Christ after someone welcomes them into a community of loving Christians.”

Coed Peer Groups

Coed peer groups offer girls the opportunity for healthy interactions with guys and can answer to the question “Do I matter?” While participating in a book discussion of Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge, an all female group I was part of identified with the statement “we feel unsought – that no one has the passion or courage to pursue us, to get past our messiness to find the woman deep inside”(Foot note 3). If you watch a female with guys, even with ones who are ‘safe’ and purely friends, she responds differently than when she is just with her girl friends.

Last weekend a girl came hesitantly out to meet her date for dinner. As they approached each other, she blushed to his reaction of her outfit and his compliments to her. This same girl had spent the previous couple months hanging out in her room at nights, not spending time with others. Now she has been hanging out with him and all the new people in her life since that night. She is now seen and known by more of our community, thanks to his seeking her out, spending time with her and introducing her to other peers; and in turn he is impacting her identity.

Choices

Within their search for identity amongst peers, teens encounter a lot of pressure to make choices to go with the crowd. At this crucial time, their identity is poised between childhood and adulthood and the choices they make constantly teeter between each stage of development.

Teenage girls run out in the rain celebrating life in pretty dresses at their prom. They try to play a recognizable song on the BIG piano at FAO Schwartz after checking out all the toys on a trip to NYC that they planned and are leading for their peers and adult chaperones. And we love them for it. Girls will play “run around the person” (played exactly like the name) for thirty minutes after coming out of the practice room where they were working on an opera piece, just to sit down and spend time with their boyfriend after the game is over.

We need to let them be teenagers while they can and answer yes to the question “do I and my choices matter?” They need to be taught decision making skills and be reminded that they have the strength to stand up to their friends when needed. As caring adults we have to the opportunity to affirm their wise choices and acknowledge when they have made a choice, even it we don’t like it.

Frequently I have a teen come by and ask me to listen to her schedule for the day and encourage her to make healthy choices- whether it is studying, going and getting lunch or having some much needed time with friends. I just sit there, listen and encourage her to make the right choice; she knows what it is already and just needs me to say that it’s good she is making this choice.

She and other teenage female adolescents need us to teach them how to make choices, to seek God for answers and affirm that they have made a choice, not just give them answers, or quote scripture. There are some times when they will make poor choices and we’ll have to step in and call in help for them such as their parents, trained counselors, or medical professionals or make the choices for them, such as taking away the keys from a drunk teen. Those times, however, should be the exceptions. Most of the time, we should be able to affirm their choice, and when they make poor ones be able to say, “I don’t like your choice but I love you.”

While our female teenagers will continue to ask and find answers to these major questions throughout their lives, we can help them best identify who they are right now by providing them with safe peer communities, encouraging healthy relationships, affirming decision making, and not rolling our eyes when they all troop off to the bathroom together.

Catalyst Youth Conference in Fort McMurray

2010-03-30T14:13:00.007-06:00

Just a few weekends ago, March 12-14, we trucked it on up to Fort McMurray. Many people may know this city because of its oil production. It is the provider of many jobs and the success for many families. However, little do we hear about the youth of Fort McMurray. Its so easy to label the town as money-hungry or a place for bad opportunities, but when you look past what is just on the surface, you'll see a great mission field. Located 4 and a half hours north of Edmonton, Fort McMurray is experiencing something new, something fresh from God... all it

needs is people who are willing to be used, willing to reach out.

Catalyst Youth Conference was an event held for all denominations but put on by the youth ministry of the Pentecostal Church and led by Pastor Rob Lodge. Now there's a guy with a heart for the youth of Fort McMurray, not just for church youth but for youth of the community as well. Wayne Northup, international youth evangelist and founder of Answering the Cries ministry, was invited to speak and before the conference began Pastor Rob and Wayne visited one of the local schools to speak at an assembly. From there, several youth came out to the conference and received Christ as their own Saviour that weekend. And many others, developed a deeper relationship with God as their faith was challenge by Wayne's talks.

These are two fun girls who bought our t-shirts on Saturday night and came up with a crazy idea to make the t-shirt "more girlie". THIS is what they came up with...

Fort McMurray, being a place where we've ministered and visited many times in the past, has a special place in our hearts. And to see God at work not only in the youth but in families as well, is such a blessing.

Fairview, AB

2010-03-25T11:29:00.000-06:00

If you drive 6 hours north west, through Grand Prairie then a little further north, you'll find a little place call Fairview. Being so far north, this little town of 3500 has pretty much everything it needs to sustain itself. With everything from a hospital to a recreation centre (with a pool) and a college, Fairview is a happening place. It was here that we journeyed last weekend for Snow Camp 2010 (Mar. 12-14).

There we joined Pastor Mark Frase, his youth group and others from surround communities such as Manning & Peace River. All together there were about 35 youth hanging our to enjoy lots of fun happenings, worship, learning about God and tons of recreation. Pastor Mark is the leader of a youth group that is primarily made up of community youth. Many do not attend church regular nor do they have a relationship with God, but the are learning about God. They learn about God through Mark & his wife, Shannon's love and concern for them. They learn about God through the open arms of the church family. While much of the youth group events is focused around building relationship and rapport with the youth, Snow Camp is a youth retreat that they hold to inspire youth to learn more about God and perhaps even take the step to begin a relationship with Him. And with that purpose in mind, we began to minister to this awesome group of youth. Though hesitant at first, it did not take long before the youth begin to drive into worship with us. God did some amazing things amongst these youth. There were a few who responded for first time commitments, others who were learning more about God while some just went deeper in their faith, allowing God to mold them. So amazing to see God at work within those who know Him the least.

Friday Night

First Pastor Mark leads in calestetics.... aka crazy exercises to make sure we were "awake". Rick later spoke from the Word.

Saturday Morning

Saturday mornings are always difficult to get youth interacting because, let's be honest, they are not even awake. To get the blood flowing, Lorne started the morning with leading the youth on a faith walk. Each youth was blindfolded then sent into different parts of the church as they followed a course that was made with rope. They encountered many obstacles (tables, chairs, walls, etc.) that they had to go around, over, under or whatever it took to continue through the course. Afterwards Lorne spoke to the youth what they experienced and how to apply that to their own lives.

Saturday Night

Leave it to Jase for any interesting and "interactive" message. These guys didn't know what they were getting into when Jase asked for volunteers. He spoke to youth about Jesus' foot washing... gotta have dirty feet first to get them clean.

God was definitely at work in the after service, as both community & church youth surrendered their lives to Him. What an encouragement!!

Invision 2010

2010-03-17T15:03:00.000-06:00

It was only two days after we returned from Peru that we geared up for leading worship at another event. Invision, for those who do not know, is a event that can be categorized under many labels. For those graduating high school it is an event that is held at Vanguard College for those who are interested in learning more about the programs and education one could receive there. For Vanguard students its a time for spiritual enrichment and for youth groups in the city of Edmonton, it is the Friday night city-wide youth ralley held at West Edmonton Christian Assembly. With all this in mind we geared up for what we have always known to be a great time of worship and learning from the word. Steve Osmond, lead pastor of First Assembly in Calgary, brought a dynamic and fun message at each session and there was not trouble to tell that God was at work. Thursday night, the recruitment department of Vanguard, invited Panic Squad (the Improv comedy pros) for the late night entertainment for students. Perhaps the best light night entertainment that Invision has even had.

Regardless of how tired we were after doing 20 of ministry in Peru, Invision was amazing!

It kept US awake...

Day 18-22 - Jungles of Tarapoto cont.

2010-03-17T14:22:00.001-06:00

Friday Morning - Children's Minitry @ Local School

We went from classroom to classromm, beginning with the littlest kids first, singing songs, playing games, doing skits and teaching them about the love of God. By now, we learned that Tarapoto tends to do things by the seat of their pants so we weren't sure of what to expect. Plans could change at a moment's notice but it all worked out and we had an awesome time with the children.

Saturday in San Antonio

After driving on a twisting road, up mountain, through a beautiful forrest which looked into a valley filled with lush plant life we arrive at this beautiful little village. It had an incredible river going through the village, which came down from the mountain. So peaceful and calm...

Lorne, Rick & Dean moving sand from one side of the river to the other, over a bridge. (Church seen in background)

This is the inside of the church where the floor was being built.

Everyone who was working that day, after a wonderful snack of locally grown grapes. These were perhaps some of the best grapes any of us had ever even! Yum yum yum

Everyone was helping out with this church project... both young and old! This elderly man put some of the boys to shame. With a smile on his face, he worked so hard.

Day 17 & 18 - Jungles of Tarapoto

2010-03-17T14:21:00.000-06:00

Thursday afternoon, Feb. 18, we boarded a plane and fly to the jungles of Tarapoto. Then began the five days that we would spend taking part in a variety of things. We were not aware of this when we arrived, but the church was celebrating an anniversary so we were just a little part of that. We had many opportunities to lead worship (Thursday- Sunday everyday), speak at the youth and women's events as well as doing help out with the construction of a new floor.

Having the opportunity to meet so many great people was so wonderful. The children there were a delight.

(Right) Church nursery
(Below) Crazy faces with the kids

The beautiful faces of peruvian children. There were MANY!

Day 16 - San Isidro

2010-03-03T12:52:00.001-07:00

On Wednesday night we headed back to the mother church for their prayer service. Now for most of us, when we think of a prayer service, we think of the faithful few that show up in the middle of the week to pray. Perhaps there are 10, 20 or if we're lucky maybe 40. Wednesday night prayer service packs the church out here in Lima. There were probably 800 people present to worship, hear the word and pray for family and friends. This was an inspiring response to the call to pray.

Day 13 - National Museum: A day to remember

2010-03-03T12:36:00.000-07:00

Monday morning, Feb. 15 was free so as a team we decided to head to the National Museum to learn a little more about Peruvian culture. We were aware that we would learn about the history and even expected observe some of the inca artifacts but little did we know that we would truly be impacted by the most recent history that of the Peruvian people.

One whole floor of the museum was dedicated to the terrorism attacks of the 80s & early 90s. The attacks were lead by the "Shining Path" group and much of the government was corrupt, therefore there was not much that could be done. From talking to people, it appeared as thought the president himself was corrupt. This group was involved in drug trafficking and fought for power in the most violent manner. Both rural and urban areas were attacked with bombings, kidnappings, rape and many other brutal forms of violence.

Roads were often covered with rocks or garbage so that transportation was not available for those who attempted to escape.

This is the result of a bombing on July 16, 1992 on Tarata St. This is located just 4 blocks from where we stayed in Lima. This was a street we had walked through several times but until we the museum visit we really did not realize that history that was all around our feet. The building is now restored and a monument is resurrected in memory of this disaster.

During the attacks many children were left orphaned and so they were taken in by catholic orphanages or shelters. There children were responsible to help by doing chores and following rules of the nuns.

As we walked through this particular floor of the museum, everything got quieter. There were videos, photos, and documentaries which brought to life the seriousness of what Peruvian people have lived through, within the last 20 years. We were all struck by the fact that these attacks occurred within our life time. Which also meant that many of the youth and young adults lived through it. When we met up with our translator, Inez, 25, the next day we chatted to her about these attacks and she told her that she remembers the attacks. There were days when the Shining Path, decided it was a home day and anyone who stepped outside their homes would be shot. To children, she said, it was just a day off from school but for others who disobeyed this rule, it was their last.

Visiting the national museum really opened our eyes to the people we were ministering to. Within those 20 years, many children were orphaned and families were left with very little to survive on. But we recognized that the attacks ended only 15 years ago and to see how well the people have rebounded is absolutely amazing. There has been a mighty move of God since the attacks. People have truly looked to God for hope, protection and guidance to get through difficult times. Peruvian people are strong, determined people. They live for today as they are not guaranteed tomorrow. And while the rest of the world is not guaranteed tomorrow either, we tend to play it safe and not give God our all. These people are totally abandoned to their faith. They trust God with everything and respond to God's call, without hesitation and they know He is the only one that is constant in their lives. There's a lot to learn from people who have truly experienced difficult times.

Youth BBQ

Later in the evening we had several youth from the Dean's church over for a BBQ. There were about 40 people that we got to hang out with and learn more about. It was so awesome trying to communicate with some of them. Many of the youth could speak English quite well, while others knew very little. We know very little Spanish so it was awesome to have youth who knew both languages to help out. And sometimes we just used GoogleTranslator. All in all it was an awesome night!

The whole day was a day of experiences and knowledge that we'll never forget! Its been memorable.

Day 10-12

2010-02-21T14:35:00.000-07:00

Day 10 - Its a Fiesta!!!

On Friday we had the opportunity to be apart of our first "quinceanera". This is not only found in Peru but many hispanic cultures celebrate this significant event. The tradition celebrates a young girl who is turning 15 years old (la Quinceanera), and recognizes her journey from childhood to maturity. The customs highlight God, family, friends music food, and dance.

This young girl, Daniella, is one of the youth as Dean's church. We were invited to play some music at the reception portion of her celebration. It was a little nerve wrecking as we did not know what to expect. But it ended up being quite an interesting and fun evening. We played music then Ashley gave a word of encouragement to Daniella about being a woman of God in an ungodly world. By the end of the night we had learned what it meant to be a 15 year old in the Peruvian culture.

Day 11 - Youth Services

Saturday afternoon, the guys headed to Collage @ 4PM which was held at San Isidro church (Mother church). Collage is the typical name for youth group within all the Emmanuel Biblica churches here in Peru. There we led worship and Jase spoke to the youth from God's word. It was an awesome service. Youth definitely know how to have fun in worship that's for sure. Us girls weren't feeling so great as we had been sick for a few days, so we rested during the first service then met up with the guys for the second service. At 8pm we went to Indepencia for GENERACIÓN NUEVA, which is the youth/young adults services within Emmanuel Biblica. There Rick spoke a message and there was an amazing time around the altar afterwards.

Day 12 - San Isidro

On Sunday we attended San Isidro church, which is known as the mother church in Lima. It is from this church that many of the other Emmanuel Biblica Iglesia Assemblies are planted (ex. San Miguel, Indepencia, etc.). This church in particular holds 6 different services on any given Sunday, beginning at 7AM and the last service at 7PM. We attended the 11AM service which was an awesome experience as we got to take in a typical Sunday morning worship service in Peru. Before coming to Lima, we were told that each service there would be about 10-15 people who would give their hearts to God and to be honest we were doubtful about that. But after seeing 12 people give their hearts to God in the 11AM service, we were hopefully for what God would do in the evening services.

That evening, we were apart of the 5PM & 7PM services, leading worship and Lorne brought the word. In both services there was a total of about 25 people who made a first time decision while others spent time in prayer. There was no doubt in our minds that God was at work in this church, especially after seeing people respond to him with our own eyes.

Day 7 & 8

2010-02-16T15:57:00.000-07:00

Day 7- Through the Eyes of One Child

On Tuesday morning we went along on a little trip with the missionary, Dean, to visit his Compassion sponsor child. His 7th birthday is at the end of the month so all went to celebrate with him. We met at Compassion Peru country office and there, greeting us, was the sweetest little boy, his mom and his 5 year old sister. We all went inside to sit and chat with the family, with translators of course, as Dean gave him his birth present as well as a little something for his sister. It was one of those moments that every sponsor wishes they could experience... meeting the little boy or girl that they support every moment and getting to hear from his/her mother and sister how life is for them and where the money is being used. We had a chance to play games with the kids, sing a song for them then we all went out to lunch. The restaurant had a play area (similar to McDonalds) and the kids had a blast playing there after lunch. It was such a blessing to be there with them.As we chatted with the family, the Compassion representative told us that both children were in school and while their dad was not in the picture they were generally doing well. They live in a one room home and for the longest time the children did not have a bed, so they slept on the hard floor. Recently through their sponsors and Compassion, funds were provided to buy bunk beds so now all members of the family are able to sleep on beds. Mom rises very early each day to work 5am-1pm at an orphanage washing clothes. She is a very hard worker and has the marks on her hands to prove it. This family lives on approximately $120 American each month... thats about $0.60 an hour to support her family. Thankfully both children have sponsors which helps with daily costs of living yet it still made us realize how fortunate we really are.

Day 8 - San Miguel

On Wednesday night we headed to a little church in San Miguel where we took part in their weekly prayer service. While this church may have been a small in size, their worship is contagious. After the worship time, Jase spoke the Word. There was a great response to the word and it was amazing to interact with the people as we prayed together around the altar.

Peru - Day 4 & 5

2010-02-07T23:15:00.001-07:00

Saturday night we returned to Manchay to minister to the youth there. At 5:30 we arrived and set up just outside the church. With our instruments under tarps and with carpet rolled out on the gravel, we began the service. The youth began with dance routines then we led in worship and the word. It was so great to see some of the moms, children and youth from the day before when we did children's ministry. We came away from that night amazed at how normal it felt to just hang out and worship with these youth. It is so easy to look at these people and pity them but God is definitely at work in the people of Manchay. Right after this service we drove back into Lima to head to a young adults service, where we will be ministering next week.

This morning we travelled to Indepencia, a little part of Lima. We were there for two services, the first at 9am Rick spoke and the second at 11am, Lorne spoke. It was so amazing to worship with these people. They have such a heart for worship and it was a privilege to worship with them. They praise God with so much joy and celebration and this was something that became quite evident in both services. 4 people gave their hearts to God in the 2 services and we could not wipe the smiles off our faces. Before the speaking, we were able to take in the worship leading of the team there. Singing in Spanish was a bit of a challenge but by the second service, we could almost understand what we were singing. : )

Tonight we went to Zarate, which is an area known to be dangerous. It would not be uncommon to experience robberies or muggings in this area, so we took a little extra precaution. But boy was it ever worth it. While tonight was this church's main Sunday service, it was amazing to see how many youth attended. This little church was packed and over half were youth and children and God's presence was there right from the start. These people are sooo hungry for God's presence and when the call was made in the after service, so many people came to seek God. 4 people gave their hearts to God and so many more just spent time praying.

Actually we have been learning some of the language which has been a success so far. When we meet people we say "como estas?" = how are you. "Mi nombre es..." = My name is. "Bounos Dias" = Good morning. Slowly we're learning. One thing that hasn't taken long to learn is that the Peruvian people are very hospitable people. They truly have a servant's heart and they have been blessing us so much since we've been here. It is such a privilege to be in Peru. Its only been 4 days and already God has done so many amazing things... but we know there is so much more that God has in store and we're so excited to experience it!!!

Manchay

Indepencia

Zarate

Peru- Day 3

2010-02-06T11:14:00.000-07:00

Officially our ministry began today. This morning, we taxied 1 hour southeast to the reigion of Manchay. Found at the foot of these dry mountains is a little settlement of people. There's not much use for the land other than building on. The ground is very dry, making it difficult for families to grow crops on, while some do make efforts. It doesn't rain often which adds to this issue. Families live in house such as seen in the photo above. Out our windows we could see little 8x8 one room houses can be seen everywhere. There was silence as we drove in.

We arrived first in New Manchay, which appeared to be less fortunate than Manchay. The land seemed barren and it was almost unbelievable that people even lived there. As we approached the location where they held church services, we realized that we had arrived, this was where we would be doing children's ministry.

It was a little difficult to get going, as its seems everyone was feeling and thinking the same thing... "Seriously? People live here." But it didn't take long for us to clue into the fact that, they are people just like us and we got ready to have some fun with the about 300 kids.

The pastors introduced us and then we began. Ashley led the kids in some a few games and Lorne led them in some songs. Then we all did a skit which led into a Bible lesson and a prayer time. Afterwards, we passed out clothes, school supplies and toys to the kids. There were lines of boys and girls for as far as we could see. Moms and grandmas came with their children to get toys and sewing kits. Even those who were pregnant came to get clothes for their new borns. It was such a blessing to have the donations to give. "Gracias" is a word we heard a lot, "thank you".

Peru - Day 1

2010-02-02T20:14:00.025-07:00

Well we have arrived! After 15 hours of travel we landed in Lima, Peru. It was quite late when we got to bed which worked perfectly as Dean (the missionary) had planned for today to be a rest day for us. Dean's sister, Deborah, graciously allowed us to stay at her place and had a delicious peruvian meal prepared for us. We ate lunch with Pastor Gilbert & his wife at 3pm (as is the custom in Peru to having a larger lunch in the afternoon between 2p-5p then a smaller supper). Pastor Gilbert is the youth pastor at the church Dean attends, Emmanuel Iglesia Biblica. He later invited us to the church for a tour of where we would be ministering while in Lima. On the way we toured a little

of Lima... lots of people, markets, restaurant,

cafes in this city... so exciting!!

We've got lots more to do and see. We will be spending just under 3 weeks ministering to youth and children her in this beautiful country. There are lots of ministry opportunities to experience, many people to meet and some fun times to be had. For those who have been following us, thank you for all your support and prayers. And now more than ever, we ask that you pray for us.

Tomorrow will be visiting Manchay (known as the slums of the Lima region) to do children's ministry. Donations came flowing in before we left from Canada and tomorrow we will get to see what God had in mind when he blessed us with so many teddy bears, school supplies, clothing and many other things. We're pretty exciting. We will be updating this blog every day or two with pics and stories, so all our friends & families can see what God is doing in Peru.

Winter Retreat 2009 - North West Family Church

2010-01-19T17:26:00.002-07:00

We just got back from our second winter retreat with North West Family Church in Calgary. There we joined Pastor Joe Battiston and 21 of the youth for yet another, awesome winter retreat. We travelled 20min. outside the city to a camp where we spent the weekend worshiping God together, learning from the Word and building on relationships we started last year. It was so awesome to see the growth in that youth group from just one year ago. No holding back with these guys... whether it was in worship or in pranks, they are an all or nothing kinda of crowd. It made for a fun and adventurous weekend.

God did some pretty awesome things. Youth received their baptism and freedom from all kinda of strongholds in their lives. Many of them dove into worship in ways they had not in the past. On Sunday morning the opportunity came for anyone who wished to give a testimony and so it was such a blessing to hear of God's work from the youth themselves. After seeing and hearing about God move in so many unique ways, we came away from the weekend feeling so satisfied. Having just a small part of what God is doing in today's generation is our raison d'être.

We are so blessed!

Home for the Holidays

2010-01-19T16:21:00.000-07:00

Most of the team grew up in Newfoundland and the one who didn't, is marrying a Newfie gal this summer. So its not hard to believe that over Christmas holidays we ended up in NL. And since most of us were home, we figured we'd help out in a few youth groups.

Our first stop was in the little town of North West Brook, where we hung out with some old youth group friends and meet a new faces. Then we were on to the Worship Centre in St. John's for a city-wide youth rally. It was awesome to see well over 200 youth come together from all over the city. There was lots of energy from the youth which made it so fun. We also had the opportunity to connect as we chatted to many of them afterwards. We're looking forward to going back home for ministry sometime in the near future!

A Visit to La Belle Province

2010-01-13T13:44:00.000-07:00

If you've never had the chance to visit Montreal, you're definitely missing out. Known as the "Canadian Cultural Capital" it is filled with such life and respect for the arts. Its long-lasting tradition of jazz and rock music has continue to thrive on St. Catherine Street and talent for dance, theatre and visual arts is also noticed. Incidentally, Montreal is home to those as talented as Celine Dion, Caroline Rhea and Mario Lemeux. But whether it is a winter of summer visit, Montreal proud has many attractions on display. Montreal's great history can be experience in its Old Port where its social, cultural and economic heart is located since the days of fur trading in the1600s. Beauty is no stranger to Montreal but with all of its aesthetics Montreal has a great need for Christian influence.

Though it may be that we raise thousands each year to travel overseas to further the Gospel, Canadians need to recognize the need for the Gospel right here in our own nation. Quebec has such a strong presence of Catholicism in the traditional sense. Yet about 5% are actually practicing Catholics and less than 1% of people claiming to be Christians. The is such a disconnect between God and today's generation. Many youth are growing up with an "anything goes " attitude which can often be translated into the way they dress, the friends they hang out with, the activities they involved themselves in and ultimately, the lifestyles that they choose. With these statistics ringing in our ears, we felt that as Canadians we had a duty to fulfill in reaching out to the youth of Quebec. So in October of last year we headed to Montreal to see where we could help.

Now just one year later on October 22, Activate took a trip to Montreal for the 2nd time. We met up with some old friends at LCA youth group (Laval Christian Assembly) where Pastor Rudy Moley was ministering. And for the first time, we did ministry at Fabre Street Church and Trinity Pentecostal. It was great to meet to new youth and to connect with pastors in another province to see how they are reach out to such a unique group of young people.

And so without any surprises, Montreal was a delight! The connection we made last year was a good one and our hope is to return each year. Who knows what we'll get to be apart of next? I mean this year, some of us crazy ones did get a chance to bungee jump but can we really be surprised about that? Probably not.

Until next time, pray for Quebec. Its in great need of God's love and revelation to be poured out over that province. We're seeing it happen but there needs to be more. Please pray!

Can't wait until next year...

City Wide Youth Ralley @ People's Church

2009-11-20T15:37:00.001-07:00

Its been a little over a month but here are some highlights from the City Wide Youth Ralley. Hosted by the People's Church here in Edmonton, the night put on in support of the "Life" campaign. Hundreds of youth spent the night without water, symbolically in support those who go without water each and every day. The event was organized by Pastor Travis of North Pointe church. Pastor Paul Fraser spoke while Activate led in worship. As with any youth event, there was lots of fun and games but students still received a challenging message. Later that night youth were given a chance to take part in the campaign by raising money to build wells in numerous countries in Africa. Along with other events and youth groups that weekend, Alberta raised $21000 to support the cause. And praise God for that!! It was one awesome night. We're looking forward to the next one...

Camrose - "In-tents Youth Retreat"

2009-11-20T14:30:00.001-07:00

A few weekends ago we headed to the little town of Camrose, Alberta. Students had classes off on Thursday & Friday this past week so Calvary Pentecostal Church youth group put on the "In-tents Youth Retreat". We arrived on Thursday to approximately 30 youth who were literally prepared to stay the night at the church in tents. On Friday night Camrose hosted a youth ralley. A little over 100 youth showed up from Chauvin and Wainwright. At each gathering there was worship, games and then Keith Waara, from Tehillah Monday, spoke the Word in an inspiring manner.

We weren't in town long but it did not take long for us to find out that these youth like to have fun. Whether it was in the service, during games or late night movies, shaving cream and water balloons (interesting combination or what?)... this bunch was energetic. They were great hosts and awesome participants in God's presence.

New Bloggers in Town

2009-11-06T13:57:00.005-07:00

Its been about 2 years since Activate has gotten off the ground. Beginning with mostly local ministry in the Edmonton, AB region, Activate has stretched across the country to Quebec and Newfoundland and is now looking forward to heading south to the beautiful country of Peru.

To those who are new to Activate and our mission, welcome aboard. For those who have been following us on Facebook or by email updates, thanks for your support and we hope that continue to check out what God is doing through Activate.

Stay tuned... pics of events from the last few months will be posted VERY SOON!!!

Peace Out