An Article.

I just had an article/update about Campus Mission Canada printed in the recent January 2011 edition of  testimony  ,the national magazine for the P.A.O.C. 


If you want to get a quick snapshot of what is going on click right HERE.

Also, a year ago I provided an article that not only surveyed our campus ministries, but also explained why it is that we do what we do. Why campus ministry?

If you would like to see it, please click right HERE

Mt Tremblant

Over a year ago, as I began my role as campus ministries coordinator, I arrived on the campus of Carleton University to pray and to connect with a young pastor, Jonathan Hutchison, of Peace Tower Church. Jonathan had just been released by PTC to give a day per week to the Carleton campus and we talked about first steps to creating a ministry on campus. You can read about this in previous blogs ( Oct 09 etc).



Anyway, Jonathan set to work laying a solid foundation. Carleton Christian Ministries was formed.  The ministry began this September and he has been instrumental in drawing together a diverse and dynamic group of students who have a deep desire to pursue God and to change the campus for Christ. A group of the guys have committed to daily prayer from 7-8 on campus, with a combination of worship and prayer ( harp and bowl). As a result, God is “surprising” them with healings and salvations. It is exciting to hear.



 So it was a privilege to be the speaker at their inaugural retreat at Mt. Tremblant, an hour and a half north of Montreal. Although a number of their people, including some key leaders, were not able to make it due to commitments they could not escape, there was a solid group of students who came to pray, worship and be challenged by God’s word ( not to mention ski, tube and play board games until the wee hours of the morning). The retreat gave them a chance to learn and play together. I could just sense the depth of prayer that had gone into this retreat and it was exciting to be there.

 They came from places like Burundi, Botswana, Guyana, Haiti, Rwanda, Ireland, and Sarnia :) . They came with international experience, a global perspective and the potential to impact people far beyond our sphere. It was a privilege to be amongst them. I think of a quote that Matt Glombick shared with us by another campus minister who wrote “ we are able to have access to future world leaders before they no longer have time for us….”

The entrance theme for our time was “one thing” ( regarding vision and focus) and we talked about how important it is to have a big picture sense of where we are going. That means having a vision of eternity. In the second session we worked from John 3:16 and unwrapped “the big story of God” imbedded in the gospel. In the final session we looked at Living for the Kingdom – Now.. . We actually covered a lot of ground and it was energizing to see people engaging the truth and for “lights to go on..” all across the room.


This is a ministry grounded in prayer. They have a respect and appreciation for the Word. They are not afraid to desire the fulness of God's Spirit, while engaging truth at a profound level. They expect God to communicate Himself to them and it is clear that He does.


It is a solid group and it is well led. Jonathan is one of the rising leaders in our movement and I appreciate his depth and maturity along with his bright mind. His wife,Tera, who accompanied him for the weekend, is an ideal match for him, even as she holds down a demanding job on Capital Hill. I enjoyed the time I was able to spend with them.



 

Village of St. Jovite with Mt.T in the background

 

A Day of Three Provinces

Mitch Lewis

On my final day on the ground (Dec 1) I had the privilege of being in three provinces on the same day. First thing in the morning, we connected with Mitch Lewis who is the pastor of Crossroads Gospel Temple in Amherst, NS.  …   and also a student at Mount Allison University, fifteen minutes down road, across the DMZ in Sackville, New Brunswick. Mitch has a deep burden for MAU and has been praying about it for some time. He is hoping and praying that the right individual(s) may come along and reach out in an intentional way to the campus community.

Chapel and Commons

AMU is a little jewel of a university. It is always highly ranked amongst Canada’s smaller universities. In fact, it is a perennial #1 in the Macleans Magazine ratings. It is very hard to get into and it has a bit of a reputation as an elite school.

The campus is compact and graciously designed and laid out. The student centre is modern, central and available for events. The Mount Allison Christian Fellowship meets on campus beneath the chapel. It is a vigorous group but it is clear that so much more could happen and so much more needs to happen. I am looking forward to picking up the conversation with Mitch and with Jim Malloy and seeing what possibly might come out of praying, dreaming and strategizing.

14km Confederation Bridge

We left the mainland and made a sprint via the Bridge for P.E.I., home of Anne of Green Gables, as well as the UPEI or University of P.E.I. UPEI is undergoing significant development and expansion and is a veritable hub of activity in the heart of Charlottetown. It is also a neighbor of Calvary Temple, which is strategically located at the intersection of two key highways that run through the city, a couple of blocks from the campus.

Josh in the UPEI Student Centre

Their associate pastor in charge of community outreach and young adults, Josh Singh, is aware of the need for patience and diligence in becoming part of the chaplaincy network on campus. He is well aware that there are times we have to earn a seat at the table. At present, however, he is running a ministry on Sunday nights that is set up very much on the EPIC model which engages students over beverages and encourages them to contribute as well as receive. 

UPEI has strong athletic teams and an impact in the region all out of proportion to its size and numbers. It will be exciting to see what God will do on that campus as he brings together the right people and resources. 

Halifax: Dalhousie and SMU

The next day we travelled down to Halifax.On route.. It was my privilege to travel through the village of Stempiak, NS,  which is apparently the geographical midway point between the equator and the NPole ( I just knew I felt balanced).

 Anyway, we travelled through the trendy neighborhoods of Halifax until we arrived at Saint Mary’s University (SMU). SMU (perennial football powerhouse and alma mater of my relative and former linebacker, Tyler) is a compact school with a big reputation. They cram a lot into a large city block – including a football field ringed by a cathedral, residences, academic buildings, a student centre and athletic facilities. They have , to borrow a British term,  stuffed a quart into a pint bottle.

Apparently SMU has the rep as a party school. To hear it told,  it is sort of a place where people go to have a good time and figure out what they want to do with the rest of their lives.

Although I did not have much time to spend on campus, I was concerned to at least get a feel of the spiritual atmosphere on campus.  SMU has Jesuit roots. The Society of Jesus has long stressed academics, a missional orientation and athletics.

engaged chaplaincy

SMU bulletin board

 From the people I talked to and what I could see on the Bulletin boards and on the chaplaincy’s brochures and information, the SMU Chaplaincy seems relatively orthodox. The chaplain is targeting catholic students to connect them with their faith – namely introducing them to Jesus. 

The bulletin boards reveals a lot of quality innovative programming. The CCO has full time missionaries dedicated to the task. Both C4C and Navs have official status as Societies on campus. I would like to know how it fares for them.


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On to Dalhousie...

King's College   historic core of Dalhousie

Down the road from SMU is Dalhousie University. Integrated into the urban core of Halifax, Dalhousie ( called Dal by the locals)  is one of the funkiest campuses around. It’s not  downtown urban core like Montreal, but it is lowrise urban nonetheless. It is just the kind of place that one could see him/herself living in if they were free to do so. 

Dalhousie is not without Christian witness. There are the regular raft of groups involved on campus as well as an interfaith chaplaincy with a house right on the edge of campus. 

The chaplaincy does not seem to have any representation of our form of Christianity, which is regrettable, especially considering that pentecostalism in its various forms is one of the largest expressions of  Christianity in the world. It is without question the fastest growing. I would like to know if this reason for the void lies on our side ( lack of engagement) or on the side of the chaplaincy association. 

Shilo U Church at Dal ( advertised on a SMU bulletin board)

We met with Mike Miller who runs the Shiloh University Church once every other Friday night on campus. At present he is partnering with C4C which does programming on campus every other week. The SUC is a large attractional event based around solid worship, emphatic preaching and Holy Spirit response. Mike is the associate pastor at Rock Church in Lower Sackville which was once an assemblies church. He has strong connections with many of our people including Matt Tapley and Steve Osborne.   

Mike Miller (l) with our reflective guide Jim Malloy

By his own admission, he is not interested in developing a 'seeker sensitive' or a unity service. He wants to play to his strengths and to the best of his ability provide a full service where the presence of God is invited and expected. Whatever unity, outreach or relationships that occur will be an outflow of the event.

 His vision is clear. It could be either inspirational or daunting to the reader depending on the context. It takes Mike about 30 volunteer leaders to make this event happen. Most of these leaders come from his own church which has had to adjust its internal programming to allow for the extra time and resources required by this service. This would include the renting of a truck, the setting up and taking down of equipment and the development and dissemination of advertising materials.

I became aware of New Life Church which meets on Dal. I am not sure to what extent it reaches students. I had hoped to meet with its pastor while I was onsite, but I had a delightful first encounter with one of its deacon while I was at GTM;  It seems like a church that is doing many things well.

What I would hope at some point is  we can plant a missionary onsite to specifically reach out to the Dal population. What would be double bonus is if we could buy or rent a house where students could live and hospitality could happen. If we could consider it as an investment, it would bear long term dividends.

I am praying for that very thing, even as we speak.....

Nova Scotia travels...

did I mention "the middle of nowhere...?"

The next day, George was tied up in meetings and I hit the open road.

I was off to visit St Francis Xavier University. After driving an hour and a half from our district headquarters in Truro,NS,  I arrived at what seemed like the middle of nowhere. When I saw the university, nicely set on a hill with the town of Antigonish at its feet, the idea of a castle and burgh came to mind. In other words: A town forming at the base of a castle.

SFX entrance  

As I had heard, St Francis Xavier is a high class, nationally ranked university. It’s compact campus is neatly and classically designed with a “New England” architectural look and feel. It boasts of its high scores in student satisfaction surveys and uses its relatively small enrollment ( around 5,000 ) to its advantage in recruiting. I enjoyed the combination of architecture.

lower floor student centre

When I land on a new campus to ‘scout the land’, one of the first things I do is look for where students naturally congregate when they are not in class or in the library. In some places, like the University of Alberta, it is easy to do. In others, such as the University of Toronto, Mississauga (UTM) , it is much more elusive ( students seem to avoid the UTM student centre). However, I quickly found the student centre at SFX. While the main floor was not promising, its lower levels revealed a hub of student activity and its upper floors led me to the chaplaincy offices.


SFX, seems to have a relatively inclusive approach to chaplaincy and appears willing to embrace different forms of spirituality. While I tried to connect with the chaplaincy office, which is well situated and seems to be well run, there was no one there. The best I could do is leave a note of greeting. I plan to follow up on it.


Over the past several years, our PAOC church near the campus has been deeply involved with Xavier Christian Fellowship, on campus – but now it is in the midst of a pastoral transition. We will have to ensure that whoever follows this pastor has a missional heart towards the university. It is important to see that kind of involvement and connection again. Everything about the town and the campus sings "potential". I am praying that we will see it actualized.

Travelling with my leader George Werner, I had the opportunity to take advantage of some of the connections  he has diligently established all over the country. We had the privilege of connecting with Jim Malloy, who functions as the assistant superintendent ( whether or not that is his title ) of the Maritimes District ( which, believe it or not, includes Bermuda!), and who was our guide throughout the week.



While George preached at Nouvelle Esperance, our francophone church in Dieppe , translated by Pastor David Martin its youthful francophone Acadian pastor, I had the opportunity to speak twice at Glad Tidings Church in Moncton, NB. The worship leading and special music was simply stellar. Music and Maritimes go together…… While I took the opportunity to highlight my Mission Canada role in the area, I used the time to share two personal messages. The first was “Growing Through Grief” , something I have had the opportunity to do over the past year, and the other was “Live for Jesus Now” ( lessons from Dave ). There was liberty to speak from my heart and the congregation opened their hearts to what I had to share. I very much appreciate the leadership of Pastor Paul Pattison and his staff. I met with Luke Anderson who serves as the emerging generations ( youth and students) pastor – who is intentionally reaching out to Crandall University, nearby. He is a fine young leader who is asking the right questions and who has the right heart.

David Martin and George Werner

Later, we took a tour with David, who directs a student ministry called Haute Zone at the University of Moncton ( the largest francophone university outside of Quebec). He gathers a group of students on Friday night and combines general events and gender specific small groups. They gather in the basement of the chapel which is perfectly suitable for their purposes. Although being non-Roman Catholic on a Catholic university, they experience a general atmosphere of good will. Having said that, David is fighting generations of religious bias towards ‘sects’ where the average person does not have the capability to discern the distinctions between them.


UM seems magnificently endowed for the size of the school . It has a state of the art football stadium (It far surpasses Dalhousie’s stadium and compares favorably with those of perennial powerhouses St. Mary’s and Wilfrid Laurier) that seats several thousand people and it sports a variety of large modern buildings. It is clear that the various levels of government have prioritized university expenditures.


When David was a student at UM (back in the day), he felt like he was the only Christian on campus. One day, as he was lamenting this to the Lord, someone walked by him “singing a song of the Lord”. While he never saw that person again, it was more than encouraging for him. He travelled to Peterborough for Bible College, and then came back.

He then met his wife, Natalie, on campus through a mutual friend. She too had been a student at UofM. They are quite the combo and it is great to have them on our team...

Alberta Bound...

In November, I appreciated the opportunity to visity the U of C and our intrepid chaplain, Kelly Johnson. I call the way Kelly  does chaplaincy as “chaplaincy on steroids”. In fact, our team in Alberta ( Kelly, Matt and Glenn) has a lot to teach the rest of us.They are each leveraging their strengths to develop new paradigms of campus chaplaincy ministry. In many ways, they have redefined and upgraded the position for a new millennium.



I had the privilege of sitting in on one of the chaplaincy Wednesday noon presentations for the U of C community. With Kelly's leadership, the chaplaincy provided a luncheon and an opportunity to hear an Iranian Christian Pastor , Afshin Latifzadeh,  speak on “Identity Issues in a Pluralistic Land” . Afshin was an academic who once lived in London, England and who could discuss his topic with an international perspective as well as with an inter-faith and inter-human appeal. His approach and personality was appealing with self-deprecating humour combined with solid content.

Afshin Latifzadeh

This is exactly the kind of event that we need to see more of. Kelly can pull it off because he has built credibility not only for himself but for the entire chaplaincy association. It is done on neutral turf and it has an appeal well beyond the Christian community.

Chaplains Hangin... Kelly (r)  Paul (2r)

 I spent some time with Kelly talking about the successes and struggles of being the de facto leader of an inter-faith chaplaincy at a major university. While I don’t have the privilege of telling you what they are, it is worth knowing that he very much appreciates the involvement of Paul Verhoef, the Christian Reformed chaplain, who happened to be the captain of the soccer team that my son David played for the previous summer while he was in Calgary.


There are several things to note. First, not only has the Muslim Student Association ( MSA) arisen as a force to be reckoned with across the country but there are various forms of Islam struggling for control and ascendency. Some of these forms are alarming.

Further, we talked about Pluralism. We are at variance with some of our mainline colleagues who tend to approach ecumenical or inter-faith discussions with the conviction that we are all either equally wrong or equally right. We cannot discuss our various faith positions without the caveat that we cannot really say we are "right". While it sounds equitable, this stance actually dishonors not only our own position but the position of those we are trying to hear. It puts all religions and truth claims through its own grid ( which, by the way, is seen to be the "right" one).

It is just so, well, "Canadian". Speaking as one who is Canuck to the core...we are  afraid of the possibility of strong disagreement( parliamentary conduct aside ) . So,in the interest of Tolerance - which once meant that we could disagree intensely, with charity and goodwill, about issues of ultimate importance , the rules are changed so that what remains is a neutered "common ground" which ought to offend no one. No one, that is, except believers of whatever tradition who are unhappy at finding that some of the very things they find most compelling about their beliefs are left on the cutting room floor.

To quote G.K. Chesterton  The point is ( speaking of those who promote the new curriculum of “tolerance”) is to propagandize acceptance of different ways, and indifference to their real content is as good a means as any.

More on this another time