Back to Ryerson

I had the privilege of walking with David Burke through the hurdles of becoming a new Mission Canada missionary to Ryerson University.

 

By way of introduction, David is young, recently married and a recent graduate of Masters College and Seminary, where he served one year as its student president.

Top shelf, thoughtful and passionate, he is also the son of Paul and Vicki Burke, founding pastors of Church In The City (CITC), in downtown Toronto.  He has planting in his blood.

Before we look at Ryerson, and the formation of LIFELINE I want to comment a minute on the process of David coming aboard. In so many ways,it has been done right.

It is a wonderful example of cooperation at all levels. 

Not too long ago, I was at a lunch where most of the major stakeholders in the Ryerson project were represented.

Paul Burke, representing CITC, and putting on his pastor’s ( rather than dad’s) hat, explained that David will be working with them part time at the church but he will be released half-time to initiate Lifeline at Ryerson.

Craig Burton, the Eastern Ontario District Superintendent,  affirmed that they see this as their project and that David is their guy on campus. And they are weighing in with tangible support.

And of course, considering that David is now a Mission Canada missionary ( nationally appointed )and part of our team, we see him as our guy, too.

And that is as it should be.  Local, District and National. There was a wonderful spirit of generosity and blessing in the air.

Back to Ryerson....

So, you can see a bit of my travels at Ryerson in a previous blog, along with my reflections. You might find it interesting. It is one block from what David describes as the Times Square of Toronto ( Yonge and Dundas ).  It is right in the core of urban Toronto.

Yonge and Dundas. Ryerson is half a block away.

David and I did a walk through the other day on the first week of school. It was instructive and helpful.

para-curriculum a la student union



Deja vu all over again.. ( updated :) )

 

Although the majority of students are there to get an education and to get a job after graduation, there is a very strong current of what could be described as a progressive (radical) social agenda being pushed by various student groups. The imagery and feel of their presentations felt like a time warp back to the late sixties and early seventies. They have updated the language and tweaked a few issues.

well,  you get the idea...

 

 

What David will be doing , amongst many other things, is offering alternatives to the strident para-curriculum. ..better.... And of course it goes much deeper than that.

Urban University

 

We are looking at various options for a weekly gathering and he has a specific model in mind for multiplying disciples. It is the kind of “Big Hairy Audacious Goal” ( BHAG) that is way beyond what he could do in the natural. It is a God sized dream that would change the culture of the downtown, not to mention the university.

As we talked, we agreed that we want to think Kingdom. We do not want to displace anyone or any group doing God's work on campus. It is just that it is a Huge challenge and we want to play our part.Part of this is recognizing that the job is not getting done and needs more laborers.  Part of it is realizing that we really do have something fresh to bring to the table. Something that will complement and ultimately strengthen what God is already doing on campus.

But at this point, it is a seed being planted into the ground. As it has been well said in the proverb “ It easy to count the seeds in an apple. It is impossible to count the number of apples in a seed”. Such it is, here.

you can contact him at dburke@paoc.org 

Red Frogging

 

Today ( Friday Sept 7) ,  I had the opportunity to see Red Frogs in action. Jeff Price, campus pastor ( and prospective Mission Canada worker ) for Central Community Church in St. Catharines, at Brock University,  is now taking over the reigns from Mr Red Frogs Canada, himself, Roy Olende. Roy is departing in order to pursue further ministry training.

aforementioned Roy

 

For the record, Jeff is also re-booting the student church “Collide” on campus.  It just re-launched last night. Jeff texted me that it got off to a great start with over 300 in attendance! He also texted me that it was the result of his amazing staff/volunteer team who rose up BIG and helped to make it all happen. Also, for the record, Collide is a combined PAOC/ MB ( Mennonite Brethren) intiative on campus. It has huge potential.

 

 For previous posts on Red Frogs and Collide, click HERE   and HERE

Anyways, back to Red Frogs.

Begun as an outreach to Australian students, and named after a yummy red gel candy with slightly addictive properties J , there is no real Canadian equivalent. The closest thing we can think of is Tim Bits.  I will have to give you more on the history of it at another point. 

 Suffice it to say, under Roy Olende’s leadership, it has taken off at Brock and its success has led to a huge demand for its services on campuses across the country. The challenge is finding churches to rise up to the challenge.

Last year, Jeff worked with the Brock Student Union in envisioning events for the initial week. Red Frogs envisioned the field becoming the site of a huge paint fight with hundreds of students and then spinning off into a dance off and a tarp water slide. The SU was all over it. They loved the idea.

So, RF provided the manpower and the execution and the SU provided the funds.

It also needs to be said that RF tied into all of the major events on campus and they were visible and involved throughout. They provide a safe alternative to the alcohol fueled culture connected to these events. They provide safe walk-homes for young women. They provide freezies and candy and fun stuff for any and all partiers. More important, they connected at a real/relational level. They built relationships.

 

And this is the tip of the iceberg. While obviously there is little chance to build anything in depth during what is essentially a party week, they do build bridges which facilitate more depth as the term goes on. Red Frogs will throw alcohol free parties for dorms and also clean up and cook pancakes. What an amazing way to meet people. And without fail, their fun and service ethic leads to questions.. “ Who are you” “Why are you doing this?”

I am simply stating the obvious when I report that RF has build enormous good will on campus.

 

 

Roy (l) and Jeff greet volunteers

So, on to the Friday night event at Brock….

 

Epic event .   The reenactment of the War of 1812 with colored water balloons.

Students lined up for a couple of hours and hundreds of them ( nearly a thousand) received Tshirts and divided into two teams that faced off against each other.

The RF gang worked the crowd with spray guns and buckets of liquid.

Jeff talked up the students and did an amazing job of schmoozing.



the line went wayyy down the block...



Teams were formed....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

War of 1812  Paint Version

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was fun, clean, bridge building.....

 

As a result of the track record at Brock they are being invited every where across the country.

 

Red Frogs @ McMaster     Saturday evening, Sept 8

Concert in the Faculty Hollow   4000+ students

 

t turns out that Red Frogs had been invited back to McMaster by the student union as a result of their involvement last year.  As student leaders walked by as Jeff and Co were setting up, they not only recognized RF but spontaneously sange its praises.   I wish my video were out to record it....

This was amazing. The largest event of the week, and they wanted RF there. And so they were. And I was there to see it ( for the first few hours, anyways)

crew at work.. prime real estate..

 Josh Reinders ( Lift Student VP)  represented Lift Church ( a student church at Mac, and one of our own ministries , where I serve as a board member)  and we had a chance to see RF set up a cotton candy and hydration booth at a huge concert. And we also got a chance to see the impact this group had as a result of their efforts last year. 

Breather.. calm before the storm...

 

 

 

 

 And as a result of doing what they do, they have been invited to be involved in a whole lot of school activities, including the Homecoming Week at Mac. The student leaders booked it right there on the spot.



Jeff explaining RF to Mac student leaders

Listening to Jeff explain the rationale and modus operandi of  RF is illuminating. RF opens doors. It provides a platform. It gives a context for conversations. I heard him present it to one student leader after another. Many of them were incredulous that RF would actually care about the students and want to simply give them things without strings attached.

The lines begin asap.. and RF meets hundreds of students..

I call it hospitality on steroids.  But it is so simple. They do a few things really well. They leverage fun ideas and add value to whatever is going on.

Happy, Happy people...

 

 

They build bridges. They add personality. There might be a catch, but I haven’t seen it. I can’t see what is not to like.

Student service organization. Help students have the most fun year of their lives and the safest.

 

Let’s talk about what it is and what it is not.  Pardon the bullet points and lact of grammar/diction.

• from a Discipleship standpoint.... .  Servant ethic. Getting out of yourself. Conversion to other…  Moving from the natural to the supernatural or the seen to the unseen. Like Jesus in the gospel of John.

• Meeting people where they are on their own turf and pointing them beyond it.

• Depth.. well it depends. It is both a great entrance into the Christian faith and it is a great outlet or place of service. ....Well outside of the walls of the church, encased in silos of cultural indifference and irrelevance.   It is meeting people as people. Students meeting and serving students. Looking beyond the markings, clothing and chemical props.

• It is another arrow in the quiver. Another tool in the kit or the Swiss Army knife.

• Not only is there more than one way to skin the cat, but there is more than one way to do Red Frogs. I saw its flexibility first hand. It depends on the event and the venue. It depends on the number of volunteers and the budget.  But it can do a lot with a little, with the right people with the right vision.

At Brock, it is both a natural connection point for Collide, but it is a beautiful way for the students of Collide to serve the broader community. It connects them to other students where they actually live and relate.

At Mac, it was a great way to meet the students and break out of self imposed silos of obscurity. If you know what I mean...

There is much more to say, but let me say this....

This is a superb way for a medium to large sized church to impact the campus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For His Glory : PAOC General Conference 2012

It was refreshing to be at our biennial national conference held this year in The Capital City, Ottawa, ON.

 In its inner core, Ottawa is a truly beautiful city. For much that surrounds the downtown, well, not so much. But that is another story.

View from Conference Centre..

Ottawa Conference Centre

As a Canadian, it was gratifying to me to be able to walk around and explore a square kilometer filled with history and significance. From the locks of the Rideau Canal to the Parliament Square to the Remembrance Memorial and everything in  between I embraced the fact that this was My Ottawa, and not merely a place that I visit. And at the root of it all was a vision that He would have dominion from Sea to Sea.

About the conference itself, well it was great. The speakers were great. The worship was well led and it all just seemed to build.

Some highlights.....well first was a segment regarding Reconciliation. This addressed the legitimate grievances and wounds of our aboriginal brothers and sisters and there was an exchange from both sides that was deep, authentic and simply powerful. I very much appreciate the leadership of my colleague Jaz Ghag in bringing it about. Read More Here..

Reconcilation.  David Wells addresses our Aboriginal leaders

 

There was the honoring of David and Norma Jean Mainse for 50 years of groundbreaking ministry. It was gratifying to see these wonderful people honored by their brothers and sisters.

Another highlight?  Well it was the final service where missionary speaker Dick Brogden talked about three kinds of martyrdoms and about living dead. Deep, simple, to the point and unspeakably powerful. As the Mission Canada team debriefed afterwards about the conference, many of us mentioned this service specifically as the highlight of the conference.



My new colleague Jessica Sabatino addresses the conference.

This was not just about people coming together to sing songs and hear stuff. This was coming together to renew our vision as a national movement, reconnect with each other as family  and to chart our course together into the future. I was  impressed with our national leaders, Murray Cornelius ( international missions ), David Hazzard ( Fellowship Services ) and Dave Wells, our General Superindent, who put his stamp all over the conference.

It's Spring Time in Campus Ministry .... 2012



 

 

This video gives a wee overview of some of the inspiring  developments in PAOC campus ministry. We have the expertise, the passion and resources. When we can bring it all together... truly amazing things can happen.

A couple of points to be made here.

First, while we do not want to "oversell" ourselves, it is important to celebrate what God is doing in our midst. There should always be a combination of gratitude and a sense of holy discontentment - recognizing that there is so much more to be done. I hope that the video brings that across.

Second, our role as a national group varies depending on the context. With most of the new starts Campus Mission Canada has been directly involved. With others, not as much.  They have been the initiative of individuals, churches and/or districts. And that is simply fantastic. What we do not do is try to bottleneck everything administrationally ( is that actually a word?) but to support and network these campus ministries where at all possible. What that does is help create a genuine synergy as fresh vision comes on stream and connects with experience and wisdom. 

I love it when our campus tribe gets together. It is like inhaling pure oxygen. It keeps me young.   And again, I love the fact that we have some of the finest young leaders anywhere. The future of the Church is in good hands.

Finally, I do not want to engage in prophetic rhetoric. But I have a real excitement that we are in fact on the threshold of a MOVEMENT , an unfolding missional story that God is telling even at this moment. And it is humbling to be a part of it.

.

Ode to a Friend ..... John Krueger

John Krueger

On Friday afternoon, March 23rd,  at his desk at Redeemer University College, my friend and colleague John passed away at the age of 58. It has been a huge loss for all of us who knew him. What follows are comments I  shared yesterday at his memorial service...

Within weeks of meeting him in September, 1999,  I  declared  John Krueger Redeemer’s best kept secret. Once I began to recognize the depth of the man and his quiet passion for helping students find their way into and  through University, I absolutely loved to bang the drum on his behalf. Especially, since I knew that he would never do it for himself. I felt compelled to do it…. I became a one man referral agency to his office.   I found his combination of depth and humility magnetic.

Because of this, one year, I lured John into doing a late night phone in TV talk show with me. It was wayyyy out of his comfort zone.  It was a huge learning curve for him.  I told him that I would get the ball rolling and throw him softballs. Well he need not have worried. He hit everything thrown his way out of the park. He came alive in front of the camera.   I can still remember some of the stuff he offered people flailing for direction. Some vintage John stuff. 

For example:    No you can’t be whatever you want!  No you can’t do whatever you want.  Translation. You better find out how God has wired you and then work with it. John knew that he would never be an NBA star nor would he be the next Canadian Idol. Any time soon….

But he was one of the premier student advisors in the country. Passionate, organized, systematic, wise, perceptive, compassionate , Christlike, and genuinely helpful.  I trusted him implicitly in almost every and any situation I could conceive. In fact, when you put the whole package together.. I would place him at or near the top.

On a personal note….He generously read through drafts of my thesis, giving constructive feedback about both content and grammar. In fact, if it were not for his support and encouragement I am not sure I would have finished it on time.  In fact, I know I would not have....  And, he was  there when I lost my boy...

We loved to talk about young adult transitions. Just a month or so ago, he gave me ( a typical spontaneous act of generosity)  a copy of a book he rescued from the used book bin written by an expert in the field….   His own book, DiscoveringYour Vocation is a small, priceless Gem filled with theological depth and spiritual wisdom. Just like its author. 

We usually had to avoid each other. Any stop for a chat would break into an extended discussion and we knew that we were not paid to hang out with each other during office hours, as nice as that would be.  Name the issue…..we agreed in broad strokes about all kinds of things yet always found things to disagree about. Yet I loved the way he handled it. Yes, I see your point.... and it is a good one....but I see it just a bit differently.

John brought both a depth and a breadth to the table, along with a wry, knowing sense of humor,  that could be quite disarming. Not only had he thought out his own position, but he had often thought out yours as well.  And he was almost without ego. He had little to prove to anyone.  And yes, Rachel, it’s true. I think he just might have had super powers….

To know John was to love John. Those who loved him loved him a lot.

See you later, my brother...

Niagara College

Kevin onsite at NCC

I met with Kevin Schlechter.

Minding his own business, working on his ministerial credentials while volunteering at his church, Faith Tabernacle, he was expecting his life to take him out of Welland when Mark Collins called him up and took him out for coffee. ‘Mark told me that he had done a background check on me and that he wanted me to plant a church in nearby Niagara College. It had never occurred to me. But as we thought and prayed about it, the more it began to make sense. So my wife and I bought a house in the area and have signed on.”

The beauty of this approach is that he has been given time to do research and look for the best way to connect with the campus. He found that the gatekeeper in the college administration was dead set against a ‘Christian’ presence such as a chaplaincy but was open to creative ways of adding value to the institution. As it turns out, she was able to see the value in Red Frogs and is understandably excited about it.

The question is: what to do? So much that could be done.

 Here are some things that Kevin gleaned...

Niagara college now has nearly 9000 students with a brand new, 90 million dollar, state of the art expansion.  And it is well designed .

Kevin quickly discovered that:

There are 500 international students. There were 500 hundred people using the foodbank last year.

Actually, Kevin is already thinking of mobilizing people to cook for the international students who have no place to go for reading week, next week. It is a natural bridge and it meets a genuine need.

He had been in contact with Brandon Malo and Trevor Gingerich of The Embassy  who have been coaching him over the phone. Kevin  took a team to Waterloo to take in an Embassy service there- telling them “this could be us. This is what it could look like.”

Kevin is looking forward to running Red Frogs on campus.

He wants to help with the Food Bank and responding to student hunger

It makes sense to form a student club  that will be run by the students and give them a legitimate presence on campus. Further, the goal of the club will include “adding value” to the campus.

For the church, Kevin found meeting space just off site.  I respect the fact that he kept looking for new doors after the ones on campus were closed in his face. He has persistence – which is what you need when you are starting something in this environment.

I mentioned to him that if I were him ( I am not – but if I were) I would plunk myself down right in the middle of the action in the cafeteria and set up my ‘unofficial’ office there where students can easily find and access me. He can do his work onsite just as well as if he were hidden away in an office somewhere. That is something I did at UBC and it paid huge dividends.

part of the large,open cafeteria space...

Kevin also showed me the ‘pub’ which has a stage and which is accessible to the public. It is perfect for special events and it has a high ceiling and it seems to have good acoustics. It could be an ideal place for periodic special events.

aforementioned pub with stage...

This campus has no identifiable Christian presence onsite. It deserves one. If it is done well, it is a win for everybody. We come to serve and to add. Kevin just “gets it” and it is exciting to think of the directions it could go.  His wife is fully on board. He has WOD District support. He has an anchor church nearby. He is forming a core of students and is making all the right contacts. From this vantage point the future is exciting.

The Launch of COLLIDE !

So much great stuff going on right now at CMC. There is much to celebrate. Let me give you an example.

This weekend, on Sunday night, we saw the launch of a new campus church at Brock University called Collide ( www.wearecollide.ca), which is a planting of Central Community Church in St. Catharines, ON in cooperation with Southridge Community Church (MB). In fact, the cooperation and partnership of these two churches is a Kingdom story in and of itself.

Anyways, it meets in the Isaac’s Pub on campus at 7 pm on Sundays. Led by Roy Olende ( of Red Frogs fame and no stranger to this blog ) it is off to a flying start.

Meet Roy!

 So, let me tell you about it.

Due to his servants heart and sheer likeability, and the amazing impact of Red Frogs on the Brock campus, Roy has found enormous favour from the student union and the administration, alike. They have grasped the fact that Red Frogs has added value to the U, and that it makes a positive difference. As a result, doors have swung open for Collide.

Isaac’s is a great venue for a campus church. High ceilings, an intimate space that offers room for growth, good acoustics and sound system and good accessibility all add up to a win. And its not bad looking, to boot.

The worship leading was low key. Talent helps when you want to go low key, and the two guys that led worship on the guitar and bass had it. They did a solid job.

Roy spoke. Gentle, passionate, genuine… people are drawn in by  the warmth of his personality as well as the great stuff he has to say.  And what he had to say was worth listening to. It was about being real, being genuine and about the magnetism of Jesus, Himself. It was about being more like Him.

The group was set up with tables. I know from varied experience that tables and table discussion can be incredibly powerful. However, if it is not done right, it can be detrimental. A big part of Roy’s efforts leading up to this launch is preparing his student core to lead discussions after his message. Tables work well when an effort is made to proactively overcome people’s natural reticence of sitting at a table where people do not know each other. In the wrong context ( I can think of current examples) it can lead to ‘cliquishness” which can put a damper on what the Holy Spirit wants to do.

However, the group all broke up to partake of the refreshments and then gathered again at tables to talk about what Roy talked about. The idea behind this is to encourage students to think about how they would apply what they just heard – as well as give them the opportunity to discuss it.

This emerging generation is increasingly allergic of just being talked to , but they want to engage it for themselves as well. As a result, a number of our ministries have taken the cue and worked with it, to great effect. Epic Church at U of A, and The Embassy at Humber College are two examples of where this works very well.  

More to come....