To the Editor:
2019 will be remembered as the year of SERVE when Calvary Baptist Church hosted a week-long youth mission on July 6-13 with between 200-250 teenagers and leaders from Western Canada, with the sole purpose of serving the community in the name of Jesus.
Although we were the host church, we were blessed to have St. Michael School and the Free Methodist Church as key facilities for the event. St. Michael held the meals, had first aid, tents, games and sleeping facilities, and the Free Methodists provided our meetings, worship, praise and evening rallies.
Other churches loaned us chairs and tables, including Silver Heights Bible Church, Knox Presbyterian, Zion Lutheran, Church of Christ and the Salvation Army, making it a community affair.
While over 50 mission projects were underway during the week, our church had a VBS group ongoing with two painting and renovating work parties and carpenters, constructing a sound booth in the sanctuary, along with Lifeline, a food drive mission crew packing 10,000 meals for the teenagers and our local food bank. Richard Langenhoff and John Stones from Fort St. John, B.C., assisted with the construction project.
We were blessed with special gifts from the Winnipeg Filipino Church and their pastor, Clinton and Regina Legaspi, as well as Odie Luna who was always working during the event.
Whenever asked, our guests became workers —our heartfelt thanks to them.
SERVE left its mark on our hearts and in our community. We were honoured to work with Peter Anderson, NextGen Ministries, our long-time friend and executive minister Rob Ogilvie, Heartland regional minister Mark Doerksen and our western Canadian colleagues.
Our local team pushed themselves, and by the weekend felt tired but rewarded at the tasks accomplished.
To our youth, their leaders and our community, thank you!
In Christ’s service,
Stan Runne,
Calvary Baptist Community Church board
