Board Bytes

Welcome to this new feature in our newsletters that gives our CBWC family a little more insight into the work of the CBWC Board. Though some of the Board’s work is either too mundane or sensitive to report in these newsletters, you can anticipate hearing updates of our work many times throughout the year.  

The CBWC Board met online in late January, saving us from unpredictable winter travel. At that meeting, we approved changes to the Ministerial Protocol Manual (MPM) to recommend at the CBWC’s 2026 online Annual Business Meeting. We also heard an 

extended report from the President and the Board Chair of Carey and received our usual variety of reports from ministry partners and others.  

In February, our board called a special meeting to accomplish a special task: voting to extend a call to our new Executive Minister! We give thanks to God for the good news that Rev. Dr. Clint Mix will begin his ministry among us on May 1, 2026, allowing some valuable overlap with Rob Ogilvie. Many thanks to those involved in the search committee for their extensive work.  

Rv. Dr. Clint Mix

Getting Active to Address Food Insecurity

By the Justice & Mercy Network

Active in Mission 2026 kicks off May 1, and we hope that you and your church will join us.  

Here’s how it works: Canadian Baptists across the country sign up as individuals or teams to get “Active In Mission,” choosing an activity or exercise to raise funds to combat hunger. Those funds raised over the summer are then shared between CBM, CBWC, and our partner denominations across Canada, to support local ministries address food insecurity. For example, the 11 grants mentioned below were dispersed using CBWC’s portion of the 2025 AiM funding.  

Get Your Church Active in Mission! 

The great thing about AiM is that anyone of any age can participate in an activity that is accessible to them. It’s so easy to invite friends, neighbours, or small groups to join in the fun.  

Talk to your church about Active in Mission this year, and watch for more details and resources coming May 1—including new materials to help our kids and families get involved. 

Most Recent Active in Mission Grant Recipients  

We are thrilled to announce that, from the money raised at Active in Mission 2025, we were able to offer grants to 11 of the applicant churches: 

• Berea Baptist Church, Surrey 
• Calvary Baptist Church, Fort St. John 
• Calvary Baptist Church, Gibsons 
• Community Baptist Church, Swift Current 
• First Baptist Church, Vernon 
• First Baptist Church, Prince Albert 
• First Baptist Church, Saskatoon 
• Gateway Baptist Church, Victoria 
• The Neighbourhood Church, Burnaby 
• Pilgrim Baptist Church, Winnipeg 
• Ward Memorial Baptist Church, Vancouver 

These churches address food security through programs like community pantries, garden initiatives, food education programs, seniors’ hospitality, and outreaches offering support to their underhoused neighbours. 

More than a Table: Your Chance to Connect  

Are you noticing the impact of rising food costs in your community? More and more families, seniors, and neighbours are feeling the strain, and many of our churches are responding in creative and compassionate ways. Did you know that this is an area that Canadian Baptists have been active in since the 1800s? 

If your church is already involved in addressing food insecurity, is exploring ways to respond, or has received an Active in Mission grant to support this kind of ministry, the Justice and Mercy Network invites you to join a conversation with others doing similar work to resource one another and share best practices. 

On Monday, April 27 at 6:00 PM PST, we’re hosting a one-hour Zoom gathering. The gathering is called More Than a Table: Learning to Love our Neighbours in the Food Security Space. 

Together we’ll explore initiatives such as: 

• cooking-together classes  
• community meals  
• seniors’ luncheons  
• food pantries and food rescue  
• community gardens and neighbourhood partnerships  

You’ll have time in small conversation groups to exchange ideas, learn from one another, and imagine what might be possible in your own context. We will also hear from Louise Hannem from CBM about this year’s Active in Mission fundraiser. 

We hope you’ll join us for this encouraging hour of learning, connection, and shared imagination. Email heartland@cbwc.ca to request the Zoom link. 

Partner Spotlight: HopeHill

Why Did Jesus Listen? 

By Sam Nakai 
CEO, Hopehill: Living in Community 

Jesus spent a surprising amount of time listening to people. We often assume He listened because others needed to be heard. After all, He had all the answers. People came to Him because they needed something from Him. But lately I have found myself wondering about something we may rarely think about. 

What did it feel like for Jesus to listen? 

When we read the Gospels, we notice how deliberately Jesus listened to people. In Luke 24, on the road to Emmaus, He asks two disciples what they are discussing and then walks with them as they speak about their disappointment. In John 4, He sits with the Samaritan woman at the well and allows her to speak about her life and her questions. In both moments, Jesus makes space to hear people. 

 I wonder whether giving time to people and listening to them was itself a blessing for Jesus. Did He feel joy hearing someone talk about their day? Did He feel gratitude when someone opened their heart in honest conversation? Did He notice the quiet beauty of ordinary lives unfolding in front of Him? 

 Scripture does not answer these questions directly. Perhaps that silence is intentional. It invites us to discover for ourselves the quiet blessing that can be found in listening. 

 In the Kingdom of God, the way blessing flows can sometimes surprise us. Often it is exactly what we would expect. The strong help the weak. The teacher instructs the student. The one with resources gives to the one in need. But Jesus also shows us that the flow of blessing does not move in only one direction. Sometimes the one who appears to receive becomes the one who gives. 

 The Kingdom of God often turns our assumptions upside down. 

 Perhaps listening is another expression of the upside-down Kingdom Jesus so often described. We often think that when we listen to someone who is lonely, elderly, struggling, or overlooked, we are the ones offering something to them. But many times, the opposite happens. 

 The listener receives the greater blessing. 

 I have been thinking about this a lot during my first few months at Hopehill, CBWC’s ministry that provides affordable housing for seniors in Vancouver. One of the quiet privileges of these early months has been sitting with residents and simply listening to their stories. 

If you spend time with seniors, stories come easily. Memories from childhood. Stories from work. The names of people they loved. Moments that shaped their lives. Sometimes the stories wander. Sometimes they repeat. Sometimes they repeat every time you talk with them. But behind every story is a life that has been lived. And something unexpected happens when you take the time to listen. 

 The person speaking may feel heard. That is certainly meaningful. But very often, the deeper gift is given to the listener. 

 True listening has a way of lifting our hearts. It pulls us away from ourselves. It gently guides us toward humility, grace, and a quiet recognition of the value of the soul sitting across from us. It reminds us who they are before God.  

 The listener receives. 

 If life ever begins to feel rushed or heavy, I would offer a simple invitation. Come spend an afternoon at Hopehill. This is a real invitation, not simply the closing line of an article. It is a genuine invitation to come and discover the heart of listening. 

 Our residents are usually easy to spot. Some are out for a walk. Some are sitting in the lobby. Some are gathered outside for a smoke and a conversation. Sit down. Ask a question. Listen to a story. 

 You may arrive thinking you are doing something kind for someone else. But you will likely leave realizing that you were the one who received something far greater. 

 And perhaps, in moments like these, we begin to appreciate a little more why Jesus so often stopped and listened to people. 

 Hopehill Living in Community Society is a ministry of the CBWC providing 350 affordable units to live in Vancouver for seniors, many of whom live on less than $2000 per month.  

We are currently $170,000 away from completing a $520,000 matching gift campaign with the Jim Pattison Foundation before May 31, 2026. These gifts help create places where seniors are known, heard, and cared for in community. 

If, as you read this reflection, you sense God prompting you to support this work, we would consider it a privilege to steward your gift. Please click on this link for more information: https://hopehill.ca/donate/ 

Not Improving on Our Instructions

With Pastor Ed Neufeld 

Ed’s Book Release in March

Congratulations to Pastor Ed Neufeld, from Kleefield Community Church in Kleefield, MB, on the release of his book Not Improving on Our Instructions. Ed has been an active part of the Theology for the Ordinary group within the CBWC for the last several years. This book is a direct result of the podcast with the same name, in which Ed and Mark Doerksen unpack themes related to the early church and our mission as the church today.  

When asked what his book is about, Ed had this to say: 

This book asks one question and gives one answer. Question: based on the New Testament, what is the main thing God wants churches to do? In different words, what should churches concentrate on? What is God’s priority for believing congregations? Answer: God wants us to love each other. He wants us to take care of each other, forgive each other, and serve each other. He wants us to live with each other the way we’ll live together after the Lord returns. 

Has this ever actually happened? Have believers lived together this way? 

The closest the New Testament gets to this is the life together of the 3,000 at the end of Acts 2. Those six verses give us the New Testament’s ideal church. It’s entirely about their life together. I am not sure it has happened like that since then. 

What persuaded you that loving one another was the church’s first priority? 

Thirty years ago, my friend Ron Shiels preached through 1 John. He told me that loving each other was the most important thing for believers to do. I didn’t know if he was right or not. I decided to look at the New Testament Letters, because they were written directly to the churches. If Ron was right, I’d find it in the Letters. In Paul, Hebrews, James, Peter, and John, I found regular emphasis on our life together. 

That’s the first half of what convinced me. The other half is what the New Testament Letters did not say. 

So, what do the Letters not say? 

The Letters don’t call congregations to outreach, to evangelism, to sharing the gospel, or to inviting unbelievers to church. It’s hard to believe, isn’t it? The Letters don’t call believers to meet the needs of unbelievers around them, or to improve society. 

Every New Testament church had big social problems in their own city: violence, injustice, abuse, poverty, oppression, neglect, and so on. All this was in every city in the Roman empire. But the Letters do not tell churches to make the rest of their city a better place. 

When these problems happened in the church, the Letter writers were scathing. Such things must not happen among the brothers and sisters. But the writers didn’t seem to have much interest in improving the surrounding city. This silence affected me deeply. That’s the second half of what convinced me that “love one another” was the most important thing. 

While I’m on the silence in the Letters, they never mention size; if a church is small or large or growing or shrinking. It never comes up. No church was commended or corrected for such things. We don’t even know which churches were which. Numbers were irrelevant. 

So, back to outreach: are you telling us to ignore the needs of unbelievers right around us? Is God telling us to walk past our neighbours in trouble? 

No, no, I’m not saying that. Remember the question at the start: what is the main thing God wants? What should we concentrate on? What is God’s priority for congregations? Not Improving on Our Instructions is not about all the things God tells us to do; it is about the one thing God says is most important. Paul writes, As you have opportunity, do good to all, especially to the household of faith.” In another place he says, “Always pursue what is good with one another and with everyone.” “May your love abound for one another and for everyone else.” We do good to all. The congregational life of love spills over. But the centre is one another, not everyone else. 

What made you decide to write a book? 

I wrote because I could not find anyone saying what seemed to me such an obvious thing. I wrote because I listened to leaders who had such different views of what churches should do. Some thought that loving each other could not possibly be enough. Surely, we should do more. That’s why this is called, Not Improving on Our Instructions. What would our churches look like if we did not improve on our instructions? What if we just did what they said?” 

Who are you writing for?  

This is a lay-level book; there is no technical academic language except in a few endnotes. It’s not really a popular book either, though. It doesn’t have heart-warming stories or anecdotes. It’s mostly Bible exposition. I’m not sure that was ever popular. 

My reader needs to be asking two questions: ‘What should churches do?’ And ‘What does the Bible say?’ I have in mind all levels of local church leaders, pastors and lay leaders, as well as anyone in parachurch ministry. There are study questions on each sermon at the end, for group study. I wish I’d had this text when I was a Bible college student. 

Why did you write a book of sermons rather than a book of chapters? 

You want the truth? I don’t know how to write a book. I am not that good. I wrote a thesis with chapters and a dissertation with chapters, and those went alright, but when I tried to write a book about these things, it flopped. My efforts did not please anyone else, and they didn’t please me either. So, I started over. On the suggestion of my brother Les and my friend Mark, I wrote a book of sermons. I have used all of these sermons in my home church, pretty much as you will read them. 

I have to talk about Marilyn here, my wife. She edited all these sermons ruthlessly, and then she went through them all again. She didn’t change the content, but she reorganized it and clarified and cut out repetitions. Marilyn made these a lot more readable.” 

You lead a church in Kleefeld, MB. How has your church responded to this? 

Our church has been great. I taught these things as I was learning them. We went over the Scriptures together, and the people were all in. They took it and ran with it. I asked the other elders if I could make working on this book a part of my pastoral duties, and with no hesitation they said yes. This book is self-published, which takes money, and our church paid sizeable piece of the publishing cost because they want to share what they’ve learned. 

Sometimes we’re a shining example of this message, and at other times we fail miserably. But we hang on to the God who works in us to will and to do what pleases Him. 

If you’d like to engage in this topic more, please check out the podcast ‘Not Improving on Our Instructions’.  Ed has also directed us to his website https://www.notimprovingonourinstructions.ca/ 

SERVE–Looking Back and Looking Ahead

Looking Back to SERVE 2025
By Michelle Porco
Riverdale Baptist Church, Whitehorse, YK

One of my family’s favourite activities in the spring and summer is gardening. It’s an easy and fun activity for my two young children to do with us. We prepare the soil by adding fertilizer and removing rocks. Once there is no threat of frost in June, we plant the seeds. We add the water and wait for the bright Yukon sun to do what it does best: shine for long periods of time, providing light and heat. In a week or two, we see little seedlings appear. Last year, half of our seeds didn’t germinate because of colder temperatures. So, we had to replant seeds in mid-to-late June, meaning that the same variety of plant grew at a different pace, and we were steadily harvesting throughout the summer. As the plants grow, my children eagerly inspect them, wondering when they will be ready to eat. Sometimes it is hard to be patient, but tasting a pea that hasn’t ripened convinces my children it’s better to wait.  

Once we start to see the red tops of radishes poke out of the ground, my son picks them and promptly goes to deliver some to our neighbour and all his friends at school. Radishes are harvested first, followed by the greens, then peas, beets, and carrots. The tomatoes get brought inside to finish ripening, and the potatoes are the last to be done. 

Hosting SERVE is a lot like gardening with children. The soil must be carefully tended to make it ready for the seeds. It is gentle work to ready a community to discern God’s call to host SERVE. The discernment process takes time to germinate and sprout, nurtured lovingly and patiently, as questions and concerns are explored. Once the community discerns a call to host SERVE, the gardening gloves get fitted and the gardening tools acquired. 

One of the most important gardening tools is Peter Anderson, CBWC’s Director of Next Generation Ministries. He encourages, equips and resources the entire community to participate in the process. Some people help during the seedling stage, others help to nurture and care for the plant until it is time to harvest, and others are there for the harvest.  

All stages are important and needed for a plentiful harvest. Despite our best efforts, there are always external circumstances beyond our choosing. We do our best in all situations, with trust and humility. Hosting SERVE is a unique opportunity for a church community to grow, to trust, to connect, to bless, and to harvest. The fruit of SERVE is not simply the week of SERVE, but the entire process from discerning as a community, to preparation, to problem-solving, to the actual week, to the impact after hosting SERVE. Like a garden, the harvest of SERVE happens at different rhythms and paces, a steady and continual fruit-gathering. 

I hope that you will look at the soil of your community and consider gently picking out the rocks and adding the fertilizer needed to invite your community to discern a call to host SERVE. 

Looking Forward to SERVE 2026
By Laura Giesbrecht
Brightview Church, Wetaskiwin, AB

Here at Brightview, we are thrilled to see what the Lord has in store for SERVE 2026, as He works in and through His people to be His hands and feet. So far, we have been firming up the main logistical components of SERVE—such as accommodations for the youth, locations for meal prep and how our church’s building will be best utilized, as well as gathering an incredible team of coordinators to help organize SERVE. With these in place, we are excited to get the word out to our community about SERVE and start organizing the projects, teams of people, and all the other details that make SERVE possible.  

Most importantly, we are also asking the Lord to prepare our hearts as a church, that we may be ready to love and serve one another, the youth, their leaders, and our community well. 

Our desire for SERVE 2026 is to provide a space where the youth who come will experience even greater depths of Christ’s love through service, worship, His Word, as well as the conversations and interactions they will have along the way. Our prayer is for this to be a pivotal moment in each of their lives—one through which they come to know Christ more and fully commit their lives to loving and following Him. And we pray that our youth will experience the great, incomparable riches found in loving and serving others, especially when nothing is given in return. For our community, our desire is for them to experience the love of Christ through the generous service of His people. We are also eager to see what service opportunities will arise and connections will be strengthened because of SERVE 2026. 

Turning the Page to a New Chapter in Edmonds

By Cailey Morgan, The Neighbourhood Church, Burnaby, with research from Natalie Warkentin 

I’ll admit I wasn’t quite sure how to feel as 160 people packed into our Edmonds facility for a banquet designed to recognize the decades of ministry in the facility—and look ahead to its impending demolition and redevelopment. 

I was in kindergarten the first time I laid eyes on the building, so every square foot of that dilapidated, lovely old place holds memory for me, from the rusty heat vents where my brothers and I would huddle before services as kids, to the various crannies we’d gather as youth small groups to listen to the Lord together, to the spot where I took my wedding vows—a mere 5 feet from the tank in which I was baptized as a preteen. 

Ten-year-old me with my dad at a Christmas event. 

But I know I’m not alone in my nostalgia. Hundreds and hundreds of people have passed through those doors to pray, to worship, to learn, and to play.  

According to a 1912 newspaper, the original Edmonds Baptist Church building was erected for about $3000.  

“Standing as it does on Walker Avenue, close to Kingsway, the new edifice occupies an imposing position in the rapidly growing settlement of Edmonds, and those who have had the matter in charge feel well pleased with their labours… The pastor of the church, Rev. Reid McCullough has worked untiringly towards the completion of the new edifice.” (“Edmonds Baptists Have New Church,” Westminster Daily News, November 25, 1912) 

Under the leadership of McCullough, Ernest E. King, Jonathan Wilson, Richard Matiachuk, Cam and Shelley Roxburgh and many others over the years, Christ followers have used that sanctuary to offer hope in southeast Burnaby for more than a century. So I was at a loss that night—how could we sum up the life of Edmonds Baptist/Southside/The Neighbourhood Church in a 3-hour event? How could we possibly narrow down which stories of offering shelter, food, meaning, and friendship to share? Which of the countless moments of God’s faithfulness would shine brightest in our collective mind’s eye? How could our hearts even handle it all? 

But on January 31, 2026, as I found my seat at the banquet and gazed into the eyes of old friends across the table, I realized it wasn’t about trying to cram a century into an evening. It was about experiencing the present moment as an opportunity to recenter on our calling as a church from the beginning.  

Jan 31 Banquet: Volunteers from several Burnaby churches hosted and served at the banquet to allow former and present church members to enjoy time at their tables 

So, that night we continued to do what we do best: celebrating the faithfulness of God through a meal, shoulder to shoulder with our neighbours. While the fancy hors d’oeuvres and table of municipal dignitaries might have been a special touch, the regular ingredients of our weekly dinners remained: a diverse group of kinda–messed–up, beautiful people coming together to share words of hope, acts of kindness, good food, prayers of gratitude, and boisterous joy.  

Feb 1: Our Sunday gathering was the final collective chance to say goodbye to the building. 

Feb 1: The kids got to say their goodbyes using Sharpies on the walls! 

BCY Regional Minister Brian Louw joined us for that Saturday evening, as well as our church’s final service in the building on February 1. “Joining The Neighbourhood Church for their Imagine Edmonds celebration was a tremendous joy for me,” Brian says. “I thank God for the clear evidence of His Spirit at work in the Edmonds community through faithful disciples serving there for over 100 years. Both gatherings over the weekend were filled with joy and wonder at the stories of God through this church, and it is my prayer that we will see many more reasons to glorify God through this church.” 

The building is now in the hands of the demolition crew.

Hot dogs with neighbours as we settle into our new home for the next 3-5 years 

On February 11, we inaugurated our interim ministry centre—a former credit union located 2 blocks from our original campus—with a neighbourhood hot dog dinner. It already had flashes of feeling like home as we picked up where we’d left off with our weekly community meals. Church was never about the building anyways. It’s about God’s people, together, declaring God’s love and His Kingdom come.  

Brian is right—God’s Spirit is present and moving here and will continue to enliven us for mission in the season ahead. 

Imagine Edmonds Development projection

Please pray for us in this multi-year season of transition. To learn more about the Imagine Edmonds project—featuring plans for an art centre, ministry centre, and 480 units of housing, read Cam Roxburgh’s article from the BCY Newsletter last fall, or visit imagine-edmonds.ca.  

Moments of Retreat

Enjoy these images of the Heartland Regional Retreat (January 19-22) and Mountain Standard Regional Retreat (February 2-4). From a car rally, games nights, and hockey, to sessions, worship, communion and prayer, both regions made space for meaningful fellowship with one another and the Lord. Special thanks to our Regional Ministers and Administrators, and to our speakers Nate and Julia Wall-Bowering and Steve Brown. 

CBWC Camps Have Plenty to Offer

Summer is coming before we know it. Do you have your schedule sorted? We hope you’ll consider the unique and exciting opportunities for refreshment, fun, and connection at CBWC’s camps.  

Along with the summer programming listed below, many of our camps also offer Leader in Training (LIT) Programs, winter programs, retreats, and volunteer opportunities throughout the year, so check out the location nearest you to find out for yourself what makes camp so special 
 

GULL LAKE CENTRE 

• Overnight Summer Camps for campers ages 5-18 
• All-ages Family Camp

Camps at Gull Lake Centre feature unique opportunities to get creative through ceramics, robotics, baking, drama and dance. Or, head to the lake to enjoy wakesurfing, tubing, and waterskiing! Gull Lake Centre, centrally located between Edmonton and Calgary, intentionally creates a safe and welcoming space physically, spiritually and emotionally. Sign up today at gulllakecentre.ca. 

KATEPWA LAKE CAMP 

• Overnight Summer Camps for campers ages 6-15 
• All-ages Family Camp

Along with skills like outdoor survival, mountain biking, and marksmanship, Katepwa Lake Camp in southern Saskatchewan offers a host of watersport opportunities—including a chance for campers to take a full level of swimming lessons through the Lifesaving Society’s Swim for Life program! Registration just opened on January 30: katepwalakecamp.com 

KEATS CAMPS 

• Overnight Summer Camps for campers born 2009-2018 

Located on Keats Island off the Pacific coast, Keats Camps offers a nautical-themed week of wakeboarding, swimming, and sailing. If you prefer dry-land adventure, they’ve got high ropes, ziplines, and climbing, or laser tag, archery, arts and crafts, and disc golf. Head to keatscamps.com to see if there are spots left to join the fun as they celebrate being part of God’s life-changing ministry since 1926! 

MILL CREEK CAMP 

• Summer Camps for campers in grades 1-12 
• All-ages Family Camp  
• Cornerstone: a camp for adults with developmental disabilities

Nestled in the southwestern corner of Alberta, Mill Creek Camp is the ideal place to enjoy the water and forest, play, reflect, make new friends, and encounter God’s presence. And don’t forget the paintball! Registration details at millcreekcamp.org. 

THE QUEST AT CHRISTOPHER LAKE 

• Overnight Camps for ages 8-15 
• Day Camp for ages 6-9 
• Two all-ages Family Camps 
• A new offering: June HBE Camp for families who are home-educating their children

Since 1945, Christopher Lake in northern Saskatchewan has been a place for Baptists and beyond to meet God and one another in nature. From the one-of-a kind hill waterslide and outdoor wall climbing, to the host of fun activities available on the Lake itself, you’re in for an unforgettable week at The Quest. Registration opens today, February 2, at questcl.ca 

CAMP WAPITI 

• Offering Overnight Camps for Campers in grades 3-12 
• Day Camp for grades 1-3

From the craft shack to the sand swing, Camp Wapiti offers a laid-back, natural environment for kids to explore the outdoors and learn about God. Enjoy archery, paintball, sports and nature walks in beautiful northern Alberta! Register at campwapiti.ca 

Upon This Rock: Church Planting Updates

By Shannon Youell, CBWC Director of Church Planting 

“Upon this rock I will build my church…” Matthew 16:18 

For twelve years, I’ve had the privilege of coming alongside CBWC leaders and churches who have discerned a call to join Jesus in a neighbourhood to plant a new church, renew an existing church, engage more in their neighbours’ lives, strengthen and prioritize discipleship and disciple-making, and to watch and see the cornucopia of ways Jesus builds His Church. 

In that vein, there are several folks that CBWC staff are currently walking with as they explore joining Jesus in the building of His Church through planting new communities of faith from within their own existing churches! Praise be to God—the initiator, builder, and completer of all things! 

• West Kelowna: A community with a heart for those outside the church is establishing what is often referred to as a micro-church. The pastor and leaders have been inspired by the Dinner Church Movement, and they have just acquired a more permanent location at a Bible Camp. Initially in partnership with a Lower Mainland CBWC church, this plant is working towards formalizing relationships in their community and with CBWC to become an official CBWC church plant.
  

• Vancouver 1: A leader from a growing church in Vancouver has been running a “chat group” of over 120 people (about half are unchurched). She is discerning next steps in beginning a church-planting project. The church is working on a ministry plan for this plant, with a potential service launch sometime this year.  
  

• Vancouver 2: Another church in Vancouver is looking to multiply into a new neighbourhood. Currently, the planting group has overgrown their meeting space in a home and are praying and discerning to more formally plant in a geographical location outside of where the existing church worships.

• Red Deer:  The new Greenhills Christian Fellowship church plant in Red Deer, a plant out of GCF Calgary, continues to make disciples and grow leaders, hold regular worship services and formally enter into Partnership toward Affiliation with CBWC. You can learn more about them here.

Left to right: Maxime Cauchon, FBU; Mikel Laurie, Highland Baptist; Quesnel Joseph, EEBMC; Tim Kerber, CBWC; Roger Maurice, EEBMC; Franky Narcisse, EEBMC 

• Edmonton: On October 25, Edmonton Evangelical Baptist Mission Church launched. This Haitian congregation is led by experienced planter Franky Narcisse, who has previously planted with the French Baptist Union and CBOQ. This plant is being hosted, supported, and encouraged by the good folk at Highlands Baptist Church. 
  

• Victoria/Westshore 1: The Mandarin Church that is part of Emmanuel Baptist Church has discerned that a Mandarin-speaking church is needed in the Westshore Area as Mandarin-speaking people are increasingly moving into the area. They currently meet weekly for worship and Bible study.
  

• Victoria/Westshore 2: The former Forge Church building, which was transferred to Gateway Victoria last summer, is the potential future home of a Gateway Victoria Westshore plant. While this plant has not yet worked on a formal ministry plan, the building is well used for other ministry purposes (including the current home of the Mandarin plant out of Emmanuel Baptist). Please pray with Gateway as they pray and discern this new work in the Westshore. 

Stay tuned for more stories from these new works. And please pray for these churches that have discerned that the obedience to Jesus is worth the risk! Consider partnering with them for encouragement, prayer, and resources. There are many avenues of joining the work of Jesus in building his church. 

This is an abridged version of an article posted on CBWC’s Church Planting Blog. 

Heart for the City Project Update

By Drew Melton, Lead Pastor, First Baptist Church Vancouver  

As you might have read a few months ago, we at First Baptist Church Vancouver have been in a time of transition and resettlement after being displaced from our building for over five years. The Heart for the City Project that included seismic upgrading of FBC’s historic building, newly-built church ministry space below The Butterfly condo building, and a 61-unit affordable housing building, has gradually neared completion through the end of 2025. The process of resettlement for us as a congregation has been equal parts exciting, slower than hoped, and educational.  

There are many exciting opportunities to use our building to serve our congregation and our community in downtown Vancouver. Over the past months, these have included basketball camps in our gym, evening concerts in the beautifully renovated Pinder Hall, lunchtime prayer in our chapel during Advent, and lots of Christmas events.  

The resettlement has also been slower than we hoped in terms of completing the final elements of the project that have been ongoing since we moved back to the building in May 2025. This slowness has sometimes hindered our ability to use the building to its full potential. We continue to pray for the successful installation of all the “nuts and bolts.”  

During this process we’ve learned a lot. We’ve learned how the humility, hospitality, and resilience that our congregation developed during the displacement was preparation for serving the city from our new building. We’ve also learned to have patience and grace with one another through the frustrations of ongoing building deficiencies. 

The 7-storey building of below-market rental housing that was part of the overall Heart for the City Project is one way that we are continuing to serve the city. That building is now 98% full, for which we are very grateful amid a slightly depressed rental market in Vancouver. We’ve also had several opportunities to connect with the residents of that building over the past months. We hosted a grand opening celebration and prayer when the first residents began moving into that building in the spring, and this past fall we launched a new initiative to help address food insecurity. In partnership with the A Rocha Canada farms in Surrey, we hosted a fresh food market where people in our congregation and residents from the rental housing building next door were able to share in receiving fresh vegetables and fruits. This initiative helped foster a communal effort around food insecurity. Our hope is to continue this initiative and expand the ways we connect with our neighbours in 2026. 

We very much appreciate the prayers of our CBWC community for the ongoing work here in Vancouver, especially around our downtown neighbourhood. One more thing we’ve learned is that God can do a wonderful work in and among us as we steward the resource of this building; but a building is just a building.  

We believe and trust that God is working, and we are striving to be part of that work. 

Notice of Voluntary Disaffiliation

Not-for-Profit Organization of the Year

In the Fall of 2025, the ‘Society to End Homelessness’ received the honour of receiving the Not-for-Profit Organization of the Year award in the Burnaby Business Excellence Awards. Congratulations! It is so good to see the Society seen and recognized for the honest, generous work being done to support “the least of these”. Click to read the news flash. 

I recently spoke with Carol-Ann Flanagan, soon to be the Society’s Director of Advocacy and Community Engagement. She told me that she ended up at what was then called Southside Community Church while walking a shortcut in 1994. She had recently moved to Burnaby from Montreal with her husband and small children and hadn’t attended church in a long while. She heard the music while passing by and stepped in to listen. (It was Dan Bennett on the piano.) Although she didn’t stay that day, someone handed her an invitation to the church’s “Moms of young children” ministry.  

Carol-Ann began attending the Southside moms’ group on Wednesday mornings and was drawn in by the community of young children and parents—including a young Cailey Morgan! She also started volunteering with their foodbank. This felt like a nice fit since Carol-Ann worked for the Vancouver Food Bank.  

The church had also begun offering a meal for the unsheltered and otherwise vulnerable folks in the area. The ministry has grown a lot since then!  

 In 2005, a taskforce in Burnaby began assessing the need for services, housing and adequate income amongst the unhoused and those at risk in the area. Fast forward to 2015 when the Task Force to End Homelessness in Burnaby formed the charitable non-profit “The Society to End Homelessness in Burnaby” to build sustainability for the Task Force and its activities. 

The Society works in tandem with all levels of government, the health authority, social service agencies and other non-profit organizations, businesses, faith communities, and concerned citizens.  

 Currently, Carol-Ann tells me that 12 service providers (at least) come to volunteer every Thursday morning. When she started in 2018, they saw around 40 to 60 people coming by, and now they see more like 150 to 200.  

  Here are some of the services offered: 

• the CRA and Services Canada help with taxes up to 10 years in arrears at no cost.
• Haircuts are offered once a month. 
• Foot care is offered weekly with a registered nurse. 
• Progressive housing is made available. 
• Spirit of the Children supports indigenous guests. 
• PCN, the primary care network, tries to match guests with a family doctor. 
• Veterans Affairs assists unhoused or vulnerable veterans to access benefits. 
• Mosaic is a mental health support group that works with newcomers, refugees, and those seeking asylum.  
• IHART, which is the Integrated Homeless Action Response Team, gives varied medical help to unsheltered visitors.  
• Mobile shower unit (the only one of its kind in the whole Vancouver area!) 
• A complimentary clothing and shoe service. 

These are only the services Carol-Ann described to me while we were talking, but I know there’s even more going on than this—including the Neighbourhood Pantry which offers a very well-run food bank service on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Please check out their Society’s website, or even stop in if you’re local, to find out more. Perhaps get involved in the new year! They can always use volunteers and/or donations.or even stop in if you’re local, to find out more. Perhaps get involved in the new year! They can always use volunteers and/or donations. 

When I asked about how this award from the Burnaby Board of Trade came about, Carol-Ann also mentioned that last year she received the King Charles medal which is awarded to individuals who have made a significant contribution to Canada or to a particular province, territory, region or community of Canada. Wow! Congratulations! It was after she received this honour that someone nominated the Society to End Homelessness in Burnaby for the Non-Profit of the year award. (This was the 2nd year they were nominated.) Carol-Ann was quick to mention that all of the non-profit organizations nominated are doing excellent work in the city.  

The Society takes over much of the Neighbourhood Church’s Edmonds Town Centre Campus on Thursday mornings, and they plan to move with the church to their new location when it’s ready. We’d like to congratulate them on this award, and even more, thank them and stand with them in this vital work of the Kingdom.  

Please consider supporting their involvement in the CNOY (Coldest Night of the Year) fundraiser in February, or something similar in your area. http://burnabyhomeless.org/our-events/ 

https://cnoy.org/home 

Kuris Discovery Weekend

Nov 28-30 was Discovery Weekend in Jasper with the Kurios crew, attended by 8 youth from Alberta and BC who were interested in getting a taste of the Kurios experience. The activities were created to give a sense of the rhythm that we follow in our days and included: 

• Morning and evening prayer times
• Worship time
• A session on the incarnation
• A hike
• Church service
• Games
• Great food 

At the end of the time, friendships were formed and we look forward to hosting more potential students in the future!  Some of the responses were: 

“I appreciated that it was a very welcoming atmosphere and centred around Christ. I enjoyed the morning and evening prayer, the walk/hike, as well as the food and other activities. It was also great to have time to relax, hang out and play games.” – Isaac 

“My experience at Kurios was full of learning and full of amazing experience surrounded by God’s glory in Jasper. This has really given me a grip on what Kurios is and if it might be a good fit for me. Thank you to the Kurios Team and students for such an amazing opportunity!” – Cooper 

“I had a wonderful time in Jasper and getting to know Ingrid, Steve, and the rest of the Kurios crew. I loved experiencing the program and seeing what you guys do day to day.” Alexis 

 Another event that we look forward to hosting online is our annual Gala scheduled for Sunday, March 15 (6pm MST) – save the date and keep an eye out for further details!

Meet Our Regional Administrative Assistants

Hi, my name is Cindy Emmons, and I work as the Administrative Assistant for the Heartland Region of the CBWC.  I have worked for the CBWC since 2012 and have had the privilege of working with and for Mark Doerksen, Heartland Regional Minister, for most of those 13 years. My office is in Regina, SK. 

I started in this role just after my son’s first birthday and while pregnant with my daughter. It has been a gift to work in such a supportive environment and with a flexible, part-time schedule while raising my family. My son is now 14 years old and started high school in the fall, and my daughter is 12 and in grade 7. My husband Ryan and I have been married for 18 years, and he has pastored at Argyle Road Baptist Church for most of that time. If you come visit the church during the week, it is likely you will hear us “yelling” back and forth across the hall from our individual offices about what is for supper and who is on kid pick-up duties that day. 

Before landing here, I took a two-year Bible course, and found work as a seamstress, legal secretary, and as admin support in a school, among other things. 

I enjoy playing games, reading, drinking tea, and planning projects of some sort. Some of my favourite projects have been refinishing a piano and dining table, and reupholstering living room chairs. I’m always researching something, and my heart is to intercede for the health and wholeness of my family, friends, and those who God puts in my path. I work out some of life’s frustrations at a taekwondo class a couple of times per week. Every few years our family spends a week at a cottage in Manitoba, and we look forward to doing that again this summer. 

Throughout the year I support Mark in resourcing and connecting with pastors and churches. My role also includes: 

• Planning and hosting the Heartland Retreat in Russell, MB in January 
• Running the media at the Banff Pastors Conference and at in-person Assemblies, along with my co-worker Sherisse 
• Assisting Mark with Theology for the Ordinary, which includes a book club, book reviews and a podcast, 
• Being part of the Ministerial Protocol Manual (MPM) committee. 

I was asked to take on the Ordination Coordinator portfolio in 2019. That includes helping organize the Ordination Preparation Workshop and Ordination Examining Council, ensuring that all requirements are met by each candidate, church and regional office before candidates appear before the council, and answering many questions that come up throughout the process. I enjoy many aspects of my work, but watching candidates successfully appear before the council is one of my favourites. 

Hi! I am Sherisse White, and I work as the Administrative Associate for the Mountain Standard Regional Office, the Pastoral Settlement Office, and as Assistant to Tim Kerber, MS Regional Minister. I started the role in 2022. Prior to this position I did admin work for a mortgage broker and my community league, and was a lunchroom supervisor at my kids’ Elementary School. Prior to having kids, I was a Registered Nurse in a hospital. I live in Edmonton, Alberta and work from an office but also can work from home when I need to.  

Family is very important to me. I have been married to my incredible husband for 20 years and we have two kids—a 17-year-old daughter who will graduate high school this year and a 13-year-old son who is in grade 8. We also have a Sheltie/Collie dog who is living her best life in her senior years.  

My work as a the MSR Admin has regular routines but also changes with the seasons each year. I work to connect with churches in the Mountain Standard Region and provide resources and connections with each unique question. As the year rolls out, I take on other roles such as: 

• oversee the planning and hosting of the MSR Pastors Retreat at Gull Lake Centre each February  
• participate in New Ministers Orientation by running media for the presentations and worship times 
• fulfil the role of recording secretary for Ordination Examining Council 
• work with Cindy, the Heartland Admin, to run all the media at in-person Assembly and Banff Pastors and Spouse Conference 
• assist with the Ordination Preparation Workshop (new for me this year) 
• work with Tim to organize local Ministerial Meetings throughout the year, and I attend the Edmonton meetings.  

I am part of a few committees within CBWC—including the Mountain Standard Regional Advisory Group (MSRAG) which handles credentialling processes and the regional retreat, and the Ministerial Protocol Manual (MPM) committee that works to keep the MPM and other CBWC documents up to date.  

The Pastoral Settlement Office is my special portfolio. I work with Tim Kerber to assist in  the connection of churches seeking pastors and pastors seeking churches. We provide guidance, advice, and resources through the search process. We keep lists of churches searching and pastors who are looking and try to match them up. While it is the local church which hires the pastor, we are here to make the process as easy as possible.   

A bit about me personally…. As a mom of teenagers, I spend a lot of time in my car driving them where they need to go. My daughter recently got her driver’s license and that has helped. My hobbies include going to the Rec Centre to workout, listening to audio books while working on a puzzle, and going to our small cabin by the lake in the summer to relax. I love to travel and dream of visiting Europe again someday. Once the craziness of the teenager stage has passed, I plan to get back into archery with my hubby. 

Hello, my name is Joyce Rebman, and I am blessed to be the BC & Yukon Administrative Assistant. I have been working for the CBWC since 2020. I started out in the MSR Regional office in Edmonton, then transferred to the BCY Regional Office. I live in Vernon, and my office is also located here. I have been privileged to have worked with Regional Ministers, Dennis Stone, Larry Schram, and currently Brian Louw. 

A bit about myself… Over the years you would have found me working as a church secretary/bookkeeper, a site manager for several not-for-profit seniors housing societies, and as a preschool administrator and volunteer coordinator for a church. In my free time I enjoy walking, reading, visiting with friends and family, enjoying the great outdoors, and spending glorious days at a lake—on the beach or in the water. 

Our two adult children and their spouses have blessed my husband, Gordon, and I with three of the cutest grandchildren ever! Our grandchildren give us much joy and keep us on our toes as we spend time with them on a weekly basis. They are 1, 2 and 4 years old. There is never a dull (or quiet) moment when we are together. 😊 Living in the beautiful Okanagan has enabled us all to be geographically close , which has not always been the case. This is a huge blessing to us as a family. 

As the BCY Administrative Assistant, I fulfill a variety of administrative tasks supporting our pastors and churches under the direction of Brian Louw. This includes communication surrounding Ministerial meetings, pastoral credentialling & interviews, gathering articles for the BCY newsletter, maintaining accurate records for the Sunergo database, administrative duties for the BCY Regional Advisory Team, and assisting at both the Banff Pastors Conference and the CBWC Assembly. I also attend scheduled admin meetings. 

Other responsibilities include: 

• Applying for permanent and temporary marriage license/registrations for our pastors and chaplains as appropriateand cancelling them when necessary. Submitting a yearly report for each Provincial Marriage Unit. 
• Tracking vacation/sick days for all CBWC staffto submit to the Director of Operations annually. 
• Lead organizer/coordinator for the New Ministers Orientation event held annually.

On occasion, I have had the opportunity to hear a story or the testimony from one of our pastors. This always encourages my soul and spirit as I see how we all work together for the glory of God and for the furtherance of His Kingdom. I have witnessed how God has laid a special mantle on those He has called to full time ministry. I would have to say this is personally the most rewarding aspect of my work. God is at work through the ministers of the CBWC! 

Heart Smart New Year Reminders

I trust everyone had a wonderful Christmas season and, like me, are looking forward to a hopeful 2026. A new year brings with it both possibility and promise, and for the believer, Jesus’ words in Mark 9:23 should ring true for us: “What do you mean, ‘If I can?’” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” I love that.  

As an association of churches, we want to be mindful of our obligations as employers and charitable organizations operating under Canadian and provincial law. 

As Christ-followers, we should be compelled to hold to an even higher standard of leadership and interaction within our church community.  

In a recent letter to CBWC churches, Treasurers and Board Chairs, I outlined some reminders and resources that may be helpful as many of our churches begin a new fiscal year. I thought I would share a few of these same reminders with our readership, as well as an update from the EFC related to the charitable status of religious organizations with the government of Canada and Bill C-9.  

From the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada:   

The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada recently sent out a bulletin confirming that the Finance Department of the Canadian government has no plan to remove advancing religion as a charitable purpose under the Income Tax Act. To read the EFC’s full article, click HERE. 

Bill C-9 Combatting Hate Act was introduced by the Federal government last September in response to the alarming rise in antisemitism and anti-religious threats in Canada. The bill’s intent is to help ensure that people can worship freely, safely, and without intimidation. 

On December 9, the Justice Committee passed an amendment to the bill that removes the good faith religious belief defence from section 319(3) of the Criminal Code. This defense remains an important safeguard for religious communities. Its removal would not create new crimes or make sharing faith or Scripture illegal, but it could have unintended consequences for people of faith. The committee is still working through changes to the bill, including the definition of hatred, and will resume discussion in late January when the government is back from a 6-week break. 

We encourage pastors and leaders to stay well informed, and if you have concerns, to communicate respectfully to your local Member of Parliament. If enough MP’s hear from their constituents, they can oppose this change. The EFC has provided helpful resources which are linked here. Find your MP here. The EFC’s talking points with sample wording can be found at TheEFC.ca/C-9.  

CBWC leadership will continue to engage with our national partners and the EFC leadership on this important issue.  

 
Plan to Protect Policy Template Now Available:  

Churches must have an abuse prevention policy in place to protect the most vulnerable members in our congregations. We are pleased to make available to you a downloadable version of the Plan to Protect® policy template for the Canadian Baptists of Western Canada, as well as the other appendices from the Plan to Protect® manual. While all churches must have a protection plan in place, the use of this resource is optional and is intended to help churches craft a policy customized to their own church setting. If you did not receive an email with instructions on how to access the Plan to Protect® policy template, please contact your Regional Office or lhaugan@cbwc.ca.

Reminders:   

Canadian Baptist Benefits launched a new Health & Dental Plan effective January 1. Enrolment in the Plan was completed in late November. We now offer Standard coverage to all members with 2 additional options requiring member-paid top-up premium. Added to this, the Plan has moved to a Canada-wide premium amount, doing away with varying premiums by province. For more information, visit our dedicated CB Benefits website at cbbenefits.ca or click HERE. Group insurance questions can be sent to our Benefits Administrator, Alexandra Bridi, at benefits@cbbenefits.ca.  

The deadline for issuing charitable giving receipts to your church’s financial supporters is February 28, 2026. Charitable giving receipts must include certain information to be valid/official. To view the CRA’s checklist for issuing complete and accurate receipts, click HERE.   

For churches whose fiscal year ends December 31, you have six months to submit your T3010 to CRA. For more details including a fillable pdf form, click HERE.  

As we step into a new year, may we be reminded of God’s steadfast love and faithfulness, and may His joy strengthen us all for the ministry He has called us to as a community of churches.  

Louanne Haugan 

Standing Firm on the Journey Ahead
–Carey Theological College

As we step into 2026, many of us sense both opportunity and uncertainty in the world around us. Here in Canada, the cultural landscape continues to shift, often rapidly, and Christians must consider what faithfulness to the gospel and perseverance in the Truth looks like today. For believers around the globe, especially our brothers and sisters in places like Nigeria where churches face persecution, violence, and deep instability, the call to perseverance is very real and often comes at a high cost. 

Their witness reminds us that Christian hope has always been forged on the pilgrim road. One of my favourite books is The Pilgrim’s Progress, written in 1678 by John Bunyan. Bunyan began the work while imprisoned for violating laws in England that prohibited the holding of religious services outside the Church of England. In the book, Bunyan beautifully captures this truth of the pilgrim’s journey that all Christians are called to walk. The story focuses on the journey of two pilgrims, named Christian and Hopeful, on their way to the Celestial City. At one point in the story, weary from a series of trials, Christian and Hopeful are welcomed to the Delectable Mountains, where a group of Shepherds refresh, strengthen, and prepare them for the dangers still ahead on their journey. The Shepherds tell Christian and Hopeful, “The Lord of these mountains hath given us a charge not to be ‘forgetful to entertain strangers;’ therefore the good of the place is before you.” The role of the Shepherds in the story was not to offer an escape from the pilgrims’ trials, but rather to re-orient them; offering truth, clarity, and godly counsel. Through this, the pilgrims gain renewed strength and direction along their journey. 

In many ways, this is the work entrusted to pastors, ministry leaders, and seminaries: to act as those Shepherds in a time when many Christians are growing either weary and lukewarm, or reactionary and authoritarian. At Carey Theological College, we have felt this call with renewed clarity. In a season when it’s so easy to drift from the Gospel, and when standing in conviction can feel costly, we remain committed to forming resilient leaders who won’t lose their footing. 

In October 2025, Carey’s Board of Administration approved a new strategic plan and mission for our seminary. 

Our renewed mission is to form resilient leaders marked by wisdom, courage, and meekness; firmly anchored in the truth of God’s Word. Our focus is training leaders who won’t drift; equipped with theological clarity, pastoral strength, and lives anchored in the unchanging truth and wisdom of Scripture, for faithful service in the Church and the world. 

This posture is not about retreating from the world and its trials, nor about adopting an offensive stance. Instead, it is about preparing leaders to walk faithfully into a world that desperately needs clarity, compassion, and courage. Christian and Hopeful left the Delectable Mountains and the care of the Shepherds not with the illusion that the hard parts of their pilgrimage were behind them, but with a renewed understanding of what lay ahead and a deeper confidence in God’s guidance along their way. 

Today, Christians face similar terrain. Whether here in Canada or abroad, the challenges to our faith are very real: cultural confusion, theological shallowness, and rising hostility toward the Christian faith. All these forces threaten to test our faith. This is why pastors and church leaders have such an important role to play: giving Christians courage that is rooted in Christ, who strengthens His people to remain steadfast under pressure. 

Like the Shepherds on Bunyan’s mountains, the role of pastors and those working in ministry is to point pilgrims toward the truth, to warn against the dangers, and to remind them of the hope that anchors the soul. This is why Carey is committed to walking alongside pastors and leaders, offering theological depth, spiritual nourishment, and steady guidance. 

Hebrews 12:1–2 calls us to this very vision: “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.” 

As we look to the year ahead, may we run with this endurance—eyes fixed on Christ, strengthened by His Word, and committed to shepherding God’s people with wisdom, courage, and meekness. May God bless you and yours in 2026. 

Notice of Voluntary Disaffiliation

KURIOS 2025-2026 Meet the Team

I had the privilege of getting to meet this year’s Kurios students in November while we were in Banff together. I asked them what it was like being away from home at this time of year, and what they were looking forward to when they get home for Christmas break. I was also curious what they were feeling about Kurios so far. I found them to be a talented, eager and very kind group! I know you’ll enjoy this little introduction as much as I did.  

Zoey Pierson – Zoey is from Brooks, Alberta. She feels bittersweet being away from her family and her home, yet she is having an amazing experience and learning so much. Zoey feels the blessing in the midst of some home sickness. She is really looking forward to Christmas break at home because her Mom is always very creative with their Advent Calendar. Zoey loves painting with watercolours and wonders about pursuing jewellery arts in her future.

Talia Friesen – Talia comes to Kurios from Quesnel, BC. She misses her family but says that Kurios is a really good experience. When she thinks about the Christmas season at home starting without her this year, she is going to miss decorating the house for the holidays with her 4 siblings. She loves to draw, especially with charcoal pencils.

Ben Braun – Ben is from the Lethbridge area in Southern Alberta. He says that he is learning a lot so far in the lesson times at Kurios. He does miss his family, but since his 4 younger siblings are busy with school, he says it’s not that different. For the Christmas season this year, he might miss out on the tradition of choosing a fancy cereal. He mostly spends his free time on his computer.

Isaac Baerg – Isaac is from Rosemary, AB. He says he misses his family, but it’s really good being with Kurios and in Jasper. Walking out the door to mountains is new and very cool. He is looking forward to both travelling to family and having family visit over the holidays. He loves playing all kinds of guitar and helps lead worship with the Kurios crew. He was particularly impacted by the Kurios visit to meet Chaplain Chuck in Vernon, seeing his love and compassion for those on the streets.

Jack McGrail – Jack comes from Grand Prairie, AB. He loves being in the mountains and being close to outdoor activities. His family has actually travelled to Australia without him while he is with Kurios! He is looking forward to turkey dinner with his grandparents on Christmas Eve. He loves skiing, snowboarding, golf, and just about anything outdoors.

Justin Beal – Justin’s name means ’sweet song.’ He comes from Langley, BC. He says Kurios is a great, enjoyable experience, and he’s made a lot of friends. He loves being away from family as he says his home life isn’t the best.  Being with a supportive crew like Kurios is very good. He says his family forces him to watch Elf every year, and he’s not really looking forward to being home for that. He loves going on walks and reading scripture with his friends. He plays pool and goes to the gym. Justin enjoys volunteering at the Legion in Jasper.

Josiah Pluim – Josiah comes from Boston, ON. He searched up gap year programs out West and Kurios stood out as matching what he was looking for. It teaches in a way that isn’t like school but more like practical living. He loves it; the adventure, experiences, and learning. It’s new for him to be away from his family and friends and he looks forward to seeing them at Christmas break. His family has agreed to wait until he gets home to put up the Christmas tree. Josiah is a guitar player, singer and sometimes leads worship.

Amanda Traynor – Amanda is from Edmonton, AB. She gets to see her family here and there during Kurios. Her grandparents get to visit her in Jasper. Amanda loves the community and bonding. She loves how they invite so many people in and the amazing learning they are getting from them. She is looking forward to a big, extended family gathering on Boxing Day with her dad’s side of the family. Amanda is an avid baker, her specialty being designer sugar cookies decorated with royal icing.

Banff Highlights

Once again, this year we were inspired and refreshed by our time together in the Rocky Mountains. We spent our days in community—encouraging one another, and we were well fed by the chefs as well as many invigorating voices. Rev. Renee MacVicar from Atlantic Canada offered deep insights in the morning Bible studies each day. Lennett Anderson, also from the East Coast, offered literal sweat and tears as he ramped us up, black gospel style, to return to our good Kingdom work; to not grow weary in well doing! Rob Ogilvie commented that though we may have seemed like a sleepy audience to Lennett, it was the loudest and most responsive he’s ever heard us!  

We enjoyed the music and attuned leadership of Jon Buller from Vernon, BC, and had opportunity to sit under several others in our afternoon workshops.  

We prayed over both Rob Ogilvie and Shannon Youell, as they will be finishing up their roles before we are all gathered together again. They have served us richly for many years, and we pray their rest is sweet.  

We hope you’ll consider joining us next year at our new location, the Banff Park Lodge, Nov 9-12, 2026. 

Making Space for Lament at Christmas

By Hannah Hamm

For the last 6 years we’ve been offering a simple Longest Night service in our community during the Advent season. We know that many in our congregation, and in our city, are grieving different losses and struggle to enjoy a traditional Christmas spirit.  

Though the services usually have a small number of attendees, the impact has been enormous.  

If we don’t hold it on the actual longest night of the year (Dec 21) we call it ‘Blue Christmas’, with full acknowledgement and welcome of ‘blue’ feelings. Permission to lament, especially during a season of Joy, is a gift.  

Read on to hear testimonials from CBWC churches in 4 provinces who share in this tradition. After the testimonials we will share some thoughts on how to go about preparing your congregation and to spread the welcome to more than just your own members. The service itself is relatively easy to plan and to offer. 

Reflections on our Longest Night service  
Pastor Kristen Kroeker, Willowlake Baptist, Winnipeg, MB 

Our church hosted a longest night service for the first time in a few years, knowing that nearly two-thirds of our church had lost a loved one in the past year. We weren’t looking to fill the seats or pressure anyone into coming; we wanted to make space for a quieter, more reflective time of worship that gave room to breathe, to sit, or to grieve for those who longed for that. 

 It was a small service—8 of us total—and we met in the darkened foyer, lit only by Christmas lights. We sat in a circle, sang carols, read Scriptures, and lit candles as prayers that the Light of the World would bring light into our dark times. 

But the holy part came after—when we invited people to linger.  

We lingered.  

We cried together. 

We shared memories of those we were missing this Christmas season. 

We held each other’s hands tightly when we spoke aloud our fears and doubts; the what-ifs and if-onlys. 

We prayed for each other. 

We loved well. 

It wasn’t the scripted service where I saw Jesus move in power—it was the vulnerability of coming together as a grieving community, and the power of presence in each other’s lives as we shared each other’s burdens… and left knowing God had met us in that place. 

Accessing Deep Loss 
Kevin Ewaskow, Pastor of Spiritual Formation, FBC, Cranbrook, BC 

The service has been a place where people could be honest with what they feel inside, and what they perceive going on around them in the world; the contrast and relationship between sorrow and joy. It’s been a place and space to access how deeply loss has felt in one’s life; how empty the pages seem in the story that is unfolding without a loved one, or the brokenness in one’s life. However, the genuine gift of the service is that even in such a hollow space one feels that they are not alone. The lit candle in a dark room is joined by other candles, which breed some warmth, light, and hope during the season. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness will not overcome it.  

Our Blue Christmas Story 
Pastor Mandi Hecht, First Baptist Church, Saskatoon, SK. 

I first started holding a Blue Christmas service in 2020, which I did for a couple of years via Zoom (given the COVID realities). The first year I held the service, I came from my 17-year-old son’s hospital room to run the service. (He went on to spend that Christmas in the hospital; and he had 2 more hospitalizations the year after that.) The personal reality of my son’s illness, and also the wider struggles around COVID, prompted me to think that we needed to hold a service to name the pain and bring it to God. 

I have held a Blue Christmas service every year since 2020. It is never a big turn-out to the service, but we stream it online and

have it available on our website so that people can view it at home or at another time if they are unable to attend the live service. 

Here are a few quotes from people who attended the service last night: 

  “I felt at peace as I was listening to the music.” 

  “It is therapeutic to acknowledge loss. I know people who have been through much more than I have, but it is still good to come and participate.” 

  “This service is a yearly reminder that even in grief, there’s the possibility of joy. It’s good to remember this!” 

We set up a table where we laid our prayers before God. (I had given prompts throughout the service to write down things such as the people or things that you’ve lost, the pain you carry, the people who’ve helped you through the pain, etc.) The participants were invited to light tealight candles as they laid down their prayers, and then to take a sprig of the evergreen back to their seats to remind them of the love and promises of God that are new every morning. 

There are 5 candles that we light throughout the service: the middle candle is for Jesus the Messiah; one is for those we’ve lost; one is for other losses we experience; one is for ourselves and the burdens we carry; and finally, one is for those who have been with us in the pain. We also display an empty chair. This chair reminds us of the people or the things that we will not have this Christmas. 

We put up an “Angel tree” every year, and throughout Advent we invite people to put an ornament on the tree (there are ornaments provided, or they can bring one from home) to honour a loved one who is no longer with us and who we miss during the holidays. 

Blessings on your Advent season. 

The Longest Night in the Yukon
Michelle Porco, Riverdale Baptist, Whitehorse, Yukon 

The longest night of the year, Dec 21, is very long in the north. We steadily lose a handful of minutes of daylight each day, so by the time Dec 21 rolls around, we only have about 5 hours of daylight. Our community has been seeing and feeling the darkness and coldness for a few months.  

We began offering this service in 2021, after the pandemic, in response to community suffering, weariness, and loss. (There was a hiatus in 2022 when I was on maternity leave.).  

The service is simple: there are soft Christmas carols, Scripture reading, silence and reflection, candle lighting, and prayers. It’s a space for those carrying grief, sorrow, pain, suffering, weariness, and hurt. It’s a space to hold the realities of our broken lives and world while also seeking the comfort, hope, healing, and peace of the Triune God precisely because God is good, strong, and near to us.  

It’s important because it offers space for bringing our humanness into the presence of the Divine Good God.  

A Blue Christmas reflection 
Heather Hiebert, Community Baptist Church, Cold Lake, AB 

Our services began as a response to congregation members who shared that Christmas can be an especially difficult time. Recent loss, previous loss that is associated with the holiday season, and complicated relationships all contribute to complex feelings during a season that does not always make space for grief.  Taking time to spend in the presence of the God who came to share not only our joys—but also our sorrows—can be a comfort that acknowledges rather than hides from that pain.       

Our first Blue Christmas service happened to fall in the year 2020 and was shared as a written service to be practiced with those in the same household or alone. Although the in-person service is preferred, we still can provide the written service for those who are unable or chose not to attend. 

Our service in 2024 went well. For about half of the attendees, it was their first experience with a “Longest Night” service.  

A Communal Experience of Grief 
Pastor Randy Hamm, FBC, Vernon, BC 

Our longest night service has met a deep need for many people, within and beyond our congregation. Not only has it opened the door for us as a community to acknowledge the complexity of the Christmas season, it gives a practical way to grieve together.  

We have done this a few years in a row now, with ten to thirty guests each time. For some, this has been the first communal experience of their grief since a loved one’s passing. They feel seen and honoured and able to enter the joys of Christmas holding the tension with the sorrows. 

FINAL THOUGHTS: 

We hope you can see from these testimonials, from all corners of our denomination, that space to grieve is needed at Christmas time. If you are thinking you’d like to try hosting one, here are some further thoughts.  

It can be helpful to prepare your congregation in understanding lament in the weeks before the service. A colleague, LaNeal Miller, offered a workshop called “Befriending Sorrow.” She offered a biblical foundation for lament using Psalm 13 as a guide, recommending attendees write their own psalm of lament in the same vein. She recommends using Michael Card’s work on lament as a guide. 

Something we did in our own congregation was called the Jar of Tears based on Psalm 56:8, which tells us that our Father collects our tears in a bottle. After some instruction before our prayer time, we invited congregants to come down to the front and stir a spoonful of salt into a large jar of water. The instruction was to consider something that grieves you as you come, and to prayerfully stir in the salt as a symbol of your tears. Many were moved to actual tears as they came.  

These are some ways you can begin the conversation of grief and lament ahead of your Longest Night service.  

We recommend letting other churches in your neighbourhood or town know that you are offering this, even just so they can advertise it for their people if they aren’t hosting one themselves. Pastor Andrea Tisher at Southwest Community Church in Kamloops has been collaborating for a couple of years, and this year there are a total of 5 churches coming together to offer their service entitled “Waiting for the Light”. 

I have received and prepared a few sample services if you are interested. Please contact me; I am very happy to send you our ideas.  

I recommend the book Grieving Room by Leanne Friesen, Executive Minister of the CBOQ.  

May you find the Christ Child present in both your joy AND your sorrow this Advent season.  

Hannah Hamm  hhamm@cbwc.ca 

Gratitude and Generousity

By Louanne Haugan

When I began my role as Director of Development in 2017, Henry Nouwen’s booklet entitled The Spirituality of Fundraising affirmed what God already placed in my heart: that inviting others to give is a holy calling. Through my ministry with the CBWC, I have the privilege of inviting fellow believers to respond to God’s lavish gift of grace and join with Him in seeing His kingdom come on earth through the practice of generous giving. 

Generosity begins with understanding that we love God because He first loved us. During Advent, as believers gather to celebrate the Word made flesh—the greatest gift of all in Jesus—our natural response should be an outpouring of gratitude and generosity.  

 God also uses our giving to continue to grow His Kingdom and lead others to Christ. In the early Church, God’s grace was so powerfully at work that “there were no needy persons among them” (Acts 4:32). That same grace is at work today through your support.  

Here are some of the ways your generosity was used to minister to our CBWC family:  

• 284 people and 87 churches welcomed at Assembly 

• 4 newly ordained pastors and 11 more candidates in process 

• 20 pastors hosted at New Ministers Orientation 

• 150 pastors and spouses met for a time of rest and renewal at Banff Pastors Conference  

• C2: over $10,000 of support to 4 CBWC churches with small capital projects 

• 353 members provided with health benefits and 281 with a pension plan 

• Over 200 face-to-face visits with churches and pastors by Regional Ministers 

As the year draws to a close, would you prayerfully consider making a special year-end gift? Your support helps us continue to equip pastors and churches who bring hope and light to their communities.  

Give today at cbwc.ca/donate. 

May God reveal himself anew to us all as we celebrate the coming of his son—the Light of the World. Merry Christmas!  

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light”. 1 Peter 2:9 

Canadian Baptist Ministries Update

Together, We Give Hope

In the rolling hills of eastern Rwanda, Dancille once felt her world growing smaller. After her husband’s death and the birth of her youngest child with a disability, she faced deep loneliness and uncertainty. “I thought my life was without purpose,” she says. 

Through a local church supported by CBM’s global partners, Dancille joined a group for parents of children with disabilities. Together, they learned new skills, grew nutritious food, and encouraged one another through faith and friendship. “Now I see hope again,” she says. “I know I am not alone.” 

Stories like Dancille’s remind us that when the global Church works together, moments of compassion can grow into lasting change. This is the heart of CBM’s Hopeful Gifts for Change and Global Christmas Giving—partnering together to bring about hope, healing, and reconciliation through word and deed. 

When we participate together, we help create momentum that continues long after the season ends: school supplies that open doors for a child’s future, training that equips pastors to strengthen their communities, and care that helps someone begin to heal. These are gifts that last, building resilience and opportunity across generations. 

This Christmas, as we reflect on the light of Christ entering our world, may we be encouraged to take part in what God is already doing—bringing hope, dignity, and renewal to lives around the globe. 

To learn more, visit hopefulgifts.ca and cbmin.org/global-christmas-giving-2025