Kurios Update & Lower Fees

Kurios is now the most affordable Christian gap year experience in Canada!

Thanks to a generous donation, we have been able to reduce the cost for students to attend this coming year to only $7500! For an 8-month program, that is less than $1000/month, which includes housing, food, teaching, mentoring, and tons of adventure!! The only thing not included is our 5 weeks in Guatemala (approx. $4000), which is fully fundraised by each student. Click here for cost info. 

Do you know any young adults looking to invest in their relationship with God? Please share this exciting news with them. We’ve learned, over 4 years of recruiting students, that the most significant factor is always the invitation to consider Kurios from a trusted Christian adult. We need you to encourage them to check out our program, our viewbook is a great place to start.

The adventure begins with moving to Jasper, into a newly renovated 100-year-old home in the center of this mountain community. We are warmly and deeply welcomed by the church community, and invited into their lives, homes, and ongoing ministry. Together, our group of young adults create a beautiful rhythm of life centered on Jesus Christ our Lord, learning to love God and love others with our whole, integrated beings. We get out into the mountains where cell phones don’t work, and begin the journey of learning to listen to God in prayer. Here are some comments from our most recent participants:

Ben – I love starting each day focused on God and inviting Him to be present in all that we have planned, and then ending each day looking back and thanking God for all that He has done. 

Grace – This year has given me time to begin to heal from hurtful experiences, and I can now see that God has been with me through it all.

Dani – I love that we take time to discuss the Bible and really try and understand it. I’ve learned that I really care about how to live out the Bible in my life.

Tyler – Being in Jasper with amazing people who showed me and guided me through scripture and my every day journey with Christ was very impactful and leads me to where I am today.

Our fall session includes a west coast road trip, the highlight being our time with HopeHill in Vancouver, where our young adults get to meet, learn from, and serve older adults in this amazing community. We are so grateful for this partnership! The trip also includes ministry opportunities with our lower mainland churches, learning sessions with amazing presenters, and an appearance at our annual pastor’s conference in Banff.

The winter session begins with our 5+ weeks in Guatemala, trading the -25°C Canadian winter for the +25°C Guatemalan dry season. This life changing immersion in another culture forever changes how we understand the Kingdom of God, as we build friendships with other followers of Jesus who see life and faith from a different point of view. Our CBM partners are amazing in coordinating and facilitating this core part of our program.

We appreciate your continued prayers for us as we look ahead and plan for this coming year, and for all of our alumni in their many endeavors. If you feel led to support Kurios financially, just click here. You can always follow us in our adventures on Instagram or Facebook.

Please reach out with feedback or questions! I can be reached by cell at 780-690-2357 or steve@cbwc.ca.

 Partner Spotlight: CBWC Foundation

Need Help Making a Will?

A recent study of Canadians found that 62% do not have a will and a further 12% have an outdated will. That is close to 75% of us who do not have this piece of important financial discipline properly cared for.

Why does a will matter?

Financially, it means lower costs to your estate and more help for your loved ones. Lower costs, because estates with a proper will are probated faster and more efficiently—saving money on legal and executor costs. In contentious situations where there is no will, the process can be prolonged by years, tying up resources and piling on fees. It also means that a court-appointed government agent will decide how the estate will be paid out with no obligation to be as efficient as possible with taxes or according to your wishes.

While finances are important, more importantly is the care it provides for your remaining family members. In a time of dislocation and grief, they are not forced to deal with the legal complexities that having no will can cause. They also have clear direction on your wishes, which is very helpful and comforting in a time of grief. And finally, no one knows the nuances of your family dynamics better than you to ensure your resources do the most possible good for your family.

Our final will is also our last chance to direct resources to ministries and causes we care about. Just like your annual tax return, our government is very generous toward charitable giving, allowing us to direct what would have been taxed to things we want to support. This is no less true on your final tax return. With the help of a gift planner, you can often make substantial contributions to causes you care about—like your church and ministries you love, without substantially reducing the amount you leave to your family.

Need help making a will?

CBWC constituents have access to guidance on making wills and gift planning services through Advisors with Purpose. AWP is a ministry designed to help with these crucial aspects of stewardship. CBWC, the CBWC Foundation and Carey have generously prepaid these services for you so that finances are not a barrier to anyone in our family of churches. You can access AWP through any of our websites. It’s free and confidential.

Let’s Get Active!

It’s time to lace up your sneakers and get Active in Mission! 

Last year, we raised over $100,000 to help feed people in Canada and around the world. This year, we want to do even more! Will you be part of it this year? Whether it’s you, your youth group, or your church team—join us in Feeding Hope locally and globally.  

Are you ready to get Active in Mission?  Register today! activeinmission.ca

What is Your Soul Saying Today?

We’re in our third instalment in a series of reflections from Psalm 23 in which we hope you join us to rest in the character of God, release the things of this world that we cling to, and reset our focus on the Kingdom of God and His invitation to each of us to enter His shalom. These reflections are adapted from Pastor Deborah Judas’ book Cultivating Shalom and are used with her permission.

He leads me beside quiet waters (Psalm 23:2).

What is your soul saying to you today?

Is it parched and feeling like it is about to shrivel up? Perhaps it feels fatigued or weather-beaten, confused or disappointed. On the other end of the spectrum, maybe your soul feels like a deep well of fresh water, even overflowing enough to share with others.

Wherever you are at, caring for your soul is a vital part of spiritual formation. I don’t know about you, but I was not brought up with the concept of paying attention or tending to my soul. This now feels shocking to me. Our soul is our very breath of life.

Our soul is the place within us where our spirit connects with God’s Spirit. Why would it be okay to ignore that?

The imagery in Psalm 23 speaks loudly as we enter with the Lord leading us beside still and quiet waters. Note the Shepherd is the lead and the sheep are following. The Shepherd sees when His sheep are thirsty. They become restless and begin to look for water to quench their thirst. They will settle for any kind of water because they don’t know any better. This is often to their detriment because they will drink polluted water with parasites, causing all sorts of discomfort and disease.

The Shepherd knows where the clean, fresh, cool water is. He takes them to the best place—where the sheep can receive sustenance and satisfy their thirst. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6 NIV).

Jesus calls us to become deeper people. When we long for more, Jesus responds by offering us living water. We drink our fill from His wellspring, and in turn, He sends us out to bring it to those in need.

Rest enables us to gain clarity, to declutter and let go of things that prevent us from experiencing peace. This, in turn, creates space for us to drink from the well of living water, refreshing and restoring us.

Spending time with Jesus cultivates shalom.

• Do you feel full and refreshed or parched and dry?
• Do you long for more of God’s presence in your life?
• What does it look like right now in your life to “drink from the well of living water”? Are you regularly setting aside time to care for your soul?
• When was the last time you experienced God’s presence in your life? Take a moment to write about it. Describe the emotions you were feeling leading up to the experience and the emotions you felt after God met with you.

This psalm paints a striking picture of what Jesus, our Shepherd, is offering us. He is inviting us to drink from His well and fill our soul with His refreshment.

He is offering us life.

This reflection is brought to you by CBWC’s Banff Pastors and Spouses GIVE and GO campaign, a clergy care initiative to help as many pastors as possible to join us at Banff Pastors and Spouses Conference this November. Find out how your donation can make double the difference: cbwc.ca/clergycare

Let’s Celebrate Father’s Day!

World Refugee Day

By Jenna Hanger

There are 130.8 million refugees worldwide—according to reporting by the UN Refugee Agency—a number that is brought to light as we celebrate World Refugee Day on June 20^th.

Refugee work is an important part of CBWC’s Engaging in Mission value. This past year, our churches have helped to sponsor 187 individuals. While this number may seem like a small drop in an ocean of need, we cannot underestimate the significance of being able to help even one individual.

Mahbuba, a refugee from Afghanistan who arrived in August 2023, is an example of a life changed. With the support of Kitsilano Christian Community Church in Vancouver, BC (Kits), Mahbuba has settled into her new life and pursue further education––a dream that would not have been a reality without support.

When Mahbuba arrived, she was provided with a place to stay rent free, a family to live with, and financial support as she completed English courses and now works to complete a Legal Administrative Assistant course. Having such a solid support system in place when she arrived has been a substantial leg up.

“If someone comes here and they don’t have anyone to guide them, they will feel completely lost. New country, new language, new people, new system… I have been privileged to have this,” Mahbuba said, excitedly talking about the opportunities she has had in Canada.

“If I talk about my country, there’s a lot of people that have a dream––they want to move forward, but they were deprived of a lot of things and couldn’t. But here, if you want to, you can do it. If you have a goal and patience for that specific goal, you can move forward here.”

Susan Ferguson, a member of Kits, has been instrumental in helping with her church’s refugee effort. 

Their journey started in 2015/2016 when they brought a family from Syria over through the CBWC’s refugee program. Since then, they have helped welcome several people from Afghanistan as well. This past year alone, they have helped a family of five, a family of four, and two individuals settle in Canada.

“It can be very overwhelming to work in this area because there is such a huge need. We are aware of what terrible situations people are coming from. It can seem really overwhelming. The thing that I remind myself of is that you can’t help everyone, but you can help the one that’s in front of you. You can help this small group, this family, this individual,” Susan said.

She added that the outreach to their immediate community through their refugee efforts has also been significant.

“When we have gone to raise money, more than half of the money is contributed from people outside of the church. When we are doing this work, people see our church doing something other than the things that churches make the headlines for these days,” Susan said. 

“It is an important form of outreach for our church. People who would normally never step foot in the door want to be part of something good that we are doing.”

For churches who are considering sponsorship, Susan says the most important thing you can do is really listen to the people you are trying to help.

“One thing that I think is important is to let yourself, to some extent, be led by the people you are trying to help. In other words, not deciding for them what is good for them, but making opportunities available and then listening.” Susan said.

“There are things that we have no idea about that they are dealing with when they first arrive—the traumatic experiences they have been through, but also cultural norms and expectations. It is so easy to misstep.”

For more information on how you might get involved, check out the Justice and Mercy Network’s resource page HERE.