#MCOPC2016
One of the hopes in having two MARKcentrals was that there would be smaller class sizes and a more intimate feel of a conference. The estimated number of people at each week being approx 100. All of our plans for a more intimate conference were shifted when 180 people registered for the OPC week! On the one hand, we were grieved at the loss of some of our programming hopes that couldn’t really be accommodated with the number of people we had. But on the other hand, we were deeply encouraged that there were so many people eager to gather around scripture together! Within that 180, there were approx 10 not-yet believing students!
After coming out of a full week at #MCArden2016, David and I were tired, but eager to see what God would do with this group of people. There were many things about this week that were similar to last year: a staggered 2 meal schedule (as we couldn’t all sit together for meals), a mid-week worship night, and similar teaching and lodging locations. But, we had some new elements like staff stepping into new roles, and some group application for all the Mark 1 studies.
Before heading into the OPC MARKcentral week, I found myself stressed and frustrated at the seemingly endless logistical issues to work out. But, upon arrival, I felt a peace come over me, and actually felt at home. Which surprised me, because as recent as 2 years ago I remember feeling completely lost and out of place at OPC.
Day 2, with the Question of the Day
During this week, I was the primary point person. David took care of registration, budget and lodging details but I was the one that was up front as emcee, and led staff meetings. When I wasn’t taking care of any issues that arose, I joined the prayer team to intercede for the conference and offer prayer ministry for those in need. Being with the prayer team was a huge highlight for me. I’d never served on an intercession team before this week, and I loved the experience! Often I would hear stories of my friends who have interceded for conferences, and I was skeptical about some of the things they would do and how they would pray, but God in his grace and mercy showed me how some of the more unconventional ways we were praying actually were connecting with what was happening for those teaching and participating in studies. In subtle ways, that only I would notice the Spirit moved and revealed how It was drawing all the pieces together, and addressing some of the places of doubt in my heart. I was so grateful to work with Ruth, Ryan, Ruth and PY on the prayer team and see them lead the conference to connect with God in new and familiar ways.
The #MCOPC2016 Prayer Team!
I also loved working with the staff team, which was a mix of brand new staff and staff I’d known for years. It was great seeing staff step up and for many to lead studies on their own. It was exciting to hear about the not-yet believers in the studies and how they were fairing. We rejoiced as some of these students made first-time commitments to follow Jesus and as others heard from God for the first time in prayer and worship! We celebrated as some students decided to join the Toronto Urban Plunge team! I had so much delight seeing Ashley Chan lead an all KCF worship team and lead us in multi-lingual worship. The culmination of my joy with the staff team happened as we ended our last staff meeting with a 2.5 song dance party, with Ashley Chan and Preston leading the charge and setting the pace. In more recent years, I’ve experienced anxiety when spending time with my colleagues so feeling joy while being them had been rare, but this week I was so full of joy and so grateful for each of my colleagues.
There were a few OCF students who attended this week: one of my knights and Jimmy were in the Genesis study led by Jamie, my staff partner; and PY served on the prayer team with me. For Jamie and I, we had a few points during the week to connect with the OCF crew and it was a blessing to be with them as they processed their experiences and as they asked for prayers for what’s next. All of these students are graduating, and even though I had only been working with them for a year, each of them are dear me. My knights, Jimmy and PY were the first students to welcome me with open arms to OCF. They honestly shared their lives with me, and were open and eager to have me speak into their lives. They allowed me to be me, prayed and cared for me and have been a huge part in my heart for campus ministry being reignited. It was a great gift to spend parts of this week with them.
Even now as I reflect on this week, I can’t quite explain what was happening for me. In this season of many losses and hardships, I felt peace and settled in a way that shouldn’t have been true. I received vibrant images and words in prayer, I saw prayers answered, lives healed and new people join the family. It was thrilling! I felt bold in ways I don’t often feel in my life. I felt free in ways I haven’t felt in months. My friend and our camp host Andrew said this of me, “Every time she’s been up here [to say something] she’s had this huge smile”, and as I looked back at the photos of this week and heard from my staff friends, I see that this was true. I even see a huge difference between how I was at Arden and at this week. So I’m still unpacking what that means, but am grateful for this gift.
The #MCOPC2016 group! So many great memories with this group!
#MCArden2016
As the days got closer, I was really excited for the MARKcentral CSR Arden (#MCArden2016) week. This would be a week at new location (one David and I had never been to), with a new staff team configuration and new programming, and even though that could mean lots of unforeseen issues arising, the notion of newness was really exciting for me. David and I drove up before the staff and bus arrived, got a tour of the camp and the rooms we’d be using and started helping get the spaces set up. The first day went by super quick, as the bus arrived on time, filled with loud and excited students.
“How can you say you love Jesus and not have a heart for justice?” – “the Preacher”
This MARKcentral week was significant for OCF, as it had almost all first-time participants in MARKcentral and most of the new student leaders for the upcoming year. I was especially excited as they all took the bus together and had some time to start bonding with each other and other students from across Ontario. It wasn’t long until my fun-loving OCF students were known as the “cool kids” at camp and also the “ruckus-causing” ones. But, to their credit, they were super welcoming to anyone who wanted to join them. One of my students, whom I’ll call “the Preacher”, was deeply impacted by the second half of Mark. She spent some time in lament about how her church and the global church have not done all they could to be about justice for the most vulnerable. Her heart was grieved as she read the passage of the widow in the Temple and saw how this woman trusted a system that was not out for her good, and it resonated with the Preacher as she saw aspects of her own story reflected. This is the same student who at last year’s conference never made a heart connection with the passages. She studied the texts academically and never let the meaning root deep in her heart. But this year, the passages resonated and this same girl who never saw justice as deeply connected with Jesus, now calls all who will listen to be about justice for the most vulnerable amongst us.
Most afternoons this week were free, but mine quickly filled with long one-on-one walks with my OCF students. I got to hear more stories of their year, the joys and hardships and the things they were hopeful for in the upcoming summer and year ahead. Throughout the week, I felt blessed to be able to be with these students, and to see how much had happened for each of them in a year.
Our attempt at making the OCF logo. I love these people so much!
I also felt blessed to co-direct this week, and come alongside the staff as many served in certain roles for the first time, or were new to some of the changes we were implementing. I was so happy to work with Leah and Allyson, who were interceding for the conference and had set up a prayer room with themed activities for each day. I had the Operations Manager at CSR Arden make me some whiteboard sandwich boards and each day I would ask a Question of the Day that would relate to themes in the scripture studies and with the prayer room activites. I was greatly blessed by Dave and Jared and their leading the worship team with 2 UTSC students and the Preacher. God used the 5 of them to lead us in a diversity of worship experiences that helped many people connect with God deeply. I sat in Allison and Melissa’s Mark 1 study, and was encouraged by the diverse group of students as they wrestled with the text and their wonder as they made connections.
By the end of the week, we grew deeply as a community together and were sad to part ways. For me, this was one of the best experiences at MARKcentral that I’ve ever had. I left the week, tired, but eager to see what God would do at OPC.
The #MCArden2016 group. Such a great week with these lovely people!
MARKcentral(s) 2016
If you’re a long-time reader of this blog, you’d know from previous posts that in my earlier years in ministry, I wasn’t always a big fan of the annual Gospel of Mark manuscript conference, MARKcentral. This has since changed, as I’ve seen the Spirit move in powerful ways in my life and in the lives of students and use these weeks to begin a transforming work! So, when I was asked to co-direct this year’s conference, with my colleague and good friend David, I excitedly agreed.
The directors: David and I sneaking in some admin work during “free time”.
This year MARKcentral had a few new changes. The one that was probably the most challenging logistically, was that we decided to split the Central Field region in two, and had two MARKcentral conferences at two different times and locations. The campuses at each location were decided not based on geography but exam schedules (as it was noticed that campuses that finished exams early in April had a harder time recruiting students to come to a conference during the first week of May). So the first week of MARKcentral was from April 24-30, at our Circle Square Ranch camp in Arden, Ontario. The second week was from May 1-7 at Ontario Pioneer Camp in Port Sydney, Ontario.
The planning for the logistics of these two weeks at two different locations resulted in many late nights and stress headaches. We longed for more consistency between the two weeks, but ran into many unforeseen problems as the weeks began to take shape. But, I can say from this vantage point, each week had its share of great joys and minor problems. David and I were able to innovate some new programming, empower staff to lead and grow in their leadership, and partner well with each other as we led with our combined giftings and skills.
I’ve written posts for each week of MARKcentral, but for photos and videos from both weeks, follow ivcf.markcentral on instagram.
Emerging Leaders Module 1
Every few years, Inter-Varsity offers a specialized training program for staff that they would like to invest in and could see moving into deeper levels of leadership within the organization. The program is called Emerging Leaders, and it takes place over 14 months, with a commitment to stay with the organization for an additional 18 months afterward and be open to the possibility of a job or role change.
Last spring, I was invited to join the newest cohort that would meet for the first time in February. I was honoured by the invitation and gladly accepted. The first module focused on spiritual development. I appreciated the time getting to know staff from various parts of the organization and also to engage God in new ways through more unfamiliar spiritual disciplines.
The resources I received from this module have been super helpful to apply and try with my students and staff team.
Hospitality through Food, Discipleship Baking, and Waffles Around the World
One of the easiest ways to build relationships with people is through food. So, as I spent a good deal of this year observing the existing ministry at OCAD and trying to build relationships with students, I spent a lot of time making and eating food.
Hospitality through Food
My Knights live in a house on Jarvis, which we often used as a place to gather for meals and parties. In the fall, I began a semi-regular (twice a month) practice of invading their home and teaching them how to make different types of cuisine on Sunday evenings. My fondest memories are of our sushi-making gathering and our samosa party. These gatherings served as a conduit for deeper relationships in our community, places where people felt welcome to brings friends, and to hang out and spontaneously end up in worship and prayer. One of my student leaders, whom I’ll refer to as the Witty Chef, is also a gifted baker and cook, often making all the household meals for his siblings, even though he is the youngest! He works part-time at a grocery store, and often the beginning of every meeting I had with him would entail him telling me of specials for that week. One week, turkeys were on sale, and he decided to get one and learn how to cook it, even though he’d never done so before. He decided to brine the turkey, which is something even I haven’t done, and cook it one day, just for fun. He invited me and the rest of the leadership team to come eat it. and I can assure you. it was the best turkey I’ve ever had!
Discipleship Baking
Often when I’m getting to know someone I try to build relationship by doing something that they enjoy doing. This often works well when I also enjoy the activity too. Two first year students I met this year are avid bakers, and a few times during the winter semester I got to know them deeper as we baked together. I enjoy what I call discipleship baking, as it gives people something to do with their hands, and frees them up to be more candid than they might be if we were just sitting across a table having coffee together. Discipleship baking with art and design students is a lot of fun because there’s a willingness to be adventurous and ambitious in flavours and recipes, like during reading week, a student and I made all four of the cookies in this video!
Waffles Around the World
We again decided to love and serve the campus by giving away free waffles during the last three Wednesdays of the semester (the busiest time for students). For the winter semester, we were able to get an OCAD student union grant, and we wanted to switch up how we did our waffle nights. So we decided on the theme “Waffles Around the World”, as a way to showcase waffle flavours and practices from around the world and use these events as an opportunity to celebrate and engage the ethnic and cultural diversity of the campus. Each week we offered different flavours: Spanish Churro, Cambodian Coconut, and Savoury English Potato waffles. In our interactive art pieces, we asked people questions to engage their own and others ethnic and cultural identity, because we believe that people’s ethnic and cultural identity say something about our God. As we prepared for these events, we spent some more time planning and talking through the whys of event, and spent time in scripture helping us see how God values and loves diversity. As I worked with a team on the interactive art elements, the Witty Chef led the team in the kitchen. In both the fall and winter terms, the Witty Chef took care of getting all the waffle making materials and managing all the kitchen logistics for our waffle events. I found out later how much he’d absorbed the teachings from the scripture and was able to call his team to the vision. I also found out that my first encounter with the OCF community (where I made potato waffles and brownie waffles), made a huge impact on his life, and influenced his decision to choose to make potato waffles for one of the weeks.
Surprise Party
As I reflect on this year, one of the highlights was my birthday. Often birthdays are not always filled with happy memories. This year, given that I was coming from Urbana and vacation, I didn’t have lots of time to plan for my birthday. So, when the day came I didn’t have lots of plans, but then was showered with love from my community.
I had breakfast with my staff partner Jamie, and got to have a great talk. I had a late afternoon meeting with my supervisor, which also was a great time. The biggest surprise of the night came when “my knights” invited me to dinner, they were pretty vague on the details (I taught them well), and I wasn’t sure what to expect when I met with them. They managed to convince me we were just going to have a quiet dinner, just the three of us. When we got to the restaurant, I saw there was a large table filled with OCFers (and a few wannabe OCFers)! I was surprised and moved! I wasn’t expecting gifts, but the ones I received were significant and sentimental. I was blown away that in the 4 months I had been at OCAD, that these students cared enough to do this. I later found out the main planners for this party were my students who had attended Urbana, and they started these plans while they were in St. Louis!
And as I recount this story, I’m reminded that the last time students threw me a “surprise party”, was actually my first official year on staff at Ryerson. And as I make this connection, I’m grateful for God’s timing, provision and movement. I’m eager to see what will come in my next few years with the OCF community, and I hope it is as fruitful and memorable as my time at Ryerson.
Urbana 2015
Urbana is a tri-annual missions conference hosted by InterVarsity USA and Canada. Every time one happens. there is often lots of vision cast and lots of invitations to consider, and this Urbana was no different. This post is late in coming, just because there is still so much to take in and process about the experience. If you weren’t able to go, video and audio files are available here.
There were 8 OCAD students who attended, 5 did the general seminar track, 2 did the poverty track, and 1 did the Canadian Student Leadership track. It was hard to find each other throughout the conference. but there were some key points where we were able to connect and hear from one another and pray together. And of course, to hang out and take fun photos like these:
Many of the students were moved to be more intentional with how they steward their talents and resources. Some were moved to consider what life in mission post University could look like. Some received visions in listening prayer about invitations God was extending to them. As the months have passed, I’ve been able to hear how and what these students are hearing from God as they continue journeying with Him and offering their lives, talents and resources for his purposes. For some, they realized they cared a lot more about the things of God than spending time with God, and others realized they were too focused on their relationship with God and were not caring about things He cared about like justice. It’s not been surprising how often I’ve referred students back to these talks and these teachings, as many still hold the same relevance now as it did then.
This Urbana, also gave me the opportunity to partner with InterVarsity USA in the Pan-Asian North American Lounge. I’d wanted to serve in this capacity for the past few Urbanas, and this time the circumstances all came together to allow it. I’d never served in a lounge before, so it was a new experience. I enjoyed getting some time to meet and reconnect with students. Some highlights were creating “Tree Auntie” with some of my South Asian staff friends, and getting to reunite with more South Asian staff friends and SALI participants during the South Asian gathering. I also got to reunite with Peter, Parmina, Pintu and Joana from Bangladesh!
Knights, Pumpkin Soup and so much Bubble Tea
As I come to the end of this year, I am grateful and full. This year has been tough personally and organizationally, but whenever I think of my time on campus with the OCF community I am filled with joy. After a somewhat anti-climactic end at Ryerson, I was not expecting to be showered with welcome at OCAD, and yet I was. Here are some of my highlights from the year:
“Are you going to knight us?”
Early in September, after spending a good deal of time in the summer developing relationships with two students in particular, I asked them to join me for dinner. I was intentionally vague in the purpose of our meeting, as I was trying to hold things loosely. But I did ask that we go out, and not meet in their home and be in a place with an atmosphere where we could actually have a conversation, as opposed to some of the loud, lively restaurants closer to campus. While we were walking, one of the students asked if I was going to knight them, as that’s the first thing she came up with after putting the pieces she had together. I laughed and apologized for the vagueness, and once we were seated I filled them in. I wanted to tell them I noticed the good missional work they were doing in their friend’s lives, even choosing to live downtown in an apartment with two not-yet believing friends! I offered to pray with them, offer resources as they needed and to help them as they grew in their witness and hospitality this year. They gratefully accepted and their home became a hub of activity this year, with epic parties, delicious dinners and lots of late-night prayer and worship. The times when I would meet individually or with both of them, were some of the best moments of the year for me. They graciously invited me into their home and their lives, and relationship with them has reignited my love for student ministry. And since that day in September, I have called them, my knights.
Pumpkin Soup
One of the student leaders I worked with this year is an international student from Singapore. One morning as we were staffing a table for a community fair, I discovered he loved all thing pumpkin, especially soup. Now this student who would describe himself as “headstrong” was sometimes challenging to connect with, he was often a confusing mix of stubborn and teachable, which I realized was exactly how I was when I was a student. The way my staff won me over was her demonstration of unconditional love. So, when this student was extremely stressed with school and still trying to serve in his various leadership roles with OCF, I knew I could release some of his leadership responsibilities (which I did) but beyond that there was little I could do to help with the stress, so I did what my mother would do, I made him some soup. He was surprised, grateful and I think this moment marked a point where he felt he could trust me more. Right after our event that night I got this message and photo from him, “Already had my first bowl, thanks again Archi!!!!! It was so good! I missed this so much lol”
So Much Bubble Tea
During my last year at Ryerson (and my last year living downtown), there were a number of bubble tea places that opened. And I was so excited to have another option for meeting locations with students. Then, I found out that NONE of my student leaders liked bubble tea, and only ONE of my friends would go with me. I was devastated. But then this year at OCAD, 90% of my one-on-one mentoring meetings happen over bubble tea. I’ve had multiple conversations about the best locations and combinations, when to go, who the best servers are, and so much more. I even got to take a few OCF students to my favourite place near Ryerson.
I’m grateful that in this season, God has been faithful. My vision and passion for working with students has been renewed. I’ve been able to deeply connect and love these students. And even small things like a lack of bubble tea has turned into abundance, which shows me that even in the simplest longings God meets me, which gives me hope for the bigger things.
The Arch 