National Staff Conference
The IV triennial National Staff Conference happened November 29 –December 3, 2010, just outside of Toronto. This was my first National Staff Conference, and it was conference filled with enriching and inspiring conversations, seminars and talks. Each day so full that a day felt like it was 5 days; by the end of the conference it felt like we’d been there for a month instead of just 5 days!
We were to do our best to enter the conference rested. This was not my reality. The week before the conference was my last week at my part-time job. It was full of with early mornings and long nights. Once the work week was over, I actually spent the weekend preparing for my staff role at the conference, which was being part of the Stage Design Team. The days before the conference was full of phone calls and last-minute errand running. But despite some of the stress entering the Conference, I had a great time with my Stage Design Team, as we brought the various components of our design to life. For me, it was a time to reclaim and redeem my Interior Design background; and I thoroughly enjoyed using those skills to symbolically impart the theme of the conference.
The theme of the conference was the Word of God being spread amongst all the nations. We saw this in the morning bible studies in the book of Acts and the inspiring plenary sessions led by Rev. Dr. Brenda Salter-McNeil. In the afternoons, we had opportunities to attend seminars about a variety of topics. I attended a seminar about Proxes, (if you’re wondering what one is, keep reading my blog and I’ll be talking about them at length in another post) and one about building partnerships with ethnic churches. Each left me with a lot to think about and with a lot of ideas.
As much as I enjoyed the conference content, there were many hard moments for me throughout the conference. At various points, I felt conflicted in my calling and identity. These moments were often spurred on from “altar calls” made during the plenary sessions, but sometimes would spring up in conversations I would have with staff that I only nominally knew. For a good chunk of the week, I felt “blocked” in more ways than one. One particularly challenging moment occurred during an alter call where we were asked to pray in our mother tongue. For some reason, I was extremely triggered by this exhortation, partly because I didn’t know my mother tongue. After there was a call to pray in any other language, and at that point I felt like the part of my brain that retained all the languages I did know was blocked.
However, the following day offered redemption. The plenary session was about being bridge builders. Near the end of the session, there were two altar calls that night: one for those who felt they were bridge builders and one for those who felt they were had been overlooked and were not living to their full potential as a leader. All who responded to the call were prayed for by the president of IV Canada. This was the first altar call I’ve ever responded to, and afterward I felt really exposed. I wanted to get out of that room ASAP, but was stopped by Ashley. Ashley is an extraordinary woman. She is doing an internship with Inter-Varsity in Montreal, she is of German and Pakistani descent, and though I don’t know her well, we’ve had a lot of great conversations about culture and identity. Ashley was struck by the message that evening, and immediately sought me out to talk. What followed was a great conversation about identity and culture. Reflecting on the conversation later, I realized that though my official focus of Campus Ministry is not South Asian Ministry, I was doing it anyway with the conversations I’ve been having with various staff within the organization. I realized that my calling is to follow where God leads me, regardless of my official job assignment.
On the whole, I left the Conference, largely unsettled. However, as I’ve since discovered, God often uses the places of discontent in our lives to fuel vision for future ministry.
Christmas Celebrations
We’ve reached the end of the semester! Students are now finished exams and those from out of town are heading home to their families and finishing their Christmas shopping!
I’d love to share with you a conversation I had with Vanessa about how the semester has been for her:
A: How has it been being president this year:
V: Well, it doesn’t feel that different than being a general exec member, we’ve all really worked well together the four of us. In community meetings and exec meetings I have an overall picture of what we’re doing, and making sure we cover what we need, it’s a bit of an extra responsibility but it’s been a really interesting experience. Exec meetings and planning have gone really well. The biggest difference is in the large group meeting where I am opening and closing meetings and directing the group more than just participating and more aware of how each individual is responding and engaging to the study or how certain people are reacting to different things; often I feel like a third party viewer and feel a little bit at a distance at times, but at the same time it’s been amazing to see the things I have gotten out of the studies as well.
A: What has been your favourite thing so far this year for this semester:
V: It’s been interesting getting to know people, especially since the group is lots of new people, even the “regulars” are people that first started coming to the group occasionally last year. It’s been exciting not knowing what to expect each week, and we are getting more into a groove with things. It’s great doing study, as many are experiencing manuscript for the first time and are enjoying it. It’s been interesting doing the social events and having a chance to relax and get to know people, it’s less like hanging out with old friends but more about getting to know them and getting closer to them, and getting close in a way I wouldn’t be outside a group like this.
A: What has been the coolest thing that God has done this semester:
V: It’s been cool to see how application of passages has hit personal things for me. I was worried that being part of the planning and exec team would kill the life and connection with God that the group has been offering me. There have been times when I have come to meetings really tired and God has consistently met me and by the end of our time together I am so excited by the stuff we’re talking about and don’t even notice how long we’ve been talking – a complete 180 to how I entered in. So it’s been really exciting despite having a busy semester and a very different responsibility and relationship with the group this year. He’s met me in that journey and brought great excitement in what I’m doing.
A: Tell me about the Banquet Vision, as it looks very different to how it’s been done in the past. How did the brainstorming happen, how did you feel as you were putting it together:
V: Initially, we were planning a typical potluck, and share what we experienced this semester. But then we began thinking of different ways we could fundraise, not for a particular event, but it would be nice to have something extra for different events we plan, and also the school is more willing to give us grants and funding if we make some efforts to raise funds on our own. And we wanted to start thinking early about fundraising for city/script as that’s something that is a consistent event we attend, but the cost of it is hard for some students. And we can’t plan to do that a few weeks before the conference, we need to start thinking sooner; so we started to think of ideas to do as a fundraiser, and thought of a bake sale or a raffle, and we wanted to do this with some sort of larger point, so we thought of combining it with our Christmas banquet. Initially we were planning to do this all in one day, but then thought to break it up so people could enjoy the bake sale and buy the raffle ahead of time. We figured we’d reach more people and invite more people. It was really interesting to see how it evolved after that. It was a nice break after being really busy and having an intense study, and it was a good idea to invite people to come celebrate the end of the term with us. We were really excited that while everybody else needed to be careful and politically correct about holiday celebrations, we were able to say we are a Christian group and we are going to have a Christmas party, and we can say that and we can do that; it was a little cheesy and contrived in some ways, but mostly it was a lot of fun; we had our own little mini holiday.
A: How did people use their skills and talents:
V: The exec did the brainstorming. Moses designed the poster. Vanessa did some baking. Brian was the representative to the Ryerson Student Union, he organized booking the spaces and logistics of getting a table and the other audio/visual equipment we needed. We had a sign up sheet for members of community to help; some signed up to cook or bake or help staff the table. Jenna brought lots of decorations for the table, as we wanted to dress it up a little.
A: What are you most excited for second semester:
V: I am hoping the core group that has been established continues to come out to fellowship meetings and bible studies. I hope to plan a retreat for the reading week, maybe for one or a couple days. I am really excited about city/script, and given extra fundraising would love if we had a good group of people attend. I’m trying not too focused about end of year, because I am very excited about what will happen up until that point too.
A: Tell me more about the talks of a joint event with OCAD and U of T:
V: We had a joint thanksgiving dinner with the fellowships at University of Toronto St. George and the Ontario College of Art and Design; the students from our fellowship who attended had good things to say. Since then, we’ve talked about doing something or joint events in second term. We figured a good way to do that would be to fundraise for city/script together, as its less about taking away from what each individual campus is doing and is appropriate to get to know the people you will be seeing and studying scripture together during city/script that you wouldn’t normally be spending a lot of time with, and since it’s a larger event, it might be helpful to have more minds working together to pull together a larger fundraising event. We haven’t gotten anything in particular yet, but that is the hope.
Poster designed by Moses for the Ryerson IVCF Christmas Banquet.
Merry Christmas! Please remember the students in prayer as they are resting from a busy semester and celebrating the birth of our Saviour.
Stories from Campus
This semester has been a semester full of firsts!
For many of the Ryerson Exec Leaders, it is their first time in leadership. For the students that regularly attend the group, it is their first year being part of the group. In addition to things being very new for both the leaders and members of the group, there has been new vision and energy for how the group operates and ministers to the larger campus community.
This summer, I met with the Ryerson Exec Leaders to vision for the fall semester. We spent some time in Scripture in Exodus 33-35. The leaders were especially excited about using their various skills and talents in ministry this year. This semester the ministry at Ryerson has been greatly blessed by the skills and talents of the student leadership team.
Some highlights include:
- Vanessa, used skills from her program (Fashion Design) to design and create Inter-Varsity T-shirts for the exec members to wear during the first week of school (photo above).
- Moses, used skills from his program (New Media) to redesign the Ryerson IVCF website and create various posters and flyers for events.
- Jenna, used her amazing interpersonal skills to communicate about events to the group and welcome people into the group at meetings and various outreach events.
- Brian, used his great gifts of administration to organize and communicate with the Ryerson Student Union to book rooms and equipment needed for various meetings and events.
Praise God! For these skills and talents He has blessed these students with and also for the ways He is using them for His Kingdom!
My role with the group looked a little different this semester, as I was made aware of a dire funding situation late this summer, and needed to step off campus to raise my support to a more sustainable level, and my contact with the students was limited. However, I spent some time with Vanessa, the Ryerson Inter-Varsity Executive Team President, who shared these stories:
A: How did you feel making the shirts:
V: I very much enjoyed making the shirts. It was a fun, quick project that people got excited about. Everybody wanted to take pictures of the shirts. It was interesting because I prior to that hadn’t really thought of a way of using my fashion creativity for Inter-Varsity, so it was kinda cool to do that.
A: How did people respond? How did the exec like the shirts? How did people on the campus respond:
V: The exec was really excited. Others who were helping out from the IV community wanted extras. We had a few people from the Ryerson Student Union come by who wanted to take pictures of the shirts. People wanted to take pictures of us with the shirts on the front and back, and I think it made us stand out in a way, like people noticed.
A: Tell me about what Campus Groups Day was like, the set up, how the table was how people responded, etc:
V: Well initially, as we were setting up, it was good, all the exec were able to make it to help put the table together and we were all bringing different elements We were a little bit afraid it was going to rain, and it didn’t only rain briefly and had little umbrellas protecting the stuff. For the most part it was a really lovely day, we had lots of people going by, we had about three pages of people signing up to get information and quite a lot of them came out on the first night. People were very excited about food, we had a variety of different kinds of food; we had cookies, samosas, Brian brought some really cool crackers and mango candies from Chinatown. Some people were stopping because of that, but some people stopped and listened but even having really colourful flyers, and the food and the shirts, people were more inclined to be like “what is this all about”. I was really excited about how colourful and full the table was, it made me really happy that our table wasn’t boring. And we had music and we were all standing and I was trying hard not to dance too much. It was a good time.
A: What was your fave moment? What were some of your highlights:
V: It’s hard to pick “a moment”, It really flowed, so I want to say the whole day was kinda similar. I was excited by how many people we got to talk to. It was a good time. Most of the exec was able to be there for the whole time, and there were a couple returning members of the community that came out and helped out, and they were really excited so it was really nice to some people we hadn’t seen all summer and it was nice that they were involved and just how excited everyone was. It was a really energetic day.
A: Did you have any special significant conversations:
V: Well, there was one girl in particular. At first people would come to the table and ask us what we were about and we’d give them a flyer or a pamphlet and tell them when our first meeting was and tell them a bit about who we are and what we’re about and then they’d usually go on their way, and then we’d realize after that they were in the same program as someone staffing the table, so we changed our approach and started asking them about what they were studying and then used it to start conversations and go from there. Talked to one girl who was a first year fashion design student, and we got to chat about the group and when we meet; she wasn’t available on Thursdays, but was excited to hear about the other events we’d be doing, so I was able to chat with her about the group and some advice being in the same program.
A: Tell me about the first 1 Peter manuscript study:
V: It was pretty good. There were a few returning members and lots of new people and people who were not used to manuscript study; and they were excited about learning this new style of studying scripture. It was a good introduction to manuscript study and to the book of Peter. We kept it more general, and felt it was a good start and good introduction to general themes in the book. It was good to get people interested.
A: How did it feel to prepare the passage for teaching:
V: It was really good going through the passage as an exec. We were really nervous leading the passage as many of us hadn’t lead a Manuscript Study before and we weren’t sure who was going to come and how it was going to go. We took it slowly, and got familiar with the passage and talked about what we thought it was saying, and came up with a few questions. But for the most part, we didn’t know specifically what was going to happen.
A: How did it feel leading the passage:
V: Really interesting, very different, it was really about being what different people got out of it and what they noticed compared to what we had noticed when we had gone through it together. It was kinda funny being on the other side, and kinda holding back and more so listening to what people were noticing and occasionally bringing them back to focus when things got on a tangent. Or being the person that the question was directed at, as opposed to being the person asking the question, instead we were trying to give them an idea of an answer or a place for them to start looking. It was funny, it felt very like – I don’t know – mature. It was a good feeling.
A: Do you have any prayer requests at this time:
V: The main thing to pray for is guidance, that the Holy Spirit would show us where to focus our efforts and what He really wants us to do and so we get a lot out of it instead of just trying to figure everything out on our own. Also pray for peace; and focus as the semester is getting busier and people are starting to catch colds and flus. Pray for strength and health; and for us to be open to new things and to do the things the Spirit is leading us to.
Please continue to pray for the Student Leaders as they continue to serve on campus.
Sabbath musings
So, I plan to post blog posts about the items mentioned in my last post later today, but I feel the need to share these musings first.
One thing that I took away from the National Staff Conference was a book written by Marva Dawn entitled Keeping the Sabbath Wholly. I was drawn to this book because I am the first to admit that I am a frequent covenant breaker when it comes to observing the Sabbath fully. This book frames keeping the Sabbath whole by breaking up our actions and practices into four categories: ceasing, resting, embracing and feasting. As I began reading this book, at once I became aware of the ways in which my lack of observing the Sabbath or the lackluster ways I have been observing the Sabbath have effected how I actually feel at the end of my Sabbath. For instance, I have been getting better at ceasing and resting during my Sabbath, but rarely do I embrace and feast; and I realize that choosing to actively incorporate those elements in my Sabbath observances will actually change how I feel about the practice of Sabbath keeping and also change what I am able to receive and how I worship God.
So, typically I have been observing the Sabbath on Saturdays. This past Saturday, I intentionally chose not to observe the Sabbath, as I felt guilty that I hadn’t prepared myself well to take the day off, and that there was too much to do in too short a timeline. Sunday rolls around and I’m feeling pretty tired from my lack of Sabbath observing. But, rather than get started on work, I finished watching an unexpectedly moving movie and enjoyed some music that I recently discovered I liked. At this point, I needed to shower and get ready for church lest I be late (and I didn’t want to be late as I was on the coffee serving team and wasn’t sure how much prep I would be responsible for before the service). In my rush to leave, I didn’t do a thorough check to make sure I had everything and thus left the house without my cell phone. Which, upon realizing I didn’t have, I offered to God saying that it was good to not have it so I could be focused on the service and then do some errands and come home to the many emails and notifications awaiting me on my phone.
So, I board the bus and begin my 45-minute commute to church. I actually love this commute, it is one of the few times of the week when I can read or listen to music or just be silent and be present with God. This is especially true of the Sunday morning commute to church, as there are fewer people travelling at this time and thus more opportunities to be quiet with my thoughts and reflections. So I continued reading Keeping the Sabbath Wholly, and found myself in the midst of the embracing section of the book. Which called me to embrace intentionality, Christian community, and time instead of space; all at the heels of my intentional choice to not observe the Sabbath. (I have often found as I read the book that I have recently experienced instances of choosing the opposite of what is recommended to keep the Sabbath whole.)
I get to church to find that everything had already been prepared for serving coffee, so all I had to do was be present to serve after the service. So, I went and sat down during the service. While in the service, I had a conversation with God in my head that I was sad I missed my Sabbath, but today was not going to be a Sabbath, because I needed to do x,y,z and that would mean breaking my Sabbath observances. (You can imagine where this is going.)
After the service, I served the coffee and tea, and after cleaning up I prepared to set off on my errands. I checked and saw that the people I usually fellowship with after church had already left and saw it as confirmation that I should go forth in my errands/covenant breaking. Just as I was about to leave I ran into a South Asian man from my church who has been very interested in my work with IVCF, and had offered to have a casual meeting/time of fellowship with his family. He asked what my plans were, and right before I told him I had plans, I realized this could be the invitation I was hoping for, and sure enough when I said I had no definite plans I was invited to spend the afternoon with him and his family.
I was excited by the idea, but also a little worried, as I often find it challenging to spend time with South Asians as I often do not conform to South Asian cultural expectations. I often feel judged for conforming to Canadian culture and not being “South Asian enough”, this especially happens with South Asian women, as my family chose to raise me in ways that were unusual for how South Asian girls and women are typically brought up. I was concerned when the first part of this invitation included the husband telling his wife they were having company (giving me flashbacks to the time spent with my family in Australia) which was soon followed by my getting a ride with his wife and children to their home, while he took public transit. But this experience that triggered so many fears of past experiences was redeemed right from the beginning; conversation with his wife was easy and moved smoothly. We moved through a variety of topics and she was eager to answer my questions and listen to my responses.
Upon arrival, she quickly attempted to straighten up while asking me to sit. We were able to have good conversation at various points. As she began preparations for lunch she asked if I enjoyed spices, and she was glad I was able. She didn’t assume that I could, as she mentioned many South Asians she knew were unable to handle lots of spice after leaving their home countries and settling in Canada, but was glad by my eagerness for spices.
The family is Indian, so while there are lots of similarities there are many differences between our countries. However, it is clear they have spent some time learning about those differences. Soon after the husband arrived we ate, and I thoroughly enjoyed eating with my hands (though if I wanted I could have used cutlery). The meal was a goat liver curry, which was good, but I have never eaten goat or liver before, so I was worried how my stomach would respond, but it was ok. While we ate we watched a Bollywood movie and some home movies, and had some snippets of conversation.
After lunch, we chatted and had tea. After that, the family has a usual practice of taking a Sunday nap. Which I was invited to take part in, as they brought me a blanket and the family retired to their rooms. I spent some time reflecting on the circumstances of this day, and after realizing my plan of post-fellowship errand running was not likely to happen, I was able to be fully in God’s presence.
I began to continue reading Keeping the Sabbath Wholly until the family stirred from their naps. As people made their way down, we watched the food network as dinner was being prepared. Dinner was served around 9 pm, and it was delicious. There was lemon rice, served with the goat liver curry and a homemade raita. It was delicious, though I was still worried about the meat.
After dinner we had dessert of watermelon, and enjoyed some more fellowship time. Around 10:30, I was invited to spend the night, as it would take a long time to get home. I wanted to take them up on the offer, but needed to be home for a meeting at 8:15 the next morning, so I opted for going home.
Before I left, I was able to be part of the evening prayer. I then had company as I waited for the bus. As I got on the bus, I was struck by just how much I enjoyed that afternoon and evening. The God-ordained Sabbath I experienced offered a time of good rest and restoration. There were many times when I was able to feel a “homecoming” both to my South Asian culture but also to be part of a strong Christian household. As I got to spend time hearing their stories, I was surprised by the ways I had categories of understanding; and that my questions were eagerly received and answered. Easily we were able to navigate our ways through some deep cultural conversations where we both walked away sharing and receiving knowledge and understanding. I was able to experience the comforts of home without being home; which was truly a gift as I have been struggling being “home” in my parent’s home as well as my current home. I’ve been struggling with notions and experiences of family, as I’ve been in the reality of “almosts” and “good enough” in both households, so to be hosted well by a South Asian Christian family which offered me a holistic picture of identity as South Asian-Canadian Christian was a great blessing.
And after taking that day off, I was able to return to work the next day with greater vision and more energy.
Back on the Blogging Wagon
It’s been quite the hiatus, but I hope to post some new posts soon about the following topics:
– Stories from Campus
– Thanksgiving Musings
– National Staff Conference
and some other cool stories that have happened this semester.
Check back here soon.
~A
Not Alone
Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.’ – Genesis 2:18, NRSV
For the past few weeks and months, I have been praying for members of my Greater Toronto Area staff team as they searched for housing. Staff from the University of Toronto (all three campuses) and the Ontario College of Art and Design along with their respective families (spouses and children) have been looking to live communally together, in order to love and serve one another; as well as model service and hospitality for their students. It’s been a daunting task finding a house in reasonable proximity to their respective campuses that allows the space to entertain and live comfortably. I rejoiced when I found out this week that this group found a house! In addition to it meeting their various needs and desires; the house is located very close to Ryerson! Though not in their desired neighbourhood, this house fulfilled their needs and made them excited about the ministry opportunities, including the possibility of more intentional partnership with Ryerson!
As many of you know, I have been serving as the only Campus Minister at Ryerson for a long time. I admit there have been times when I have longed for a staff partner on campus, but it dawned on me that I have never felt alone on campus. There have been three very distinct ways that I have experienced partnership on campus:
1. Holy Spirit
I have been amazed at how I have received partnership with the Holy Spirit, to see the Spirit’s prompting in the lives of students and calling them deeply to follow that call. I also frequently enter (sometimes with trepidation) into situations and see that the Spirit has already been at work and feel peace about the work that needs to be done.
2. You
Your prayer and financial support reminds me that I am not alone, and this is OUR ministry. I may be “alone” on campus but I know you are praying for me and supporting me as I follow God’s call to university students. Your words of encouragement and the way you live your lives inspire me and keep me going.
3. Students
I have been blessed with student leaders who are extraordinary! Their passion, enthusiasm, and creativity about sharing their faith astounds me, and yet they are humble, teachable and open to receiving new vision for ministry. I often hear stories of staff who receive reproach and hostility from students, and I have been blessed with students who willingly choose to partner with me.
And yet, I am still amazed at the ways God ministers to me. Recently, I had a particularly disheartening series of conversations with my parents about my work in ministry. As an Asian woman, receiving the blessing of ones parents is vitally important, and coming to terms with the reality that it may be a long time (or never happen) before I receive the blessing from my parents to do this work. In a time that’s been stressful, trying to raise support and make the necessary preparations to leave my day job, having these conversations was particularly debilitating. Especially, since my father essentially stated the same things he did when I first told him I was coming on staff. The realization that all the “progress” I thought I had made with my parents post-AASC had been an illusion was a particularly hard truth to receive. In the aftermath of this conversations, I sought the prayer and counsel of my fellow Asian-Canadian staff and my supervisors and ministry mentors. I was amazed and greatly encouraged by the ways they came alongside me and cared for me during this time.
One of the Asian-Canadian staff who had a similar staff journey, said something that I clung to, which was that she hoped that in the midst of this conflict with my parents, that people from my church family would emerge and offer me the encouragement and support that my parents were unable to give. This hope was echoed by my former staff partner, who added that she hoped I would have people emerge that would continue to cultivate my interest and knowledge of my cultural background while encouraging and supporting me in my ministry work. I didn’t realize how strongly I held on to that hope, until I met such a couple.
Today at church, I met an elderly Sri Lankan couple. They were excited to meet a fellow South-Asian Christian, and were even more joyous when they discovered I was Sri Lankan. The husband, a retired missionary and his wife were equally as excited as I shared with them my migration story. When I told them I worked as a missionary they were very excited. When I told them I worked at Ryerson, they lit up as they told me their son had studied there. When I told them that my degree at Ryerson was in design, they told me with pride that their daughter had attended art college for design, and though she was successful, left her job for a pilgrimage to Sri Lanka and has settled there since. The wife, who upon discovery that my parents were not believers was even more excited about my testimony as a missionary. We talked for a little while after that, and when I left church and was heading home on the subway, I saw the interaction in a new light. I saw that this was God ministering to me with people of my ethnic heritage who saw my life and the path I am on, as something to be proud of rather than ashamed; who believed and modeled in their lives the importance of doing the thing with which God has blessed you; whether it be following an unconventional vocation or a serving the Lord full-time in ministry. Seeing their faces light up as I told them my story and the pride they had of their own children who, like me, followed unconventional paths refreshed me in ways I can’t even begin to fully describe!
This past week has shown me, that though God has been so faithful to me already, that there are more ways He chooses to offer partnership to me.
If you would like to know more about my work with Inter-Varsity and ways in which you can partner with me, please click here.
New Newsletter format
I am in the process of sorting out the ins and outs of a new way to do newsletters. I hope to have an update letter out soon.
If you’d like to be added to my newsletter mailing list, please click here.
(If you have already been receiving email newsletters, you have already been added to my list.)
New Exec Leaders Training Weekend #2
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
On July 9-11, the new student executive leaders team met for their second weekend of summer training. We went camping at the Albion Hills Conservation Area and spent the weekend expanding on some of the visioning of the last training weekend and committing to some details for the coming year. This weekend was also co-lead with outgoing leaders Reuben and Ainsley. Reuben and Ainsley handled all of the arrangements and food preparation for the weekend and I facilitated the planning sessions.
There wasn’t that much time between this weekend and the previous training weekend (only two weeks), but it was amazing what happened during those two weeks. All the hostility towards the vision for campus ministry had completely dissolved and the students were actually excited about its implementation!
Within a few hours; the students had brainstormed ideas of what to study for the upcoming semester (1 and 2 Peter), how they wanted to structure large group meetings, how they wanted to transition into small groups, and loads of creative ideas for outreach amongst the larger student body! The one item, I really wanted the students to be excited about and have new vision around was how they set-up Campus Groups Day and how they would choose to be present during Orientation Week. These are two important events that occur at the beginning of the year, and how the students leaders approach these events is often reflected in the number of new members who join the group. Campus Groups day, is an 5 hour event that happens in the first week of school, where all of Gould Street is closed to traffic, and all the campus groups have a table to represent their group. Often these tables have sign-up sheets and general information and pamphlets about the group, as well as something to draw people in like games, prizes, etc. The student leaders were inspired to do something different with these events, choosing to not merely be present, but BOLDLY represent the group and themselves by using the skills and talents amongst them. Vanessa, a fashion student offered to make T-Shirts for the all the student volunteers that would be eye-catching and serve as a parable. Moses, a new media student offered to make posters and flyers for the event and communicate who we are by giving us a new website. The excitement that Vanessa and Moses had was contagious and inspired the other student leaders to brainstorm ideas of how they could use their skills and talents to outreach to students during the first weeks of school!
After our first planning session, we had some time to explore the Conservation Area, it was unfortunate that many of our afternoon activities, mainly swimming, were not possible in the Conservation Area and some of the surrounding parks, but we were able to spend some time bonding and laughing in our car adventures! Dinner proved to be an ambitious meal, and had its own set of complications, but in the end everything worked out and was delicious!
After dinner, Reuben led us in a session about forms and general information in regards to interactions with the Ryerson Student Union. It was very informative, and he brought examples of past forms. I was deeply touched by his investment in the new leaders and his desire to set them up well for the upcoming year.
Following this time, there was a brief discussion about the dividing up the defined roles. Everyone was excited and ready to jump in, and the roles the students chose, seemed to fit with their skills and passions. Brian, who enjoys structure and organization offered to set up the bookings of rooms for meeting and the arrangements for booking A/V equipment, as well as taking care of the financial forms required for reimbursement from the Ryerson Student Union. Moses, who enjoys art and design was excited about doing the website and promotional material for the group, as well as helping with snacks for our meetings. Jenna, who is gifted with superb interpersonal skills offered to be in charge of communications and be responsible for sending weekly emails and updating our facebook group, as well as putting together a community contact list so members of our community can be in contact with each other. Vanessa, this year’s president, will be in charge of overseeing the above roles as well as other tasks associated with the mentoring and discipling of members of the leadership team and larger community.
Following this session, we made a variety of desserts around the fire: ‘smores, banana boats, and an experimental cake baked in a orange. Everything was delicious!
The next day, after breakfast, we cleaned up the campsite. We had our last session, on the beach. We did a lectio divina, on Matthew 11:28-30. This passage really spoke to the reality of the group, as many were weary from carrying heavy burdens on their own. We spent some time in reflection and prayer. It was beautiful and peaceful doing this exercise on the beach, though at times it was a little too peaceful, as the students kept falling asleep! After we wrapped up this session, we had lunch and concluded the weekend.
This weekend was full of new experiences for me as it was my first time camping in a tent. It also was a redemptive experience having the students run with the vision and be excited about its implementation. It also felt like already this team of students were beginning to work together well, each had something valued to offer and was excited to do so. I also felt like a part of that team, there is so much that I have received in training and wisdom during my absence from students this past year that I am excited to share! I see opportunities to train these students in how to be invitational, how to call each other deeply, how to lead fully as themselves and appreciate the gifts they are and bring to the Kingdom.
I feel like I’ve used this word a lot in this post, but I am truly excited to see what God will do with this team in the coming year. And I pray that I will be part of His plan.
New Exec Leaders Training Weekend #1
And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. So all the skilled craftsmen who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left their work and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the LORD commanded to be done.” Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” And so the people were restrained from bringing more, because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work. Exodus 36:3-7, NIV
On June 25-27, I had the pleasure of joining the new student executive leaders of the Ryerson IV community on their first training weekend. The weekend was co-planned by myself and the outgoing co-presidents of the fellowship; Reuben and Ainsley; and took place at Reuben’s family farm.
The weekend was packed as we spent time getting to know each other, debriefing last year and visioning for the upcoming school year.
Each year I say this, yet each year I am amazed at how quickly it happens; this team of leaders began to bond! As a result of the minor earthquake that occurred (centralized in Ottawa), there were some delays in Vanessa’s arrival to Reuben’s house. I was surprised and touched as all the students chose to wait up until 1 am and pile into a van to go collect Vanessa from the train station. It was an unexpected team building activity!
The next morning after breakfast, we studied Exodus 35, the building of the Tabernacle, which I had just studied at a staff conference a few weeks prior. The students really delved into the text and made insightful discoveries. I left them with application questions of what are the skills and talents that you are freely offering to God this year; and how can we invite other to freely offer their skills and talents in the community?
In the afternoon we spent some time debriefing the past year, and then spent some time enjoying Reuben’s farm.
After dinner, we watched the movie, Ocean’s Eleven and spent some time in discussion afterward. Coming out of the movie was the big idea of striving toward a seemingly impossible goal and what were the costs and benefits associated. It was at this point that I led the students in an exercise where they dreamed of seemingly impossible ideas for what ministry could look like in the coming year. Some of their ideas were entirely possible if they approached it with willing hearts and a bit of training. Some of their ideas about sharing the gospel with their friends and striving towards a multi-ethnic community warmed my heart and made me excited to see what they would do in the coming year! After this discussion, I cast the vision I had received for campus ministry.
The initial response to the vision was a lot of questions and a bit of hostility. The students were not sure about some of the big changes carrying out this vision would entail. We ended the evening with a decision to “sleep on it” and return to discuss the next day.
The following morning we all attended Reuben’s church. I always love attending the churches my students either regularly attend or attended, as I enjoy being in places of their spiritual history. Following the service, we went back to Reuben’s place and had lunch and resumed discussion about the vision for the upcoming year. The students had a few more questions, but overall felt like they wanted to move forward and see how we could begin implementation of the vision. We ended the weekend together by praying for each other as we returned to our busy summer schedules.
Afterward, everyone was heading back to Toronto, and I invited them to help me paint my new room. I expected only a few to say yes, and was surprised when everyone agreed! We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening painting the walls of my room and eating pizza! It was an unexpected and fun way to end the weekend, and whenever I look at my walls I think of the great day we had painting!
Launching 20,000 Extraordinary Kingdom Leaders by 2020
Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship of Canada’s ten year vision statement is as follows: Launching 20,000 Extraordinary Kingdom Leaders by 2020.
What this means is that by the year 2020, Inter-Varsity hopes to have 20,000 Extraordinary Kingdom Leaders (E.K.L.) be part of and graduate from their Inter-Varsity communities and be “launched” into churches, workplaces, homes and beyond!
What defines an “Extraordinary Kingdom Leader”? Exemplary women and men who have learned to integrate their faith and life. They are people who carry their vibrant and contagious faith from our camps and campuses, to their families, churches, communities and vocations. Wherever they find themselves, they become recognized as spiritual leaders, possessing in increasing measure, a love for God, and a love for people. Inter-Varsity’s alumni are missional, committed to scripture, to prayer, and to worship. They are life-long influencers, and shapers of culture from a Kingdom paradigm. Extraordinary leaders are intentional about bringing the kingdom to whatever circles they travel in. We would describe extraordinary leaders in the following blocks: They passionately love Jesus and lay down their lives for the sake of the kingdom. They are growing in character (fruits of the spirit, ie: love, joy, peace, etc); they are becoming self aware; they are dealing with sin and hurt in their lives. They have entered into the practices: scripture, prayer, community, evangelism, generosity.
How do we hope to achieve this?
Well, the division of Inter-Varsity that I work for, Campus Ministry (which includes High School, International Students, Undergraduate and Graduate Student Ministries) is responsible for launching 10,000 of these Kingdom Leaders in the next 10 years (the other 10,000 will come from Inter-Varsity’s various Camp Ministries).
There are about 100 Campus Fellowships throughout all of Canada, and there are roughly 100 Canadian IVCF staff. In order to achieve the goal of 10,000 Extraordinary Kingdom Leaders by 2020, each fellowship would need to launch 100 E.K.L.s in total or roughly 10 E.K.L.s per year!
In order to achieve this goal, some changes need to be done in how we do ministry, we need:
– To get in the mindset that before our fellowships have 75 people, we are pioneering!
– To have a consistent invitational posture.
– To drop as much of a deadening structure as possible.
– To focus on small groups and have the large group develop from them, rather than the other way around.
– To call each other deeply (towards God and out of sin) and be intentional about our own development.
– To continuously partner with and disciple students so they disciple more students and those students disciple more students.
Exciting? Yes.
Scary? Yes!
Impossible? No. I believe it is entirely possible to achieve this goal, and even the very act of striving for an ambitious goal causes us to be BOLD and take risks that we might not take if we only worked towards an undefined goal!
Please pray for the various Inter-Varsity Campus ministers who are in the process of casting this vision to their students.
The Arch 