Écrit par Shawn Naylor« Humiliez-vous donc sous la puissante main de Dieu, afin qu’il vous élève au moment voulu. Déchargez-vous sur lui de tous vos soucis, car lui-même prend soin de vous. » (1 Pierre 5.6-7)Lorsque j’étais à l’université, je suis devenu ami avec un homme qui s’appelait Louis. C’éta
Written by William DmytrowI never grew up in the church. But once I began taking my faith seriously in high school, it didn’t take me long to end up in a youth group. The experience was incredible. I was an outsider who had no cultural understanding of Christianity whatsoever, but I was embraced wit
Written by Ulla MiaI’ve never really liked Father’s Day. It’s a day I deliberately tried to push aside for years. That’s because my dad and I never had a good relationship when I was growing up. He passed away five years ago, so now it’s too late to reconcile. I carried bitterness against him, even
Sometimes, love looks like zebra prints and butter tartsWritten by Tara K. RossI walked into the twilight. A fresh dusting of snow now cleansed the surrounding yards. My sister Erin already had the passenger door open for me, Tim Horton’s tea in both cupholders and Bing Crosby crooning “Silver Bells
Written by Sheridan Northeast At the beginning of my life, I was adopted into a Christian home. At the time, my adopted parents were also foster parents. This had influenced my faith tremendously. Mainly it taught me to accept and love those who are different from me, even at a young age. This lesso
Written by Shawn NaylorThere’s an African proverb that says, “You don’t just feed a chicken on the day of the market.” If you want to sell that chicken, you’re going to have to feed it long before you sell it. Here’s an example. At the local skate park I frequent, there are skaters with all kinds of
Written by Sarah Evangeline“If you try to go to university, you won’t make it.” Those words hit me like a ton of bricks. I’d spent most of my life coping with learning disabilities. School was a hard place because I was the student who always took much longer to understand a concept and who missed o
Written by Sam Hodgkins-Sumner“… there is no art that could be put on the same level with music, since, except for theology [music] alone produces what otherwise only theology can do, namely, a calm and joyful disposition.” – Martin Luther (in a letter from 1530)It was happening again. He was singin
Poem and sculpture by Megan LittleScripture gives us many metaphors to help us understand God’s love. The author of Psalm 139 reflects on God’s creative action in forming each one of us in the womb. Pondering my heavenly Father’s tender and intimate love for me inspired this sculpture and poem and d
Written by Kristy LoewenBeing a parent of toddlers is no easy task. I’ll be honest, sometimes I wish I had believed someone when they told me how hard it would be. It seems like from the second they come into this world they are sucking the life out of you, literally. I had a very rough start to par
Written by Katie PezzuttoMy upbringing wasn’t the worst, but it wasn’t ideal. As I’ve covered in previous articles, when I was twelve my mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a debilitating nerve disease. Around the same time, my dad left us. With dad out of the picture and mom living in a l
Written by Katie AliyaFor my DadThere is a boy hereWho has fiveBarley loaves and two fish,But what are theyFor so many?There is a girl hereWho has someAbilities and gifts,But what are theyAgainst so much?There is a God here Who takes them,Gives thanks for even these,And uses themPowerfully.The story
My mom’s prayers amid adversity shaped meWritten by Joanna SeowMy mom called us all into the living room.“We need to fight,” she said. “For your dad.”My dad looked defeated. He was worn out and discouraged—he looked so close to being gone. He was lost, frightened, no longer sure of who he was.I had
Written by J.M. BergmanMy brothers and I were born from a coffee and cream recipe: a Caucasian father and a beautiful, chocolate-brown mother from a country in the Caribbean. Yet I was labelled as less than because I had a different skin tone. I was planted in a Mennonite garden among a field of whi
My family’s hand-holding dinnertime practice became a way of life Written by Helana MulderEvery single day before we ate dinner, my family of six held hands and prayed together. My parents made a prayer schedule so that each of the four kids had a specific day when they led the family in prayer. I’v
Written by Natalie FriskIf I could offer my younger self wisdom about starting in youth ministry, I would grab my younger self by the face with both hands and say, “Parents are the primary disciplers of their kids. We are meant to be their support, encouragement, and aid. You need to build the minis
A look at caregiving in all its unique forms—here and around the globeWritten by Laura Heming PhillipsWhen you look at your life, who are the people who have made the biggest impact on you? Who are the ones who have dedicated their time to mentor you, care for you, and help you discover your faith i
Written by Jayda HoogeHave you ever thought about how being too dependent on your comfort zone can hinder you from following God? Growing up, I was a shy, self-conscious preteen. I was scared to speak up in groups of people because I was afraid of saying something stupid and being made fun of for it
Written by Francis Kalamba“Unprecedented times” is the general term to describe this year. Our normal has been disrupted, and you may have more questions than answers. You may even question God’s sovereignty and justice, as I did when my mother passed away from cancer on January 10. Growing up, my m
My parents didn’t attend church, but their everyday faith stuck with meWritten by Dorothea MillerAs I lay in the spare bedroom, the voice from the radio filled the room. The Hour of Decision, Billy Graham’s radio show, was the only “church” my dad attended while I was growing up. Listening to the br
Written by Cindy PalinI am humbled by our Heavenly Father’s trust in us to care for and teach children. There is no better way for us to understand His heart towards us, and our dependence on Him in everything. And there’s much more we can learn from caring for children.Scripture teaches parents and
The matriarchs of our faith were neither docile nor invisibleWritten by Andrea NwabuikeThere are two impenetrable pillars in most Nigerian homes: faith and education. Whether in the homeland or as a member of the diaspora, these pillars are the rod and staff by which Nigerian parents raise their chi
Written by Mandi LeblancIn the bittersweet echoIn the bittersweet echo Of “the Lord is Light” I painfully watched as the days turned to night. You could hear the gnashingOf the serpent’s teethAs he stood in the doorway With a welcoming greet. I resisted temptation,The urge to go in. But the temptati
Camp ministry is crucial in faith formationWritten by William DmytrowChristian camps reach thousands of youth in practical ways each summer, leading many towards Christ. But this summer, many camps have had to close due to COVID-19. These closures will diminish the significant impact camps make on t
