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
Written by Ulla MiaGrowing up, I was under the impression there was only one way to do things. Tattoos were bad, certain hair colours were bad, and as for all the religious things like Bible study and prayerâŚwell, there was a religious template for everything. But the cookie-cutter way of life never
Written by Sophia Reimer Iâve lived many years of my life in an almost constant state of busyness. It wasnât intentional, but the truth is itâs much easier for me to be busy than for me to slow down. Having a jam-packed schedule is my norm. Slowing down and choosing to rest has been difficult f
Written by Shawn NaylorâHumble yourselves, therefore, under Godâs mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for youâ (1 Peter 5:6-7).During university, I became friends with a man named Louis. He was an inventor and one of my heroes of faith. He
Written by Sarah JacksonâBut he answered them, âYou give them something to eat.â ⌠Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them allâ (Mark 6:35-44).En
Written by Sarah Evangeline Studies have shown that journaling helps improve your mood by helping you prioritize problems, fears, and concerns. Journaling opens up the mind and helps regulate our emotions for a greater sense of confidence and self-identity. Itâs proven that if a person spends 15-20
Poetry and art by Robbie DownNow I steal away to the woodTo quiet myselfAnd listenI canât help my alert and busy mindPainting every moment just pastDancing and dizzyingLight cascades down through branch and leaf, pooling onto the groundI open intently my heartâs earListening for a God hid beneathThe
God doesnât need our pretty, perfect wordsWritten by Natalie LantzThere have been times in my life when I felt like I was crawling through the valley of death, the darkness draping its heavy body over mine. I struggle through these trenches to get to the other side, reminding myself that the light a
Written by Ryan CampeseWhen I was a teenager, I went to big house parties and pit parties. Pit parties were held in unused gravel pits where we could light huge fires at night without getting caught. Amid all the chaos of these parties, there were several occasions where an overwhelming feeling came
Written by Paulina HoffmannA couple of years ago I went to Europe with three of my friends. We spent ages planning, researching, and preparing. We checked out all sorts of locations to visit, places to stay, and routes to take. Then there was all the time spent packing and deciding which shoes and c
Written by Layton MacCabeWhen the coronavirus crisis forced my unwilling return from the California mission field in mid-March, my immediate emotion was frustration. It seemed hard to put a positive spin on being pulled out of my calling as a result of a pandemic. However, God had a specific lesson
Prayer turns the tables on the enemyWrittenby Kristy LoewenGrowing up in a Christian home meant that for me prayer was everywhere. We prayed for our food. We thanked God for the blessings in our lives. We prayed for what we wanted to happen. We prayed for clarity. We prayed for forgiveness. We praye
Learning to cook is like learning to prayWritten by Josiah PiettIâve been challenging myself to be a better cook. I am currently horrible at cooking, just ask my wife! To make progress, I needed to take this big goal and break it into smaller ones. I began my journey by focusing on how to make one m
Written by Jayda Hooge Have you ever thought about why we pray, apart from feeling like weâre supposed to or knowing itâs the Christian thing to do? All through high school, I treated prayer as an opportunity to present my checklist to God. My prayers often looked a lot like this: âDear Lord, thank
Written by J.M. BergmanPrayer is free, but itâs anything but passive. I argue itâs the deadliest weapon weâll ever receive. It terrifies demons and destroys the darkest powers of the universe. Amazing. Breathtaking. But I have trouble getting there some days. In fact, my battlefield is ridden with f
Written by Ilana ReimerâDear God, you suck. Amen.âJobâs prayer style isnât what you expect to hear on a Sunday morning. His complaints are straightforward, raw, and honest. Job bitterly lashes out at God, accusing Him of âmocking the despair of the innocentâ (Job 9:22-23). But Job isnât a one-off ex
Written by Katie Pezzutto A couple of years ago, a study by the University of California-San Diego explored the topic of media consumption. Their research led to an eye-opening statistic. Each day, most regular consumers of social media are inundated with the equivalent of 63 gigabytes of informatio
Written by Alyssa EsparazItâs been said that COVID-19 is a great equalizerâa collective reminder of our humanity. In some ways, it is. But in many more ways, it is not. Crises strike unevenly, highlighting the inequality and injustice of our world. For children and families living in poverty, this p
Written by Cindy PalinWhen I was younger, I didnât recognize my strong tendency to be driven. To be dedicated and determined are great qualities, but to be driven can lead to a narrow, selfish vision. I could have asked God for help with my driven nature, but I didnât. Because of this, I missed out
Written by Angelica ScribnockIn Blackpool, England, my four-person outreach team hurried along the dimly lit cobblestone streets to a prayer meeting. Little did I know the impact that night would have on me.Chilling wind tunnelled through the streets. Hands stuffed in my coat pockets, I rushed along
Written by Andy GabruchCOVID-19 is changing the way we will live, lead, and love. And, we donât know all the change COVID will create yet, simply because we are still in the middle of it. With all the new normals you and I are experiencing, there will be trends beyond beyond C-19. Here is what I see
Written by Andrew RussellWeâre in a global pandemic and everyone is feeling worried and afraidIâm looking out my window seeing empty streets as I prayWeâre told that all our close friends need to stay far awaySo, we stay huddled in our homes praying this virus awayIâm tired of watching press confere
Written by David FieldSince becoming a Christian as a teenager, my experience with church has involved conflicting beliefs and power struggles. I lacked knowledge of the spiritual fellowship that comes from focusing on loving Christ and others instead of theological factions. These experiences gave
Written by Anna BaileyIn philosophy classmy stomach grumbles.Firecracker teacher,âWhat does it mean to be human?Image of God.â We slap a band-aidon an open wound.In chapelmy stomach grumbles.Peaceful preacher,âWhat is incarnation?Love with skin.âMy mother is lovewith skin; alwayslistening while dead
