MIA (Ministry In Action): Recharge Update

Recharge has been over for almost a month now. The snow has completely melted and spring is on its way. This is the time to thank God for all the work that He did during snow camp and to look forward to the ministry coming in the months ahead. It is possible to go and on about Recharge, but why not hear from the one's who experienced it first hand! Here's what some of the students had to say: 

"I learned that we can serve and glorify God in any area He puts us in"

 - Esther, Quebec 

"Recharge was one of the greatest ministries to be involved here at Word of Life. It didn't even feel like ministry; it was like a party all the time!"

- Nathan, Goulais River


 “It was so spiritually uplifting! I feel so much closer to God. It really changed my life. Thank you so much.”

 “It was a great weekend of fun, but also being challenged in the Word of God was amazing. The sessions were great, and had lots of meaning in them and the speaker was amazing.”

Scott Foreman and Tyler Oldrieve present campers with truth of God's Word

“I brought my friend from school to Recharge this weekend and by the grace of God she got saved! This is a weekend that both of us will never forget so thank you.” 


“It was a really good time, great speakers, good food, and fun games!”


“I think this weekend was a great experience for me. It taught me to trust in God more than trusting in other things.”


Every weekend of Recharge saw campers and leaders make decisions.

56 Salvations
18 Assurances
243 Dedications

To the only wise God our Saviour, 

be glory and majesty, 

dominion and power, 

both now and ever. 

Amen.

Jude 1:25

It is strange to think that in just a few months, campers will be arriving for summer camp on property here at Word of Life. Please keep the students and staff in your prayers as they prepare for this life-changing ministry.

MIA (Ministry in Action): Recharge Snow Camp

This past weekend was another awesome Recharge Snow Camp experience. The campus hosted four youth groups from across Ontario reaching a total of over seventy teens. Saturday night saw three campers accept Christ as their personal Saviour and there were reports that more campers made the same decision later in the evening. This is why Word of Life exists: to see young people accept Christ as their personal Saviour.


The speaker this past weekend was WOLBI's  very own Mr. Jonathan Ward. He spoke from the bok of Jude, teaching on how to contend for the faith. Campers were impacted greatly by the power of God's Word.

Jonathan Ward shares God's Word

Snow Camp is probably one of the most stretching and yet exciting times during the BI year. But even though it is difficult at times and the going gets tough, learning to rely on God for strength and seeing lives changed as completely worth the hard work and time that goes into this ministry.

"Recharge is intense! It's great to see the different youth groups come in with many different backgrounds and just be able to talk to and encourage them even in the quick minute conversations. I can see God working more and more each week. It's great."
- Kassey, Goulais River

"Recharge has been awesome! It's great to see kid's accept Christ. I love working with the Maintenance team."
- Tim, Owen Sound

(left to right) Sarah, Maggie, Brittany Recharge Coffee House Staff

"This is an amazing growth of faith in me; I can see it and I can't wait to come back!"

"It was a wonderful weekend, that has helped me get back in touch with the Lord."

"I liked the atmosphere and the kind, enthusiastic leaders."

Please continue to pray for this ministry as God works in the lives of everyone involved!

MIA (Ministry in Action): Recharge Snow Camp

We're off to a great start with our 'Recharge' (Snow Camp) weekends here on our Ontario campus. What is 'Recharge'? An action-packed weekend of evangelism and Christian growth, where youth groups from across Ontario participate in sports tournaments, paintball, high ropes and peer to peer challenges. 'Recharge' is seven weekends in length and helps teens identify their purpose (know Christ), intensify their walk (grow in Christ) and amplify their faith (share Christ).


Over our first two weekends our camp speakers (Rich Andrews from WOL Youth Camp Florida and Chris Finchum from WOL Local Church Ministries in the southeast U.S.) challenged over 150 teens and junior teens. We saw over 30 young people accept Christ over those 2 weekends, and 80 make decision of life dedication! Praise the Lord!


"It was amazing! Thank you for blessing us with a fun God filled weekend!!! You guys rock!!"

"I thought the weekend was very uplifting and I learned a lot about my relationship with my Saviour, God."

"I had an amazing time this weekend, the sports were well organized and very fun. The sessions were also right on the spot with what I was dealing with."

"I thought it was good and fun. I really loved how we talked about God because I really never had a relationship with him and now I do."


We have 5 more weekends of intense ministry. We're not wrestling against flesh and blood, but the opposition to God's work: Satan and his demonic forces. However, Christ is victorious and we're living in His victory. Please pray for our Bible Institute students who are intricately involved in our weekend ministries. They need strength, focus, and wise stewardship of their time. Pray for our camp speakers as they share the Word each weekend. And pray that we we would see more and more unsaved teens come to 'Recharge'. Thanks for your love and encouragement.

SF

Word Studies: II Peter/Jude

Class: 2 Peter/Jude

Week #6: October 17-21
Professor: Mr. Matthew Little
Assignments: The epistles of II Peter and Jude need to be read once before the classes start on Tuesday morning.
The sections of Be Alert (Warren Wiersbe) dealing with II Peter and Jude are to be read.

Mr. Little is a graduate of New Brunswick Bible Institute (NBBI). Completing four years of training in 1998, he served in pastoral ministries across Ontario and New Brunswick, along with his wife and three children. He is involved in hospital chaplaincy ministry and serves on the Canadian Board of Biblical Ministries Worldwide. In 2008, Mr. Little joined the NBBI faculty as a full-time staff member.


II Peter and Jude are two epistles which cannot be compared to any other books of the Bible. The intent of each book is to expose and condemn false teachers. When one reads these two books, they may seem extremely harsh and unforgiving. However, Peter and Jude are discussing teachers who deserve the condemnations found in these letters. They have no respect for the Word of God or even the Author Himself and teach doctrine directly adverse to what the Bible says. Because of this egregious assault on truth, Peter and Jude seek to warn believers about these false teachers and teach believers discernment and understanding in fighting for the standard of truth found in God's Word.

As Peter and Jude did in these small yet powerful epistles, Mr. Little also seeks to warn the students of false teachers and give them an understanding of truth versus falsehood.

The teacher and some students shared some thoughts on the subject.

"We have to be on guard against apostasy and be firmly grounded in the truth. We have to be proactive in teaching others."
- Mr. Little, New Brunswick

"I've always known the dangers of not being firmly established in the Word, but so far, all through II Peter it stresses how dangerous are the ways of the world and how we need to be aware of false teachers. The book is a giant call to be holy and to know God's truth. It just seems neat to me to be learning about reasons to study God's Word while at the BI."
- Cameron, Mt. Forest

"This week in the II Peter and Jude class, I am learning that we should know our faith well, so we will not be deceived by false teachers. Also, Jesus is coming and we should be prepared."
- Sophia, Waterloo

The year at the Bible Institute is an intense training session from opening weekend to Open Air Evangelism all the way through Word of Life Youth Camp for summer ministry. However, without studying the Word of God the students would be without the firm foundation they need to withstand "the wiles of the devil" (Eph. 6:11). II Peter and Jude teach this principle of the study of truth. Without a knowledge of truth, how can one defend the truth? In today's world, believers need to know, trust and defend the truth of God's Word.

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:"

- 1 Peter 3:15

BW

Upcoming Word of Life Events

Word of Life Fellowship is putting on some fantastic events in the very near future. Be on the lookout for an event on site near you. For information on all Word of Life events in Canada, click here.

Some of the events to look forward to include:

       - WOL Superbowl - This is an all-nighter packed with games, food, prizes and the Gospel.  It's a great night to bring your whole youth group. In Ontario, WOL Superbowl takes place in Mississauga on November 4. Register now!





- Word of Life Bible Institute Campus Days - Come to the Bible Institute campus to check out the school including classes and student life. Stay overnight in the dorms and participate in cool activities. Most importantly, learn more about the year that could change your life.


- WOL Youth Camp Recharge - Register your youth group for an amazing weekend that will not only be outrageously fun but also spiritually uplifting. Recharge Snow Camp is one of the highlights of youth ministry among many of the churches in Central Ontario. Taking place right on the campus of the Bible Institute, Recharge provides an oppurtunity for youth to be changed by the Word of God.

With each and every one of these events, students from the Bible Institute will be taking a major part serving in all areas of the ministry. Word of Life Events are always exciting to be a part of. For more information regarding Word of Life events click here and if you would like to be a part of the ministry by giving financially, click here.

BW

SUMMER CAMP 2011 WEEKS ONE TO THREE UPDATE

FROM TEEN TO JR. HIGH SPORTS CAMP... 

...STUDENTS  WERE  MAKING  SIGNIFICANT  DECISIONS  OF  LIFE  CHANGE!

  

218 campers joined us for our first three weeks of camp, and during our teen weeks we saw a 24% increase in camper attendance (over 2010).  That's something we were very excited to see.  Scott Foreman was privileged to share with the week 2 campers during 'Bible Hour' from the book of 1 Thessalonians.  In our study together we saw that believers can live for Christ in the midst of persecution, and that we need to live godly, pure lives while we wait for the Rapture.  Gary Stairs was our week 3 speaker and shared timely messages from the timeless life of Daniel.  Gary spoke on the importance of a Word-centered life and choosing the right friends.

We also conducted a guy/girl split session during the first two weeks of camp.  In the guys' session we discussed the importance of personal purity as men.  We had testimonies from our staff on how they have been able to live out the Word of God in this area of life.  It was awesome to see guys stand at the end of the session saying they wanted to live a sexually pure life.  Rachel Foreman shared with the young ladies the importance of a life that finds total security and contentment in Christ.  Many of the young ladies were able to identify with the themes Rachel presented having to do with self-image and adopting a perception of self that aligns with the Bible.  

One young lady made this comment to Rachel after the session:  

"I attended week 1 and 2 summer youth camps and I really found your talk on searching for security very helpful. I realized that I had been trying to find security in things other than Jesus Christ. I had been going to friends, guys, and things I really shouldn't have."

As we shared the gospel on Monday nights of weeks 2 and 3, 21 teens called on Christ to save them!  Praise the Lord!  Also, 42 campers dedicated their lives to the Lord at our Campfire Dedication services.  We also saw 25 students make a decision to stay sexually pure. 

What a privilege it has been to be a part of what God is doing in the lives of Canadian young people!

Introducing Word of Life Youth Camp!

Since 1946, Word of Life Camps have been helping young people understand that their full potential in life is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  Through games, age-appropriate lessons and one-on-one interaction with their college counsellor, campers will experience the love and acceptance that you would expect from a Christ-centered camping experience.  All of our counsellors are current students or alumni of the Word of Life Bible Institute who are seeking to share God's Word taught to them with the youth entrusted to their care.

The Camping Philosophy of Word of Life is based on 1 Peter, where Peter speaks of a faith that KNOWS Christ, GROWS in Christ and SHOWS forth Christ.  That's the scriptural backbone behind what we do throughout the week.  We share with the kids the importance of knowing Christ, growing in Christ and then going home and showing forth Christ.

Questions?  Email us at info@wol.ca

Check out our website

Or...

Also see Summer Camp 2011 Teen Camp Week #1 

What is Word of Life Canada?

SUMMER CAMP 2011 WEEK ONE UPDATE

SUMMER CAMP 2011 WEEK ONE UPDATE
TEEN CAMP #1 - CAMP SPEAKER: JON WARD

Summer Camp is off to a great start!  Students arrived back for training and are now pouring themselves into their various ministry roles.  We start out with 2 weeks of high school teens then roll into 3 weeks of junior high, and then 2 weeks of kids.  We have seen God do some pretty amazing things, from working in troubled teens' lives to watching record returning camper numbers.  It's amazing to be involved in a ministry like summer camp where ministry is unfolding before your eyes literally every day. 

On Monday nights this year we share the gospel with our campers.  This is a change from previous years where we were sharing the gospel on the first night of camp (Sunday).  Why the change?  Because our Canadian youth culture is becoming increasingly "post-Christian", meaning,  they're no longer coming with a Christian frame of reference for their life.  So, we, Scott and Tyler, take the first night of camp to talk about the fact that there ARE absolutes, there IS authority and there ARE answers for life.

As Scott shared the gospel on Monday night, 6 teens trusted in Christ to save them from eternal separation in a real place called hell.  6 may not seem like a lot, but that was 10% of our camp that week.  Either way , we rejoice that the gospel went forth and that we had the opportunity to participate in the Great Commission.
 
We also saw God work at our Tuesday night drama, Wednesday night campfire dedication service and Thursday night split (guys/girls) Purity session. 12 kids indicated on Wednesday night their desire to a live a life of dedication to Christ, and 18 decided to live a life of sexual purity.  We praise the Lord for how we saw Him work.

Thanks for taking the time to read this update.  Please take some time today to pray for the continued ministry of Word of Life Youth Camp and may you be blessed!

Also see Introducing Word of Life Youth Camp

They got Nuthin'

McDonald's?  Swiss Chalet?  Olive Garden?  Even your mom's cooking does not match up to the food you get here at the Word of Life Bible Institute in Owen Sound!  Nothing against mothers, but when you walk into the cafeteria, all you can smell is what Karen and her girls have been cooking, and boy, does it smell heavenly!  You might say, "Oh I need to lose a few," but that thought quickly vanishes like vapor in the air when you gaze upon what just came out of the oven! (Some colleges refer to the Freshman Fifteen - but it takes discipline here to not reach the Freshman Forty!!).  Remember the cafeteria in high school when you couldn't even tell if the food was food!?!?  Watch out!  Literally!  Because once you start, you most likely will be eagerly waiting for the yell/scream of, "Seconds!"  With that, you are off to the races!  Well, back to the food line for another helping...
Here the food is as diverse as the student body themselves. This year we as students have had the privilege of trying different dishes from all over the world! We've sunk our teeth into some Dutch favorites, savored some Sushi, and have even filled our tummies with a Jamaican dish or two!
The spectacular food here just goes to show that at Word of Life we not only take pride in giving you a foundation in the word of God, but also we like you to be well founded, or should I say, "rounded" when it comes to food. We try to the best we can to keep the variety changing, but also throw in some home-cooked favorites like roast beef and potatoes, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, spaghetti, fried chicken and chocolate chip cookies just to name a few.  Bottom line, the food is awesome, the variety is unbelievable, and the fresh veggies make you actually want to eat your veggies. Come to the Word of Life Bible Institute. Eat spiritual food. Eat physical food. Get fed!

Sound too good to be true?

Come see for yourself and join us for a Campus Days, Summer Camp or Winter Camp/Recharge event!

Recharge Recap - What God has done!!

From WOLBRANOS

We have seen 22 youth groups come to Recharge this year.  That is around 530 campers and leaders. 530 + lives touched by the Word of God and the testimonies of staff and students right here on the WOLBI campus. As I have been reading the comments written by leaders and campers over and over again what stands out is how much they appreciated the sessions and the positive influence the students and staff have been on the teens.  Out of 530 people we had 31 Salvation decisions, 7 were counseled for assurance of their salvation, and over 400 teens dedicated their lives to God.

Students also had opportunities to minister off-campus at 3 Satellite Snow Camp locations.  We traveled to Huntsville, Cochrane, and Goulais River, Ontario to share God's Word through testimonies, skits, music, and messages from God's Word.  It was incredible to share God's Love with 100 teens and to see 7 young people trust Jesus as their Saviour.  God also prompted 21 teens to dedicate their lives to serving Him.  What a great ministry season it has been!  Praise God!!

"It was so awesome and incredible to be part of the snow camp ministry this year!!  Being able to watch each week what God is doing in the lives of the youth was such a blessing.  It was so sweet to be able to minister to the girls and to show Christ's love to them, and it also showed me that we all have different skills and we can work together in an organized body.  I learned that its always for God's glory and that we should never do it for the reward."

"It was a great chance to practice what we have been learning and I loved meeting the new girls and getting into their lives.  I just love camp!!"

Be sure to register early for Recharge 2012 or if you are too far away, contact us for a Satellite Snow Camp near you.

Recharge Weekend Five!

From WOLBRANOS

Wow this weekend has been just amazing! With 125 extra people on campus it was an extremely high energy, and I must admit tiring time but God is good. 

One of our students commented on Sunday during our staff meeting that he had an amazing opportunity to stay up till the crack of dawn with two campers (one was very sick during the night). He shared with us that the opportunity he had to just minister to these teens was wonderful. It was really exciting to hear how God is using the students and staff.This weekend 3 campers accepted Christ as there personal Saviour, 1 was counseled for assurance of their faith and 95 dedicated their life to the Lord!

The more that I have been around youth and childrens ministry, the more I realize how much young people struggle with assurance of their salvation. I have struggled with it too as I have grown in my faith but I am just amazed of the assurance provided by God's Word. One of the verses I love from the Scripture Memory program during my Bible Institute year was Romans 8:38-39, “For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor power, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Nothing can separate us from God’s love. I praise God and thank Him everyday.

Here are a couple of comments made by leaders and campers from this past weekend:

“The weekend was amazing and the sessions really hit home.”

“The benefits of having a camp where student’s minister to younger teens is awesome, makes it so much more relevant for them.”

“I loved this weekend for so many different reasons. I simply get a lot out of it.”

“This weekend, I felt I really grew closer to my leaders by hearing their testimonies...”

Prayer Requests:

- Please pray for our last weekend of Snow camp.

- Pray that the students and staff will be dedicated to finishing strong and to make this weekend the best one yet.

- Pray that the campers coming on property will be encouraged and challenged throughout the weekend.

KD

Learning the Word: Matthew

From WOLBRANOS

Mr. Scott Foreman serves full-time with the ministry of Word of Life Canada as our Associate Director. His responsibilities include oversight of the Owen Sound Camping Ministry, Resonate, Print, Web and Media Departments. He is a graduate of the first and second year programs of the Word of Life Bible Institute in New York, and a graduate of Tennessee Temple University where he received his B.Sc. in Biblical Studies. Its great to have him on campus regularly and especially these two weeks as we look at the book of Matthew together.

"Teaching Matthew to the student body at the Word of Life Bible Institute is one of the highlights of my ministry calendar. Why? Because I love teaching students, and I love seeing the lights turn on as they understand God's Word more and more. Matthew is a unique book because it is rich doctrinally and practically: it helps us to understand how Christ came to fulfill literally the Davidic and Abrahamic Covenants, but also how to follow the loving, caring example of our Lord. The more I study Matthew, the more I realize I need to better uderstand this book - but shouldn't that be the case with all the Scriptures?"

We are also enjoying the classes and learning a lot.  

"I enjoyed the assignment where we had to write about a miracle of Christ and that impacted me the most, because I never really though a lot about them personally and how I can apply them to my life."

"Having Mr. Foreman speaking I could really see the passion he has for teaching the Word and it was inspiring to me to have more passion for the Word and studying It. I got a more contextual view of the gospel rather then just reading through it."

"Mr. Foreman really challenged us as individuals to make our faith out own. Going through all the miracles it seems impossible to me how someone could not believe what Jesus did for us." 

 

Recharge weekend 3!

This past weekend of snow camp (Feb 4-6) was amazing. God worked in the hearts of many people, and it was such a privilege to be apart of this ministry. We had the privilege of hosting 106 teens and leaders.

On Friday night Mr. Gary Stairs shared the gospel message and 7 kids accepted Jesus as their personal Saviour. Also one of our students had the amazing opportunity to lead a camper to Christ on Saturday morning. Praise the Lord!

I have been thinking about the song “Amazing Grace” recently and these words have touched my heart “I once was blind but now I see… Was lost but now I am found.” God has been doing amazing things and we all have the privilege to be apart of it. He has been picking young campers out of the darkness and placing them into the light. Wow, eh? Praise God!!!

Along with the 8 salvation decisions, 1 teen was counseled for assurance of faith and roughly 85 teens dedicated their lives to Christ.

We also had 4 teens fill out applications to come to WOLBI.

Keep praying for us as we continue serving the Lord. Pray also for the youth groups that are coming these next few weeks.

Here are a couple of comments from campers and leaders from the past weekend:

“I always benefit going to snow camp every year. It is always good to know other Christians are going through the same things I am going through.”

“I really enjoyed this weekend. I think that it should be longer. The sessions were really good and they convinced me that I need to go home and share God’s love with my friends.”

“Great weekend!! The BI students were welcoming and friendly” 

KD

Getting ready for Recharge with zest and gusto!

From WOLBRANOS

This past weekend was an intense one as we prepared the campus for Recharge Snow Camp! We rehearsed a regular snow camp weekend meeting in the dining hall after supper to get ready for the campers to come. This past weekend we began our chores of putting up bunk beds, practicing music or drama, and cleaning the whole campus. All the hard work paid off as we took a break to "test" all the outdoor games that our visitors will be playing all winter. It was a great chance to see what needed to be tweaked, and have lots of fun in the meantime! The result of these tests have made us realize that this year we have some of the best outdoor games that we have ever had here in the past Snow Camps! (Much thanks to our guest missionaries from WOL Argentina - Adrian & Jessica Lovera for their ideas and hard work in preparing these games) Friday night after the games we went into the gym to have a praise and worship session with this years praise band. It was awesome to hear all the new songs and sing praises to our God as a break from all the work! Saturday morning we were all back in the dining hall bright and early to begin work all over again. Some laboured vigorously on the tube hill, which is now looking great and ready for the youth, some went to work stacking wood for the campfires, some to music practice, and others were in kitchen working out all the details on how to be as productive as possible when the loads of people arrive to devour the succulent camp food! Delish. What an awesome day! We all worked super hard and finished all our projects early so after dinner we finished the day with another praise and worship time.

It seems that the 'bugs' are worked out, program, music, and activities are ready. Now all we need are the teens and leaders to arrive. For the next 6 weekends we are going to have youth groups come and hear the Word of God from across Southern Ontario! How sweet it is to be living a 'reverse' Great Commission - the world is coming to us for fun, excitement, and to hear God's Word! We'll also be able to make new friends with the teens and encourage them and minister to them. Its going to be an intense and tiring next few weeks, but will be so rewarding and such a blessing! We all need to constantly remember that it is for God that we are doing this and if we do it by His strength then that's the only way we are going to make it through and have victory! As our Camp Director, Tim Chambers shared with us on Friday night, we must be prepared to serve the Lord "heartily" with "zest" and "gusto" as it says in Colossians 3:23.  to describe how our service for the Lord should be characterized.

Please pray for us as hundreds of teens descend onto our campus for weekends of jam-packed fun, activities and the eternal truths of the Word of God. Pray we will grow, learn, and have an impact for eternity.