MIA: (Ministry in Action) Superbowl Edition

Word of Life Superbowl is an amazing outreach ministry, reaching unsaved youth across not only Ontario, but also Saskatchewan, Quebec, the Maritimes, and the United States. The event consists of games, prizes, food and, most importantly, the gospel message. Superbowl in Ontario takes place in Mississauga at the Hershey Centre and Playdium.
One of the ways the various departments of Word of Life help each other is by giving Bible Institute students a chance to help out at this great event. This year 17 students plus staff headed  down Friday afternoon. They made a big difference in the night, as they were available to counsel youth who responded to the gospel message, to lead the various on-ice games and the "Amazing Race" and to help out wherever they were needed.

Friday night, 511 people arrive at 6:30pm, starting the night with an OHL hockey game between the Mississauga Majors and the Peterborough Petes. Right after the game, the Associate Director of Word of Life Canada, Scott Foreman, gave the gospel message. To the glory of God, 6 teens called on Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour.

Scott Foreman gives the gospel.

After a quick break, things quickly became exciting as the on-ice rally started. Many well-known minute-to-win-it games were played on the ice and each winner was given a prize. Also, some of the Word of Life staff were in the stands doing games and handing out prizes.

On-ice Rally

Up next, pizza and pop were served in the Hershey Centre. So far, the evening had been a great success, but this was only the beginning. At midnight, the sports section of the Hershey Centre opened up for the teens enjoyment. These were some of the activities available:

- Plenty of gymnasium activities like volleyball, dodge ball and basketball!
- Ice skating!

- Fieldhouse activities (on the turf)... indoor soccer, football and ultimate frisbee!

Indoor Soccer

One of the most popular events was the Amazing Race Scavenger Hunt. Both members of the winning two-person team were awarded an iPod Touch! The race was intense all the way to the end. When 3:00 AM came around, since they were not needed anymore, the WOLBI students and staff made their way home. However, the teens though starting to feel the effects of no sleep were not about to slow down because Playdium was next on the schedule. For three hours teens were able to participate in free-play arcade and video games, batting cages and more. Six o'clock Saturday morning, the youth groups finally made their way home.

Superbowl is one of many ministry opportunities the students participate in throughout the year.
The sheer number of ministry opportunities at WOLBI is one of the best things about being a student. It's all about taking what you learn in the classroom and putting it to practice in real life. That's why the Word of Life Bible Institute is the perfect first choice for secondary education. It prepares you for a lifetime of ministry wherever God leads you.

 

BW

Click here for more info on the ministries at WOLBI.

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!

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

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."