What an inspiring milestone! Seven more graduates have launched into ministry, marking the 10th graduation for Fellowship Pacific's Immerse program. Since the program’s inception, Immerse students have grown through a unique blend of theology, leadership, and practical ministry, all within the nurturing environment of the local church. They truly embody Christ’s vision for leaders in His church.

This past month, several staff teams from within our Fellowship Pacific family of churches participated in the Safe Sanctuaries Seminar: Nurturing a Culture of Safety and Dignity in the Church. This seminar, led by Lorrie Wasyliw, Executive Director of WINGS Fellowship (Women In Need Gaining Strength), provides in-person training to church leaders, drawing on Lorrie's extensive advocacy work for victims of abuse.

On August 4-9, Sunnybrae Bible Camp in the Shuswap hosted the third annual Ministry Workers Family Camp.

This camp is made possible through a partnership between Fellowship Pacific and Sunnybrae and was attended by ministry families from throughout our region. Children, youth, and adults attended chapel together, played games, rode horses and ponies, competed in a variety of individual and team activities, and went away making new friends and feeling refreshed and renewed.

Here at Fellowship Pacific we believe effective leadership is CRITICAL to the present and the future. Valued Leadership is lived out through our family of churches when we serve our youth ministries, and Krista Penner knows we are investing in a bright future!

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"The world’s going to hell in a handbasket." My grandma used to say this and sometimes, I think this statement perfectly captures my perspective after watching the 6 o'clock news.

Our social climate doesn’t always fill me with exuberant hope and heart-swelling confidence, and yet, there are next-generation leaders saying YES to Jesus despite the stigma and disdain of our culture. I see them in our churches, hear their stories, and wonder how they have managed to reach young adulthood with integrity, perseverance, and a passion to share the love of Jesus.

On Sunday, June 23, during our Staff Training week, our entire staff team went to Central Baptist Church in Victoria, BC to be commissioned for our summer of ministry. We brought along banners that had the names on them of every camper coming to Qwanoes this summer. We were welcomed by the senior pastor, and near the beginning of the service all 200 of us went up on the stage.

This past month, at least four Fellowship Pacific churches partnered with others to send Maaqtusiis and two other Band’s youth to an Aboriginal Youth Conference.

Maaqtusiis Community Church’s full-time missionaries to First Nations, Jacob and Rachel Hwang, express their deepest gratitude to those who prayed for their Youth to attend the AYC (Aboriginal Youth Conference), and they ask that you continue to pray for them.

Here at Valley Church we are reaching families of children and teens through focusing on the Cowichan Valley (and the city of Duncan) being a better place to live. We believe that being a visible presence of Jesus in the Cowichan Valley will radically transform our community. Our church culture is warm and inclusive, with many coming through our doors who are new to the community, new to church, or new back to church.

Prior to our one year anniversary, we lost our meeting location and was provided for by Camp Qwanoes, who allowed us to meet there for the month of January 2024.

My family moved here from South Korea four years ago. We came here with a heart to raise up the next generation to be global leaders equipped with the gospel. However, I never envisioned ministering to Koreans at South Delta Baptist Church. What has happened here is beyond my wildest dreams. It was definitely God's providence and leading. 

Celebrating 60 Years of Baptist Housing!

At our opening banquet for Impact 2024 we embraced the opportunity to celebrate Baptist Housing's 60th anniversary!

By now some of you may have heard the news that ACTS (Associated Canadian Theological Schools), of which Northwest Seminary is a part, is planning on moving the traditional course-based part of the seminary into a new Trinity Western School of Theology, effective May 2026.

Kaylie Arsenault joined the Immerse program in September 2020 and it quickly became apparent that she had an aptitude for scholarly work coupled with an intense desire to share the love of Jesus. Dr. Archie Spencer, Kaylie’s academic mentor, was so impressed with her work he encouraged her to go on to do a PhD!

Kaylie worked on her Immerse studies and applied herself in the practical implementation of what she was learning while employed at Village Church in a capacity of roles, including the start-up of a prison ministry at the Surrey Correctional facility and discipleship ministry at the Village Church Surrey campus. In all aspects of her role at Village Church, Kaylie’s leadership competencies and her love for sharing Jesus continued to grow. 

Every year-end, I expend a fair amount of time writing two-page, individual, personal letters to each of our Fellowship Pacific staff. I am unsure if it is a valuable use of time from their perspective, since the letters have a fairly unfiltered “stream-of-consciousness” style to them. On the other hand, I want each of them to end the year hearing how important they are to me and to the work we are striving to do together. The truth is that they are awesome people who are passionately committed to our churches and to the mission God has given us. More importantly, they are my coworkers with Jesus.