Missions
BBC has come alongside Varsity Bible Church in Calgary’s NW, to help Dominican and Haitian church and community leaders, through T.E.A.R.S. Ministries. During the past several years, teams of volunteers have assisted with joint community projects such as day camps, water purification development, nutritious meals and construction projects in La Vega, Dominican Republic. BBC helps these projects through designated giving and BBC’s general mission fund.
To get involved, contact Terry.
In October of this year,the AOJ team went to Guatemala to build homes for the poor. While there,7 members of the team went on a food relief trip to Cuilapa and Animas,two villages hit hard by the most recent earthquake. With 200 bags of food on a flat
bed truck and a van, we set out to help where ever we could. The trip to Animas went deep into the mountains.We had heard that the only
bridge to the village was washed out so the the people from the village were to meet us on our side of the river. Well, in a monsoon rain,with thunder cracking seeming every few minutes,the van being "stuck" going down the mountain,we made it to the people of Animas. The video gives you a moment in time of what it was like that day on the mountain in southern Guatemala.
We are currently accepting donation to send in more food bags to these earthquake effected areas.
If you would like to help please contact me at terrygilmour@hotmail.com.
In March 2011, a Mission’s Team of eight will construct twelve to fifteen homes for the homeless in Guatemala through Arms of Jesus Ministries. Teams from BBC and Sun West Community Fellowship in southwest Calgary have made several trips to Guatemala, with the teams raising their own support and further supported by the efforts of people from BBC, committed to raising the funds for building the homes through Designated Giving, General Missions Fund and fundraising initiatives to the corporate world.
To get involved, contact Terry.
Hope-Masinga Projects: Through Designated Giving and the General Missions Fund, BBC supports Hope for the Nations (HFTN), a Canadian charitable organization focusing on supporting widows and orphans. In 2007, BBC began supporting an orphanage in Kitale, Kenya called Heroes for Christ and food distribution to over 490 children-at-risk in the Masinga region, a draught-stressed area east of Nairobi. As of 2010, Heroes for Christ became fully supported by Kelowna churches allowing missions to focus on Masinga. By early 2010, BBC designated support largely financed a successful water-well for distribution to widows and mothers in the region. In 2011, an irrigation system is under construction on 2 acres of property granted to HFTN in 2009. A joint venture between HFTN and Organics4Orphans is going to turn the two to three acres into garden plots for widows and orphans for a sustained food supply. The property has been named “The Lord’s Renown.” In addition, training of locals is underway in 2011 to equip the locals to cultivate & harvest through organic technology that includes much smaller requirements of water (trickle irrigation.) These initiatives are critical for the many stranded orphans and widows in an area stricken by draught and very high food prices beyond the reach of many.
This series of photos were taken April 2011 at the Masinga-Hope Projects location in Kenya. The women shown represent sixty two families who have been trained by Organics4Orphans to grow highly nutrient gardens on 20x5 plots. The food grown will supplement standard food staples of beans and maize and will significantly improve body health. The land shown has been irrigated for easy watering. Without the water well and irrigation, no food would grow on this property. This is literally a life-saver for the locals and particularly widows and children at risk orphans. None of what you see in the photos would have been possible without generous designated support from BBC. In June of this year, the Lord’s Renown will be officially opened and a presentation will be given by Bob Rowe from BBC. Bob and Bill Hildebrand will spend over a week at Masinga planting shade trees and helping with various assignments on the project. To give, please make donations to BBC, designating your support for Masinga-Hope Projects, or send your gift to Hope for the Nations 222, 1889 Springfield Road, Kelowna, B.C. V1Y 5V5 and designate Masinga-Hope Projects, Kenya.
In June 2011, Bonavista Baptist ST Missionaries Bob Rowe, Bill Hildebrand and Kenya manager Steve Pippin, along with Pastor Joseph Nzomo and several local assistants, constructed a large water tower that holds two 5000 litre water tanks for gravity irrigation over the 3 acres. The project was completed except for final hook-ups to the irrigation system.
Read more about this project... (PDF)
Gull Lake Centre
Gull Lake Centre's goal is to Connect People to Christ, to train new leaders in the Church, and to help alleviate suffering and poverty on earth.
Gull Lake Centre runs summer camps for kids from grade 1-12 including a Family Camp and offers teen participants their LTD (Leadership, Training and Development) program which is a leadership program for grade 10 through 12.
This 88 year-old Centre is currently undergoing renovations to prepare it to serve its community and Alberta for many more years. It is a year-round camping, retreat and educational organization, offering year-round programs as well as allowing other organizations to rent facilities for retreats and conferences. BBC strongly supports Gull Lake Centre through direct budget giving as well as participation in their many youth programs.
Find more about Gull Lake Centre
Mustard Seed Street Ministries
The Church supports through annual pleas for funding the work of the Seed which reaches out to Calgary's homeless - with food, shelter, training and spiritual/mental and physical care.
Find more about Mustard Seed Street Ministries
"Advancing the Gospel of Jesus and His Kingdom into the Nations through spiritual generations of labourers Living and Discipling among all people"
Over 4000 Navigators staff minister in 103 countries worldwide. In Canada, ministries in 20 cities include campus, church, alumni, business and professional, and cross-cultural. Canadian Navigators also serve in 15 nations around the world. Don Matsune supervises Alberta-based Navstaff serving in Asia and assists them with their funding. As well, he continues a ministry of discipling and mentoring here in Calgary. The church extends its ministry through its in-house missionaries and includes them in the Missions budget. As a full-time staff of the Navigators, Don Matsune is responsible to raise his support through interested individuals and churches. BBC is pleased to be a major contributor to this ministry.
This summer, BBC was introduced to the ministry of Scott & Olga Brimacombe in East Asia. He told the story of Jack, a young man to whom God spoke to through several dreams back in May:
As I looked up at him, his face struck me as being like the face of a glorified man, or like that of an angel, reflecting the strength and majesty of God. Beside him, his non-Christian girlfriend listened intently as he proclaimed the ways God was renewing his life. “I used to have a bad temper, and would often get mad at my girlfriend. But now when I feel angry, I control my temper... I’ve noticed that when I read the Bible, my heart feels at peace.”
Jack’s girlfriend has confessed that she has seen incredible changes in Jack’s life over the last few months. She is one of a number of “almost believers” in our midst. Please pray for them and for the new believers in our vibrant campus church that God would continue his work of growing them to spiritual maturity.
If you are interested in supporting this ministry, you may do so through BBC, designating your gift to Navigators-Brimacombe, or on-line again designating your gift. Thank you so much for your part in this exciting and strategic ministry.
The Sharing Way/Canadian Baptist Missions
BBC continues to endorse the efforts of its denomination mission initiatives through Designated Giving and allocations from the General Missions Fund.
Serve 2010
SERVE is an annual event in which teenagers from Canadian Baptist Churches across Western Canada come together to serve in a chosen community. This video is from our trip in 2010 to Flin Flon, MB.
Young people aged 12 and up, converge on one urban centre with the sole purpose of serving the local community. During the day the teenagers undertake work projects at various locations (this can be anything from running a soccer camp to hard labour). In the evenings they join together for teaching and corporate worship.
View the SERVE 2010 video here.
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