Imagine you are a kid in Calgary. You are new to the neighbourhood, and new to Canada. It’s summer, and you get invited to attend a week of T-ball and VBS in your community with fifty other kids in the neighbourhood! A week of fun, and a week of learning about Jesus.
Imagine you are a church planter, getting opportunities to personally connect with the community you seek to serve.
That’s exactly what happened this summer in and around Calgary. Canadian National Baptists collaborated to provide T-ball and VBS camps in various neighbourhoods. Ron and Dalia Fairbanks served a different community each week, with T-ball and VBS camps.
Block Parties
Following each week of positive experiences, on the last day of camp, block parties were held where family, friends, neighbours and the wider neighbourhood were invited to celebrate what the kids had experienced and learned. A bouncy castle, snow cones, popcorn, cotton candy and hot dogs were the icing on top of a great week of activities.
The church planter’s team (from the community served that week) joined in the festivities, mixing in the fun. The block party gave opportunity to meet new people and invite those interested to continue the learning process for their children and entire family.
Sharing Christ
It wasn’t just fun, although there was plenty of that too!
This summer’s T-ball camps and VBS camps provided opportunities to share Christ with many new people.
Each camp served about 50 children. There were several new immigrants, many from South America who benefited from these activities. Many were so new to Canada that they needed ESL support. Ron and Dalia, who had previously served in Portugal, translated into Portuguese—a language similar enough to Spanish to be helpful.
New truths and opportunities were understood as relevant questions were explored.
As Ron went around greeting and listening to the stories of parents, grandparents, and caregivers, some conversations went quite deep. One father from Colombia had recently been diagnosed with cancer, had an operation and was receiving treatment which has spared his life.
“Sharing the love, concern and provision of Jesus opened doors for us to pray for [various needs and situations]. What a privilege it has been to represent Jesus to people who are coming to know Him!” -Ron Fairbanks
“Sharing the love, concern and provision of Jesus opened doors for us to pray for [various needs and situations]. What a privilege it has been to represent Jesus to people who are coming to know Him!” -Ron Fairbanks
Connecting with Your Community
There are current encouraging indications that sectors of our communities are open to returning to church or to considering Christian community for the first time.
Denominations can support church planters in this season of opportunity and church planters and other church leaders can collaborate in summer outreach. This is one example of how church planters can collaborate to connect personally with the communities they seek to serve.
If you would like to learn details which may be helpful to a similar process in your community, please contact Ron and Dalia Fairbanks at rfairbanks@outreach.ca Ron is part of Outreach Canada’s DMM (Disciple Making Movements) team!