CELEBRATE!
Stories from the 2019-2020 School Year
A MESSAGE FROM THE NATIONAL DIRECTOR
More than ever, we’ve been reminded in recent months that students, not campuses, are the heart of our mission.
In March, we moved all of our in-person ministry online in the midst of the major disruption caused by COVID-19. We are passionate about ministering to students and we will always seek to connect with them wherever they are. Our existing digital ministry and social media presence are facilitating a growing connectedness with students online.
This spring and summer, our staff continued to journey with students in the same way they do during the regular school year, just from a distance. We called it our “summer digital semester”. We even hosted a digital mission trip in May and June. We count it a privilege to minister to students at a time of uncertainty, anxiety, and isolation.
Back at the beginning of April, we started planning for longer term adaptations.
- We made plans to invite students into our communities in September, especially the incoming class of first-year students.
- We will continue to invite students to engage others with the gospel through opportunities like Alpha courses which we are now offering online.
- We will offer conference and retreat opportunities online to replace the meaningful experiences we won’t be able to host in person.
- We will connect with students safely in person for small group Bible studies wherever we can.
I am grateful for our staff who have demonstrated a deep commitment to invite students to take steps towards Jesus no matter where they are or whatever disruptions may come. We look forward to September with great anticipation for how God will change students’ lives!
Andy Smits
National Director
Walking toward Jesus in community
Cheyenne was a Christian, but had never considered what God might desire for her life until a friend shared about a horrific car accident that she had been in. Cheyenne was confronted with the real possibility of death. It was then that she sensed God asking her if she was going to continue to live her own way or start to follow him. That’s part of her journey that led her to Charles.
Charles wasn’t a Christian, but was part of a club that shared space on campus at UBC with P2C. That’s where he met Cheyenne. They quickly became good friends and Charles was immersed in a community of Christians. Charles was surprised when another student from P2C, Kevin, offered him a textbook free of charge. Charles reflects that this was his first taste of God’s free gift. Kevin brought him to church where he experienced the power of worship and prayer. Kevin also spent time answering questions that Charles had.
One day, Cheyenne asked Charles what was keeping him from trusting Jesus. “My fear of losing freedom,” he said. That being said, it seemed obvious to him that he needed to put his faith in God. With Cheyenne’s help, Charles chose to follow Jesus. Since that first step, God has been showing him the nature of his sin, and the immensity of God’s forgiveness. His experience of Christian community through friends like Cheyenne and Kevin has motivated him to help others know Jesus too.
Encountering Jesus across Canada
We are passionate about helping students take steps towards Jesus so they can experience life in him. This year, students discovered Jesus and explored the relevance of the gospel though many ministry initiatives, including these:
» APOLOGETICS EVENTS
“Relevant” in Montreal, QC and “Comagape” in Vancouver, BC were two of many apologetics event series hosted in partnership with other ministries.
» JESUS WEEK
Students in Guelph, ON had over 100 conversations about Jesus over free grilled cheese sandwiches at the “Grill a Christian” booth during Jesus Week.
» JOINT WORSHIP NIGHT
Multiple ministries to students in Halifax, NS gathered for a night of worship and prayer.
» HONEST HUMANS DISCUSSION NIGHT
A dinner and discussion night in Edmonton, AB created space for students to consider life’s big questions.
» HIGHER CALLING FEBRUARY BREAK RETREAT
One of many student retreats, Higher Calling helped students who were just considering faith to take steps towards Jesus as they joined friends involved with Kingdom Come, a ministry community in Toronto, ON.
» ULTIMATE QUESTIONS PODCAST
Hosted by an in-house P2C apologist, this podcast on our growing podcast platform explored answers to popular questions about God and faith.
» COMMUNITY DINNERS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Friendships built through shared meals, English Corner groups, and by serving students’ practical needs led to many meaningful gospel conversations.
» DIGITAL MISSION TRIP
Despite pandemic travel restrictions, students engaged students in other nations with the gospel and grew in their own passion for being part of God’s mission in the world.
» P2C PLUS CONFERENCE
Students were inspired to put Jesus first in their lives and live their lives on mission during the Toronto-based annual conference over Christmas break.
» ALPHA COURSES
Over 300 students participated in Alpha courses on campuses during the school year and online this summer.
Growing in faith together
Caleb
Western University
“I found myself in a deep and meaningful community that has changed how I interact with God, myself, and others… I love connecting with people and spending time with them, having deep and meaningful conversations.”
Ching
University of Alberta
“I started to feel like God was giving me a new family with new friends who I could walk through life with.”
Shaylah
Concordia University
“Summit [a P2C fall retreat] was actually the first time in my life that I felt like I was welcome in a community of believers that were my age… It made me feel like I belonged.”
Financials
JULY 2019 – JUNE 2020
This was a challenging year, but one where we managed our finances carefully allowing us to finish the year in a healthy position. We invested significantly in training students by subsidizing P2C PLUS Conference by more than $50,000. Less money was raised for and spent on mission trips as pandemic travel restrictions required us to pursue alternative approaches to summer mission trips. We continue to encourage financial health for our ministry staff and trust God for His provision. This school year, $10.4 million was raised and $10.2 million was spent on funding our staff in addition to the income and expenses that facilitated our ministry programs (pictured to the right). We are committed to investing significantly in innovative approaches to helping students know Jesus next year as we continue to adapt.
P2C-Students is a ministry of Power to Change Ministries. Financial information for Power to Change Ministries is available at p2c.com/financials.
INCOME
$1,030,680
Contributions
$836,727 (81%)
Event Revenue
$187,163 (18%)
Other Income
$6,790 (1%)
SURPLUS
$31,377
EXPENSES
$999,303
Global Missions
$149,198 (15%)
Conferences
$337,829 (34%)
Administration
$147,381 (15%)
Ministry Programs in Canada
$229,190 (23%)
Communications & Fundraising
$96,428 (10%)
Staff Training & Development
$39,277 (4%)
Impact
- 77 ministry programs across Canada
- 2,800+ students taking steps towards Jesus through P2C communities
- 29% first year students
- 11% graduating students
- 1,600+ students’ friends who are journeying towards Jesus
- 64,000 people touched by online content on average each month (approx.)
- 1,611 students trained through conferences
- 56 students and staff participating on digital mission trip
- 365 spiritual conversations with students in closed nations with long-term P2C partnerships
FRENCH VIDEO SERIES FROM QUEBEC
A recent French video series offers ministry updates and encouraging stories of God at work in the lives of students in Quebec who connect with our French-speaking student communities.
Find it at
p2c.sh/videosquebec2020
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p2c.com/students
Pray with us on Every Student Sunday (August 23, 2020)
Learn more at p2c.sh/everystudentsunday
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Contact Us
1.855.P2C.GIVE (722.4483)
give@p2c.com
30439 Great Northern Ave, Abbotsford, BC V2T 0J6