Connecting Streams: 2018 Year in Review

Jan 22, 2019


Reaching Out to Society’s Marginalized
In 2018 an average of 675 people participated weekly in Connecting Streams events run by our 16 staff and 213 volunteers. Overall, 2876 people were exposed to the gospel, and 438 individuals accepted Jesus as their Saviour!

85 team leaders and co-leaders currently lead 38 teams, who actively serve society’s marginalized, including the widow, the prisoner, the orphan, the poor, and those new to this country, in various communities across Canada.

Connecting Streams National Director Donna Mitchell shares a powerful story of transformation at one of the prison ministries. Prisoner Story

Annual Celebration Evening
Last May volunteers and staff in Edmonton joined together to praise God’s favour and faithfulness. They shared inspiring testimonies of how Jesus transforms lives when His people invest in His kingdom, faithfully follow Him, and willingly be His hands, feet, and voice among society’s broken, hurting, and marginalized. 2018 Testimonies Montage

Ottawa now has 2 active ministry teams, and a growing leadership team. They hosted their first volunteer celebration event in June.

Welcome Home
Every month Newcomers to Canada are invited to Welcome Home Potlucks in Edmonton to share a favourite dish, make new friends, and learn more about the life of Jesus. With the hope of expanding this growing ministry, Welcome Home has a newly formed leadership team with Lorraine and Phil Taylor as the National Leaders.

W2W (Widow to Widow)
In April, widows enjoyed a W2W Spring Getaway at Camp Nakamun in Alberta.
From Surviving to Thriving was the theme, and Laura Falk of the Edmonton Leadership team shared from the heart as the guest speaker.  This vital ministry for widows has grown to 7 chapters. Lena’s W2W Story 

I’ve been widowed for almost 20 years and now only wish that I would have had a group like this at that time. I’m truly blessed to be part of this amazing group and thank God for all His wonderful gifts and this ministry.
– Susan, W2W group attendee

Volunteer Training
213 volunteers lead, coach and connect with society’s marginalized…and 37 have signed up for training. Two orientation and information evenings – CS101 – were offered in Edmonton in April and September for interested, in-process and new volunteers. They received an overview of the Connecting Streams’ ministry, as well as basic spiritual training in 4 focus areas: prayer, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Spirit-filled living, and spiritual multiplication.

CS Training Online 
Aside from the regular training events, we’ve revamped our online presence with a new website that features the CS101 curriculum, resources, prayer verses, and links to additional resources from Power to Change.
CS Online Training

We also offer a wide variety of 2-minute Take2 for Training videos, which are excerpts from longer training sessions such as Evangelizing Yourself given by Matthew Koleba in Fernie, BC last April.

Training Workshops 
With the goal of fully equipping volunteers to serve society’s marginalized, we also offer spring and fall training workshops every year.

Spring Workshop: Mental Health and Discipling 
Mental Illness and Addiction: The Struggle is Real was the focus of the first session led by Ian King, a Resident Physician in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Alberta. Both his personal and professional journeys have been largely shaped and influenced by issues of Mental Health and Addiction, so Ian had much to share about better understanding the spectrum of mental illness and addiction, particularly as it relates to hurt, lonely, and vulnerable people.

In the second session, our new National Leads for Welcome Home, Phil and Lorraine Taylor, taught how to effectively use the Discovery Bible Study (DBS) method to disciple people without setting yourself up as a Bible expert whose role is to dispense information. DBS Training video

Fall Workshop: Embracing the Adventure of following Jesus into a Hurting World

God’s Ministry was the focus of the first session, led by Bruce Walker; he describes himself as a troubled youth who bottomed out on the streets of Vancouver, which put him on a path to meet Jesus.

When I met Jesus I was an adult with a grade nine education and no direction. Over the years God has built me in many areas. I worked in South Korea as an English Teacher for 4 years, I worked with the homeless for 4 years and I’ve worked in corrections for 13 years, two years of that as a correctional chaplain. By God’s grace during this time I finished my Bachelor of Arts (Sociology) and Master of Divinity.  – Bruce

First Love was the theme of the second session taught by our National Director Donna Mitchell, who has recently been asked to be the Area Prayer Igniter for Canada for Power to Change.

I had the privilege of representing Canada at a Global Prayer Gathering in Herrnhut Germany this summer. I will share from my own experience what has proved to be life transforming for me and others. Please come asking the LORD to speak afresh to your heart, where you are walking. I am praying it will be life transforming for you also. – Donna

Prayer Requests
Now that 2019 is upon us, please join us in praying for:

  • A workshop we are running at Break Forth One, January 25 – 27 in Edmonton, featuring our CS Link Program, on how to start a new Connecting Streams team. Pray that the Lord will guide our preparations, draw people to attend the workshop, and encourage many to spark new CS teams across Canada!
  • Our new teams launching in Ottawa, Edmonton and Calgary, and for our volunteers as they train and dive into this life-changing journey!
  • Our new staff members as they come on board, raise funds, and step into their calling.

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Power to Change

Power to Change

At Power to Change, we're wholeheartedly committed to telling people about Jesus. It is His example that we follow, and His exhortation that spurs us on. "Go and make disciples of all nations."