vive le montreal!

YFC'S NATIONAL MINISTRY CONFERENCE: held in Montreal, started on June 26th. This year all three of us staff were willing and able to make it out to the conference...unprecedented in Niverville's history! YFC Canada has done such a great job in bringing together the staff from all across the country each year to encourage and equip the staff, and network and expand the ministry.

We have to admit that for us young staffers, a chance to get out of town is always enticing, but also beneficial to be strengthened in our ministry from beyond the walls our Drop-In Centre and Niverville. The spiritual focus, and the fellowhips of the YFC community are huge blessings to us as well. YFC is a parachurch (outside of the church) youth ministry, and although North American youth ministry has grown vastly in its resources, it's been almost entirely in the realm of church ministry. Therefore parachurches like YFC remain isolated and unresourced, and so its staff can easily feel the same. The annual NMC does wonders at combating such isolations.



One of the "hot topics" the we faced at the conference was the issue of retaining our organization's charitable status. The issue in our country begs the question, "how much are we willing to compromise?" Recently, a Christian charity went under due to a lawsuit from an employee who "came out" as a lesbian and was subsequently fired. The way the YFC Staff Manual is worded can put us as an organization at huge risk to such threats. The balance we struggle with is how to word our manuals, and approach such delicate issues with a non-faith-compromising manor WHILE not intending to offend, divide, or belittle others. I guess even before this question, we ought to be asking ourselves if such a balance even exists. Believing in SOMETHING greater than ourselves, and a better way, can have such ugly ramifications in a country intolerant of its own founding faith. A strange predicament we face here in Canada.

Lastly, on another note...at this conference I, Mark von Riesen, was honored with a 5-year staff award presented by the Youth for Christ National Director, Dave Brereton. God has been so faithful to me in these 5 (actually 6 by now) years of service, and I'm so greatful that He continues to use me, love me, and help me into the heart of youth ministry here in Niverville.

- Mark von Riesen