On an especially chilly and wintery weekend, members of Brunstad Christian Church North America are celebrating the opening of the new winter park at Victory Conference Center. The project has been in the works for nearly a year and a half.

“The goal is to create a wonderful winter experience for friends and families of all ages.”

A hill once crowded with trees has been cleared for skiiing, snowboarding, and tubing activities, and wood-fired saunas and hot tubs litter a freshly laid patio adjoining the new lodge building. The lodge, itself, features a large stone fireplace, changing rooms and a coffee bar, and is designed to offer a cozy reprieve from the cold, and serve as a gathering place for small groups.

“Victory has always been the favorite destination for our friends on the east coast,” shares Matt, one of the project managers. “Up ’til now though, our use has mainly focused on spring through fall use. Our vision with the winter activity park is to expand our use of the facility to year round.

We worked to create a little winter paradise that offers outdoor activities, including sledding, skiing and terrain park features. Snow mobiles and cross country ski trails are in the future plans. The goal is to create a wonderful winter experience for friends and families of all ages.”

English Sunday School Content in an International Setting

“But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” Matt 19:14

This summer, an international annual church conference was held by Brunstad Christian Church in the small country of Norway. As in years past, the conference featured faith-based meetings and a variety of engaging activities for seniors, young people, and children.

Different this year, was that a special Sunday School was planned for the children aged three to five, and attendees were able to experience Sunday School in their own language.

Instead of providing live translation, as has been done in years past, the program was translated into several different languages beforehand, and taught in different locations around the conference center.  This was a new and exciting endeavor that ended up being a positive experience for all involved.

Two women from Canada were asked to head up the English-speaking Sunday school: Laura and Amberly. Before the event, they had several Zoom meetings to brainstorm ideas and prepare with others from various countries.

Reflecting on the planning, Laura says: “I see it as a great privilege that I was allowed to help with this task. We worked to get the lesson and activities ready for the children and figure out how to make the bible lesson alive for them.”

At the event, the children from North America and other English-speaking regions, like Oceania, were able to hear that they did not need to ever be afraid, and that Jesus could be their best friend for life. They watched an animated video about Jesus in the storm, sang songs, and participated in themed games and activities.

Amberly notes: “It is so important that good seeds are sown into the hearts of the children, right from a very young age, and that they can grow up knowing that Jesus is their friend, walking beside them wherever they go! I’m so thankful that I could have this small part in their experience at the conference. It is fun to find ways to connect with the kids in Sunday School, and to make things exciting, interactive and meaningful for them.”

Both Laura and Amberly were glad the lesson went so well, and they received positive feedback from many parents. “It was rewarding to see how happy the children were, as they got a prize and left the Sunday school class,” Laura adds enthusiastically. “A few of the children were so excited at the end of the lesson that they gave Amberly – who’d been teaching the story – a huge hug. It showed me how open their hearts were, and how meaningful it was that they could listen to the story in their own language. It was well worth all the effort!”

What did COVID-19 restrictions, closures, and shut-downs teach me?

By Bradley Schapf

In many ways, 2020 was an interesting year: It turned out in ways we couldn’t have imagined when we found ourselves on its doorstep over two years ago. The pandemic, lockdowns, not being able to gather for worship, having to use masks, the Black Lives Matter movement, riots in American cities, and other events around the world made it a year for the history books. 

One thing that became especially different, often even difficult for Christian believers, had been working with children and young people during this time. In many places, the restrictions made it impossible to carry out youth and children’s work in the same way we did before lockdowns. It could have been easy to think that maybe we should just stop with youth and children’s work until the pandemic is over and things go back to “normal,” but to me, that didn’t seem like the right answer. 

The Importance of This Work

I think it’s important to remind ourselves why we work with youth and children in the first place. I can say for myself that the reason I am involved in this work is because I have experienced that Jesus Christ loves me, and this has been a comfort for me many times throughout my life. He has set me free from sin and has helped me through difficult situations that I would not have been able to deal with on my own. To guide the hearts of other young people to Jesus so that they too can experience the same thing is an extremely valuable work in my eyes. Through this work, good memories can be made in the childhood or youth time that they can look back on with fondness later in life, even if they choose a different path for their lives. 

This conclusion didn’t answer the question of how I was supposed to work with them during these times of restrictions, but if you love someone – just as Jesus loves you – then you find ways to bless and make it good for them no matter the situation. I believe it’s not the activity that we are doing that is so important, but more that the children and young people can feel a genuine love and care from the mentors who are  working with them. I have also experienced that as long as I am living wholeheartedly for Jesus then it naturally has an effect on the people that I spend time with. I don’t need to be constantly preaching God’s word to others to knit their hearts to Jesus. In fact, too much of that becomes very dry and boring! Rather when I spend time with them and they see my actions, reactions, and interactions, they get to see the life of Christ come forth in normal situations. I believe this has a far greater effect on young people and children, and if they experience that goodness from me, then they also listen when I speak about God’s word and my faith for them and myself. 

Creative Solutions

The point is: no matter what changes COVID brought, there were still fun things we could do with youth and children. For example, when restrictions didn’t allow us to gather at all, we met with some of the younger children over Zoom and enjoyed lots of different activities. We did scavenger hunts around the house, played Hangman and Charades, and even did arts and crafts together, using little packages dropped off on doorsteps by mentors ahead of time. Once, we even played on a Minecraft server all together.  

With the youth, we often met on Discord (an online voice-chat service) and played games like Minecraft, Fortnite, and Call of Duty as a group. We also held our weekly youth meetings over Zoom and played party games like Jackbox, Mafia, Bingo and online board games afterwards – with a youth group of almost 50 people. Although meeting online was not the same as getting together in person, it was still very encouraging to see our friends, and far better than not meeting at all! 

What I’ve Learned

It’s now the middle of 2022, and we are able to go back to “normal” activities in most places. But, what have I learned from this pandemic? What did this time teach me?

I learned a lot. Certain times and experiences can be more straining for us as mentors. Maybe some activities take more time to organize than others. Maybe some things don’t even interest us all that much all the time… but when I think that I am helping the children and young people develop in a love for Jesus, then it’s not so hard to be along. I can always contribute in some way!

Through a most tumultuous time, I have experienced that love is creative – and I want this love and creativity to only grow from here. When I look at the big picture, my time, energy, and effort is a small price to pay to make it good for the others, and knit their hearts to Jesus. 

Meet the Mentors 

Brunstad Christian Church North America regards the work with the children and youth as one of the most important works of our time. From the top leadership, who supports and encourages, to the mentors, who carry out the work on a practical basis, we work so that children and youth can thrive in a rich and varied environment. Much care is taken to ensure that there are a wide range of activities that will be of interest to everyone. These activities have allowed many children and young people to have vibrant, interesting and productive experiences. Together, we have fun, learn practical skills, and form meaningful and lasting relationships with our peers and leaders. 

Those who work directly with the children and young people: the mentors, volunteer their time, energy and resources to make it the best experience for all. Below, is testimonial from one such individual.  

Meet Collin

Collin is in his early twenties and is a mentor for both children and youth in Sunday school, youth interest programs and children’s activity clubs. Here, he answers some common questions about mentoring. 

What is your goal with this work? 

I believe the main goal of doing all the activities for the kids and young people is to plant seeds of life and show them the way to a life of victory over sin. This is much more attainable by showing kids love and care during a fun and interesting activity. Then their hearts are full of thankfulness and open to what mentors and leaders have to say. Later on in life they can look back at their younger years growing up in the church with great memories, and testify that they have only experienced goodness and care.

Why do you do what you do? 

I work as a mentor with various church activities because it gives me true joy! Being my age, with my current situation, I have the perfect opportunity to contribute to my local church with my free time and money. 

I have also experienced first-hand what it means to have mentors who have loved and cared for me, from when I was a young boy just joining the youth. They made an impression on me and encouraged me to live for Jesus. Having the opportunity to be along in this work has been a great grace, and has not felt like a “job” at all. 

Personally, I have gotten a true joy from working with the younger ones – joy that could not come from any earthly possessions. I have experienced that what Jesus says in the verse in Acts 20:35: “It is more blessed to give than receive” has definitely been a reality in my life. This work has given me the opportunity to gain personal friendships and bonds with so many. I have always gone away from activities with the children and youth feeling blessed and thankful for the time!