UrbanPromise Toronto's "Shyne"...first missions trip

...with Muskoka Woods' CEO Serve 2011 Team, 

a church from Oakville, ON 

and YWAM from New Orleans!!!

UrbanPromise Toronto *JOB POSTING*

Site Supervisor &/or Urban Missionary (full-time position) with Jr. High Youth in Scarborough (Warden Station)

Please click the link below:
http://urbanpromise.com/job_posting_site_supervisor_youth.pdf

UrbanPromise Toronto Christmas Gala 2010

A Night to Remember 

"I feel like a VIP," one boy shouted excitedly. To which another boy responded, "I am a VIP!"

       And that was exactly the point of our Christmas Gala: to show these children who often feel overlooked, marginalized and even abandoned that they ARE very important to God. At Christmas we are reminded that God gave His very best for us because He loves us.

       To set the scene, invitations were handed out at camp weeks in advance and there was much talk of a mystery host. When the special evening finally arrived there were lights, cameras, a red carpet, security (provided by a couple guys who looked strangely familiar), lots of fun activities and a modest Christmas dinner.

       Two churches here in the GTA joined forces with our staff, interns and volunteers to provide the children of UPT with a night of Christmas celebration they will not soon forget. This annual event has become a tradition at UPT involving more and more volunteers each year. The entire event is planned and coordinated by the second-year UPT interns, providing them with a great opportunity to put into practice the ministry skills they have acquired during their internship.

       Despite the huge organizational challenge it presented our interns, it was all worthwhile and in end Sarah (one of my interns) said, "The best moment for me was watching my kids walk the red carpet. Watching them pose and laugh and be silly and just have fun and watching them feel like they were important."

       Portico a community church (Mississaugua, Ontario) provided the venue, donating their facility for the evening along with a team of volunteers who helped with decorating the building and entertaining the children. Uptown Toronto Meetinghouse (Toronto, Ontario), sent volunteers and a generous donation from their House Churches to help with program cost at UPT. Even the buses to bring the the children from each of our three camps to the event location in Mississauga were donated (huge thanks to one of my donors)!

       Children love a party, but an invitation-only party hosted by a special mystery person was almost more excitment then these kids could bear! Check out the video to see how your giving this Christmas was a source of blessing to the precious UPT children from Camp Hope, Freedom (my location) and Victory.

       Even though we are well into the New Year we do not want to quickly forget the wonder of Christmas and the various ways our ministry partners gave of themselves to enable UPT to share the love of Christ with so many.

       On behalf of the children, thank you for your kindness and generosity!
 

Today is my Birthday!

This blog entry will be updated later today with pictures...maybe.

(By the way, I am now 26 years old. Praise God!)

UrbanPromise & MoveIn Toronto's "KUYA" [Episode 15]

Prayer List

***UPDATED: Monday, January 10, 2011***

Thank you for your continued prayers and support!

UrbanPromise Toronto

• Please pray for food (snacks & dinners) and materials (school & arts and crafts) to still be provided because there is still zero budget for the upcoming semester.
• Praise God for three of my male youth leaders who work for me were recently baptized 
• Please pray for the upcoming semester and the growth of our team (spiritually, in numbers, teaching Bible studies, tutoring, disciplining, new incentive program, etc.) and children (spiritually, academically, behaviour) including their families (financial, domestic peace)
• All the children and leaders from all sites across the GTA were able to get a place and buses for transportation for our Christmas party on Saturday, December 11 at 'Portico - a community church' in Mississauga
• Please pray for one of my male leaders who is growing tremendously but going through a really hard time right now (details cannot be shared)
• Please also pray for the health of two of my female leaders (details also cannot be shared)
• Please pray for three of my kids and their mother...the kids' uncle recently got gunned down 24 times in front of his son. The kids just recently started behaving so much better during our After School Program but are now having a hard time going through this. Praise God though that the mother is very encouraged to hear for the very first time that people are actually praying for her and her family.

MoveIn Toronto

• We now have an official team in Jane & Finch's Milo Park Gate patch meeting weekly on Monday nights for prayer, Bible Study, and food at my apartment.
• Two of the three recently baptized as well as one of my interns from UrbanPromise Toronto have started attending as well.
• Things are still needed to fill up the apartment...but praise God that some people (from Morningstar, MoveIn Toronto, UrbanPromise Toronto and even through Craigslist, Facebook and Twitter) have already donated some things. 
• NEEDS: dining table(s) that seat 10+ people, a 10+ passenger van, rectangular kitchen table and/or cart, foldable chairs and tables, board games (chess, checkers, dominoes, poker and get-to-know-you games), several window blinds, first aid kit and fire extinguisher, djembe drum, electric piano, clothes & food for our clothing & food bank, new toaster, filter for drinking water, ice trays, books (extra Bibles, commentaries, Driver's Education Handbooks, etc.), book shelf, large area rug, all season floor matt, etc.
• We had a temporary tenant (of two months) from a local church who just moved out...where a friend from the South Flemo patch and also a former classmate of mine from Tyndale UC...who sent him to us and was recently saved. He is homeless and broke, he is still learning to get back on his feet and take care of himself. Please pray for continued growth and follow up.

Thank you Missions Teams!

Thank you so much to these two missions teams for their continued help in our After School Program at Camp Freedom...we all really appreciate it. We praise God for all of you!

Tyndale University College's Leading Edge class of 2010-2011

(http://www.tyndale.ca/)

Capernwray Quebec class of 2010-2011

(http://www.capernwrayquebec.ca/)