Bethlehem Aboriginal Fellowship of Winnipeg needs your prayer and generous support.

A sprinkler line ruptured in the upper level of the building they meet in early this week, causing extensive flooding and a small electrical fire. The Fire Department has closed the building until adjustors and engineers can assess the damage. The early estimates are that the damage will be at least $100,000 and could jump to $250,000 if there is any structural damage. Because the building is an old heritage building, repairs will likely be difficult and expensive.

Bethlehem Aboriginal Fellowship, led by pastor Dietrich Desmarais, ministers to aboriginal people in Winnipeg’s inner city. With Canada’s largest aboriginal population – more than 70,000 --- the needs in Winnipeg are great: prostitution, crime, despair, spiritual emptiness, addictions and poverty find fertile ground in this extremely poor neighbourhood. Uniquely, Bethlehem Aboriginal Fellowship integrates both aboriginal and non-aboriginal people into a single whole congregation without cultural segregation.

Let us stand with this congregation and God’s people in prayer. For more information on this vital church, please go to www.bethlehem.ca

Sixty-nine Canadian Baptist youth workers were among about 650 youth workers and exhibitors from Christian denominations across Canada participating in the third annual Canadian Youth Workers’ Convention held in Vancouver December 3-6.

Representing more than 10% of all youth and camp leaders attending, Canadian Baptist participants had the opportunity to be trained and encouraged in key aspects of youth ministry. They attended workshops on topics as diverse as learning how to turn a garage band into a worship band, basic counseling skills and dealing with discouragement in ministry. It was a wonderful opportunity for them to share with and learn from other paid and volunteer youth pastors from our denomination and from many other denominations.

The Convention, held at Vancouver’s Wall Centre was put together by Youth Specialties, a youth ministry that has been training youth ministers worldwide for the past 40 years. Each year, Youth Specialties trains more than 100,000 youth workers. Youth Specialties has recently created a Canadian office, headed by Marv Penner.

For more information on the Canadian Baptist’s youth ministry, contact Claire McLean, Interim Youth Director at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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