The Tabernacle

Written by: Katherine Ma, Outreach Worker in Willowtree

Tabernacle is a funny word. It’s a big word and one that we tend to not talk about a lot. Yet do you realize how big of a theme it was in both the Old and New Testaments?

As I was writing the curriculum for this year under the topic of ‘tabernacle’, I first thought that it’s a foreign thing to teach kids. I didn’t grow up in the church, but I have served my fair share of time in church summer camps. I can’t remember a single time we even brought up the word ‘tabernacle’ to the kids. Yet as I explored the word (and The Word) more and more, I was surprised by how relevant and important it was to know.

See, the tabernacle was seen as the place where God Himself dwelled in the Old Testament. God was among the Israelites in a symbolic way, but it also manifested in the physical location of the tabernacle. It was the tent where Yahweh chose to remain. So holy was this place that only the highest priest could enter through the heavy curtains after extensive cleansing rituals, and even then there was a possibility that any amount of uncleanliness could lead to the priest’s death in the presence of the Holiest of Holies. This truly relates to the fear of God.

So what does it mean for us now? And for Toronto City Mission, for the families and kids, we share our lives with?

“So the Word became human and made his home among us… And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” -John 1:14

Doesn’t that sound familiar? Except... What about the cleansing rituals? The curtain? I quote the song, At The Cross by Chris Tomlin:

“You tore the veil, You made a way
When You said that it is done”

Before Jesus, God dwelled in a specific, closed-off place. Not because He was selfish and distant, but because we were too unclean and affected by sin to be in His presence without suffering. Now with Jesus, after His sacrifice, we can be with Him - truly with Him, in true relationship with Him.

And this is what I hope the kids to glean from this lesson. That God is truly Emmanuel, God among us. Their lives may be affected by distant parents - emotionally or physically - and the brokenness of this world, but may they know that God is right there with them. And He is so, so near.

Lesson on Humility

By: Katherine Ma | Outreach Worker in Willowtree

The start of the school year was an uncertain one. Willowtree hit some speed bumps in getting space secured for programs, and it was unclear when it would happen. It’s tempting for me in these times to wonder why God would allow things to be ‘in the way’ of the work that I think is good for the Kingdom - does God not want us to have programs? And in other times when circumstances continue to press against me, I start taking it personally. I ask God what He wants from me. Sometimes, I listen to sermons or ask other people for advice, and sometimes I get this answer: God wants to humble me.

Humble me? Am I not humble enough from all these things that are against me? I feel like such a failure sometimes that I can’t do these things. I already have no self-confidence, so what more do I have to be humbled? But I learned that this isn’t really what God means by humility.

Basically: Self-loathing is not humility. Thinking you are less than others is not humility. Denying yourself of grace is not humility. I used to get that mixed up - okay, I still do. I mean I knew that beating myself up mentally all the time wasn’t exactly what God wanted for me in humility, but maybe it was close. If humility was the gold standard, then maybe self-loathing was the Amazon knock-off. However, now I believe that instead of a pale imitation, humility and self-loathing are two entirely different things.

The reason for the mix-up is mostly due to a sense of unhealthy guilt. Healthy guilt leads to repentance; unhealthy guilt just leads to inward and cyclical self-focused self-pity. Focusing solely on your faults is not particularly better than focusing solely on your abilities (pride) - both look away from God and inwards to yourself. Unhealthy guilt leading to unhealthy self-loathing is an attempt to say to God, ‘I am not good enough for your grace.’ This is a layered statement. First, it says that you either know yourself better than God or you are a worthier judge than God, and second, it says that you don’t understand grace. Funnily enough, it is a true statement. We can’t be good enough for grace - it’s grace, and grace is undeserved. No one can be good enough for grace, or else it would cease to be grace. So perhaps the first step to moving from unhealthy guilt to seeing ourselves rightly through the lens of grace is to change the meaning of that statement. ‘God, I am not good enough for your grace, but you give it to me nonetheless.’

Humility then could be defined as this: The ability to see ourselves rightly. Not more than we are, and not less than we are. Yes, this is a big ask - how are we to find out who we are? But the first step cannot be to ask ourselves, but rather to ask our Maker.

“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.”
Romans 5:1-2 NLT

Summer Highlights 2021

Summer 2021 has been a summer to remember! It’s been over a year since we’ve been able to have Sonshine Day Camp in person and what a treat it was to be with campers, TLC’s and staff! Even though camp days were shorter and there was a limited capacity, staff and campers alike enjoyed the time spent with one another. For 6 weeks, campers learned about God’s grace, forgiveness, love and His view on justice. Campers read about creation, Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Jesus’ Death and Resurrection and Jacob and Esau’s reconciliation. Through praise and worship, bible time, games, and activities, campers built a better understanding and foundation of the Christian life. With proper PPE and physical distancing rules in place, relationships between staff and campers continued to build and flourish. Thanks to the generosity of Sparks, churches and families, campers had enough PPE and snacks to last them throughout camp! 

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Throughout the summer, we wanted you to get to know our campers more personally! We made a ‘This or That’ video so that you could learn about what they’d prefer. We also made a ‘Day in the Life of a Camper’ for you to see what it was like to be a Sonshine Day Camper! Check out the videos on our Youtube channel. 

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TCM Summer Interns are an essential part of Sonshine Day Camp. Not only do they plan, prepare and execute camp, but they also work together with staff and volunteers to provide a caring, safe, loving, and fun environment. An environment where they share the love of Christ Jesus through teaching the campers but also through everyday actions. Here’s a story from one of our interns, Gloria from Kingston-Galloway.

“On the first day I met this camper, I thought he was so silly and quite immature. He would constantly bother those around him and get them to chase him around the room. He would express his thoughts aloud and not care how these comments would affect other people. But after a few days/ a week, I saw that he was one of the most mature out of the entire group. Although he did take part in bothering other people, he was never the first to instigate this. And after having discussions with the leaders about his misbehavior, I saw that he really tried to correct his inappropriate actions or comments.

During bible time, he was drawn to the stories and began to ask questions that sometimes caught me off guard. Through him, I saw that God was using our activities to grow this camper’s curiosity towards Him. I was happy that the effort we placed in making the lessons fun and interesting helped him understand difficult concepts and understand God’s love for him/ all of us.

Throughout camp, this camper’s growth paralleled my personal growth as well. He helped me understand that although they are just kids, they still have a concept of justice, happiness, etc. and their misbehaviors are just ways of expressing their innermost needs. Although he was silly at times, I saw him as a leader who took initiative and cared for those around him. I can’t wait to see the person he becomes, or as he told me, a basketball player for the NBA!”

Praise God for all that He has done this summer! 

Learning to Love a Community

Written by: Jungsoo Shim | Intern at Willowtree

Time goes by so quickly. As I reflect on the past two weeks of Sonshine Day Camp at Willowtree, I realize how blessed I am to serve there. 

Willowtree is a neighbourhood of housing complexes provided by Toronto Community Housing. There are multiple low-rise buildings, 4 parking lots, a playground, a swimming pool, and 2 basketball courts. It’s a little confusing to navigate through the area, but I have grown accustomed to it. The community is small and friendly. I learned not to be so shy whenever I walked around the neighbourhood. People are welcoming, they like to smile and greet one another. I was encouraged to initiate greetings with people I’ve never met before.

The kids love coming to camp and are always eager to join. On Mondays and Wednesdays, we have two sessions. For each session, we start with a fun activity, then go into our Bible lesson and activity, and end with snacks. On Tuesdays, Katherine (the Outreach Worker of the Willowtree site) teaches the kids to play ukulele and I would play basketball with the kids at the court (2:00PM - 4:30PM). On Thursdays, we meet with the kids online (4:30PM - 6:30PM) to tutor and play some games.

I think the most rewarding moments come from spending time with the campers. Whether it be listening to them speak, playing games with them, or teaching them something new - these moments allow me to get to know them and build a relationship with them. 

I have a desire to pray for the kids in Willowtree. I pray for their relationships, future, and their intimacy with God. It also motivates me to develop my relationship with God, so that I am able to share the joys of knowing Him and being in a relationship with Him.

May God continue to work in the Willowtree community, so that more would experience His goodness through hearing and reading the Word. May He become the center of their lives.

Monica's Testimony (Youth)

Monica is a youth who is regularly part of our programs. She attends our tutoring program (EPIC) and our kids program (KIC), along with her younger sister, who she loves taking care of. She’s also a “big sister” to many of the kids in the program, as they look up to her and her faith in God. She loves taking part in the art/paint nights where they have done projects like painting landscapes/animals, making acrostic poems, and other creative works! 

Some of her favourite memories at program and camp include doing tie dye, eating freezies, and having water balloon fights. She can also be seen running around and has lots of energy. However, when she is asked why she continues to come back to programs, she says that she really enjoys talking about the Gospel. She has seen that having a relationship with Jesus has changed her for the better, and knows that God gives her a sense of peace in her life. She says, “I’m happy that he’s affected my life and programs!”