Outreach Worker Perspective: God is at Work

Jason was one of the first children to join Jesse Ketchum with his younger brother when we started the KIC programs in January 2022.

KIC is an afterschool program where children have the opportunity to hear the life-changing news of the gospel, some for the first time. Jason is one of our students who was introduced to the gospel through our programs. In addition, one of TCM’s core values is relationship building. Consequently, as the children engage with their Outreach Workers and volunteers, they are exposed to people whose lives have been transformed by the gospel.

Jason is an artistic and creative thinker. He likes to draw and colour during his free time and enjoys passionately sharing things he is excited about to his peers. In addition, he also loves gym games and is not shy about being around other kids and joining in on activities with them. 

Through Jason is often a lively kid, Abi (Outreach Worker at Jesse-Ketchum) realized that he does not like praise and worship or listening to Bible lessons. She often finds that he is not attentive to the Bible lesson as he hides behind chairs, or sits away from the group. Earlier last year, he mentioned that he “hates God” but then quickly said he was joking.

However, One day in October 2022, Jason had a change of heart and began becoming more curious about the Bible lesson and participating in praise and worship. One day the Bible lesson was about God’s promises to the prophets of the Bible. Jason was actively listening and participating in the discussion. He asked questions about the trinity, specifically, the Holy Spirit, and how we can talk to God personally. He also began to request specific worship songs and danced and sang along. One day, Jason’s dad asked us for a list of worship songs we sing during KIC because he noticed that his sons were singing them at home. His favourite song is "A Million Reasons” by Lifetree Kids. 

Abi and Karen were surprised with Jason’s change of heart. Seeing him enjoy worship along with the other kids brought them joy and encouragement. Their goal is to integrate worship music in all parts of the program so the children are exposed to it even in “non-worship” environments. Further, we hope that Jason and his brother minister to their parents by continuing to listen to the songs at home. Specifically, that their parents will hear the lyrics and begin to think about the meaning behind them and wonder about the God that their children are singing about. This shows us that although we are ministering to children, they are bringing the Gospel home and have the power to influence their parents. 

Through this experience, we witnessed God’s working power even when we don’t see results right away. Although we cannot pinpoint exactly what the switch was with Jason.  We are thankful that God opened his heart to have the desire to learn about Him and bring His presence home through music.

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!”

Hayden's Testimony (TLC)

If you were to glance in on a day in Sonshine Day Camp, you might spot Hayden with the kids! She has been serving faithfully as a TLC (Teens Leading Community) in the past two years at TCM. She’s been part of programs since she was in grade 4, and currently attends Youth Extreme and volunteers with Sonshine Day Camp. When she is not volunteering, she often helps to bring her younger brother and sister to programs as well. 

Hayden cherishes the time she spends in programs and with the children. She really enjoys the atmosphere of camp, and she can see how the leaders truly love and want to serve God. She also models that well herself! Her faith has been growing steadily and she does not shy away from sharing the Gospel with those around her. The children enjoy spending time with Hayden, whether during swimming or sitting by her at Bible time. She’s especially kind and helpful to the younger kids, who often stay by her side. She enjoys seeing how the kids truly want to learn more about God, and are excited to be part of programs each day. When asked about her experience serving at Sonshine Day Camp, she says “I’ve seen that I’ve grown as a person...and I’ve just been seeing God change my whole perspective on life.” She hopes that she can continue to build relationships with the kids as the pandemic gets better!