Ministries

Ministries

Ministry to children is an essential part of the discipleship journey for communities, families, and individuals. Discipleship that is experienced during childhood has a lifelong impact in a person’s spiritual and personal formation. That’s a weighty responsibility and being ministers to children is an important calling. We recognize that ministry to children and families looks different in each church setting and ministry in the CPD. It is our desire to support, equip, and create a relational and mentoring network of children’s ministry leaders for those serving in this ministry area, whether they are Official Workers, staff members, or lay leaders.

The best way to be connected with what is happening with children’s ministry in the CPD is through the ongoing conversation on our Facebook Group and by subscribing to the CPD Children’s Ministry newsletter. The newsletter provides information about webinars, surveys, potential meet-ups, encouragement, and communication for children’s ministry leaders in the CPD. The Alliance Children’s Ministry Network Team also provides great resources and connection points for leaders.

For more information, contact our District Children’s Ministry Partner, Carmen Kinniburgh.

Reaching the next generation is key to the revitalizing the church in Canada. The Alliance Canada is taking steps nationally to raise the profile of Next Generation initiatives and much of that is being championed out of the CPD. Youth Ministry at its best invites students into a deepening relationship with Jesus and emboldens them with a firm call to see their friends experience the same. Youth ministry is incredibly relational, complex, and consistently on the front line of what is happening in our culture and for that reason it is imperative that we have the best supported and resourced workers possible. Across our district are countless unique expressions of youth ministry run by paid staff and lay people alike, but what remains true is our desire to equip and encourage all of our workers well. We would love to keep you connected to what is happening among our CPD youth workers by joining our Facebook group. We also have an incredible resource guide to help you in the day to day of leading a ministry to youth called the Youth Ministry Toolbox. The Toolbox has practical guides to help build out your ministry as well as forms, documents, and tons more. For more information, contact our District Youth Ministry Partner, Geoff Stewart.

Help for Churches Experiencing Transitions in Pastoral Leadership

Transition is an intentional process that takes place between the departure of a Lead Pastor and the arrival of a new one. We desire to assist churches in our District to effectively navigate a season of transition by providing support, guidance, and resources.

 

Our Vision for Churches in Transition

It is our vision to help churches thrive through transition. Seasons of transition are windows of opportunity for churches to experience spiritual renewal, increased health, and focused mission/vision prior to engaging in the pastoral search. Our desire is that every church hires a new Lead Pastor from a posture of spiritual health, with clarity of vision in dependence on the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

 

Ways We Can Help

Many churches in our District have benefited from the support provided through our Transitional Ministry leaders and resources. These include:

    • The Transitional Pastors Network: this network features a team of transitional ministry specialists who are able to coach churches. If you are in a season of Lead Pastor transition, or anticipate that transition will be coming, you can contact the District Office or connect directly with our Transitional Ministry Coordinator, Daren Wride.

    • The Lead Pastor Search Manual and its accompanying resources are valuable tools to guide Boards and pastoral search teams and boards throughout the transition process.



Where to Begin?

It starts with a call to the District Office at 604-372-1922 about your needs and the resources available. Plans will be made to meet with the church Board of Elders in order to explore the ways your church can receive help and support.

Chaplaincy is a transformational movement set outside the walls of the traditional church. Chaplains are called to provide spiritual care through incarnational ministry of both word and deed to the distinctive communities in which they serve. Our chaplains perform a full range of ministerial services, including preaching and teaching, administering sacraments, officiating weddings and funerals, spiritual direction/life coaching, and providing the ministry of presence in both crisis and everyday situations.

Chaplaincy is a growing ministry within the C&MA in Canada and we have a strong network of chaplains in the Canadian Pacific District. As a network of chaplains, we provide pastoral support, leadership, advocacy, education, and training. We currently have 24 chaplains in our district and over 100 chaplains throughout Canada. Our governing body is the Association of Alliance Chaplains (AAC). If you have are interested in chaplaincy or have questions about chaplaincy in the CPD, please contact the Chair of the CPD Chaplain’s committee Carol Goh, by email or by phone at 604-845-4725.

CPD Chaplaincy Lead Team

Carol Goh , Chair
Rev. Don Ibsen, Prison Ministries
Rev. Bill Wong, Corporate and Armed Forces
Terry Opperman, Healthcare and Community

Chaplain’s Documents

AAC Guiding Documents

“New Ventures” is what The Alliance Canada calls church planting. But before your focus gets too narrow, New Ventures seeks to support a wide variety of start-up initiatives. While this could involve what one traditionally thinks of when they think of church planting – canvass a neighbourhood, plan a launch Sunday, rent a public hall, etc. – it might also look very different. For example, many New Ventures start with a small evangelistic bible study, a street mission, urban missionaries reaching new neighbourhoods, or cultural/language-based outreaches.

The critical point for New Ventures is this: does the new work, have the potential to become a local church in the Alliance at some point in its development?

Are you dreaming of something new? Is the church you lead wondering how it might reach a new community or a new people group? Reach out and let’s start a conversation.

Check out New Ventures Canada to explore and support the New Ventures taking root around Canada!

For more information, contact our New Ventures Leader Dave Enns.

Carmen Kinniburgh

District Children’s Ministry Partner

Children’s ministry involves developing leaders, discipling children and families, exercising creativity, with an emphasis on fun and building relationships that help others to experience God’s love as they are loved by people who know God’s love. Carmen has served in children’s ministries as a volunteer, coordinator, curriculum writer, camp speaker, and pastor. Her desire in ministry and life is to help others (whether they be children, youth, or adults) to hear God’s voice and to experience the freedom and fullness of love found in knowing Jesus and living kingdom lives. Whether your children’s ministry is led by volunteers or a pastoral leader, Carmen would love to connect, build networks, support, resource, pray with, and provide care in whatever areas are needed.

Carmen lives in Vernon with her husband, Jeremy, and their two teenage kids. She loves playing soccer, hiking, camping, and theatre. She and Jeremy have founded two new ministries called Threshold Initiatives and Contributing Pastor.

Terry Ann Opperman

Official Worker

David has served at Lakewood Alliance Church since the fall of 2002, first as an associate, then as Lead Pastor starting in November 2005. David has been on various committees including DEXCOM, District Nominating Committee, a few General Assembly Committees, and the Rules Committee for District Conference. David has an interest in church governance and seeing healthy leaders serving on healthy boards in order to better equip and serve the church.

David and Tara are in the process of launching their three young adult sons and enjoy seeing the trajectories their lives are taking. David enjoys woodwork and getting out cross-country skiing in the winter.

Steve Schneider

Lay Person

Steve is a layperson and a member of Peace Portal Alliance Church in Surrey. He has been married to his wife Brenda since 1984. They have two adult daughters. He is an engineer by background and holds an MBA from Heriot-Watt University. He works in the paper industry and is also the President of SGS Consulting Ltd. He has recently become a licensed worker in the CPD.

Steve has served in varied ways over the years but has more recently been focussed on church board work. He served on his first church board 36 years ago. Since that time, he has served on four different church boards and the District Executive Committee of the CPD. Over the last 12 years Steve has actively been teaching and consulting with church and not-for-profit boards within and outside of The Alliance Canada to help them develop healthy governance practices.

Keith Cheung

English Lead Pastor at Burnaby Alliance Church

Keith was also an active member at Westside Calgary Chinese Alliance Church before moving to Vancouver to begin full-time pastoral ministry. After a brief stint pastoring in a church from another denomination, Keith began serving as the English Lead Pastor at Burnaby Alliance Church in 2017 where he continues to serve today.

Keith is married to Cecelia (20 years this year!) and they are raising 2 beautiful daughters (11 and 6) who they adopted from Taiwan and Korea respectively. He loves, in no particular order, cooking and eating and conversations, the Saskatchewan Roughriders, road cycling, family reunions, and good movies and music.

Carol Goh

District Chaplains Committee Chair

carol@mycac.ca

Carol Goh has chaired the District Chaplains Committee and served on the Association for Alliance Chaplains (AAC) National Committee since 2018. She completed her Masters degree in Chaplaincy in Spiritual Care from Trinity Western Seminary and is the Neighborhood Chaplain and Pastor for Seniors at Chilliwack Alliance. As a chaplain, Carol invests in the neighborhood (parish) around the church through connecting with those who live, work, and go to school there. She intentionally supports the local public elementary school and other local organizations so that together they can weave together the fabric of care for the inhabitants. The Goh household includes her husband Andrew, their three teenage sons, Andrew’s mother, and their golden doodle.

David Driedger

Board Leadership Training Partner

dave@lakewoodalliance.com

David has served at Lakewood Alliance Church since the fall of 2002, first as an associate, then as Lead Pastor starting in November 2005. David has been on various committees including DEXCOM, District Nominating Committee, a few General Assembly Committees, and the Rules Committee for District Conference. David has an interest in church governance and seeing healthy leaders serving on healthy boards in order to better equip and serve the church.

David and Tara are in the process of launching their three young adult sons and enjoy seeing the trajectories their lives are taking. David enjoys woodwork and getting out cross-country skiing in the winter.

Daren Wride

Transitional Pastors Network Coordinator

dwride@shaw.ca

Daren Wride has been serving in transitional roles since 2011. He has been on the ground as Transitional Pastor in multiple churches around the province and has engaged as a Transitional Coach with several other churches. Prior to his transitional work, Daren pastored three churches in Alberta and BC for a total of nearly 20 years. Daren has also spent time in the professional speaking and internet marketing worlds and usually has a related project on the go.

Geoff Stewart

District Youth Ministry Partner

geoffs@peaceportalalliance.com

Youth ministry is among the most demanding ministries in the church from a relational standpoint, serving young people who are defining the ever changing culture we live in. Leading in youth ministry is best not done alone, and Geoff desires to help our youth pastors serve and encourage one another through the sharing of resources, wisdom, experience, and perspective. In the ever-changing world of today’s high school student, it is vital for us as youth pastors to be changing with them to understand the world they are navigating and share with them the life changing truth of the Gospel.

Geoff has been a youth pastor for 6 years at Peace Portal Alliance Church and volunteered for 10 years before that in the same church. He is passionate about seeing young people transformed by Jesus and becoming leaders in their school and community. He and his wife Lavonne live in South Surrey with their cats Norman and Puff Daddy.

Andy Lambkin

Team Lead - Property Development & Nest Housing Society

andy.lambkin@gmail.com

Andy wears two hats in the Canadian Pacific District. He serves as our New Venture implementer, helping new communities of faith emerge across our province, and he also leads the Nest housing Society, a non-profit affordable housing society working with local churches to utilize their land for social good while fulfilling critical ministry priorities. If you have questions about either of these areas, please reach out.

Personally, Andy is married to Jolie and they have four kids. Residing in North Vancouver, they call simplechurches, a network of house churches, their church home.

Carmen Kinniburgh

District Children’s Ministry Partner

jckinnib@telus.net

Children’s ministry involves developing leaders, discipling children and families, exercising creativity, with an emphasis on fun and building relationships that help others to experience God’s love as they are loved by people who know God’s love. Carmen has served in children’s ministries as a volunteer, coordinator, curriculum writer, camp speaker, and pastor. Her desire in ministry and life is to help others (whether they be children, youth, or adults) to hear God’s voice and to experience the freedom and fullness of love found in knowing Jesus and living kingdom lives. Whether your children’s ministry is led by volunteers or a pastoral leader, Carmen would love to connect, build networks, support, resource, pray with, and provide care in whatever areas are needed.

Carmen lives in Vernon with her husband, Jeremy, and their two teenage kids. She loves playing soccer, hiking, camping, and theatre. She and Jeremy have founded two new ministries called Threshold Initiatives and Contributing Pastor.