Annual Report 2017
Our Mission To help people find hope and live life through experiencing Jesus in their relationships, sexuality and identity Our Ministry We partner with Christian communities to offer safe places for spiritual care and experiential discipleship Our Desire To see people living healthy, hope-filled lives in their relationships, families and communities 2 Journey Canada 2017 Annual Report
From the Executive Director At the beginning of 2017, in praying about the new year ahead of us we felt a renewed calling to serve and support Christian organizations and churches across Canada. Through the year, in addition to the regular activities of the ministry, we committed to strengthening existing partnerships, and developing new ones with churches and other ministries across Canada. Through our equipping seminars, presentations and courses, we ministered to over 9,100 people. We also trained and equipped over 920 Christian workers, ministers and leaders to partner with us in our holistic discipleship mandate helping individuals find hope and live life through experiencing Jesus in their relationships, sexuality and identity. That included the privilege of mentoring five on-site interns (four of them from other nations), and sending out seven others who completed our first Off-Site Internship. Our gratitude to you, our partners, is immense. Without your encouragement and support we would not be able to continue, and without your prayers this work would be impossible to do. We are thankful to you for working alongside of us. We know that 2018 will bring new ventures, and new challenges, but we believe in God s faithful provision and your unwavering support. Thank you again for standing with us. With deep gratitude, Toni Dolfo-Smith Executive Director Journey Canada 3
Hope for the Future Melody: I came to Journey after hitting an immovable wall. Triggered by a crisis of faith and identity my son was experiencing, I was unable to help him or fix the situation. All my carefully crafted ways of coping and living my life were no longer working for me. In my quest to better understand and try to help my son, God began to put His finger on issues in my own life caused by abandonment, neglect, and abuse I had experienced as a child. As an adult I had become controlling and tyrannical in my relationships, lacking trust and fearing intimacy. I employed a number of aversion techniques to manage my intense fears. When my son went through his crisis, it triggered the wounds from the past and I was unable to cope any longer. Neil: I wouldn t have gone through Journey if it wasn t for Melody. When she participated in the Journey Discipleship Course, I noticed changes in her. I was aware of things that had happened to her as a child and how they were hurting her, so I was very encouraged. The changes taking place were not dramatic or instant; rather, they were more gradual and subtle. However, I noticed a positive impact on our relationship; we were communicating on a deeper level. When Melody suggested I join her at Journey s Intensive Week in 2012, I thought, Why not? I love her, and I want to support her along the way. Well, it didn t take long for God to start breaking through my helpful attitude and identifying areas of unmet need in my own life. I really had no idea. He showed me ways I had learned to cope things like overachieving to receive accolades and praise, with the slightest criticism resulting in my complacency and withdrawal. Unfortunately, this had never helped me deal with the issue of my deeper needs. Now, for the first time, I too was able to understand more how my past was affecting my present. Melody: Journey offered a safe place for me to begin dismantling the wall of protection I had built around my heart and explore my inability to express love to those around me. It helped me encounter the healing touch of my Heavenly Father, and Jesus, the lover of my soul. They were offering me the true, pure intimacy I so desperately needed and longed for, but was so afraid of. I discovered God s great love for me isn t dependent on what I do or the things that have been done to me. I am His beloved daughter, created in His image. These experiences brought life to my dry and weary soul. And over time I began to express love to others in ways I have always longed to, but not been able to in the past. I am by no means all fixed; I am a work in progress. But I have hope for the future. Neil: Participating in Journey was huge for me. The thing I loved most about the Journey leaders was they never counseled me with solutions, not once. Rather, they continually pointed me to Jesus for direction. As a result, my relationship with Him is growing and becoming more intimate every day. It took years for me to perfect all those habits of meeting my own needs, so I still struggle with them resurfacing on a regular basis. However, now that I can recognize them I am able to move away from them when they arise, toward Him. And I have hope for the future.
5 Journey Canada 2017 Annual Report
In 2017, Journey Canada ministered to 9,100+ people 7,940+ people of all ages attended a public presentation at one of the following venues: Church and Ministry Conferences, Gatherings, Panels, Retreats, Seminars and Workshops High School, College and Seminary Chapels and Classes Sunday Schools Weekend Church Services Youth and Young Adult Groups 6 Journey Canada 2017 Annual Report
93 churches and organizations in 42 cities partnered with us from across Canada. 278 people participated in discipleship courses in Abbotsford, Calgary, Chilliwack, Edmonton, Fort Langley, Halifax, Montreal, New Hamburg, North Vancouver, Summerland, Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg. 920+ ministry leaders equipped for holistic discipleship ministry (including pastors, caregivers, counsellors, youth ministers, missionaries and faculty). 370+ staff and volunteers regularly provided spiritual support and care. 7
Programs Journey 101 A six-session introductory course that helps participants identify their struggles and make the choice to embrace their lifelong healing journey. Journey Discipleship Course A comprehensive course that incorporates prayer, providing in-depth discipleship and spiritual care. Journey Youth / Young Adults Ministry to youth/young adults and training for youth leaders and ministers in the areas of relationships, sexuality and identity. Support Groups Groups that meet regularly to offer encouragement and spiritual support for individuals and family members dealing with sexual addiction, spousal infidelity and same-sex attraction. Pastoral Approaches Seminars One-day seminars offering pastoral training and tools for pastors, ministry leaders, caregivers and friends. Topics include sexually addictive behavior, and the church and same-sex attraction. Journey Canada Intensive Week A week-long retreat designed as a safe place for participants to encounter God and experience deeper healing. This experiential training in Journey programs is open to those in pastoral ministry, professional counselling and lay leadership, or who have completed the Journey Discipleship Course. Internship Program A program for those wishing to develop Journey in their home region, in Canada or abroad. Visit journeycanada.org to learn more 9
Participant Stories I CAME TO JOURNEY BELIEVING I HAD NOTHING GOOD TO GIVE; ashamed of my past, and thinking I couldn t trust myself. Fantasy and lust had taken over my mind and my imagination. At Journey, I found a place where I could invite Christ into this part of my life. I was surrounded and supported by safe people, and in this environment I was able to allow God in. He taught me what it truly means to be born again, and He is meeting my needs in new ways. In moments where shame comes up again and I feel like I don t measure up, He reminds me of His provision and that He is my Father. In this way, I am being strengthened and transformed. Marie, 25 MY MARRIAGE AND FAMILY BLEW APART when my long-term pornography use and extra-marital sexual activity was discovered. I had kept secrets from my loved ones for many years. The guilt and shame I carried had crippled my relationship with Christ and fueled feelings of self-hatred. Participating in Journey has been instrumental in the process of restoration. Fully confessing and repenting of my actions has allowed Christ to engage me in ways I never thought possible. The forgiveness and grace I experience has been and continues to be incredible. I know I am loved, even as I am a work in progress. Dwayne, 53 10 Journey Canada 2017 Annual Report
I HAVE BEEN ON A JOURNEY TO CULTIVATE A LIFE WITH JESUS for several years. I wanted to be able to hear His voice and experience His love, but my prayers and petitions seemed to fall on deaf ears. I wondered, What is the barrier that stands in the way of me receiving God s love and hearing His voice more fully? Participating in the Journey Discipleship Course gave me a safe and nonjudgmental place to speak and share about past hurts that had been pushed down for decades. Through this process, I came to understand I had been trying to earn love and belonging, trying to be perfect; the perfect daughter, the perfect wife, the perfect mother. That s why I couldn t hear His voice for me. I now know that He does listen, love, and care about me, as I am. Donna, 65 11
Volunteer Stories I attended the Journey Discipleship Course as a participant for the first time in 2012. I didn t understand then that I was struggling with sexual addiction, all I knew was that life felt unmanageable and that I needed help. Throughout the course, I was given words and a framework to begin talking about my experiences. This process was accompanied by pain but also the discovery that Jesus is with me and that He is enough for me. I feel called to communicate this truth, that Jesus is real, present, and enough, and that is why I stay involved with Journey as a volunteer. Becca, 23 I participated in a Journey program in the 90 s, and went on to attend Journey s national Intensive Week. Over the years I have continued to volunteer in Journey 101 and the Journey Discipleship Course in my area, because experiencing Jesus through the times of worship, teaching, and small groups has had an eternal impact on my life and I get to walk alongside others who come hungry to meet with Jesus and be transformed. Ed, 61 12 Journey Canada 2017 Annual Report
I first came to Journey about six years ago. I was struggling with knowing who I was and with various addictions. These struggles were preventing me from being the kind of husband and dad I knew I should be. My lack of identity and my addictions made the most important relationships in my life feel like a prison. At Journey, I was able to talk about these things and be honest about my feelings for the first time. I experienced the love of God through the love and acceptance of other people. Through this new encounter with the God s love, I came to see my family as a gift rather than a burden. I want to help others experience the healing love of the Father, which is why I stay involved with Journey. Graeme, 44 13
Journey Canada Intensive Week Each summer Journey Canada hosts conferences where men and women gather for a time of spiritual renewal and personal transformation. The Intensive Week offers the Journey Discipleship Course with the same elements of worship, teaching, ministry and small group prayer but in a concentrated format rather than over a period of months. It is designed for those in positions of Christian leadership (including pastors, caregivers, counsellors, youth ministers, missionaries and faculty), or those who have completed a Journey Discipleship Course and are interested in being involved in Journey courses. This intense approach allows participants to leave behind the demands and distractions of the day-to-day and spend a week listening to and receiving from God. For those who have attended the program previously, it s an opportunity to go deeper in their walk with Jesus. For those in positions of giving to others emotionally and spiritually, this week gives them the opportunity to receive for themselves. It is an opportunity for Christian leaders within Journey and the church to reconnect with God, self and others. 14
PEOPLE TEND TO GET STUCK IN THEIR FOLLOWING OF JESUS and pastors get stuck, too. So for me, attending Journey s Intensive Week gave me the opportunity to invite Jesus into my wounds and my brokenness, and hear Him speak words of healing to me. Every pastor and leader needs to receive for themselves if they re ever going to give anything away. Finding a place where we can bring our wounds enables us to get filled up ourselves, enables us to experience the healing we re trying to invite other people into. For me, coming to Journey wasn t about learning tips and techniques for other people, it was about me experiencing something I could invite them into with me. Mark Peters Lead Pastor of North Shore Alliance Church North Vancouver, BC Journey Canada 2017 Annual Report 15
Endorsements Defend Dignity is grateful for the work of Journey Canada. They ve worked with us in our Reveal Conferences for the past three years. We appreciate the knowledge that they bring, but a main reason they re an audience favourite is that they re honest and vulnerable willing to share their own issues of brokenness. This breaks down barriers for the people in the room, freeing them to share their own personal struggles. We love that they do that. Sometimes people come to our conferences in a place of despair because they haven t been able to get help for their own addictions. It s been great to have Journey at our events because I m confident they can offer the needed help to people. We look to Journey as friends and colleagues as we work together. I look forward to working with them for many years to come. Glendyne Gerrard Director Defend Dignity 16 Journey Canada 2017 Annual Report
This year s theme for our schools and Archdiocese is Care for everyone in our common home. Our young people face many challenges. We ve been asking ourselves: How do we help them? How do we really help people? For this Journey Canada has been a God-send. They re kind, compassionate and merciful. They lead by example. Their witness of young (and not-so-young) people is awe inspiring. A recurring motif in Journey Canada is compassion, care, and the lived experience that they bring to everything they do. I want to thank Journey Canada for their witness that God s love is, in fact, enough. Michel Gloanec Director of the Evangelization and Catachesis Catholic Independent School Board in the Vancouver Archdiocese 17
In 2017 we partnered with... Airdrie Alliance Church Airdrie, AB Ambrose University College Calgary, AB Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd Vancouver, BC Association of Christian Schools International Calgary, AB BC Campus Ministries (PAOC) Bethel Community Church Edmonton, AB Beulah Alliance Church Edmonton, AB Briercrest College and Seminary Caronport, SK BC Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches Broken Bread Toronto North York, ON Calgary Chinese Alliance Church Calgary, AB Calgary Japanese Gospel Church Calgary, AB Calvary Baptist Church Ottawa, ON Cambridge Vineyard Christian Fellowship Cambridge, ON Camp Chamisall Calgary, AB Cedar Grove Church Surrey, BC Celebrate Recovery Kelowna, BC Centre Street Church Calgary, AB Chilliwack Vineyard Community Church Chilliwack, BC Christ City Church Vancouver, BC Christian Medical Dental Association Edmonton, AB Culloden Church Vancouver, BC Deep Water Church Halifax, NS Defend Dignity Winnipeg, MB Edson Alliance Church Edson, AB Église Communautaire Mountainview Otterburn Park, QC Église dans l Lanaudière l Assomption, QC Emmanuel Evangelical Free Church Steinbach, MB Evangel Church Kelowna, BC Evangelical Free Church of Canada Evangelical Mennonite Mission Conference Winnipeg, MB Faith Academy High School Winnipeg, MB Fellowship Baptist Church Edmonton, AB Fleetwood International Church Surrey, BC Foothills Alliance Church Calgary, AB Frontline Voices Choir Surrey, BC Grace Chapel Halifax, NS Grace Chinese Gospel Church of North York North York, ON Grace Fellowship Baptist Church Hope, BC Grace Vancouver Church Vancouver, BC Gracepoint Fellowship Calgary, AB Grande Prairie Alliance Church Grande Prairie, AB Halbstadt Mennonite Church Halbstadt, MB Heritage Alliance Church Abbotsford, BC Innisfail Alliance Church Innisfail, AB Kilcona Park Alliance Church Winnipeg, MB Koinonia Christian School Airdrie, AB Living Hope Fellowship Burnaby, BC 18 Journey Canada 2017 Annual Report
Living Waters Church Fort Langley, BC Maple View Mennonite Church Wellesley, ON Maranatha Christian Fellowship Winkler, MB Millar College of the Bible Pambrun, SK Milliken Wesleyan Church Markham, ON Millwoods Pentecostal Church Edmonton, AB Morrow Gospel Church Winnipeg, MB Nassau Street Church Winnipeg, MB Nelson Avenue Community Church Burnaby, BC Ness Avenue Baptist Church Winnipeg, MB New Hamburg Christian Centre New Hamburg, ON New Life Chinese Lutheran Church Vancouver, BC New Life Community Church Halifax, NS North Shore Alliance Church North Vancouver, BC Northern Youth Programs Dryden, ON Northgate Baptist Church Edmonton, AB Okanagan Valley Pregnancy Care Centre Kelowna, BC Prairie Rose Evangelical Mennonite Church Landmark, MB Premier Église Evangélique Armenienne de Montreal Montreal, QC Redemption Church Vancouver, BC Rexdale Alliance Church Toronto, ON Richmond Pentecostal Church Richmond, BC Riverwood Church Community Winnipeg, MB Rock Church Lower Sackville, NS Rockpointe Church Calgary, AB Rockyview Alliance Church Calgary, AB Scarborough Chinese Baptist Church Toronto, ON South Park Mennonite Brethren Church Altona, MB Spruce Grove Alliance Church Edmonton, AB St. John Brebeuf Catholic School Abbotsford, BC St. John s Richmond Church Richmond, BC St. John s Vancouver Church Vancouver, BC Summerland Alliance Church Summerland, BC Tenth Church Vancouver, BC The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada The Lord s Love Church Vancouver, BC The Tapestry Church Richmond, BC The Western Canadian District of the CMA Calgary, AB The Winnipeg Foundation Winnipeg, MB Tillsonburg Alliance Church Tillsonburg, ON Trinity Grace Church Toronto, ON Trinity Western University Langley, BC Vancouver Chinese Alliance Church Vancouver, BC Vanguard College Edmonton, AB West End Christian Community Winnipeg, MB Woodside Bible Fellowship Elmira, ON Youth for Christ Canada 19
C+80 C+6+18+27 C+5+10 Financial Overview Revenue Donation Income Program Revenue Other Revenue $666,548 $168,326 $278 TOTAL REVENUE $835,152 0+20+ Expenses Programs Administration Donor Relations 85+ $736,795 $88,276 $38,432 TOTAL EXPENSES $863,503 18% Equipping Churches Training pastors and leaders, church consulting 27% Developing Resources Writing and publishing curriculum, developing multimedia 49+ 6% International Development Mentoring leaders, training, consulting 49% Discipling and Supporting Individuals Discipleship courses, presentations and seminars 85% of our expenses goes directly toward helping people live healthy, hope-filled lives
From the Board In these pages I hope you ve caught a glimpse of a real Jesus encountering real men and women in the midst of their real lives. This is what first attracted me to Journey and keeps me involved: people, honest with their pain and failures, and God, meeting them there. This love encounter with God isn t just for others but it is for me, as well! At one of Journey s seminars, I heard people reflecting the same thing: Thanks so much for your honesty, it gives me hope. I ve never heard anyone say the same things I struggle with. You ve helped me believe that God can love me. That s the Good News: there s a God who knows and loves us! Thank you for your partnership with Journey giving, praying, volunteering, and sharing this Good News. Those among us who have lost hope are not alone there are people who understand and can help. In all the ways you stand with Journey Canada: Thank You! On behalf of the board, Glen Nyhus Chair of the Board Journey Canada Board Members Glen Nyhus Chair of the Board Toni Dolfo-Smith Executive Director Jonathan Helmus Board Member Nicole Lee-Quesnel Board Member Gordon McNabb Board Member Bruce Mills Board Member 21
National Staff Toni Dolfo-Smith Executive Director Ricky Lee Director of Operations Daniel Komori Associate Executive Director Kirsten Rumary Program Resource Coordinator Arabella Cheng Ministry Development Coordinator Scott Neufeld Resource Facilitator Min-Soo Kang Youth & Young Adult Coordinator Our Team BRITISH COLUMBIA Mardi Dolfo-Smith Program Coordinator North Shore Alliance Melody Froc Program Coordinator Chilliwack Andrea Heavenor Women s Liaison Vancouver Steve and Kate Hobbs Program Coordinators Okanagan Scott Neufeld Program Coordinator Fraser Valley Anne Thicke Program Coordinator North Shore Alliance ALBERTA Mark Elvin Program Coordinator Edmonton Daniel Komori Program Coordinator Calgary MANITOBA Reg Froese Program Coordinator Winnipeg ONTARIO Nicole Lee-Quesnel Program Coordinator Wellesley Gord Naismith Program Coordinator Tillsonburg Alliance Gail Nicholson Program Coordinator Peterborough Glen Nyhus Program Coordinator Cambridge Janet Wright-Smit Program Corodinator Cambridge QUEBEC Kathryn Alarie Coordinatrice Région du Québec Claude Provost Coordinateur Région du Québec NOVA SCOTIA Stephanie Robinson Program Coordinator Halifax Ed and Margot Shutt Program Coordinators Halifax 22 Journey Canada 2017 Annual Report
Where We Are Edmonton Kelowna North Vancouver Vancouver Fort Langley Abbotsford Chilliwack Summerland Calgary Winnipeg Halifax Montreal Peterborough Toronto Cambridge Wellesley Tillsonburg New Hamburg 23
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