What God Has Done in 2021
By: Heather Skinner, Executive Director, Faith Beyond Belief
“What is Faith Beyond Belief? Have I heard of them?”
“Probably,” I replied to my friend, “they’re the Be Ready people.”
In truth, Faith Beyond Belief (FBB) was the title of the first conference that a group of like-minded Calgarians held in 2009. Featuring Greg Koukle (www.str.org) the conference sparked conversations among Calgarians about creating a local organization to train ambassadors for Christ in ways local churches had neglected. Known by its founding conference title, FBB would be created later that year, initially to host annual conferences and training events in Calgary. But over time the vision expanded to include all of Alberta and, in 2020, to reach the rest of Canada.
The year 2021 began quite differently than any other in FBB’s history. Much of the world had been in the grips of the Covid-19 pandemic since early 2020 and hopes of a “return to normalcy” were fading. Our 2020 Be Ready Conference had to be postponed. Originally scheduled as a live event in March, it transformed into an online event in October. Most FBB speaking engagements were cancelled throughout the bulk of 2020, and constantly changing government restrictions meant that 2021 would be a guessing game.
“Nevertheless, the FBB Team has soldiered on in 2021, determined to continue equipping Canadian Christians to effectively share their faith in everyday conversations.”
Then, because troubles seem to always come in multiples, FBB founder Jojo Ruba took a temporary leave of absence from FBB to found Free to Care and lead the fight to preserve Canadians’ freedom of choice in matters of spiritual and psychological care. Unfortunately, Bill C-6 was tabled in Parliament, and what began as concern over the direction taken by Alberta city governments ballooned into a national affair. Suddenly, Jojo’s short-term leave of absence became a year-long absence. As well, speaker Shafer Parker left to pursue other interests, and Andrew Manuel left the Administrative Team at the end of 2020. Nevertheless, the FBB Team has soldiered on in 2021, determined to continue equipping Canadian Christians to effectively share their faith in everyday conversations.
But you need to know that FBB never threw in the towel. A pilot project called the Conversations Course was launched in early 2021. This course helps Christians examine how they converse with others and offers new tactics for more effective conversations. Feedback on the course has been positive and participants have enjoyed its practical step-by-step guidance.
With live speaking engagements hard to come by during the ongoing pandemic, your FBB Team has also focused on enhancing the quality of our Everyday Conversations Blogs and Podcasts. Speakers have broadened their range of topics, covering everything from traditional apologetics, to popular literature, to current affairs. We were able to bring attention to the Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) debate with the Delta Hospice Society, highlight the work that Jojo was doing with Free to Care, shine light on the darkness of porn, abortion and sex trafficking and explore ways to share our faith with atheists, Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses.
In June, FBB hired me (Heather) as the new Executive Director to replace Rex Nova, who served as interim ED after Jojo left. Rex has since returned to a position on the Board of Directors. Shafer Parker also brought his experience to the Board, and the organization began to restructure under my leadership. Our intent is to solidify FBB’s foundation and expand its impact throughout Canada in spite of the new COVID reality. With no clear understanding of how large-scale conferences or live speaking engagements can continue, we have worked to determine what role FBB will play in 2022 and beyond.
Whether we like it or not, our current reality is one of rotating restrictions, a two-tiered structure of access to live spaces, and churches struggling to survive. Too few people believe churches will return to their former vigour, and many are facing tough economic times, including the twin threats of rising prices and job losses. In addition to all this, families, workplaces and church congregations are often at odds with each other over vaccines and mandates. At FBB we want to offer people the certainty of God’s never-changing Word and inspire them to engage in a closer relationship with Christ.
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So, how can we do that in 2022? Here are our thoughts:
Webinars: We want everyone to have access to our staff-led courses to allow opportunities, not just to learn the material, but to glean from the experiences of the speaker. During the courses, questions can be addressed and situations explored in a way that would not be possible watching a video. We believe that every Christian will benefit from taking the Worldview Course and the Identity Project. Our donors believe that too! Thanks to their generosity, our webinars are free to attend.
Dialogue: Remember that pilot course on conversations from early 2021? We are releasing it as our newest FBB Course called Designed to Dialogue (D2D) thanks to the hard work and dedication of Speaker Amy Beange (who left FBB to move closer to her family at the end of 2021 and who we will miss). It will be offered as a staff-led webinar in early 2022 and packaged into a video course that churches around the world can use when training Christians to have effective conversations about their faith.
Engage Camp: The flood of young adults leaving the faith has not abated. Though many know this to be true, little has been done to successfully stem the tide. Engage Camp 2022 is a first step to help address this need. By preparing young adults to maintain their faith against intellectual and spiritual attacks at university or work, we can help them stand strong in today’s culture. Engage is the first camp of its kind in Western Canada. In an intensive week of training, young adults, ages 17-22, will learn the foundations of the Christian worldview and become equipped to explain and defend it to their peers. NOTE: We are actively seeking a major donor to subsidize this camp and provide scholarships to worthy applicants.
A Faith Worth Sharing: FBB believes Christians are still yearning for regular gatherings in which they can be inspired by world-class speakers, hone their apologetic skills, and network with other Christians. The Be Ready Conference will make intentional adjustments to facilitate ways to continue gathering yearly. For instance, Watch Parties will be held at local churches to allow Christians to network with their neighbors, thus bringing the excitement of the large conference to a smaller venue. Moreover, we are committed to leveraging the latest technology to deliver Be Ready across Canada in 2022 and beyond.
Nehemiah’22: Churches in Canada are struggling. In many cases congregations are half the size they were before March 2020. Many report reduced tithes and offerings, and are finding it difficult, if not impossible, to pay their pastors. At the same time there is a growing desire to refocus on reaching the lost. Inspiration and assistance are the only things missing. FBB will seek to walk alongside Canada’s churches through our year-long campaign called Nehemiah ’22. We hope to inspire churches with Biblical instruction and engaging stories of how God continues to use ordinary believers to do extraordinary things as we work together to rebuild His church.
“This fall we have been intentional in our efforts to raise donations for Faith Beyond Belief to fund our current ministry and to expand in 2022.”
This fall we have been intentional in our efforts to raise donations for Faith Beyond Belief to fund our current ministry and to expand in 2022. We have begun advertising across Canada on the Miracle Channel and YesTV, resulting in new donors from outside Alberta and a plethora of interest in our free webinars! We leveraged the global impact of Giving Tuesday with the help of an anonymous donor who matched all contributions to just under $20,000. We introduced a Gift Giving Guide so that supporters could give their loved ones the gift of knowledge and training this Christmas. We ramped up our year-end fundraising efforts by communicating the vision of FBB in 2022 and how we, as an organization, plan to equip the saints to share the message of Jesus Christ.
My hope for Faith Beyond Belief in 2022 is that we will rise to the challenge of equipping Christians to boldly share their faith in a world that is increasingly averse to the beliefs we hold dear. Moreover, the passing of the federal Conversion Therapy Ban (Bill C-4) has churches sweating over the possibility of arrest for speaking Biblical truth. But we cannot escape the necessity of standing strong for Christ. Arguments over rights and freedoms will surely continue to dominate conversations, and in the future even the notion of gathering as believers may risk official sanction. I believe that God has placed Faith Beyond Belief in Canada for such a time as this. We want to be a beacon of truth in a world where many Christians have become weak and progressive. I hope you will continue to be a part of FBB. Why? Truth really does matter!
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