Missions

At Work in the World

When you give toward a country or a project near and dear to your heart, do you ever wonder what is going on in the background? Today, we at ERDO (Emergency Relief and Development Overseas) want to shine some light on everything you don’t usually see taking place at the ERDO HQ. Helping a family break free from generations of poverty does not happen overnight. When we partner with incredible global workers and the often-unseen churches around the world, it takes serious thought. It takes...

Mission Canada LIFELAUNCH

Over the last few decades, a problem has crystallized in the lives of young people across Canada, particularly in those who have grown up in the evangelical church. Time and time again we have seen the trend proven; a staggering number of students leave their Christian faith in the transition period from high school to post-secondary education. All too often, questions are being asked as to why this is happening. One of the most poignant answers is that students are ill-prepared for the challeng...

ERDO SPONSORSHIP MATTERS

Thirty years ago, ERDO (Emergency Relief and Development Overseas) and The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC) launched the child sponsorship program, ChildCARE Plus (CCP). In the years since, thousands of children from all over the world have been educated, housed, clothed and fed through CCP. It is amazing to see how God has used ChildCARE Plus for over 30 years to reach families who otherwise would never hear the name of Jesus. ChildCARE Plus Has Been Changing Lives for Over 30 Years ...

Mission Global WORLDWIDE TESTIMONIES

The Bible begins with Spirit of God hovering over. Where there was darkness and void, He commanded light. This truth continues to be evident in our world today. There is light shining, testifying of God’s goodness. May you be encouraged and reminded of God’s nearness as you read the latest testimonies from the field. Each worker has been called by God and has seen the unique and beautiful manifestations of the Creator drawing His creation to Himself. —Victoria Ninaber, Associat...

Mission Canada HISTORY MADE

On July 24, 2022, Pope Francis arrived in Canada for what was described in his own words as a “penitential pilgrimage.” It was a six-day sojourn—longer than any single-country visit Pope Francis had made save for his first visit to Brazil for World Youth Day in July 2013. It is interesting to note that what Pope Francis said while in Canada was not notably different than what he said in Rome in April 2022 after spending several days in lengthy dialogue with Canada’s Indig...

Mission Canada A GREATER HARVEST

Sitting in the back row of our storefront church at the end of a long week, I asked God for a greater harvest of souls. I admit I was visualizing the families who attend our church and secretly counting the number of heads. “God, bring a greater harvest!” I cried out. I can’t remember if I opened my Bible to the story or if it was brought to my mind by Holy Spirit. Either way, the image of Jesus’ disciples whining about not catching enough fish after a full day of work fl...

Mission Global BIBLICAL FOUNDATIONS FOR MISSION GLOBAL

“To glorify God by making disciples across cultural and linguistic boundaries by proclaiming and practising the gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit.” —Mission Global’s Mission Statement “Right thinking” will guide “right behaviour” and “right action.” A biblical foundation must fuel both our character and our mission strategy as we work around the world. The Bible makes it clear that the starting point for mission mus...

ERDO SPARK JOY THIS CHRISTMAS

“My name is Mr. Mpofu. I speak on behalf of the parents whose children attend Skente Primary School. The challenges in Tsholotsho are many and times are difficult, especially now that whole communities are suffering from hunger. As adults we often go without food ourselves so that our children do not cry from hunger in the night.” So begins a letter written in a hut in Zimbabwe, pictured behind Mr. Mpofu in the photo we received. ERDO (Emergency Relief and Development Overseas) recei...

Mission Global PAOC INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS HAS CHANGED ITS NAME

On April 21, 2022, the PAOC General Conference voted, and we want to share the news that we are now Mission Global! You are a part of an extraordinary story of Canadian Pentecostals choosing to participate in God’s mission to all of humanity. For 100 years, partners like you in churches, colleges, and ministries across the country have mobilized this collective movement to make disciples. In that century of mission together, we have seen unprecedented changes. As a Fellowship, we have res...

Mission Canada SIX CULTURAL HEADWINDS

Brian Egert, PAOC’s Mission Canada director, sat down with Jeff Christopherson, the executive director of Church Planting Canada, to talk about the cultural headwinds affecting Canadian evangelicals. Brian Egert (BE): Jeff, thanks for connecting with us. We have enjoyed working collaboratively on the board of Church Planting Canada for several years. Let’s talk about your vantage point as we engage in the mission together. Jeff Christopherson (JC): Appreciate your leadership as the c...

ERDO SOWPEAP’S STORY

When children are sponsored, they not only receive an education but become part of a huge and loving community. Our global workers, who run sponsorship programs in 39 locations all over the world, know each sponsored child. They wrap their arms around families in need, making themselves available to pray and bring testimonies of God’s goodness wherever they go. In Cambodia, global worker Tiffanie Rowley leads 13 ChildCARE Plus (CCP) sponsorship communities in seven different provinces. T...

ERDO A MILLION CUPS OF WATER

“And whoever gives a cup of cold water to one of my disciples, I promise you, he will not go unrewarded” (Matthew 10:42, TPT). It may sound obvious, but a dry season is a time when rain simply does not fall. All over the world, dry seasons come once a year. People plan around their dry season, preparing their lives for a time when little rain will fall. Water reservoirs slowly empty as families focus on the day when rain will come again. In Honduras, the dry season can last from No...

Mission Canada IS CANADA WORTH IT?

“God began by making one person, and from him came all the different people who live everywhere in the world. God decided exactly when and where they must live. God wanted them to look for him and perhaps search all around for him and find him, though he is not far from any of us.” —Acts 17:26-27, NCV Have you ever been forced to leave your home in secret? Under duress? With only the slimmest hope of one day returning? Did you have to pay someone exorbitant fees to get out of...

International Missions A TRIBUTE TO A LIFE WELL LIVED IN SERVICE TO GOD

Our friend, colleague, and longtime global worker, Frank Michael Juelich, passed into the presence of Jesus on December 4, 2021. Frank was a dearly loved caregiver to thousands of Indian children and a mentor and leader to Bapu Desai, Yohan, and Jamuna Raut. Frank was born in Germany on November 21, 1935, the son of a roof maker. He lived through the Second World War, and at the age of 19, having completed a carpenter apprenticeship, he and his brother set out for India by bicycle looking for a...

International Missions PENTECOSTAL ENCOUNTERS, HEALING AND GENEROSITY

Serving in the Africa and the Middle East region, we have seen God move in incredible ways as we concentrate our efforts on unreached people groups. Our mandate is to strategize and pursue inroads for outreach opportunities. We have concentrated our efforts strategically around three seasons considered holy on the Islamic calendar as we note that people are open and receptive to having spiritual conversations at these times. These initiatives take considerable resources and are no small task, bu...

Mission Canada BECAUSE WE MUST

“God began by making one person, and from him came all the different people who live everywhere in the world. God decided exactly when and where they must live. God wanted them to look for him and perhaps search all around for him and find him, though he is not far from any of us.” (Acts 17:26-27, NCV) The tag line for Mission Canada, the PAOC’s national mission agency, was birthed in an informal stand-up meeting in an office doorway at the PAOC International Office over a deca...

ERDO WE NEED TO TALK

Several years ago, I received a voicemail from a concerned doctor. He lived and practised in Toronto, Ont., but his native homeland was Zimbabwe. Upon returning from a recent medical mission to Harare, he left me an ambiguous message: “We need to talk.” His concern was palpable, even over the phone. This expat was raising an alarm for Zimbabwe. When we sat down to chat, coffee in hand, he began a lengthy narrative of a country once commonly known as the breadbasket of Africa. Zimbab...

International Missions CONFRONTING HUMAN TRAFFICKING

“Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.” (Proverbs 31:8-9, ESV) When we hear the words “human trafficking,” all kinds of images come to mind. The realties of this cancer evoke emotions ranging from disbelief to anger. Even for the dedicated Christian, a sense of hopelessness can grip our attitudes, paralyze our resolve to face the problem, and preclude meaningful ...

Mission Canada FOUR PEOPLE – LIFE-CHANGING CALLINGS

If you have been a longtime PAOC follower, do you recall the F.L.I.T.E. program of years gone by? Well, FIT4M, otherwise known as French Intensive Training for Ministry, is the PAOC’s ministry opportunity for English-speaking individuals who sense God’s call to reach francophones in Canada, but who may not be fully comfortable or fluent in the French language … yet. Tom and Val Harbour and Cal and Chrissy Krahn can relate. Each couple moved to Montreal and participated in the ...

ERDO BACK TO SCHOOL

It was the year the world shut down. We grew tired of hearing words like “unprecedented” and “pandemic,” both of which made the Oxford English Dictionary’s top words of 2020. We are now ready to hit “resume” on this prolonged pause, crumple up and throw away the “new normal,” and pick up where we left off. All done with the proverbial summer vacation, we are ready to jump back into our regular lives with all the anticipation of a student ret...