Up to date with Skatelife, Nov. 17, 2011

Hello and thank you for taking time to read the third update for the Skatelife Central Region (Ontario and Quebec). Once again there are exciting events to share with you all. Enjoy.

Toronto Skate Club Update

Skate ministry in Toronto is continuing to take shape as I meet with a couple skaters weekly at a local community center. We are excited to have a place to skate together through the winter. We skate with up to thirty other skaters every week, so the potential to grow our Toronto skate club is exciting. I am getting to know the skaters in the area better and better and am thrilled that I have the whole winter to get to know the community and develop relationships.

Also, I had the privilege of meeting skaters by speaking to a Sunday school class as well as spending time at a breakfast club in Toronto. Both groups had skater kids and asked me to take part in their ministries to serve the skaters. I love connecting with skaters in any fashion and these are some of the exciting opportunities I get because of my job with Skatelife. Please pray for these encounters to foster a genuine interest in Jesus as we live out the fragrance of Christ (2 Cor. 2:15).

Spotlight: Quebec

To have a skate ministry in Quebec has been in the prayers of the Skatelife since it’s beginning, which is 20 years now. Although my work for SL in Central Canada is a new endeavor, ministry in Quebec has been a hope for many years. Therefore, I am excited to share with you about our skate club leader Francis, who is serving in his hometown of Terrebonne, just outside Montreal. Francis and his wife Mary have a huge heart for ministry and have joined up with SL this last year. Francis already has a club he leads and skates with many teenagers regularly.

David Galloway (Oshawa club leader) and I visited him in October to take part in his club night, meet some of his supporters and volunteers, as well as encourage Francis in his ministry. Unfortunately it rained the night of the club and so Francis and Mary invited everyone to their home for a BBQ, video premier of Road Rage 2011 (skate camp video), and a time of sharing. It was great to meet some of their club kids, volunteers and supporters. One of the difficulties is that David and I do not speak French. Francis speaks

English and often could translate, but this was not necessary when watching a skate video with his club kids. We were on the same page and connected regardless of language. That was really fun. One supporter we spoke with was very grateful that as English Canadians we had a heart for French Canada. Similarly the volunteers we spoke with were excited that we did not let the cultural barriers interfere with our heart for skate ministrywe learned from the Christians we met that night was that they have a huge heart for ministry and want to learn and get as much help as possible. It was encouraging.

These were highlights from the trip, as well as spending quality time with Francis and Mary to encourage him (because he is doing a great job). Since our visit Francis heart continues to grow for Quebec as he hopes to see up to three clubs in the years to come.

Please pray for Francis and Mary as they are committed to being in ministry long term.

Oshawa Club Halloween Skate Contest

I had the pleasure of attending the 8^th Annual Oshawa Halloween Skate Contest! David Galloway did a fantastic job at directing this event. I was happy to help him on the day of the event. We got sponsors from West49 and local shop Dog Bowl for prizes for the fifteen youth that came and had a great time. There was plenty of candy and contests (costumes mandatory) as well as the tradition ollie the pumpkin. This is always a landmark event for the club guys. Many of them bring their friends or brothers to participate. I talked to a couple of the guys who were celebrating their one-year anniversary at skate club as they were invited by a friend the year before. Check out http://calebelias.blogspot.com/ for video and photo coverage of the epic event.

God bless,

Caleb Elias