“My faith is one of the biggest defining aspects of my life,” says Luke Flight, a 23-year-old Salvationist from Corner Brook, N.L. He’s an enthusiastic person who eagerly follows Christ and expresses his faith through a unique gift—woodworking.

Flight is a skilled craftsman and, like his Christian values, his craftsmanship has been passed down through generations of family members before him. As he continues carving his own path, he follows God’s lead and hopes that being his authentic self will inspire others along the way.

My Own Faith

“I was born into Christianity,” says Flight. “My parents have always been in the Army, and my grandparents before them. I grew up watching VeggieTales. My Christian faith was sort of handed down to me, and I just accepted it.”

But in his teenage years, Flight began to think about religion and Christianity more critically. He wasn’t sure what he believed. He wanted his faith to be something that he chose for himself, rather than something he inherited. So, he began asking questions, seeking answers and exploring other religions and ideologies. Then he became involved in several Bible study groups that affirmed his faith. 

“I’ve done Bible studies with new Christians, old Christians, scholars, and people who are curious or skeptic. I’ve done discussion groups and book studies with fellow believers that helped ground me and teach me about the importance of fellowship and community,” he explains. “That really helped me strengthen my faith and make it my own.”

Flight also attended music camp for a few summers, which played a big role in his faith journey. The fellowship with other Christians his age helped him understand his place in the church.

“Now my faith isn’t just something passed down to me, but something I am following myself, and that’s important to me,” he says. Now, Flight is an active member of Corner Brook Community Church where he plays the tuba in the band and the drums in the worship team. At home, he takes time to study the Bible, weekly chooses a verse to contemplate and write about, and then shares his devotionals during band practice and church services as the opportunity arises.

“I’m also really involved with the Baptist church and the Pentecostal church, because that’s where the young communities are in Corner Brook, and I like to find fellowship with them,” he explains.

Following God’s Lead

After Flight finished high school, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with his life.

“To tell you the truth, I still don’t know what I want to do. I’ve been all over the place trying to find out what God wants for me,” he says. “I’m a very relaxed guy—very ‘hakuna matata,’ just going with the flow. That’s me. But I know God has something bigger planned.”

With an interest in architecture, Flight initially applied for art school, but within weeks, he realized it wasn’t for him. “I had never drawn, painted or taken an art class before,” he says. “In my head, I wasn’t an artist. I never felt like I belonged in the art community, but I was good at making sculptures and carving wood.”

After a few years of art school, he gained certifications to work with power lines, which he does occasionally during storms or on a contract basis. He even worked a summer as alifeguard at The Salvation Army’s Scotian Glen Camp in Nova Scotia.

“I was in Ontario for a few months, then in Quebec for a bit. But whenever I come home, it’sright back to woodworking,” he says. “That’s the direction I want to take now. So, I’ve signedup for carpentry. This is a better fit for me. I like to say that Jesus was a carpenter, so it’s goodenough for me!”

The Family Tree

Christianity and Salvationism aren’t the only things that run in Flight’s family. Generations ofmen have been skilled in woodworking and forms of carpentry. Flight’s maternal grandfather, “Grampy,” was a university professor, but he was a woodworker in his spare time.

“A lot of my toys growing up were all handmade—Grampy was incredibly good at carpentry,” says Flight. “I used to go to his shop and make birdhouses, toy guns and boats with him. That was fun as a kid.”

Flight’s grandfather on his dad’s side, “Pop,” was a politician who came from two generations of boat builders. When Pop passed away, Flight inherited plenty of hand tools and has been accumulating a shop full of them ever since.

“I recently decided to separate my work from power tools and slow it down, doing more work with all hand tools. I built my workbench all by hand. The only electricity was for my boom box to play music. I used chisels and a brace and bit to drill everything out,” he says. “It’s been nice to slow things down. It allows me to work late at night, and for me, it’s like meditation. That’s my happy space.”

Flight is completely self-taught—with the help of YouTube. He started out whittling tiny figurines of people, then pens, pipes, bowls and jewelry boxes. He began exploring intarsia, which is a mosaic form of woodworking that creates three-dimensional images using different cuts of wood.

“You have pieces of wood that you put together, or sometimes you’ll cut everything out of one wood. You shape the pieces, stain them, and put them back together to make an image,” Flight explains.

He’s also been making large panel carvings inspired by the various churches and scenery around Newfoundland and Labrador. His most recent carving is of the Corner Brook Community Church. It shows the church building with the music to O Boundless Salvation in the sky and the Salvation Army crest superimposed above it.

“I enjoy having a niche—this is my thing,” he says. “There’s not a lot of people who make these panel carvings, and there are no panel carvings of things that I’m interested in. I’m inspired tocreate things that you can’t get in a store.”

“This Is Who I Am”

One of Flight’s favourite pieces is a crucifix that he wears daily. “I began by carving the image of Jesus out of wax. I then used that wax to make a plaster mould—completely unique, a one-of-one—then I melted all the wax out of the mould, melted down copper and iron at 3,000 degrees, mixed them together and poured it into the mould to make a bronze casting of the crucifix,” he explains.

The crucifix has become a conversation piece for Flight. It says to everyone who sees it, “This is who I am. This is what I believe and what I represent.”

“Now, wherever I go, whether I’m at school, at church, on an airplane or hosting karaoke, it’s a segue into talking about my faith. I am able to connect with people anywhere and make conversation about the gospel because of this crucifix around my neck,” says Flight. “I want to be passionate about what I do, and to share who I am. Whether at church or at work, I can have conversations with people who want to talk, and I represent God and myself in a Christian way.”

God Can Use You

“I’ve been told my whole life that if you are given a talent, and you’re given a gift, you should find a way to use it for God,” says Flight. “At first, I thought, Well, how am I going to do that? But it’s actually much easier than I thought, and opportunities present themselves way more than I expected.”

Flight often uses his woodworking skills to make gifts for people. In recent years, he’s gifted a Salvation Army bandmaster figurine to Major Kevin Metcalf, who was the special guest at Corner Brook’s 100th anniversary event in 2025, and he gave a handmade pen to General Brian Peddle (Rtd).

“If I were to give advice to anyone who is an artist and a Christian in The Salvation Army, it would be to trust that God can use you,” says Flight. “As a young artist, I think it’s important to trust God and be true to yourself. Continue to follow your passion, and God will lead you where you need to go.”

Flight shares his woodworking journey on Instagram and YouTube at @lukeys_workshop.