To love one’s neighbour means taking our faith outside of the corps—going where the people are and sharing God’s love through practical, meaningful service to others. The Ontario Division’s new Living Sacrifice program is one way that youth can put their faith into action.

Introduced in 2021, Living Sacrifice gives young Salvationists an opportunity to embark on a journey of leadership in ministry. The 10-month intensive program begins at home, studying and learning from one another, and slowly branches out through retreats and a culminating ministry trip.

This year’s participants ministered in Yellowknife for 10 days in May, partnering with Lieutenant Janice Brinson, corps officer at Yellowknife Corps and director of spiritual care, and Lieutenant Jason Brinson, executive director of Northwest Territories Resource Centre and associate corps officer at Yellowknife Corps.

“Yellowknife is a town of about 20,000 people and there is immense need there,” says Jillian Rideout, divisional youth and young adult co-ordinator, Ontario Division.

“This trip was an opportunity for them to see how our brothers and sisters are working in a different part of Canada that has a totally different context than what a lot of them are used to here in Ontario,” she adds.

In Yellowknife, the Living Sacrifice group served meals to clients at the shelter, took part in addictions and mental-health programs run by The Salvation Army, helped at the food bank, and visited an Indigenous healing centre. “They sat with and served clients,” Rideout says. “There was so much opportunity for them to be hands on in the community and to learn about what The Salvation Army is doing in Yellowknife.” 

Growing His Kingdom

Living Sacrifice encourages youth to deepen their relationships with God, their team and themselves while developing their leadership skills and providing an opportunity for intentional discipleship. This year, 25 delegates between the ages of 18 and 25joined the program, each with a spiritual reference from their corps officer or youth pastor.

The key components of the Living Sacrifice program are small groups, which meet regularly to discuss assigned readings, talk together, learn how to walk with one another and how to apply these lessons to their own lives; weekend retreats to learn about self-identity and identity in Christ; and individual mentorship by officers and youth leaders. Throughout the program, participants are encouraged to seek out new opportunities for ministry and to become leaders inside and outside their corps. They seek to understand their own relationships with the Lord and how to be intentional about living this out in their communities.

“In the youth department, we see on a daily basis just how wonderful the youth in our division are. We want to empower them to live the way that Christ has made them to live,” says Rideout. “Our hope is that through this program we can come along and support them in learning who they are in God and help them create a community.”

Grace Hofer, 21, was new to Ontario and nervous to start Living Sacrifice. But she found that the program helped develop her faith while surrounding her with a community of like-minded young people who had the same desire to deepen their relationships with God.

“Having open conversations about what a reading meant to us, listening to the testimonies of other participants and openly asking questions really changed my perspective,” she says. “Living Sacrifice challenged me to rethink what I was prioritizing in my life. I started to do more than just a devotional or read my Bible. I am intentionally taking steps to deepen my relationship with God.”

Originally from Northridge Community Church in Aurora, Ont., Hofer found new friends from across Ontario in her small group, “Girl Gang.”

“Girl Gang was all about honesty and being open with each other,” says Hofer. From playing Mario Kart and ordering takeout to listening to testimonies over Zoom, Girl Gang became a safe space for Hofer to share with her peers and to make valuable friendships.

“We shared our struggles and celebrated in our victories. The friends I made cared for not only my physical and mental well-being, but also for my soul,” she says.

In Yellowknife, Hofer helped serve in the detox unit, mental-health unit, shelter, recovery housing and thrift store. “My biggest takeaway from this experience is that God’s not done,” she says. “There is so much work to be done for his kingdom and this program gave us the tools to work with.”

Matthew Zimmerman, a Salvationist from Oshawa Temple, Ont., learned about Living Sacrifice while working at camp last summer. Meeting with his small group regularly has made him feel connected during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During his 10 days in Yellowknife, Zimmerman worked in churches, led worship and helped serve at family services.

“God was working in Yellowknife,” says Zimmerman. “We witnessed God in the beauty of the nature that surrounded us, in the lives and commitment of the incredibly hard-working people of the Yellowknife community and family services, and in the fantastic clients that we had the opportunity to meet and learn from in so many different ways.”

Of his experiences in Yellowknife, Zimmerman says that the most powerful moments were when he could sit, share a meal and listen to those they were serving as they shared their life stories. “Even in stories of brokenness, we saw and heard how God is healing those who have suffered so much hurt.”

For Zimmerman, serving others is a way of demonstrating his love for God and the love that God has for his people.

Challenging Faith

Those who participate in Living Sacrifice can expect to be challenged in their faith, to have difficult conversations and to make themselves vulnerable in their relationships with God and one another. “They will come out of this program with new leadership skills, new connections and great friends, and a better understanding of what it means to be a disciple of God,” says Rideout.

After finishing their time with Living Sacrifice in May, many of the youth who participated chose to work at camp during the summer and continue their leadership development back home in their own communities. Through Living Sacrifice, participants see what it is like to serve outside their local context, helping and learning from their neighbours, and experiencing ministry in real, impactful ways.

To learn more about Living Sacrifice, visit @ontsayouth on Instagram, talk to your corps officer or reach out to Jillian Rideout at the Ontario divisional youth department for more information.

Photos: Silas Allen