Meet Emmanuel, the New Deerfoot Campus Grade School Coordinator!

My journey with Jesus began when I was 11 years old. I began my personal faith journey right around when I became best friends with James, who was our church pastor’s son. Often on a Sunday, I was at church from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, and lots of times James and I just hung out. 

One summer, James’s dad asked my parents if I’d like to go to church camp with their family and offered to cover the costs. My parents said yes, so I joined them to help prepare for camp. I spent a week there with James and his dad and loved it so much. So much so, I went back the next week all by myself! I started to ponder, “How can I stay here more often? How can I work here?”   

In high school, I left Winnipeg (where I was born and raised) to attend a Christian boarding school in Alberta. That’s where I first started being part of the worship band, beginning with drums and eventually moving to guitar. All my friends and I were in school together, and then in the summers we’d all go work at summer camp. I remember thinking, “This is a really good community, and I really enjoy this. How do I keep this going?”  

I often say that Bible camp changed the direction of my life. There's was something different and special about encountering God in nature and being part of a faith-filled community outdoors. Over the years, I spent most of my summers at camp. Honestly, if I had spent those summers at home, I don’t think I would be where I am today.  

I spent 15 years working at the camp I grew up with, starting when I was 13. It became clear that I enjoyed working with people and kids, but I didn’t know how to turn that into a career. In my family, university wasn’t something we talked about much because no one pursued post-secondary education. The expectation was usually to work in retail or entry-level jobs, and that was it. My sister was actually the first to change that path. She was the first in our extended family to earn a Master’s degree.  

So, I took the step of faith and pursued post-secondary education, too. In 2018, I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Pastoral Ministry, with a focus on Adventure-Based Youth Leadership. I then started working at a nonprofit here in Calgary. After COVID-19, I started looking at more ministry jobs and then landed here at FAC. So yeah, it's been a journey!  

What excites me the most about my new role coordinating the DiscoveryLand Grade School ministry for the Deerfoot Campus is helping to create "God moments" with the kids. Those moments where they really start to contemplate who God is. When I'm asked, “Why does God love me?” I get so excited to share with them the truth of Jesus! I genuinely can't wait for those moments. On a personal level, these moments are blessings and they help reaffirm that I’m right where God wants me to be.  

Some kids might not be able to fully articulate or wrap their head around God’s love yet, but what’s so cool is seeing them already living it out. Even in the small moments like sharing their crayons or making paper airplanes, I love walking alongside kids in their journey of discovering who God is.  

Even though I'm not a parent yet, I want to encourage parents ... I can only imagine the pressure of feeling like everything is on your shoulders, raising your kids. I want to remind families in challenging situations that transformation begins with Jesus in our own hearts. When we change the environment of our hearts and homes, it creates space for children to be transformed as well.   

There is a lot of negativity around us that can feel impossible to fight. But as you work to create a healthy environment in your own life, you'll start to see your children grow in meaningful ways. Know that FAC is here to stand with you! You're not alone. We were never meant to do this on our own, and we are here for you! 

When I’m not at FAC, you’ll usually find me at the gym, playing volleyball, fishing, rock climbing, or slowly teaching myself woodworking. My go-to snacks are Mango Jarritos and Lychee Mogu-Mogu (it’s a lychee juice), a good coffee-flavoured ice cream, or a quick creamy carbonara buldak (a type of ramen). 

Some of my favorite youth ministry memories are a little wild. There were mission trips to Mexico where things got eventful more than once. I’ve also had my fair share of summer camp adventures, like the time our canoes tipped over in the middle of a lake! 

If you see me around FAC Deerfoot, don’t hesitate to say hi! I’m really looking forward to meeting you and diving into the adventure of DiscoveryLand Grade School ministry here at FAC.