MORE THAN A GAME!
At this year’s Regional Gatherings, we focused on our renewed mission emphasis across the Free Methodist Church in Canada. Throughout each gathering, we intentionally saturated our time together in prayer and celebrated stories of how God is at work in churches and communities across our movement. It was deeply encouraging to hear testimonies of lives being transformed through your faithful ministry.
For the RG’s I attended, I also had the opportunity to share some reflections from my recent trip to the UK and my time with Alpha Canada. Seeing the work of the Free Methodist Church in the UK, along with the broader renewal taking place across many churches in the UK (mostly connected with Holy Trinity Brampton and Alpha), left a deep impression on me. Again and again, I encountered congregations marked by a culture of prayer, expectancy, and courageous mission, even in secular UK. They are believing that God still moves powerfully today—and they are seeing communities transformed as they faithfully create space for Him to work. I continue to see those same signs of renewal emerging here in Canada, and I’m grateful to be witnessing them among our own churches.
As summer arrives, many of us settle into a different rhythm. My own children are home from school this week, and we’re figuring out how to keep them busy, send them to good camps, and make our home a place of hospitality—you probably know exactly what I mean!
While some church programs naturally slow down during the summer months, opportunities for mission certainly do not. Whether it’s inviting someone over for a meal, hosting a neighbourhood barbecue, meeting for coffee, or gathering friends to watch a sporting event, God often works through ordinary moments of intentional hospitality.
With the FIFA tournament ongoing this summer, this may be an excellent opportunity. Many people will already be gathering to watch the games. Why not consider using this as an opportunity for building deeper conversations about faith?
Our friends at Alpha Canada have created a wonderful collection of free resources to help churches host simple, welcoming FIFA Watch Parties. These include editable Canva invitations, social media graphics, presentation slides, reels, and other promotional materials that make it easy to invite your community.
Free FIFA Watch Party Resources:
FIFA Watch Party Resources from Alpha Canada
They’ve also produced a short halftime video that can naturally spark meaningful conversations during your gathering:
