Staying Salty - What God Did at Our Staff Retreat
UCM Campus Workers Retreat
On May 26–29, our BC Campus Workers gathered at Stillwood Camp for a refreshing and encouraging staff retreat. We had 18 staff members in attendance from across the province!
✏️ Wins & Flops
We kicked off the retreat by reflecting on the ministry year together through an activity called “Wins & Flops.”
Instead of just talking, staff used white foam boards to creatively draw their stories and experiences from the year. It was equal parts meaningful, vulnerable, and hilarious as we celebrated what God has done and learned together through both the victories and the challenges.
💻 Resourcing & Training
Tim Degerness, UBC Campus Worker, helped our team become more familiar with our Engage Spaces platform so we can more effectively connect with students and coordinate ministry volunteers on campus.
⛳ Fellowship & Fun
Some of the best parts of the retreat were simply spending time together — mini-golfing, sharing dinners out, and enjoying lots of laughter. These moments of fellowship helped strengthen friendships and build unity across our BC team.
🙏 Worship & Word
We invited Mark Colwell, BCYD District Leader, to bring a word of encouragement from Ephesians 3.
He led us into:
Spirit-led prayer ministry
Encouragement in using our voices in ministry
A fresh sense of empowerment from the Holy Spirit
💡 StrengthsFinder Learning
Rob Bedard, BCYD District Leader, facilitated a StrengthsFinder training and team-building session that helped staff better understand:
Their personal strengths
How they work with others
How to build healthier student leadership teams
Many left excited to bring similar conversations back to their campuses.
🧂 “Stay Salty”
At the beginning of the week, I shared from Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount:
“You are the salt of the earth… but what happens if salt loses its saltiness?”
This retreat gave our team space to:
Rest
Recharge
Receive fresh revelation
Return to ministry renewed and encouraged
Thank you for continuing to pray for and support campus ministry across BC. Your partnership helps create spaces like this where leaders can be refreshed and strengthened for the work God has called them to.
Guatemala 2026! 🇬🇹
From May 5–15, a UCM team from both UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan travelled to Guatemala for a service trip led by our campus leads, Paul Engels and Josiah Hufemia. Together with 8 students from both campuses, the team partnered with Global Shore Opportunities (GSO) and served at Colegio Cristiano Avivando El Fuego (CCAF), a K–12 Christian school in Pastores, Sacatepéquez.
Throughout the trip, the team spent time serving students and staff at the school, building relationships, and witnessing the joy, hospitality, and deep faith of the CCAF community. We’re so grateful for this opportunity for our students to grow in compassion, service, and global mission.
📷 Be sure to check out Paul and Josiah’s full updates for more stories and photos from the trip:
🙏 Prayer Requests
🇬🇹 Pray for the students who participated in the Guatemala Service Trip — Ask God to continue growing the seeds planted during their time serving at CCAF. Pray that the students would carry what they experienced back onto their campuses with renewed compassion, deeper faith, and a greater heart for mission and discipleship.
🏕️ Pray for our UCM staff team following our Campus Worker Retreat — Pray that the encouragement, unity, and spiritual renewal from our time together at Stillwood would continue into the summer and upcoming ministry year. Ask God to strengthen our campus workers as they continue investing in students across BC.
✈️🇧🇪 Pray for rest and refreshment for our family during our vacation in Belgium — Pray for safe travels, meaningful family time, good health, and true Sabbath rest after a busy ministry season. Ask that this time away would leave us spiritually, emotionally, and physically renewed for the months ahead.