Churches all over Metro Vancouver are hosting the Watoto Children’s Choir for their Signs & Wonders tour. They visited several churches earlier this month before going to Vancouver Island, but they will still make several local stops over the next week for those who missed them.

The choir is part of Watoto, founded by Canadian Pentecostal missionaries in Uganda. Here is some of the background:

Gary and Marilyn Skinner founded Watoto Child Care Ministries in 1994. The couple established this international organization as a compassionate response to the plight of the millions of children across Africa who have been orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS.

Watoto Child Care Ministries currently cares for more than 3,000 children within three Watoto villages. Each child living in these villages is raised in a family setting rather than an institution. The Skinners’ vision is that the children be raised to become the future leaders of Uganda and Africa.

The Watoto Children’s Choir tours the world annually to advocate for millions of African children currently orphaned by AIDS, poverty and war. The choir has performed before royalty and world leaders at Buckingham Palace, at the White House and at many national parliaments across the globe.

The choir will perform at:

• Vancouver Chinese Pentecostal Church (June 29)
• Broadway Church (July 1)
• Walnut Grove Lutheran Church (July 3)
• Church in the Valley, Langley (July 6)
• North Delta Evangelical Free Church (July 7)

Soccer camps abound

Churches and soccer seem to be hitting it off quite well these days. Not necessarily quite at the World cup level, but closer to home there are a number of church-based soccer camps around Metro Vancouver, some next week and others later in July and in August.

Most last for a week, and many – though not all – are connected with Athletes in Action, which runs camps right across Canada. It also runs basketball, volleyball, hockey and multi-sport camps, some of them local as well.

Here are the soccer camps I’m aware of:

• Tsawwassen Alliance Church Soccer Camp (July 2 – 6)
• Horizon Church Soccer Camp, Surrey (July 3 – 6)
• Kickers Soccer & Arts Camp, Vancouver (July 9 – 13)
• SouthRidge Soccer Camp, Langley (July 9 – 13)
• FLO Summer Soccer Camp, North Vancouver (July 9 – 13)
• Richmond Chinese MB Church Soccer Camp (July 16 – 20)
• Peace Portal Alliance Church Soccer Camp, Surrey (July 23 – 27)
• Richmond Baptist Church Soccer Camp (July 23 – 27)
• Kingdom Life Community Church Soccer Camp, Langley (August 13 – 17)
• Pacific Grace MB Church Soccer Camp, Vancouver (August 13 – 17)
• Kickers Soccer & Arts Camp, Vancouver (August 20 – 24)

And for those more inclined to watch and graze, Redemption Church in Kitsilano is hosting a World Cup Brunch this Saturday (June 30).

Vancouver School of Theology (VST) made a significant announcement June 15. The UBC-based school has reached an agreement with Durham University in the United Kingdom which will enable VST to offer a British Research PhD in Theology at VST starting this fall.

Here is VST’s announcement:

This initiative with Durham University . . . “will expand VST’s circle of learning and strengthen VST’s association with a Department of Theology and Religion that is deeply invested in theological education for the life of the church and provide VST students with increased educational options to continue their theological training at a post-graduate level,” says Principal Richard Topping.

Currently, there are no Canadian institutions west of Toronto that offer a PhD program in Theology. This highly innovative collaboration with Durham University responds to a significant need for a research-intensive doctoral program in Western Canada.

Students in this program will be working toward a Durham PhD without course work and will be able to complete in three years. Part-time students can complete the program in six years. Students will travel to Durham University for an orientation but will carry out the bulk of their studies in Vancouver under the direction of a VST co-supervisor and a Durham supervisor.

This program will be an attractive option for those wishing to expedite their education by focusing on research, distinct from other North American doctoral programs requiring course work, which in turn extends the learning period and the financial commitment on the part of the student. Students accepted into the program will be eligible for bursaries and scholarships offered both through Durham and VST.

Durham University is ranked third globally for its theology, divinity and religious studies offerings. As an affiliated college of the University of British Columbia, VST is now ranked 39th globally and in the top 10 of most improved theological schools.

Vancouver School of Theology welcomes students from many Christian communions, other faith traditions and Indigenous communities, while celebrating its core relationships with the Anglican Church of Canada, Presbyterian Church in Canada and United Church of Canada.

Registration details for this program will be posted to the VST website by July 1.

June 27, 2018

Acceleration by Caroline Sniatynski – June 27, 2018 - June 30, 2018 at 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm

June 28, 2018

Ellul and the Bible: 2018 IJES Conference – June 28, 2018 - June 30, 2018 at All Day

June 29, 2018

Marcus Mosely Chorale (TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival) – June 29, 2018 at 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
pecial Outdoor Italian Concert: Canzoni della Nostra Gioventù – June 29, 2018 at 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Watoto: Signs & Wonders – June 29, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

June 30, 2018

World Cup Brunch – June 30, 2018 at 10:30 am - 1:00 pm
Summer in the Forest (L'Arche) – June 30, 2018 at 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Summertime Worship 2018 – June 30, 2018 at 7:30 pm - 10:30 pm

July 1, 2018

Jazz Vespers: Candus Churchill & Tom Pickett – July 1, 2018 at 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Watoto: Signs & Wonders – July 1, 2018 at 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

July 2, 2018

Tsawwassen Alliance Church Soccer Camp – July 2, 2018 at 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Richard Winter: The Pursuit of Excellence & the Perils of Perfectionism – July 2, 2018 at 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

July 3, 2018

Horizon Church Soccer Camp – July 3, 2018 at 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Watoto: Signs & Wonders – July 3, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

July 4, 2018

Two Worlds Collide: A Christian Ethicist & Former Boeing Executive on Our Shifting Technological World – July 4, 2018 at 12:00 pm - 12:45 pm
Gordon T. Smith: Catechesis for a Secular Age – the Wisdom of 1 Peter – July 4, 2018 at 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
'da Kink in My Hair by Trey Anthony – July 4, 2018 - July 7, 2018 at 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm

July 5, 2018

The Movies & Us: What the Academy Award Nominees for Best Picture Tell Us About Ourselves – July 5, 2018 at 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Nimule: A Documentary Film by Nathaniel Ross Kelly – July 5, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Regen: Pastor Fari Ghaem-Maghami – July 5, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

July 6, 2018

Makoto Fujimura & Steven Garber: The Tears of Christ & the Silence of God – July 6, 2018 - July 7, 2018 at All Day
Watoto: Signs & Wonders – July 6, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

July 7, 2018

Concert for a Summer's Day – July 7, 2018 at 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Richmond Community Day – July 7, 2018 at 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Watoto: Signs & Wonders – July 7, 2018 at 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

July 8, 2018

Jazz Vespers: David Thompson Secondary – July 8, 2018 at 12:00 am
Festival of Sacred Music (Sunday mornings) – July 8, 2018 - August 19, 2018 at 10:30 am - 11:30 am

July 9, 2018

Kickers Soccer and Arts Camp – July 9, 2018 at 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
MEGA Sports Camp – July 9, 2018 at 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
SouthRidge Soccer Camp – July 9, 2018 at 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
FLO Summer Soccer Camp – July 9, 2018 at 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Everett Hamner: No More Dithering – What Climate Change Means for Creation – July 9, 2018 at 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

July 10, 2018

Philip Clayton: Prophetic Presence in a World of Flux – July 10, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

July 11, 2018

The Bible in Contemporary Storytelling – July 11, 2018 at 12:00 pm - 12:45 pm
Carol Kaminski: God Among Idols – Abram's Call & Missions Today – July 11, 2018 at 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

July 12, 2018

Jim Forest: One Foot in the Wilderness, One Foot in the World – July 12, 2018 at 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Radiance: 2018 Summer Glory Conference – July 12, 2018 - July 15, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm

July 13, 2018

Uncommon Devotion: Reflections on Puritan Texts – July 13, 2018 - July 14, 2018 at 12:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Kingdom Come Conference – July 13, 2018 - July 15, 2018 at 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Faith & Film Evening: Murder in the Cathedral – July 13, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm

July 14, 2018

Love My City Week (Tri-Cities) – July 14, 2018 at All Day
Raising Godly Children in an Ungodly World – July 14, 2018 at 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Union Gospel Mission Summer BBQ – July 14, 2018 at 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Parish Collective: Neighbourhood Stories – July 14, 2018 at 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm

July 15, 2018

Jazz Vespers: The Gabriel Palatchi Band – July 15, 2018 at 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
St. Stephen's College Choir: Alumni concert – July 15, 2018 at 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

July 16, 2018

Richmond Chinese MB Church Soccer Camp – July 16, 2018 at 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Bishop Will Willimon: After Church History – Can Canadian Christians Evangelize? – July 16, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Rikk Watts: Doing 'Theology' as Design – as God Originally Intended? – July 16, 2018 at 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

July 17, 2018

Film Screening: After Spring – July 17, 2018 at 6:45 pm - 9:30 pm

July 18, 2018

Rikk Watts & Nijay Gupta: Two Perspectives on the New Perspective – Exploring the Theology of Paul – July 18, 2018 at 12:00 pm - 12:45 pm
Regen: Ale Policar & Regen Band – July 18, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Sarah Williams: The Spirituality of Time – July 18, 2018 at 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

July 20, 2018

BC Sacred Music Symposium – July 20, 2018 - July 22, 2018 at All Day
Vancouver Urban Ministries Garden Party – July 20, 2018 at 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Unsettling the Word Book Launch – July 20, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

July 21, 2018

Love My City Week (Tri-Cities) Celebration – July 21, 2018 at All Day
Garage Sale / Block Party – July 21, 2018 at 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Fraser Lands Community Day – July 21, 2018 at 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
St. James Music Series presents The Gesualdo Six – July 21, 2018 at 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

July 22, 2018

Church at the Lake – July 22, 2018 at 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
Jazz Vespers: Sharon Minemoto – July 22, 2018 at 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

July 23, 2018

Peace Portal Alliance Church Soccer Camp – July 23, 2018 at 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Richmond Baptist Church Soccer Camp – July 23, 2018 at 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Terry LeBlanc: When Fundamentalism Meets Liberalism – July 23, 2018 at 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

July 24, 2018

Peter Shaw: Living With Never-Ending Expectations as a Leader – July 24, 2018 at 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

July 25, 2018

A Conversation on Biblical Theology – July 25, 2018 at 12:00 pm - 12:45 pm
Regen: Lewis Chifan & Broadway Church – July 25, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Lynn H. Cohick: Motherhood & Martyrdom: Family & Faith in the Early Church – July 25, 2018 at 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

July 26, 2018

Rosa Quintana Lillo: Heroes in the Seaweed – July 26, 2018 at All Day
Stars & Dark Matter: Quilts by Lois A. Klassen – July 26, 2018 - August 31, 2018 at All Day
Seeing God: Hans Boersma's Book Launch – July 26, 2018 at 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm

July 27, 2018

Family Matters Conference – July 27, 2018 - July 28, 2018 at 6:00 pm - 5:00 pm

July 28, 2018

David Ley: Postmodern Urban Spaces – a City Tour – July 28, 2018 at 9:30 am - 1:00 pm
Summer Community Day – July 28, 2018 at 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm

July 29, 2018

Jazz Vespers: Ragtime Ramblers – July 29, 2018 at 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

July 30, 2018

Bruce Longenecker: Beyond the Mysteries – Paul's Proclamation of the Mystery of God – July 30, 2018 at 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

July 31, 2018

Flavours of Hope: Summer Food Market (Tuesdays) – July 31, 2018 - August 28, 2018 at 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Donald Lewis: 'In Darkest London': A Window on Urban Life & Mission in Darkest Victorian England – July 31, 2018 at 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm