James & Carolanne

Hello friends!

A few weeks ago we sent out our end-of-year update by paper mail. You may have received it! However, in case you didn't, I wanted to send out an email copy as well.

Enjoy!
James W.

Family & Ministry Update

HELLO FROM QUESNEL!

Last year at this time we had just gotten settled and were getting used to living here in Quesnel. There was fresh snow on the ground and we weren’t sure what to expect from the upcoming winter. Today there is again fresh snow, we have been living here a little over a year and have experienced all the seasons, including winter, summer, mosquito, and bear season.

We really love living here. Both Carolanne and I feel that this has been a really good move for our family. It’s a quieter pace of life, more light and sunshine, and a friendly community.

Carolanne loves being able to have a garden, and she was able to grow a number of veggies that we enjoyed over the summer and fall. Ben enjoys biking and spent many hours riding around the quieter streets of our neighbourhood and in town. Julia has grown to like attending the weekly youth events at our church and hanging out with a new friend. And I have appreciated having more room in the garage to work on odd jobs.

The kids are continuing on with homeschool. Last year for grade 10 we switched Ben into a new program with a school called Heritage and this year we did the same for grade 9 with Julia. It has been a bit of a challenge since this school (and grade 10 in general) is more structured than their previous experiences. However, they are both catching on and we feel that this has been a good direction to go with their education.

We have both been very grateful to attend a life-group for new people to in our church. We have been meeting weekly for over a year now, with a break during the summer. It’s been a really great opportunity to connect with other local couples and study the Bible together.

MINISTRY STATUS

This year I spent quite a bit of time developing a new “Live Chat” tool that our mentors can use to connect with people looking for help. When mentors activate the tool, it starts inviting website visitors to come and chat in real-time with someone who can help encourage and pray for them right then and there. At the time I write this we are working to train our English speaking mentors how to engage in this form of ministry. We are also translating and releasing the software and training in several other languages and countries.

Another interesting project we’ve been exploring is how we might engage with the online video gaming demographic. There are large and vibrant communities of online gamers who might never set foot into a church, but meet regularly to play and stream video games together. Some of these include popular Christian influencers who aren’t sure how to transition to a discussion of Jesus. One of my team members is exploring how we might help build a safe space for gamers to come and talk about faith!

These are just a couple of the many different projects, strategies and partnerships that the Digital Strategies ministry has been pursuing. Our ministry equips mentors to respond to more than 75,000 people each year who reach out to us via our websites. We also partner with 80+ churches and ministries in 128 countries who use our tools to increase their reach and impact.

Thank you for helping us continue to serve with P2C :: Digital Strategies!

Carolanne and I are incredibly thankful to have people like you standing with us in prayer and financial support as we continue in this ministry. We depend on the generosity of others like you to continue serving in these areas.

If you can help with a special gift this year, it would be a huge blessing both to us and to the ministry. You can find ways to give at this link.
jamesandcarolanne.com/give

Thank you so much for keeping us in your prayers and your hearts.

Wishing you all the best,
James & Carolanne
Ben, Julia & Hershey