Have you ever been convicted by LEGO?
My kids have entered that stage, where our living room has become a minefield! But when I reflect on these pointy little bricks a thought strikes me. On their own, LEGO pieces aren’t very impressive or particularly interesting; they’re just plain plastic blocks. But, LEGO bricks were not designed to exist as solitary pieces. They are expressly made to be joined together. The more LEGOS the better!
Whether they come in a pre-established set, with each brick in its place, or a massive mismatched bin of blocks, it’s incredible what you can create when you put them together. In many ways, these little plastic blocks remind me of God’s design for the Church.
As our world becomes ever more digital and individualistic, it is increasingly difficult to imagine the Church forming one body and belonging to one another. However, just as LEGO pieces weren’t made to function alone, we were never meant to function on our own. As believers we are meant to be joined together, working as a united body to follow and to display Christ.
As we turn our attention to the last few months here at Mount Carmel, we invite you to keep praying for our students. Pray that God would continue to challenge our students to grow in their faith, and that, as members in Christ’s body, they would learn to use their many gifts to serve one another, taking their place in Christ’s unified body, wherever that place might be. - Nils Reuter
Word-of-mouth has always been our best means of promotion! We would love if you would share about Mount Carmel to your friends, family, churches or other communities you’re in!
Complete an application to join the Mount Carmel Class of 2025/26 by March 15th to receive free textbooks (approximately $250 value).
March 6: Thunder Pong & Perogy Fest (everyone welcome!)
March 15: Early Application Deadline (see below!)
March 15-22: Northern Alberta Ministry Exposure Trip
March 31: Open House
April 13: Focus on Worship
April 26: Grad
Thank you for your continued generosity towards Mount Carmel! Charitable tax receipts for the 2024 tax year were mailed out in mid-February, so you should have received yours by the time you are reading this. Please note, any donations made through PayPal Giving Fund or Zeffy have already been issued electronic tax receipts directly from those platforms and are not included in the receipts we sent.
As you may have heard, the CRA will allow donations made in January and February of this year to be applied to your 2024 tax return. As a result, we will be issuing a second donation receipt for these two months sometime in March. You can use this for your 2024 tax return or save it for your 2025 return next year.
Mount Carmel only operates because of the faithful and generous support of individual donors, and so we are incredibly grateful for everyone who has contributed to our ministry. Thank you.
If you would like to partner with us in this way, you can contact the office or find more information here.
If you had to give a book title to describe your time at Mount Carmel, what would your title be and why?
Eliot: If I had to give a book title to my time at Carmel, it would probably have to be "Pilgrim's Progress". I'd have to give it that title because I feel like it pretty accurately reflects the journey I've been having at Carmel, slowly progressing in the faith even when there were delays.
Willow: An “Exciting Middle Chapter”. All of us students are at a bit of a standstill in our lives. We are finished with high school, but not yet into further education or the work force. This has been an exciting experience for me, as well as the Carmel community, so that title seems to fit.
Emmily: “Finding Jesus”. I would title my book this because even though I had Jesus before Carmel, I didn’t know Him. I didn’t know what it was like to truly follow Him, have a relationship with Him, or even understand His word. Carmel has given me a starting point for these challenges.
What is one interesting thing you’ve learned about the Bible?
Eliot: One of the most interesting things I've learned regarding the Bible has been the importance of genealogies. I used to always just skim them because I found them repetitive and boring. However, I've since learned that they're really key because they serve to, at least partially, explain that God is coming even for the least of all people. The genealogy of Jesus is full of imperfect people, but that was all in God's plan.
Willow: It is way more of a dramatic story line than I ever realized! I often fell into the habit of reading the books and forgetting that these were real people in the stories, but the classes at Carmel have really helped bring the Bible to life for me!
Emmily: I always thought God was violent in the Old Testament and never understood why. What I have learned is that God’s wrath is always for a reason, even if it’s one we don’t understand. His wrath came upon the people if they were disobedient, not just because he wanted to, proving he was just.
How has your faith changed this year?
Eliot: I would say that my faith has grown as I've questioned what I originally understood to be true. This has inevitably led to more questions… but I welcome them. I think that as these questions occur, my faith will only deepen further and further. I hope to answer these questions as they occur, but if I can’t I expect that will just make me turn to God even more.
Willow: This year has been a "wait for God to move" kind of year for me. I would say my faith has grown by watching Him move through others these past few months. It has been amazing seeing Him answer some of our prayers this school year!
Emmily: My faith coming into Carmel was very small. I was always anxious, stressed and even doubted why He brought me here. Now that I have been here for almost six months, my faith and trust has improved so much. Carmel has pushed me outside my comfort zone which has taught me to trust God and have faith that He is always with me.
What are some plans you might have for next year, after Carmel?
Eliot: I'm planning to work next year, probably somewhere in public service like city works or inner city services. I may also travel around Canada a bit and get some experiences outside of the bubble of my youth. I also plan to continue volunteering with some of the organizations I got connected to while at Carmel.
Willow: This summer I'm going to be working at camp. I am super exited for that! After the summer I'm not sure exactly where I will be going or what I will be doing. God will open doors, I'm sure of that. I just pray I'll have the wisdom to recognize them and walk through them when He does.
Emmily: My plans after Carmel are still uncertain. My goal is to get through the rest of the school year and let God guide me.
