Mornings on CHVN

Zach Williams is coming back to Canada for the first time in years to help Providence University College and Theological Seminary celebrate its centennial with a concert. 

"It's been at least five years," says Williams about the last time he was in Canada. "We played a festival and stayed in Canmore. It was awesome. We'd been there twice. We're excited to come back and celebrate the 100th anniversary."

Imagine going 24 hours with nothing but a brown paper bag to sustain you. For thousands of Winnipeggers, that’s not a challenge, it’s daily life.

Agape Table, a Winnipeg non-profit, serves hundreds of bagged lunches every weekday to those who don't know when their next meal will come. CHVN morning show host Sylvia St. Cyr got a taste of that reality when she committed to surviving on just one of those lunches for 24 hours.

A worldwide ministry is dedicating this month to shedding light on the persecuted reality many Christians face for their faith, and they're asking churches to stand with them. 

"We serve the church and still do provide Bibles," says Gary Stagg, the Executive Director of Open Doors Canada. "We provide Christian literature, training, discipleship, trauma counselling, social economic development, and also help in crisis situations."

Steinbach's brand-new multipurpose facility is partially open and is anticipating a full year of bringing the community together for events.

"We're so excited about this building and it's not even completely open yet," says the Director of Communications, Marketing, and Sales at the Southeast Event Centre in Steinbach, Michelle Sawatzky-Koop. "March 14, we got the arena bowl open for that very first Steinbach Piston game. We got the occupancy granted a mere 12-24 hours before we let 2,400 people into the building."

Providence University College and Theological Seminary is inviting southern Manitoba to help them celebrate 100 years in the community with a concert featuring Zach Williams and opener Jordan St. Cyr. 

"It's amazing to represent 100 years of legacy and 100 years of service to the Manitoba community, the church, and our alumni students," says Kent Anderson, President of Providence in Otterburne, MB. "I've been a part of this for four years. I can't take too much credit, but I'm very grateful to steward this school at this particularly significant moment."

A Winkler worship leader recently released a music video highlighting the inspirational life of his brother Darren, whose Down Syndrome didn't stop him from living life to the fullest. 

A Winnipeg charity is dedicated to helping men after they come out of the correctional system to show them there is hope after prison.

"Future Hope is a non-profit, charity organization, and we've been around for 24 years now," says Next Step Coordinator at Future Hope, Kim McIntyre-Leighton. "Our main reason for existence is to help men who are leaving the federal correctional system, and helping them reintegrate into the community after being incarcerated."

A ministry from southern Manitoba is combining motocross and faith as it hosts its first event at the end of June. 

"It's ride day camps for kids or adults, whoever wants to come out and just hang out and ride dirt bikes," says Kevin Nolt, who started Activate Motocross Ministry. "We'll eat some BBQ food, and there'll be some discussions and videos on faith-based subjects."

The inspiration behind the name 'Activate' comes from Mark 16:15, in which it says, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation."

Inner City Women's Ministry International has been watching God move in women's prisons for over 20 years, and they're inviting people to join in the ministry in Manitoba. 

"It started with five inner city women meeting, and either you were working in the inner city or you lived in the inner city and we discussed the needs of women," says Shon McLaren, the cofounder of Inner City Women's Ministries International (ICWMI). "One of the needs was that we needed someone to go into the prisons and encourage the women that are there."

A special event open to all Manitobans is taking place in Winnipeg this weekend, following in the footsteps of Elijah Harper's Sacred Assemblies meeting 30 years ago. 

"This is a conference that is spearheaded by my dad, Reverend Robert McLean from The Fairford Sanctuary," says Marty McLean, pastor at Encounter Life Ministries in Winnipeg. "I'm working alongside with him. It's a vision that has been burning in my dad's heart for a long, long time. He's been praying about it and wanting to find a time and a place. This is it."