Made in Manitoba

A brand-new program director with Adult and Teen Challenge is releasing new music that shares his story of hope.

Dwayne Ajtay works for Adult and Teen Challenge (ATC) out of Winnipeg. As he releases music, he goes by the stage name 'AJ', which most of his friends know him as. 

The Program Director released a single on April 2 called 'Follow You.'

"I've been with ATC since 2009 and it's been an amazing journey. Recently I took on the role of Program Director, it's been about a week now. I'm looking forward to this new adventure, this chapter," says AJ.

A Canadian musician is grateful to walk in the footsteps of his heroes with his latest accomplishment, being awarded his home province's highest award.

"It kind of came out of nowhere, it was nothing I was expecting," Bell says about finding out he will be receiving the Order of Manitoba. "I just got a sudden phone call from the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba saying 'We'd like to offer this to you,'" says Bell. 

He says that when he found out, he went online to see just what this meant for him. 

Canadian Christian band The Color is releasing a brand new song and music video for their latest work, 'Call of the Wild.'

"It's a song that touches on some of the things that happen when you're more of a kid, the wonder that exists in your life. For me, if I look back on life and my faith journey, there are moments I can reflect on when things were a little more exciting," says Jordan Janzen, the lead singer of the group.

Janzen has once more received a little of that wonder as he and his wife welcomed their first son into the world one month ago. 

One of Canadian Christian music's favourite artists is being honoured by his home province with its highest honour.

Manitoba's Lt.-Gov. Janice C. Filmon says that Steve Bell will be the recipient of the Order of Manitoba. She made the announcement early Wednesday morning.

A multimedia company based out of New City Church is sharing their heart to help people across Manitoba share their stories through art and experience. 

Created by MADE has released their first full project, a music video for Tanya Elias' first single, 'Find You' alongside a min-documentary about her life. 

Bomba Ng'andu is the worship pastor at New City Church. He is one of the members of Created by MADE.

Tanya Elias is sharing her new single about the power of praying parents in the home. 

Elias is one of the worship leaders at New City Church, and she is also the bookkeeper. The church has run fully online since the pandemic, however, before that time New City ran two services, one out of Winkler and the other out of Winnipeg.

"I've done music on my own within churches since I was very young, but this is my first official recording and music video," she says. 

The single Elias is releasing is called 'Find You', available for viewing on May 7.

A Winnipeg Christian author just released his second book, this time hoping to start a movement of gratitude.

Derek Bradley recently published his second book called 365 1/4 A Thankfulness Project. 

"A tough life circumstance came my way and I was trying to find my way through. Speaking materialistically, I have what a lot of other people have, a family, but the joy just wasn't coming back," he says. 

Bradley went to the mall for some retail therapy. 

Gloria Fligg is the author of the brand new fun and lesson-filled children's book called Don't Be Preposterous, Mr. Rhinoceros.

Fligg is also a teacher at Springs Christian Academy in Winnipeg.

"I do what's called student services working in a department for children with additional needs. As well, I support a lot of the early year's literacy, and do a lot of reading groups," says Fligg.

Her new children's book is geared to help children understand why the world has changed drastically in the past year.

Shaylin Klassen from Steinbach has published her first Christian YA novel in a trilogy, called The Headspace. 

"It's a young adult coming of age novel and it focuses on a teenage boy who grew up in an abusive home. Throughout the course of the book, it shows how he is trying to heal from that," says Klassen. 

A local family band is releasing a song and video featuring youth from Winnipeg’s North End who were disproportionally affected by the pandemic. 

The Janzen Boys is a band made up of a father, John, and two of his three sons, Simon and Mick Janzen. The family from Manitoba lived in Japan for 10 years before returning to Winnipeg.