End of Trek, Thank You!

Hello Support Team!

First of all I want to say thank you to everyone here! Thank you for your prayers as I sought out God's plan for me and the people I was serving over this 8 month period. Thank you for you financial support, which freed me to take this time to serve wholeheartedly and invest in the lives of the people at Crossroads MB Church, while still paying bills and being able to live. Thank you for the encouragement that each and everyone who is reading this post gave to me, in notes, texts, e-mails, through phone calls and coffee's, and in every other amazing way which I was invested in by each one of you. Believe me, without your support, spiritually, financially and emotionally, I could not have done a fraction of what I have.

Looking back on my time it is hard to measure success in a position like this. Ultimately I think it depends on the goals we have, and for me my goal in this Trek experience was to test the call I have felt towards ministry, to gain valuable experience, and to engage the people I am ministering to with the good news about Jesus through relationships.

During this time I was able to meet regularly with 4 youth students and play games with them, teach them about our creator, and just live life with them. At this time I do not know how impact-full my presence is, but I do know that they have grown much over this past year, and that overall it is my job to plant the seed, and it is the Fathers job to make it grow. (1 Cor 3:16) I have also had the pleasure and the privileged to meet regularly with an amazing group of young adults and walk with them through life and scriptures, meeting twice a month for fellowship and bible studies. These are times I cherish as we delve deeper into relationships, and what God has for each one of us.

Over this 8 month period I have had a veritable buffet of experiences from preaching and teaching to seeing the behind the scenes of a funeral and helping install a bathroom. I have served and seen most ministries of the church and been able to share in the visions behind them all. This time has been a great one of gaining valuable and varied experiences which I know will serve me well in the future.

Finally my biggest goal this year was discern the call I have felt some time now towards ministry. In these past 8 months I have found what I excel in and what I do not. I have been given the chance to share and see students engage with what I am saying and watch that mold their lives. But more than that, others have scene me do this as well and have told me so. I have been greatly affirmed and encouraged in my call towards ministry by this experience. There was a time, not to long ago when I thought that due to the slow forward movement towards ministry, that it was in fact not my calling. But through the people of Crossroads MB church, God has shown me that He has plans for me and my future, and while I may have started slow, I am building up momentum as long as I continue to lean on Him.

So with that I have been asked to stay on with the church and be a part time staff working in the same areas as I have been serving in on Trek. Starting in June I will be a part time Masters student at a local Seminary, and a part time pastoral staff at the church. During this time the courses will be paid for and a salary will be provided for me, of which I will need to raise 1/3rd, or $10,000 per year. This past year could not have happened without you all, and similarly this new phase of my life and ministry cannot happen without supporters. So if you wish to continue to support me you can send a cheque to the address listed below with my name in the note column, or you can contact me to set up a pre-authorized automatic withdrawal system.

Thank you so much for your support and an even bigger thank you for the support that I have already received. I feel so privileged to be in this position and so encouraged by each and every one of you.

- Stefan Klassen


Crossroads Mennonite Brethren Church
231 Kitson St , Winnipeg MB R2H 0Z4