Chapel Review Week Ending April 2

Chapel Review

It was exciting to welcome Eric Paetkau to chapel last week.  Eric spoke about his time at RJC as a grade 11 and 12 student and how it shaped who he is today.  He also shared his professional journey as a musician and how it lead to his new position as Music director of the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra.  Concert Choir then performed 'Pompeii', one of their prepared pieces for Eric.

Eric Paetkau -Music Director,  Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra

Grade 12 chapel's continued over the last two weeks.  The students and staff continued to be blessed by the sharing of personal stories by our grade 12 class.

Dayna

Janelle

Hayley

Kelsey

Students and coaches celebrated the winter sports season in chapel on April 1.  A high percentage of students at RJC are involved in the athletics program.  Thank you to all the athletes and coaches from the basketball, hockey, and curling teams, and to those students who joined either Gun Club or Run Club (the RJC fitness programs). 

Boys'  Basketball team

Curling Team

Hockey Team

Girls'  Basketball Team

First to the donuts!

Winter Sports Participants.

The RJC Boys’ Residence Dean, Joel Siemens, is feeling a little lighter these days.  Students shaved Siemens’ signature beard after surpassing their goal of $5,000 for The Faith and Life Committee’s annual Have a Heart fundraiser.  The fundraiser ended on March 31 raising a grand total of $6,282.45.  “It was great to see students really getting involved this year,” said Faith and Life leader Rachel F.  All the money goes to organizations outside of RJC, and includes funding for local groups such as the Rosthern Ministerial’s Refugee Committee

Nicolas gives Joel a trim.

The Faith and Life Committee led an Easter service in the dining hall on the last day of classes before Easter break.  Students gathered for breakfast, listened to the Easter story, sang hymns, and ate Pasqua bread! 

All School breakfast

Faith and Life Reader's Theatre

The kitchen staff treated everyone to Paska!

Chapel Review Week Ending March 20th

Faith and Life

On St. Patrick’s Day the staff donated items to auction in chapel, with all funds going to the Have a Heart fundraiser.  Students bid generously, and had fun with the event. 

Adam donated one of his game worn jerseys from his time as a professional volleyball player in France. 

Saskatoon Symphony tickets courtesy of Ted and Barb Paetkau

Hand knit mittens

Wooden boxes made by Lloyd from recycled trophies.

A good time was had by all!

Principal Jim Epp experienced a St. Patrick’s Day surprise that he won’t soon forget.  As part of the Faith and Life Committee’s annual Have a Heart fundraiser, Epp agreed to get pied in the face if the students raised over $2000.  And, on March 17, they did!  A name was drawn from a list of students who had donated money, and grade 12 student Cheyenne E. was given the honor.  To date, Have a Heart has raised over $3000, and the total continues to grow.  All funds will be donated to charitable organizations that the students will visit during their Alternative Service and Learning Opportunities Week at the end of April.  Students plan to have a bake sale at Bigway in the coming weeks, if renovations are completed by then. 

Cheyenne prepares to pie her principal and uncle in the face!

So much fun!!

Total raised for Also projects to date

 On March 18, Henry and Erna Funk shared in chapel.  The Funks addressed the students about the concept of service, and shared about their own recent service assignment with MC Canada Witness in Nazareth. 

On March 19, German student Miriam D. presented a slide show about her native Germany, and led the student body in some popular German party games.  This is part of a chapel series that features RJC’s international students.     

Miriam 

Jared and Danielle race to match the English word with the corresponding German word.

Cheyenne is directed by the audience to locate the pot filled with candy.

Chapel Review for Week Ending March 13th

Faith and Life

Students and staff are preparing for RJC’s annual Alternative Learning and Service Opportunities Week (ALSO Week), which will happen at the end of April.  Students will engage in service and learning opportunities in Saskatoon, Calgary, High River, Alabama, and Guatemala.   To help students prepare, guests are invited to speak about the theme of service.  Megan Enns, Youth Coordinator for MCC Alberta, who will lead the Calgary ALSO group, addressed the student body in chapel on February 27.  Enns, an RJC grad herself, encouraged the students to embrace this learning opportunity and shared how participating in the ALSO program as a student shaped her life path.

Continuing with the ALSO theme, RJC teacher Emily Dueck delivered a personal message in chapel on March 4.  Dueck recounted her experiences serving with a MCC program where she was a street pastor working with homeless and disadvantaged people in downtown Toronto.  She talked about the highlights and challenges she faced over her two years in that position.   

The newly appointed Executive Director for the Shekinah Retreat Center, Nick Parkes, shared in chapel on March 11.  He brought greetings from Shekinah, and expressed his thankful support for the students who will be volunteering at Shekinah during ALSO week.  Parkes talked about the importance of volunteers for organizations like his camp.   

MC Canada Witness Workers George and Tobia Veith visited Chapel on March 12.  They shared about their experiences in Macau, China where they have been serving over the past 18 years.  Their faithful examples, and touching stories, were an encouragement to the student body. 

The Faith and Life Committee continues to promote its “Have a Heart” annual fundraiser.  All money raised goes to organizations outside of RJC.  This year students are focusing their support for organizations in the communities that students will visit during their ALSO week.  At the local level money raised will be given the Rosthern Ministerial for the Refugee Committee.  Students need to do something to raise the money, not just ask for it, and are encouraged to be creative (bottle drives, bake sales, snow shoveling, etc.).  To date, over $2000.00 has been collected, and we thank everyone for his or her continued support.   

Submitted by Ryan Wood

Chapel Review for Week Ending February 10

Faith and Life

Lisa Isaak, Dean of Women, shared in chapel on February 2.  She related stories from her time as a student at RJC, and some lessons from her world travels since.

Lisa

Aboriginal storyteller Chad Solomon visited chapel on February 3.  He shared traditional stories through his puppets, and introduced students to the cultural importance of storytelling. 

Chad

The ALSO 2015 theme was introduced in chapel on February 4.  The theme, A Golden Opportunity, is based on the golden rule: “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31).  Students have signed up for service opportunities in Saskatoon, Calgary, High River, Alabama, and Guatemala.

Grade 12 students Renee J. and Brandon J. shared in chapel on February 5.

Rennee

Brandon

Scott Kim, Dean of Men, spoke in chapel on February 9.  Scott has studied conflict resolution, and shared some of his wisdom through a humorous and educational slide show. 

Scott

On February 10 the student body celebrated “China Day” in recognition of the season of the Chinese New Year.  This is an important event for many of our international students.  Students wore red and learned about some of the traditions surrounding the Chinese New Year.  We truly have much to learn from one another.  

Toby

Richard

Vesley

Vincent and Ivan

Lucky Red Envelopes

Submitted by Ryan Wood

Chapel Review Week ending Jan 23rd

Faith and Life

Abe Buhler, Pastor of Zoar Mennonite Church in Langham, shared in chapel on January 21.  He spoke of the ‘Kingdom of God’ as a present reality in our lives, a living, thriving presence that touches us if we let it.  The students appreciated his relational, story-telling approach. 

The Faith and Life Committee kicked off its annual fundraiser on January 22.  The ‘Have a Heart’ campaign will run through March 20 and raise money for a variety of local and international charities.  Students eagerly participated in the first fundraising event on Friday, January 23, a dress-code free day for a toonie. 

On January 16, RJC students traveled to Saskatoon to "takeover" the Wildwood Youth Group in Saskatoon.  Students led group games, devotions, and chatted over delicious snacks from the RJC kitchen.  Much fun was had by all!  

Chapel Review Week Ending January 16th

RJC Faith and Life Report

Friday, January 16, 2015

The Faith and Life Committee used one of their first chapels of the year to ‘rap’ the Psalms.  Student volunteers were assigned Psalms, which they performed for the student body with the aid of a beat-boxer.  It was a fun and entertaining way to engage with the bible.  Mikayla N. also accompanied Dayna G. in leading a hymn.  

Ryan, Karalee and Brandon

Dayna and Isaac 

Dante and Alexa 

Robert Koop visited chapel on January 9.  Mr. Koop is working at the University of Saskatchewan campus with the Navigators, a Christian discipleship group.  He invited the students to continue with bible study while they are at university. 

On January 14 our driver instructor Naveed Anjum shared in chapel.  Naveed is a practicing Muslim, and he spoke about his faith.  He delivered a message of tolerance and acceptance and reminded the student body that the vast majority of Muslims are nothing like the terrorists often seen in the media. 

On January 15 it was ‘Mexico Day’ at RJC.  International students Sergio L. and Alejandro A.  planned a special chapel where they shared a short history of Mexico, showed pictures of their hometowns, and had a trivia contest.  A highlight was Sergio leading the student body in a karaoke sing-a-long of a popular Mexican folk song.  Sergio and Alejandro also reminded students that Mexico is not as violent or lawless as it is often portrayed in the media. 

On January 16 Madi B. and Emmanuel P. kicked off our annual Grade 12 chapel series.  These sharing times have become some of the most anticipated chapels of the year.   

- Ryan Wood