Muskoka Bible Foundation
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Charitable Number 857096358 RR0001

Muskoka Bible Foundation (MBF) supports the kingdom mission activities taking place at MBC and Widjiitiwin.

MBC exists to help grow resilient, biblically rooted families to the glory of God.

Why is this mission so important?

  • Society is facing an epidemic of loneliness, social isolation, anxiety, and depression.
  • The weakening of family function and kinship relationships, including extended family circles, are key contributors to this epidemic.
  • God’s design for family is the antidote for this crisis.
  • The Church’s ability to reflect the glory and redemptive story of God through the testimony of resilient families is perhaps the greatest apologetic we can present to a hurting society.

We want to be an indispensable resource to the Church in helping write a better story of family in Canada. We envision resilient, biblically rooted families reflecting the glory and redemptive story of God.

Won’t you join us in this critically important mission?

Summer at MBC

Each summer we host more than 3,000 families at our conference centre. A week at MBC provides an impactful opportunity for people of all ages to renew their faith journey with Jesus Christ. The daily Bible teaching is the bedrock of our summer ministry with teaching specific to children, youth, and adults.

Connecting with like-minded families is also a key aspect of our ministry and serves to build resilience as family members connect with others who understand their challenges and have life experiences to share. The weekly schedule is designed to foster strong and healthy connections within families – spouses, parents & children and amongst siblings.

Each week families are equipped to face a world that is increasingly adept at destroying biblical faith, especially among young parents and youth. Our Transforming Culture Sessions (and podcast) provides biblical discernment for many of the difficult societal trends and topics that families are facing. Weekly Resilient Family Workshops provide practical tools and resources for navigating parenting proactively as well as providing encouragement when things may not go as planned or hoped for in family life.

Summer at MBC: $320,000

These donations cover the cost of our music guests, Bible teachers and staffing required to provide our adult, youth and kids ministry programming each summer. We provide the equivalent of almost two years of Sunday morning church services in a 9-week session.

Testimonial

MBC is my family’s “go-to” camping site each year! Staff are friendly and I always feel welcome at MBC. My family loves the Sunday worship at MBC and my daughter loves the drop-in service. This is the best part that my family and friends always remember about MBC, and we anticipate another great camping experience next year at MBC! We love praising and worshiping our Lord Jesus at the beautiful MBC!

MBC Retreats

MBC offers a schedule of 14 different retreats in our beautiful Muskoka setting that are strategically designed to accomplish our mission. Each retreat has Bible teaching as its cornerstone and is designed with specific needs or pain points that families face today. Here are just a few of the retreats we offer:

  • Family Fusion: Unique (designed in partnership with Guidelight). This retreat encourages families who share a journey with parenting children with exceptional abilities. Each family is fully sponsored (through generous donations) to attend and a team of trained volunteers is available to ensure that all members of the family have a refreshing and rejuvenating experience.
  • Family Fusion: Chosen. Designed for families that have adopted or are fostering children, this retreat provides an exceptional opportunity for ‘one another’ encouragement through the challenges that adoption and fostering can bring. Biblical teaching brings out the fundamental truths about family and identity that gives strength to press on in difficult times. The networking that happens at this retreat is a key benefit to the families that attend.
  • Hope. New in 2023, this practical retreat for grieving parents will help navigate the steps toward a journey of healing. Parents can join in this space as together with trained facilitators, they can walk, share, and care with and for one another.
  • Young Adults Retreat. Today’s society has created a particularly difficult environment for young people to develop resilient biblical faith. This retreat is designed to help these youth form a strong faith and positive relationships. If we want to see resilient, faithful families in the future – we need to be forming resilient young disciples.

Some of our retreats are offered annually and others are on a bi-annual rotating basis. For more information on all our retreats this year – please go to our website at: https://www.muskokabible.com/retreats

MBC Retreats: $50,000

These donations cover the additional costs of programming that are not covered by guest fees. $25,000 of this is used to sponsor the 15 families who attend the Family Fusion: Unique retreat at no cost.

Testimonial

I don’t think we can fully express our gratitude for having had the opportunity to participate in the Family Fusion Unique retreat. We were overwhelmed by this expression of love by the Body of Christ! We came away resting in the truth that the Lord is sovereign and that we are indeed surrounded by His loving care. Our hearts are full!

Ministry to Pastors & their Families

When our leadership team was conducting research to help focus our mission, there was a clearly identified need to encourage and strengthen pastors and their families. To that end we have developed opportunities specifically designed to meet this need.

 

  1. Ministry Leader Respite Retreats. We offer our accommodations/services to pastors and other ministry leaders for a time of respite and at no cost. This is available to them for personal respite retreats of mini family getaways. We have many pastors now enjoying this opportunity each year!
  2. Marriage in Ministry Retreat. New in 2023, this is a retreat specifically designed for pastors and their spouses. There are unique challenges that they face, and this is an opportunity for them to be ministered to in a safe and supportive context. Conducted in partnership with Heritage College & Seminary, this retreat is expected to become an annual event.

Pastors & Their Families: $30,000

These donations help cover the cost of providing pastor/ministry leader/family respite retreats at no charge as well as the subsidized cost of the Marriage in Ministry retreat for pastors and their spouses.

Youth Discipleship

Each year our activities at MBC and Camp Widjiitiwin provide a platform to invite more than 125 young people between the ages of 15 and 25 years of age into an intentional, community-based discipleship and work experience. Our student staffing program is specifically designed to grow resilient disciples of Jesus Christ.

In an age when young people are avoiding Christianity and there is a documented exodus of youth from the Church, it is imperative to invest in forming strong faith in these young lives. Our students serve in a variety of work experiences – dining room, maintenance, ministry programs, our Widjiitiwin program, etc. and live in a community where biblical values are lived out and the Bible is the lens through which these young people can learn to discern the culture around them. An authentic experience with Jesus Christ is encouraged through various teaching and worship elements as well as times of prayer. Each year we witness tremendous life transformation as these students encounter and come to own a living, biblical faith.

Youth Discipleship: $100,000

These donations cover the costs of providing leadership and care for the students registered in one of our discipleship / work experiences.

Widjiitiwin

Widjiitiwin is a program of Muskoka Bible Centre (MBC) that addresses the unique and complex needs of marginalized youth and their families.

The name Widjiitiwin is an Ojibway name meaning “helping one another” and this is the very thing we hope our Widjiitiwin program will be.

Currently, the Widjiitiwin Program links with a community partner in the following communities:

  • Malvern
  • Jane/Finch
  • South Etobicoke
  • Guelph
  • Hamilton

Each of these community partners joins us in Muskoka for a week of summer camp at Camp Widjiitiwin. More than 300 campers attend Widjiitiwin each summer. These campers enjoy an amazing week of camp, including activities like archery, basketball, canoeing, swimming, rock climbing, and much more. Each community group also participates in Bible teaching, devotional time, singing and prayer as a part of our commitment to teaching our campers about the love of God and His plan for them.

As the Widjiitiwin program re-launches after the COVID-19 pandemic, we will continue to roll out new program elements to bless our community partners in a variety of ways. In the future, we plan for the Widjiitiwin program to be a year-round program where we will bring families and individuals up to our MBC retreats so they might have opportunity to be blessed, to receive great Bible teaching, and rest in God’s beautiful creation in the Muskoka.

Widjiitiwin: $400,000

The cost of providing this camp experience at Widjiitiwin is sponsored by donations to Muskoka Bible Foundation. Your gift helps provide a transformative camp experience, in partnership with churches and government agencies, to marginalized young people who would otherwise not have the opportunity to go to camp. Some facility improvement and special program projects are also included in this annual donation target.

Special Projects 2024 – Creating Space for our Youth!

In 2024 we have two very strategic projects that require your special support, over and above the support of our annual ministry expenses.

The MBC Board has affirmed a priority focus on activities that will increase our efforts and effectiveness in discipling young people into a life-long biblical faith.

To that end we are raising support for two facility projects that we believe will accomplish this.

Project #1: Renovations to Founders Hall

Built more than 20 years ago as a student dormitory and teaching space, this facility has seen very little upgrades over these years, and it is showing its age. This is a critical building for us in youth discipleship as the students enrolled in our Immerse Program (formerly Stepping Stones) live in community there. We are also now hosting the launch of the Muskoka Christian Academy, a new biblically rooted high school initiative of Muskoka Christian School.

The renovations will include a new HVAC system that will include a new boiler and also Air Conditioning for all the public spaces (this building currently has no A/C). This alone will have a catalytic positive impact on our students as they will better be able to get the rest they need when otherwise this can be a very hot, stuffy environment. Other improvements will be new flooring, washroom upgrades, LED lighting, new washers & dryers and new chairs for the meeting spaces.

$300,000 – will allow our students to rest more effectively and enjoy the community living aspect of their experience in our discipleship program. This upgrade is long overdue as many of our past students can attest to. Your contribution will help us reach our goal of effectively growing resilient youth disciples of Jesus Christ, impacting more than 100 youth each season.

Project #2: SALT Teaching & Community Space

Widjiitiwin re-launched the remarkable S.A.L.T. Program in 2023. This is a Skills And Leadership Training experience where more than 30 young people enrol in an intensive, four week opportunity designed to take participants from being a camper to leading in camp and future ministries.

This experience requires a space where the content, including Bible teaching, can be effectively taught in a healthy and inspiring environment. The SALT Program currently does not have a place to ‘call its own’. It has used portable tents in the past or slipped into the ‘stuffy staff lounge’ under the Longhouse. However, neither of these options foster an effective learning environment. To that end we are working with some designers and builders to construct a 25’ x 50’ structure that will have some indoor teaching space as well as more exposed but still sheltered community areas (e.g. veranda type settings). It will also include some storage for tripping gear, etc.

$150,000 will cover the cost of this 2-season structure. It will be a simple and yet aesthetically pleasing design that will increase the effectiveness of this remarkable program. This space will be instrumental in shaping the leaders of tomorrow. Your investment is so appreciated!

This level of annual fundraising seems to be an impossible goal – until I remember what God has done at MBC in the past. We are now completely debt free, the facilities are in great shape and the ministry impact has grown significantly in depth and breadth …. God has been at work and His provision through people like You has been evident. I thank you for being part of this great God story!

Thank YOU so much for partnering with us in 2024! Your financial gift is a significant investment in helping to grow resilient, biblically rooted families. Something that is sorely needed in today’s society.

If you have any questions on how you can support our ministry, please feel free to call or email John Friesen, CEO at 705.789.0123 or john.friesen@muskokabible.com

John Friesen,
CEO
Muskoka Bible Centre

DONATE ONLINE

E-Transfer Donations

Donations can now be made by e-Transfer by sending to donate@muskokabible.com. To assist our team in issuing your tax receipt, please be sure to include your full name and email address in the optional “Message” when completing the transfer.

USA Donors

We have finally ‘cracked the nut’ on receiving USA-based tax deductible donations. We’ve registered with an agency in Colorado Springs called Friends of the Great Commission. They partner with projects/ministries to issue grants for qualifying charity work throughout the world. If you know of any USA residents who would like to support MBC (general or Widjiitiwin, etc) you can send them to this link: https://friendsgc.com/muskoka-bible-ministries 

Designated Donation Policy

We will gladly issue receipts for donations designated for projects that have been approved by the leadership of MBF and received within the timeline of the project. If donations are designated to non-approved projects, the donor will be contacted as to whether they wish to redirect the gift or have it returned. Each restricted contribution designated towards an approved project will be used as designated, with the understanding that when the need for such a project has been met, or cannot be completed for any reason, the remaining restricted contributions will be used where needed most for other approved projects.