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Church Planting in Labrador
Little Lights mission education programFacts about the Missions Area: Happy Valley – Goose Bay, Labrador
Labrador is a large peninsula in Northeastern Canada between the Atlantic Ocean and Hudson Bay. The western part of Labrador belongs to Quebec; the eastern coast is part of Newfoundland.
The town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay (H.V.-G.B.) is near the large military air base of Goose Bay. The 9000 people who live in Happy Valley-Goose Bay come from many different cultural groups, including Metis, Inuit, Innu, white settlers and military personnel from Canada, Great Britain, Germany and Holland. Because of the strong military presence the community is younger (86% under age 45) and more transient than in most Canadian towns.
Goose Bay airfield has been one of the busiest airstrips in the world since World War II. But with the discovery of one of the world’s richest nickel deposits in Voisey’s Bay, 360 Km north of H.V.-G.B, the town has seen a shift in focus from the military base to mining. The Voisey’s Bay project is expected to create between 1,200 and 3,000 jobs. As the nearest urban centre, the spin-offs for H.V.-G.B. are tremendous. Over 40 new businesses started in H.V.-G.B. in 1996 alone.
After a visit to H.V.-G.B. in 1997, the Home Mission Board decided to pursue a ministry project in the area. Pastor Lawrence and Melanie Peck were sent to undertake various ministries to children, teens and adults organizing home Bible studies and building relationships throughout the community. One of the long-term goals of the mission is the establishment of a Baptist Church in this community, where only 600-900 people attend church on Sunday at present.
The Pecks possess an impressively diverse range of talent, training and gifts. Combined with their conviction for mission, they make for a dynamic, versatile mission team. As of 2001 they have established a fellowship group in a local Community Centre called Northern Cross Community Church, attended by about fifteen people every Sunday. They also have a Thursday evening Bible Study Group and have run several Alpha Programs.
Lawrence and Melanie are involved in various groups and activities in the community including Northern Harmony, a Community choir, a Ten Thousand Villages store and Labrador Legal Services, where Lawrence acts as a facilitator in a program for convicted spouse batterers. Youth are a great concern especially in the aboriginal communities. Teen suicide, solvent abuse, physical abuse etc. seem to have gripped these people, as they have little sense of hope or worth. Many of their stories are heart breaking - some of the abuse has been at the hands of churches.
The Pecks ask us to pray for these people! Pray that the Holy Spirit may break through their misgivings, their sense of hopelessness and their anger with His saving grace in their lives. Pray that the Pecks might be Christ to all people in Labrador, sensitive to their past and present needs. Pray also that the Lord will use them in a mighty way for the furtherance of His Kingdom and His Glory in this beautiful land.
The Northern Cross
Community Church building was erected during the summer and fall of 2003.
The celebration dedicating the building to the glory of the Lord, the
church being officially chartered and opened, was held on Sunday, October
26, 2003. During regular services, Fall 2003, the average attendance was
23 children and 60 adults. Each week they have inquiries from interested
community people. They request prayer that more new people would come,
that they would grow in faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and that the church
would grow 100 fold, so that Christ Kingdom will reign and the name of the
Lord will be glorified and praised.
Please pray for
Lawrence and
Melanie Peck
Additional resources
Atlantic Baptist “To Labrador with Love”, June 1998
Tidings, June 1998, March 1999
ACTIVITY/LEARNING CENTRES
Bulletin Board
On a bulletin board place pictures of Lawrence and Melanie Peck, the Northern Cross Community Church, a Map of Atlantic Canada and Labrador (indicating where the children live and where Happy Valley-Goose Bay is located) caribou and other pictures that will help the children visualize the mission of Atlantic Baptists in Labrador. If you use this section more than once change or rearrange some of the pictures from time to time. Provide opportunity for the children to look at the pictures. Playing, “I spy with my little eye a picture of a woman, a guitar, a large animal…” and having the children guess what picture you are “spying” will help them to focus on one picture at a time.
Prayer Reminders
Materials: paper plates, colourful stickers of people, crayons, hole punch, 12-inch lengths of yarn
Prior to the session, print Today I will pray in the middle of each paper plate. Older preschoolers may do this on their own. Lead preschoolers to decorate their plates with stickers and crayons. Use yarn to make a hanger at the top.
Have the children hang these prayer reminders in their room as a reminder to pray for the people of Labrador.
Bible Thought: Pray for one another (see James 5:16)
Build a Church: Using large cardboard boxes have children “build” a church by drawing or painting windows, doors and roof. Have them pretend they are one of Lawrence Peck’s helpers who helped him build the Northern Cross Community Church in Happy Valley- Goose Bay. Some children can create a parking lot and park toy cars near the church. The people were happy working together building the church. Sing: “The more we work together, together, together, the more we work together the happier we’ll be”.
Remind the children that they are working together to build a church so that people can come and worship God and learn that Jesus loves them. Pause and pray together thanking Jesus for His love for everyone.
Visit the Sanctuary
Take children on a tour of your church sanctuary. Have the children walk very quietly and whisper to create an atmosphere of reverence. Take the children to various places in the sanctuary: the pulpit, the communion table, the choir loft, the organ/piano, the baptismal tank, point out and count the windows and doors and other points of interest in your church. Ask the children what they like best about the church. Tell the children the name of your church. This is the place where people in the community come to worship God. In Happy Valley-Goose Bay people worship God in the Northern Cross Community Church.
Have a time of worship together. Sing Praise choruses, read from a children's Bible or tell a Bible story and pray.
Fish Bowl
Younger preschoolers will enjoy watching a goldfish swim in water. Place the bowl in easy view of children, but use caution to protect the fish. Labrador is on the Coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Many people there are fishermen. They eat a fish called cod… did you know these fish have tongues?
Bible thought: God made the fish (see Genesis 1:21)
Basket of Books
Materials: picture books, floor mats, pillows
In advance, visit your public library and check out books on Labrador (ex. Fishermen, caribou, wildlife). Choose books with lots of pictures. Place books on a quilt on the floor. As you look at the books with preschoolers, talk about the pictures. Discuss how they are alike and how they are different from the people of Labrador.
Cookie Cutouts
Materials: pre-made cookie dough, flour, cookie cutters in shapes of fish, boats, sea creatures, caribou, etc…
Before the session, prepare sugar-cookie dough. After washing their hands, have preschoolers sprinkle their work-space with flour. Give them a ball of dough to roll out. Decorate
Statues
Play traditional music from Newfoundland-Labrador/East Coast (folk songs, fiddle music) and encourage preschoolers to move to the music as long as they hear it playing. When the music stops, they are to freeze like a statue.
Finger Play
Have children interlock three fingers of both hands, place their index fingers together-pointing upwards and place their thumbs side by side. Say the rhyme, “This is the church and this is the steeple, open the doors (thumbs) and see all the people (wiggle fingers). Say it several times, until children can repeat it. Pretend that this is the Northern Cross Community Church where people have come to hear that Jesus loves them.
Seashells
Materials: variety of seashells/rocks, magnifying glass
Place seashells or rocks and a magnifying glass in the area. Lead preschoolers to examine the shells closely. Encourage them to sort by size, shape or colour.
Newfoundland is surrounded by the ocean, where you can find lots of rocks, shells and sea creatures.
Bounce and Tell
Have preschoolers stand in a circle. Tell them you will bounce the ball to each one and when they get it, they are to tell one thing they learned (ex. Lawrence and Melanie Peck are building a church). Bounce a large ball to a child in the group and say, “Tell me what you know”.
After the child tells you one thing, he then bounces the ball back to you. Play continues in this manner until everyone has had a chance to catch and bounce the ball. Optional method: Leader bounces the ball to a child, when the child has caught it, the leader says something about the mission in Labrador and the child repeats it. (ex. The name of the church is Northern Cross Community Church, Lawrence and Melanie Peck serve God in Labrador, Labrador is part of Canada, People in Labrador need to know Jesus loves them, we will pray for the Pecks, etc.) Make sure that each child has at least one turn.
Sock It To Me
Provide several clean pairs of matching socks in various colours, sizes, and patterns. Roll socks into balls and place in a small plastic bucket.
Encourage younger preschoolers to toss sock balls into the bucket. Unfold socks and put them all together in a pile. Guide preschoolers to try to match each sock to its correct mate.
Share with children: “People in Labrador wear warm socks, it’s cold in Labrador”.
Fly airplanes Fly
Goose Bay has had a busy airstrip. Many of the people living in Happy Valley-Goose Bay have come from different countries to work at the military base. Children can enjoy “flying” as they continue learning about Happy Valley-Goose Bay. You will need a large playing area so that children can move around freely. Give each child a color, several children can have the same color,( give 2 or 3 children the color red, 3 or 3 color blue, some the color green, etc). Have children sit on mats, cushions or chairs in a circle and remember their color. The one who is “It” stands in the center. “It” calls blue airplanes fly. All the blue airplanes fly around the outside of the circle, looking for a place to land, they may land in the place where another “blue airplane” had previously been sitting. As they fly “It” tries to take one of their places in the circle. The one who is left standing becomes, “it”. On occasion “It” may say, “All airplanes fly”, giving an opportunity for all the children to change places.
Paper Airplanes
Prior to Session: Leaders may make several paper airplanes, (one for each child) and have them ready for the children to color and decorate. Then take turns flying them across the room.
Digging for Treasure
There are nickel mines in Vosiey’s Bay, north of Goose Bay. Encourage children to dig for nickel that is hidden in the earth. They can pretend they are mining for nickel in Labrador. Hide several nickels, at least one for each child, in a sand box. (If a sand box is not possible use a large flat tub of rice krispies.) Give each child a small shovel or spoon and encourage them to mine for nickel like they do in Labrador. As children find the nickels put them in a special offering container for your Little Lights Mission project.
