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Nominate execs for 2012! Register your choice at the form below. Nominations close at midnight, Wednesday, Feb 29!:
UCM is a student-led ministry that operates under the guidance and wisdom of a campus director and pastoral staff. The staff, and your UCM Student Exec work closely together to pray for, organize, and facilitate the ministry on campus. Our Core bible study leaders meet regularly with our staff for discipleship and shepherd many students in their weekly meetings in dorms across campus. As well, our Worship leaders meet regularly with their worship bands to pray and prepare to lead our community in worship each Thursday night. Countless others volunteer in a variety of roles to bring breath and depth to this active and diverse community.
Click on photos for contact info and bio:
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Community. What a great word. Ever since joining UCM three years ago I have been learning about what that means. And the more I think about it, the more I love it. To fellowship, to laugh, to experience, to grow - together. We are meant to live in community, to go through this life - this 4 years of university - in relationship with each other. What drew me to UCM (and what makes me so excited for this year) is that UCM is not some sort of 'organization' - it is a group of students who love God, who love asking questions, and who love each other. Drop by sometime - we'd love to have you along on this journey!
But before we meet, allow me to make some small talk - I'm a 6'-5", 21-year-old, Mechanical Engineering student going into my 4th year of what is going to be a 6-year degree. I am currently torn between following my career choice as an engineer, pursuing my passion in photography, and falling in love with ministry work. Basically, I have no idea what I'm going to do with my life and I love it. I am fond of Swiss cheese, oceans, heights, and mangoes. I think backpacking across the Andes would be a sweet way of spending a summer. The centrality of the Cross in the Christian faith has been something that has been blowing my mind recently, and will probably continue to do so for the rest of my life. We should talk about it sometime. See you soon!
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Shiyara
- V.P./Communications
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Marhaba tous! Having grown up in Sri Lanka and the Middle East, while speaking British English (I say To-mah-to) and learning French as a second language, I am very much an international student. Ask me where Im from, and youd get a garbled answer about moving countries. Usually ending in a philosophical discussion about what where are you from? actually means. I finished high school in Oman - a large, relatively sparsely populated country in the Middle East where, after going through camel taming ceremony, I rode Hamloola- my camel to school. Just kidding! My mother drove me to school on tarred roads, and Hamloola a stuffed toy camel got his name from a phase of using food names on my stuffed toys.
This is my third of a (hopefully) four year degree in psychology, at UBC. While I do not sit people down on couches and ask how do you feel about that? I am passionate about people, making connections and building depth in relationships.I had never truly experienced this outside of my family however, until I came to UBC and got involved with UCM. Ive come to marvel at, and be totally jazzed, about the inevitable joy and power that come with relationships truly built and growing on Christ. As we do this year together, my prayer is that our personal Walks, our relationships within UCM, within the larger Christian community and with other students and faculty on campus, will reflect Christs character and continuing work in our lives. Im so excited to grow and be challenged with you, and watch His desires for this campus and community unfold! I look forward to having one of my notoriously long chats over coffee/food with you this year!
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Claire
- Prayer Coordinator
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Hello! Im Claire and I hail from majestic New Westminster. However, I like to consider myself to be a local Vancouver girl, having lived in the beautiful city for most of my life. Im a 3rd year Human Kinetics student. I enjoy playing sports, and love playing soccer in particular. PE was one of my favourite classes growing, and, what can I say, I pretty much rocked that class. I guess its no wonder I chose Hkin ;) However, I do enjoy doing other things like baking, reading novels, and making collages. When I came to UBC fresh out of high school and as a commuter student, I wondered how - or if- I would find a group of students that would accept me for who I was. UCM has definitely been that group, and a blessing in that regard, offering a community where Ive been able to build relationships with other students and grow in my faith.
This year, Im looking forward to being a part of encouraging prayer at UCM. UCM has given me the opportunity to experience community through prayer, be it through joining a prayer group, or just praying with a friend. Its such a blessing to have your peers support you in that way. Prayer is key to building relationship with God, and an important way in which community and relationships are built between believers. No person is an island, and I believe this is true especially in regards to our journeys in our faith. I am excited to see how God will work through prayer in UCM: in the community as a whole, the lives of the individuals, and in our larger UBC community.
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When I first meet someone I like to ask what brings them the most joy in life. My answer would be two things: worshipping God through music and finding myself with a day to spend on a wild mountain. How about you?
This year I have the great joy of coordinating worship music for UCM, a community of students who desire to grow in a relationship with God. So if you have grown up with a Bible in your home, or have just now stumbled onto the name Jesus Christ and want a place to learn and ask difficult questions, I hope you can find a place at UCM. We welcome new faces at UCM. If you like making joyful noise and find yourself having musical tendencies there is room for you here. I believe God has put in my heart the desire to bring Christian groups on campus together in worship. That is my vision for the coming year, to worship God on a personal level in a unified community body. I am excited to meet and worship alongside you. Maybe well get to play music on a mountain some day.
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Beckie-Anne
- Outreach Coordinator
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Hello! My name is Beckie and I am very excited to be part of the UCM exec team this year. God has some amazing things in store for us as we delve more into His heart for us and this campus. I'm stoked. Get ready for a wild ride! So apparently a bio usually contains a few particulars... so here are the deets. I'm a 3rd/4th year marketing student at UBC's Sauder School of Business - I love what I'm learning. I ran a dance studio in White Rock, BC from 2005-2011 and have trained in ballet/jazz/hiphop/modern for many years. Music is a huge part of my life - I honestly don't think there are very many times when I'm NOT listening to music. I also really enjoy playing piano/guitar/singing. My current outlet in this area is occurs in the form of worship leading and when I'm just chillin with friends. I am passionate about the presence of God and bringing His heavenly kingdom to earth. Ask me for some stories the next time we meet. Much love to you!
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Hello fellow internet-traveler! I am Tim and I will be the treasurer for this year! No, I dont have an actual golden treasure, but what youll find at UCM@UBC is worth much more! (Yay for ultra-cheesyness!) I have been in a UCM Core for two years now, and I have been an official member of UCM for over a year now. I hope to see you here this fall; it is going to be an awesome year! UCM has been one of the highlights of my two years at university so far, as it has been a great source of friends, and spiritual learning. Growing closer to each other and God is amazing. Now, a little about myself:
1. Im Dutch and Ive lived in five countries (Holland/US/Canada/Oman/India) so don't ask me where 'home' is, I don't know!
2. Im a third year Finance (and hopefully also Marketing) student in Sauder.
3. Im an avid photographer, and aim to be a freelance as my side job.
4. Im writing a novel.
5. I cant dance for the life of me.
6. I think being a part of the UCM community is perhaps the best thing you could do at UBC.
7. If you see a tall red-head walking around, come say hi to me!
Favorite Verse: Proverbs 16:9 - In his heart man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps! (if you are wondering why I like this one so much, come ask me!) Thats all for now! God Bless.
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In my life I have three great loves: Jesus, community and improv (actually, I also really love fireworks so there's a fourth ha ha). We were made to live together in a community, brought together through out love for Jesus. Now here is where improv comes in! At its core, improv teaches you the value of accepting an offer.A strong, thriving community is not one that closes itself off from others and stagnates, it is one that reaches out with open arms and accepts the offers that are presented. My vision is for a community that strengthens as it grows and welcomes new offers and people as they come.
I love to make lists, so here's a list of the top 3 things about Alba:
1. I'm a prairie girl from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan (fun fact: we have the world's biggest moose!)
2. I'm an Arts student at UBC in my 3rd year.
3. Of all the senses, my favorite would be sight. When I look at the endless prairie sky during storms or the sunrise coming up over the mountains it takes my breath away ever time.
If you want get involved with any of our fun events (and there are endless opportunities, trust me) please do e-mail me as help and interest are always welcome!
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Arthur & Janice
- Co-Director & PAOC Chaplain, Asian Ministries Coordinator
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Every year we're excited about what God has in store for us as a UCM community. This community is unique. It's a safe place for students to ask questions about the meaning of life and it's a community that encourages students to grow both mentally and spiritually.
Our lives were transformed by God when Arthur met Him as a student at UBC and Janice while in Malaysia just before entering university in England. After a few years of working using our degrees we met each other at Regent College - and as they say - the rest is history.
It's our hope that many others will experience His great love while they study on this Campus. One of our deepest desires is to help people grow in their relationship with the One who gives abundant life. It's a wonderful time to be involved with God in the lives of students!
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Born and raised in the small town of Castor Alberta. I think the claim to fame for my home town is that our sports team is named the Castor Raiders (say it together really quickly and you'll get it). After graduating High School I planned for a year at Full Gospel Bible College in Eston, SK but one year turned into four and a degree in Biblical Studies. I then made the arduous trek in a U-haul truck to Vancouver BC, where I began work on a Master's of Christian Studies at Regent College.
Three years and one degree later, I sit here writing a bio so that you can know me a bit better. Well at a glance there is the overly passionate devotion to country music, an embarrassing fondness for Molly Ringwald movies, and deep love for a comfy chair and a good book. But what defines my life is the fact that I believe in relationships and their power to inspire maturity in Christ which is why I am excited to be working with UCM and to be able to encourage and equip people to grow in their relationship with the Lord as well as bring the good news to the world.
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Kristen
- Associate Campus Staff
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As a gal who was born and raised in the lovely suburb of Coquitlam, I grew up playing pretty much every sport in the book. I also played the flute for a few years, but alas, my musical talents were not discovered at an early age and I was forced to give it up. It was not until after high school (and my failed musical career) that I ventured out to UBC and the big noisy city of Vancouver with the goal of broadening my prospects for employment. After completing a degree in Human Geography and Sociology, however, I decided to stick around to enjoy more of the UCM community at UBC. It is my hope that through UCM, students will have the opportunity to grow in their relationship with Christ and learn to live it out as they participate in authentic Christian community. I am excited about what God is already doing on this campus and look forward to being a part of what He has in store!
Find out what God is doing on campus this year by following the link to my
BLOG
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Tyson
- Associate Campus Staff
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I grew up the son of a pastor. My upbringing was fantastic, but I never thought I would follow in my father's footsteps. However when I moved to Vancouver five years ago to pursue a musical opportunity with my sister, God surprised me. I met my wife Kari who at the time was not a Christian. Through the course of our friendship, Kari ended up accepting Jesus. The experience opened my eyes anew to the beauty and power of the Gospel. I wanted to take what I had learned and disciple others. That is when I learned about UCM. I feel inspired to train Christian students to understand their faith and to encourage them to create relationships with students both within and outside of the UCM community. So it ends up that I became what I never thought I would be. To my delight, I feel right at home!
Find out what God is doing on campus this year by following the link to my
BLOG
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Life is like a journey we have never travelled before. But it is on a road where God has gone ahead of us and we only need to follow Him. Jesus said to his disciples, But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee (Mark 14:28, NIV). Jesus has also gone ahead of us to the place where He wants us to go. Although there are many uncertainties about our future, we can be certain that it is good because Jesus is already there. He has something good in store for us. 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV).
I came from Singapore in order to get a better education. After completing a BA in Psychology, I got married to Edmund whom I met in church, and spent several years raising our two children and working as an acupuncturist. But God has plans... in the beginning of 2010, I sensed that the Lord is saying to me it's time to go. With the full support of my husband and children, I left my acupuncture practice, and took the steps to complete my theological training at Summit Pacific College. Soon afterward a door for ministry opportunity came through the University Christian Ministry (UCM) at UBC. It is as if the Lord Jesus is saying to me, I have gone ahead of you to UBC.
You may feel all alone and uncertain when you come to UBC. But Jesus is already here preparing this place for you. We welcome you to join us at UCM a community of believers, where you can experience the love and grace of Jesus Christ.
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I grew up in a small village in Germany until my family transplanted to Dubai, where we lived until our immigration to Canada. I spent a year with LArche Calgary before beginning my undergraduate degree at UBCO, with the hope of working towards a degree that would allow me to work in international development. After two years I moved to Vancouver for the UBC social work program. A lot has happened in the years leading up to my graduation including a recommitment to God that has led me back into a living and transforming relationship with God and a desire to remain in Canada for the time being. I have had incredible friends, mentors and communities walk with me. Through time spent with Servants Vancouver and UCM, I have personally experienced how intentional relationships can foster maturity in Christ. I have come to value authentic community that is rooted in God as essential to our growth as followers of Jesus and our ability to look beyond ourselves. I am anticipating a deeper understanding of Gods heart for UBC and am looking forward to taking part in the growth of our UCM community and its interaction with our campus in this coming year.
Among my stranger qualities are my love for rain and my tendency towards luddism. I also enjoy the ocean, walking in fresh air, greenery, tea, books and BBC produced shows, bonding over meals, God-inspired conversations, singing at random and in worship with people, living out radical hospitality in community, questioning the status quo, laughing, and being present to God and people!
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