Official tax receipts for the 2009 year were mailed to Canadian donors from our Calgary office February 16 - 23, 2010. For those who normally receive acknowledgements, we sent our last acknowlegement of the year for your October and November donations at the beginning of December (by mail and by email). If you have any further questions, please contact us online or call 1.800.565.3818.

Jill Hagen & Band (Ray Banman, bass; Kurt Driedger, guitar; Nathan Labrecque, drums; Terry Prokopchuk, sound have had a whirlwind January, kicking off Jill's second album, Ruined for the Ordinary. CD Release concerts were held at Olds College, Church of God in Camrose, the Max in Drayton Valley and at Glenmore Christian Academy in Calgary. For more information on this new album, go to jillhagen.com. Photos shown are from Camrose. Jill Hagen & Band will be on tour in Manitoba until early March and then will embark on a whirlwind tour of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio through the month of March.

We are so thankful for your prayers and support for our ministry at Venture Teams (VTI). We would like to let you know about a pressing need. We have an urgent need for $23,000 to replace the roofing at Discovery Lodge, our team training & retreat centre. I'll let Jim Nelson, our Maintenance Manager, tell you about it:

When my wife and I joined VTI in August 2008, I was truly amazed at the facility we have at Discovery Lodge. The setting is idyllic, and the infrastructure is so suitable for a ministry such as this. I believe the Lord has truly set our "lines in pleasant places" (Ps. 16:6). We can all be truly thankful to the Lord for so blessing us.

Now, sixteen months later, my enthusiasm for Discovery Lodge has not waned. However, I see a few pressing needs. Our greatest need is for new roofing on the buildings (Lodge, Chapel, and Quad). The Lodge is in particularly desperate condition. The age of the shingles, together with some nasty weather, has brought us to this point. $23,000 is my estimate for materials (only) to reshingle the three buildings.

To maintain what the Lord has blessed us with, we need to move on this project. This is where we need the Lord's people to step in and give us a hand.

Would you consider helping us reach our goal of $23,000 for this project, and invest in a facility that is so integral to our ministry? Donations can be made online (select Fund/designation 1.1) through the mail (send cheque with donation form) or by phoning our office at 1.800.565.3818 with credit card information (office closes December 24 and reopens January 4). Thank you so much!

Eternal Blessings!

Mark Sorell
Executive Director

As another training camp wrapped up for the 66th Friends & Followers team, we once again celebrated the team’s efforts and provided an official send-off at the 2009 Commissioning Celebration. Held at Foothills Alliance Church on November 20th, the evening of celebration began with a coffee house atmosphere in the lobby. The team, along with Jill Hagen’s band members, entertained the attendees with music, song and drama while everyone mingled and enjoyed the chocolate fountains, fruit platters and other goodies.


The program began at 7:00 p.m. when the audience enjoyed samples of the team’s ministry items followed by a challenge by VTI Board Chairman, Trevor Willems. The evening ended with prayers of commissioning and blessing for the team and Michael Joos (staff), surrounded by friends and family, on their future ministry in India and North America. All in all, it was an evening of focusing on God and praising Him in anticipation of some incredible ministry the team will be involved in.