“Often students know only one or two other Christians in their school.”

Allen Macartney
Spur Ottawa Writer

Thirty to 40 years ago, Ottawa boasted at least 18 high school Christian clubs in the Ottawa Carleton District School Board. Today, only five to seven remain. Yet there are signs of hope. Merivale High School has a new and thriving Christian group, planted with the help of a parent.

“I was deeply influenced by Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) in high school, in Hong Kong,” says Edward Ng. “That’s one reason I wanted my daughter, Elaine, to share a similar experience.”

Ed contacted Alaina Johnston, IVCF’s Eastern Ontario Director, for some brainstorming ideas on how to start a group. Johnston had already been hoping to restart IVCF’s Ottawa high school ministry.

“Talking with Ed, my role was very much in the background,” she says. “I explained the process, step-by-step, and provided some resources.” Bolstered with the ideas and information, Ng applied them to Merivale High.

“Soon, some other parents and students caught the vision.”

“Last spring, I suggested to Elaine that she start a group. She was in Grade 11 student,” he says. “We started by doing a prayer walk around her school, asking for God’s direction. As we walked, we sang and praised God, asking for the Holy Spirit to breathe His presence into the school.”

It didn’t take God long!

“Soon, some other parents and students caught the vision,” says Ed. “The students started meeting informally in the school yard, during lunch hour.”

A month later, after Ed and his daughter did another school prayer walk, the principal provided a classroom for students to meet and a teacher volunteered as their sponsor. None of the kids knew how to lead a Bible study, so parents helped teach them. Last fall, the group started a study through 2 Timothy and in the new year they hosted a youth Alpha initiative.

“The Alpha video series is great. It introduces God to newcomers and jumpstarts discussions. I find Alpha discussions really productive,” says one student leader. “I enjoy the fellowship. Most of us go to different churches, so it’s amazing how we’re able to meet together and discuss these issues.”

Elaine Ng bubbles enthusiastically about the club. “Usually 12 to 15 students come to meetings. We have two student leaders who do planning, think up discussion questions, and open with prayer.”

“My dream is that this experience will encourage other youth and parents to help start more Christian clubs in Ottawa high schools.”

Elaine says the group fills an important role as it is hard to thrive and persevere for Jesus in a secular environment where non-Christian worldviews constantly bombard students.

“It’s incredibly important to have Christian groups in high schools,” Johnston agrees. “Often students know only one or two other Christians in their school. That’s where teenagers spend so much of their time and peers can influence them so much. They can feel isolated in their faith, which makes it harder for them to live as Christians.”

Christian groups help students connect with like-minded friends to encourage them in faith. They also give opportunities to invite non-Christian friends to investigate faith. Yet, one challenge is student turnover. Merivale’s Christian club is currently working to ensure continuity as a student leader prepares to graduate.

“We’re working on that now,” says Ed. “My dream is that this experience will encourage other youth and parents to help start more Christian clubs in Ottawa high schools.”

“Students, parents, teachers, or even a local youth pastor can take the initiative to get a group started,” Johnston says. “It just takes a bit of work.”