What other leaders had to say about the impact of the Türkiye Study Tour in 2024...
Al Heron
Executive Director
Montreal
I eagerly anticipated the trip to Türkiye but, honestly, didn’t expect the profound impact it would have on me. Our time together in Türkiye is re-energizing my passion for ministry and is actively shaping my approach to ministry strategy and disciple making. It has also brought new depth to my scripture reading and drawn me into a more vibrant walk with Jesus, breathing life into my faith in unexpected ways. I am deeply grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in this study tour.
Shaunna Goode
Work Force Youth Development Coordinator
Winnipeg
Something that struck home with me from the tour was the need to be intentional about disciple-making and making sure that we do not stray from the person, message, mission and methods of Jesus.
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Jerel Peters
Executive Director
Central Alberta
As we journeyed to the sites, I found myself wrestling with the lack of buildings and evidence tied directly to the growth of the early Church. Looking at it now, I am encouraged, because it isn't the buildings or the locations that are the legacy ... we are. The multiplication of believers is the legacy of the early Church. Our mission is the continuation of multiplication. I've never been more convicted and inspired to focus my time and energy on discipleship.
Becky Stymiest
Montreal Board Chair, National Board Member
I was humbled by the example of the early church and their deep commitment to being together. They shared their lives in homes, took great risks to travel to one another, and gave sacrificially to meet each other’s needs. Their devotion to unity challenges me personally and offers a model for YFC Canada to embrace.
Cliff Heide
Executive Director
Winnipeg
The trip to Turkey provided new inspiration for me to search after the passion the early church had, how they shared their faith, often risking their lives, and how the church spread in the most organic underground fashion amidst a culture that wanted to snuff it out.
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I am inspired to dig deeper into the idea of disciple making, and how this can help us share Christ with youth and help them share their faith with their peers and families. The trip has brought some new life for me in stirring more desire to share the good news of Jesus.
Maria Friesen
Associate Executive Director
Calgary
It was an honour to link arms with my fellow YFC-ers on the Turkiye Study Tour—a journey that brought Jesus’ stories to life in a new way. Visiting ancient sites helped us dig deeper and understand more fully, Jesus’ approach to disciple-making, reminding me that we often complicate things too much. Jesus’ Spirit is powerful, and our role is to walk humbly and let Him lead. This trip also reinforced the importance of encouraging young people to share their faith as they learn, (not just when we as youth workers, think they’ve been “discipled enough”).
David Tracy
Directeur des Ministères
Montreal
I really appreciated the intentionality of the the trip with regards to the teaching and learning. Peter Roennfeldt added so much to my understanding and really challenged me to think hard about what it means to be a disciple-making movement as well as what is a community of faith. The model that Jesus used and that Paul used are really important to consider for us at YFC, and how much we need to adapt or add to our ministry in order to really address the need and the desire to make disciples within our contexts.
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It was good to be reminded that Paul commissioned and released church leaders after 3 years of discipling…this is young leader development at it’s best!
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It was such a genuine privilege to be able to participate on this trip. To walk in the spaces where Paul and John walked and lived, it is really humbling. Hard to really describe the feeling other than to say it was amazing, and I look forward to how God will use this trip, these connections, this learning within the YFC Canada family!
Calvin Russell
DOXA / REMIX Director
Toronto
Sonlife Canadian Director
The YFC Canada Turkiye study tour was amazing. We all walked away with a greater appreciation for the church, and the mission that God has given each of us personally, and corporately, ‘to make disciples who make disciples’.
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Jesus’ strategy to make disciples was so powerfully displayed in Acts and the early Church. The Turkiye study tour inspired me to further embrace Disciplemaking in my life and ministry. I’m extremely grateful to have explored this incredible land with my YFC Family.
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Going to Turkiye with YFC Canada was a dream come true. God continued to surprise us with incredible learnings to apply to our lives and ministries- and to create memories that will last a lifetime.
Ashley Stromenberg
Global Integration Director
National
This experience changed not only how I think about ministry and church, but how I think about my whole life as a Christian.
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It made stories, people, and places of the New Testament real and tangible in a way that has altered how I read the Bible.
Karen Bott
Health & Resiliency Advisor
National
What I gained from this tour was a greater understanding of the movements of the early church and how simple they are to replicate. I have created more space in my schedule for intentional mentorship. I am taking a more hands-on approach to discipleship and meeting with others using the Discovery Bible tool.
Teresa Kielczewski
Directrice d'Engagement Communautaire
Montreal
The notion of households of faith being ‘the church’ really made an impact. There were no church buildings until the 4th century. The fact that disciples, making disciples, were not necessarily very mature in their faith or theological knowledge. Jesus looked for available, faithful, teachable, responsive people to become his disciples.
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Peter’s comment on how churches are often missionary (going abroad) but not missional (reaching people locally) struck home and Calvin’s question of “What does our succession look like? Is God raising people to succeed us?” has stuck with me!
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I hope to implement the importance of being intentional about incorporating discipleship-making into our programs.
Maureen Pryce
Associate National Director
National
This tour inspired me to reflect on how I disciple others and how we, at Youth for Christ, can shape our programming to help youth move through the 4 Chairs of Discipleship.
I am excited to see how God will take all that we learned and apply it to the ministry of YFC, so that together we can work towards fulfilling our mission of seeing every young person living fully in Christ.
Carl Nash
Ministry Director
Toronto
I appreciated the overall balance between on-site learning, off-site discussions/training, relationship building and solo time. I learned a LOT from Peter.
Our church has been rooted in Luke 10 (Jesus’ rhythm of sending, gathering and forming his disciples). So to spend 9 days with Peter as he modelled and shared about that was amazing. I was reminded about the reality that for the first 300 years (before buildings and professional clergy) - the church was nimble and agile.
I learned that Jesus released people very quickly into sharing their experience as soon as they had an encounter with Him (the encounter WAS their training)
This will impact YFC Canada moving forward with a renewed commitment to simple models for multiplication (making disciple-makers), a renewed commitment to thoughtful, intentional succession, and as we explore ways to move youth and volunteers more quickly through ‘4-chairs' (don’t get stuck in pattern of over-equipping).
Shenoa Gislason
Personnel Director
Central Alberta
We were at John's Basilica and Peter Roennfeldt was talking about the Egyptian Eunuch and how he wasn't permitted to worship at the Temple. We then went into a discussion around how Jesus came to tear down all of those barriers. I believe it was Doug who said "the gospel is for all, all means all and that's all it means."
Kate Heyen
Stratford Satellite Director
SWO
Probably the biggest thing for me is a mindset shift. I've been feeling like I'm facing an uphill battle to get our ministry on track with disciple making, but this trip (and using Jesus as our model for ministry) helped me realize that this will take some time to do well - and that's ok. Preparation is important, and we make disciples as we go in the process (not just when the foundation is laid).
John Rempel
Associate Director of
Chapter Development
National
I went into the tour a tad skeptical from a stewardship perspective. I felt in advance I would need to justify my partners investment in this Tour and there was some heaviness to this. What I found was humility, peace, a cohesive group who became a team, vulnerable leadership, a challenge to model discipleship in every context, a revitalized love and desperation for seeing every young person living fully in Christ, and a hunger for more. Jesus met me there and Holy Spirit was so convicting and gracious to me.
Nadine Davies
Family Engagement Director
Central Alberta
The experience was rich beyond words! We even had the privilege of receiving teachings from the seats of ancient amphitheaters in historic cities.
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Being in this ancient land, surrounded by ruins of altars to gods, ancient brothels, and gladiator rings, I could feel the weight of the persecution early Christians faced. At the same time, I longed for the intimacy and community found in the oikos—the households of faith. The entire experience was a profound and moving journey.
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Türkiye was a refreshing reminder of how simple the gospel is and how deep Jesus’s love for us is.
Already I have seen and felt the ministry impact being translated to our efforts here.
Nicole Mueller
Fundraising and Events Coordinator
Central Alberta
When we were in Turkiye, by studying the early church movement and listening to Peter share, I learned how simple discipleship can be. Discipleship can be sitting with people, reading the Bible and answering some questions.
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I think we often try to keep "prepping" the student before we tell them to go and make disciples out of the fear that they are not ready. But I was really encouraged by Peter's talk on the Ethiopian Eunuch and the Samaritan woman and how Philip and Jesus immediately told them to go out and tell others of what they have experienced.