On October 27, 2018, about 85 of us gathered at Trinity Church Streetsville, Mississauga for SOCEM’s 15th annual conference. Attendees came from all over Southern Ontario including Kitchener-Waterloo, Owen Sound, Guelph, Hamilton and Bowmanville. We were all interested in or involved in ESL ministries. Many were faithful participants year after year while others came for the first time. I think we came from a variety of backgrounds; e.g. some were from Greek Orthodox Churches, and one works in a library at a Christian high school.
After a plenary worship and devotional time led by Tom More, we were dismissed into different workshops. There were 11 workshops to choose from this year, with topics in the categories of ESL Materials and Administration, Teaching Tips, Language Aspects and Expanding ESL in and beyond the Classroom. Some examples of topics include Addressing East-West Cultural Differences in Language Learning and Teaching, Teaching Beginners, The “Music” of English, and Making the Bible Relevant to ESL Learners. Participants learnt from and enjoyed 2 morning workshops and an afternoon workshop. For the hour before lunch time, there was a plenary panel. The topic was “Students’ Perspectives of ESL Ministry”. The 3 panelists were former or current ESL students who have found Jesus through ESL. They each had amazing stories to tell but one common thread was that they were all attracted by the love of Christians for them. It was eye-opening to hear their perspectives.
The day also provided ample opportunities for networking. Many good conversations took place around the lunch tables and at coffee breaks. Many workshops were also interactive and the participants had the opportunity to hear and learn from one another. As well, the display tables provided an array of resources. The exhibitors included publishers, mission organizations and other groups of interest.
Many commented that it was a good day of learning and fellowship. Some commented that they just love the atmosphere of the conference where many like-minded Christians were together for the same goal or mission. We hope that we can continue to offer this annual training opportunity for the years to come.