Southern Ontario Cooperative of ESL Ministries
By Rick Love, Ph.D. A woman we’ll call Brenda emigrated from west Asia to Canada and was very motivated to learn English. She was preparing for a professional exam and had a time limit to see her IELTS score high enough to qualify for that exam. At our church in Calgary we have created a […]
SOCEM started to offer training webinars online during Covid, from 2020. From January to May 2023, SOCEM offered one webinar per month – our third series. Here is a snapshot of the two most recent webinars: On April 18, Mae Chun from Calgary presented a webinar on “Essential ESL Skills for Aging Well: Program for […]
By Carey Jo Johnston, for the Ottawa ESL Prayer Network Team The vision for networking people in Southern Ontario who are doing ESL ministry started with SOCEM. However, since most of the SOCEM events are in the GTA area, some of us in the Ottawa area thought we might have a subset of SOCEM. It […]
By Carol Blake What happens when you take ESL learners outside the classroom? There’s a peak in interest in the class and in the lessons, a growth in connection among the class members, and an increased sense of belonging to the wider community. Over the past number of years, I have taken adult learners in […]
By Allan Pole I tend to pack more than I will use when I travel. I might need this item! So, in it goes – just in case. The average citizens of the world’s wealthier nations enjoy an unparalleled standard of living. Storage and junk removal are huge industries! Similarly, our lives resemble over-stuffed suitcases. […]
By Jeff Gottschalk For with God nothing will be impossible. (Luke 1:37) I am the vine, you are the branch. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. (John 15:5) As I was nearing retirement I began to consider what I could do with […]
By Albert Janzen God has placed His love in my heart for the young men from Central America who regularly come north as Temporary Foreign Workers to work on our farms. This is like winning the lottery for them because it allows them to assure their family back home with a better life while they […]
By Heather Berghuis Are you seeing a good work beginning, progressing, coming to completion in your life for the work of Christ’s Kingdom? Heather Berghuis cared for her family through 25 years of military family life and is just beginning to see a long-term passion to teach ESL and share the love of Jesus with […]
Submitted by Carey Jo Johnston 1. Resurrection Eggs We can use the commercially made ‘dozen eggs’ children’s tool to teach the Easter story to our students. Each of the 12 ‘egg’ cups in the egg carton contains a small symbol from the Biblical account; e.g. a stone to represent the stone rolled over the tomb; […]
By Glen Zeidler It’s FridayHope is lostDeath has wonSin has conqueredBut it’s FridayIt is only FridaySunday is a comin’! S.M. Lockridge (1913-2000) In January 1964, Dusty Springfield recorded the song “Wishing and Hoping.” It was about a girl who was hoping that a boy would take notice of her. Hope for most people is wishful […]