Christmas Cheer

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Everyone at The Beacon is happy to wish you a Merry Christmas this year.
The Beacon is ending the calendar year of 2014 in good spirits.   Toni DenHollander, our food coordinator, organized and created 35 gift bags for the regular teens that visit the Beacon and inside was treats, a Christmas mug, hot chocolate, a personalized card from Beacon volunteers and other nice items. Though many high school kids feigned 'coolness' they lined up to receive them and there was a festive mood. That was Wednesday. We had 37 kids show up, but two were not regulars and instead were first-timers.  They got a card and best wishes.  Rene offered devotionals to them as well, and Alisa helped pitch the idea of taking one for private study.  Thanks to Toni and Nathan for their help in putting all the gift baskets together.  It was a good time. After the ENSS students had left and the BPS kids were there, Father Tony Berol of Holy Angels Catholic Church joined us with several of his parish, holding a very beautiful birthday cake, a second one given to him and one he wanted to share with us.  I don't think the teens appreciated the richness and delicacy of the cake as much as the adults did - but of course we had very little - leaving the fine and tasty morsels to the teens.

The cake was a real work of art, with parchment colour and faded edges, and a nice rich marble cake inside.
 Father Tony then proceeded to sing and play guitar for us and this was just another bonus for the afternoon crowd.

David checks out an impossible shot as
 Dixon and Seth continually hook each other

As the year is ending we welcome new volunteers Bets, a friend of Karen, and Doug from the Fellowship Church who have joined us. Both come regularly and fit in right away in helping serve food, play pool and just being available to talk and listen.
Quinte Youth For Christ had their regular Christmas party for everyone from all satellites and a good time was had there by Rene and Shirley, Jim and Audry Snyder and Jeff and Carla VanReewijk, as well as thirty or so staff and volunteers from other QYFC locations.  
We got word that the Fellowship CRC church's Faith Promise initiative has come in with a generous amount of support for me in my role as Director of the Brighton area Youth For Christ & The Beacon.   Many thanks for that support!

Guitar Master Jim Chapman plays one snowy evening

IN THE NEW YEAR...

January will bring First Aid training for the volunteers. So if you are planning a major heart attack or a broken something or other, do so at The Beacon with a volunteer present.  They will certainly know what to do.  January 24th will be our first annual Music Concert in aid of The Beacon, featuring the talented Kroesbergen Family, the band Wisdom and our own volunteer Don Harnden on the pipe organ. This will be a 'free' concert but the offering will be to help The Beacon and pay rent.  

Rene will be going to London for a YFC conference and training.  He is continuing to do book work and study in order to be credentialed as an official public representative of YFC.