A family church
For people of every age
By Isabelle Southcott
The family that prays together stays together.
Ken Lamden and his son Mark, Powell River's father-son ministry team at Evangel Church, recognize there's a massive change taking place in the family, and because of this, it is more important than ever that church be a family.
"We want to be a reflection of the life of Christ," says Ken, the church's senior pastor. "Some people feel that they are not part of a family, because they are a single mom or they are divorced, but they can be part of the spiritual family that is embracing, loving and understanding."
Mark, who is the youth and young adults coordinator at Evangel, loved growing up in Powell River. "I spent a lot of time in the bush with my brother and friends. We know every trail around here."
After graduating from high school, Mark moved to Abbotsford and attended Bible college. He attended Vancouver Island University in Powell River and Nanaimo, where he received his English degree. During that time he married Melanie, and the couple went to Korea, where he taught English.
Mark taught school on Vancouver Island and although he loved what he was doing, he was waiting for something to happen. "I always felt that God was going to call me full time to the Ministry in some respect but it would be later in life."
Mark became a teacher because he wanted to be able to influence teenagers, but after teaching for a couple of years, he realized that he wanted to combine teaching with his work at the church.
"They had been looking for a youth/young adults pastor at the church and I felt like God was saying you guys should think about taking this job."
So Mark let his interest be known.
"Moving back to Powell River was right for us," he says. An added benefit is their children can grow up near their grandparents.
Mark and his wife Melanie both came through the youth group at Evangel so they were known in the church.
Like his son, Ken feels that his time spent working before entering the ministry full time helped prepare him for what was ahead.
"I was 33 when I entered the ministry," he says adding his background is in engineering. "We've found that years working in the marketplace give us a better understanding of what people coming into the church are going through."
Both Ken and Mark enjoy the father-son relationship and the mentoring Ken provides. "I ask him questions about theology," says Mark.
"With Mark having been in university, it helps us understand what young people at that age are experiencing, which means we can better prepare them for life," says his father, noting that Mark maintains these connections, as he still works as a teacher on call.
Statistics show a high percentage of teens stray from their faith five years after completing high school. "We want to prepare teens with confidence so they can stand up against philosophies they are presented with," says Mark.
Evangel's Friday night youth program for teenagers in Grades 8 to 12 provides a fun alternative to other options to going out and partying, which sometimes leads to drinking and drugs. "There is much more peer pressure today to have sex than when I was a kid," notes Mark, which is why he is keen to provide a safe alternative and role models.
Mark and five other young adults "just hang out with the kids," play games, do some sports and have fun.
The youth program is just part of what the church family does. Maegan Kimball is the children and pre-teen coordinator for the church.
"The church needs to be a safe place," says Ken. "It's also a place of learning. We value our children and youth but we focus on every age."
