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Note: Many revisions still needed as of Dec. 24/04 in order to bring this into conformity with what was actually spoken.

[Tim Lappala]
In the beginning God created students. Now the students brains were formless and somewhat empty; curiosity filled their thoughts. And so God said, “Let there be university”, and there was university. God saw that university was good.

Now as students sought for truth, various Christian groups began to emerge on campus in Britain. And so God said, “Let there be an Inter-Varsity Fellowship of these groups”, and there was an Inter-Varsity Fellowship in Britain in 1928. God saw that this Inter-Varsity Fellowship was good.

Meanwhile, in North America, a series of college awakenings had begun to shake the nation, from as early as 1787. But these students did not have an Inter-Varsity Fellowship. And so God said, “Let me appoint someone from Britain to travel across Canada and draw together Canadian Christian students”, and so through the British students, newly-graduated medical doctor Howard Guinness was chosen.* God saw that this choice was good. Students raised the money for Guinness’s one-way fare across the Atlantic, by the sale of books, a car, sports equipment and other belongings.**

Upon his arrival in Canada*** in 1928, Howard Guinness wrote, “I realize that my first duty to the student of Canada is to lead him out into the fullness of the Holy Spirit’s power.”

Crossing Canada twice in 13 months Guinness touched the spark for a new movement. But there was still no national organization to this awakening. And so God said, “Let there be an Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship of Canada”, and there was an Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship on the 18th of September, 1929. God saw that IVCF in Canada was good.

Fresh from a revival in the secondary schools of Australia and New Zealand, Dr. Guinness returned to Canada along with Noel Palmer, full of inspiration to work with high school students. But Canada did not have a fellowship for high schools. And so God said, “Let there be an Inter-School Christian Fellowship” and there was an Inter-School Christian Fellowship in Canada. God saw that ISCF was good.

And in the early 1940’s God said, “Let there be an Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship in Thunder Bay”, and there came to exist an IVCF in Thunder Bay. God saw that this fellowship in Thunder Bay was VERY good.

[Brian]
"This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, 'Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty.'" Zerubbabel was called to rebuild the glorious Temple in Jerusalem, but it all had to start with a small object, a plumbline, in his hand. The LORD challenged and encouraged him, "Who despises the day of small things?"

[Jenny]
Sixty years ago in Port Arthur a small widow lady felt the heart of God beating for the lost throughout the world. Mrs. Bessie Plunkett corresponded regularly with many mission organizations. Through letters, she became friends with Wilbur Sutherland, the National Director of Inter-Varsity and on his visit to the Lakehead he stayed in her home. Mrs. Plunkett had a special room reserved for guests that she called the “Prophet’s Chamber” and many missionaries that passed through the city found hospitality at 10 Carrie Street. Through this visit Mrs. Plunkett became interested in promoting the work of IVCF in Fort William/Port Arthur.

[Brian]
On March 22, 1966 Bonnie Wile --now Bonnie Blanchet-- was the first student to come to faith in Christ through the ministry of LU Christian Fellowship. Bonnie has joined us this evening to share some of her memories of Mrs. Plunkett and those early days.

[Bonnie] Mrs Plunkett was a delightful lady, with a serious, but colourful personality. A retired schoolteacher, she wore her white hair pulled straight back in a bun. Whenever she spoke of the late Mr. Plunkett, she lovingly referred to him as "Husband".

Bessie really enjoyed offering hospitality and 'reaching out to and following up' students. I received several notes of encouragement from her over the years. She sometimes invited Jo-Anne Cain and me over for supper, and we would each pick and read aloud a verse from the little Daily Bread box. Then Mrs. Plunkett would elaborate with more Bible teaching, and lead us in a time of prayer. This left a lasting impression on me that Christian women are distinctly different, and that sharing Scripture and praying together are the basis of true Christian fellowship.

I learned that when the Lakehead Technical Institute was first established in 1946, Mrs. Plunkett’s prayer group started praying for God to work in students' lives, and 'circumvent' the influence of several professors, thought to be communist in their political persuasion. That was the year I was born, and so I sensed that God had indeed worked in my life, thanks to these faithful prayer warriors, and students committed to sharing their faith on campus!

[Jenny]
Mrs. Plunkett went on to sponsor -- along with Mrs. Rose Wilson -- the L.U. Chinese Christian Fellowship, which remained a very vibrant and active club until Mrs. Plunkett moved in 1992 to Southern Ontario to live near her daughter. There she stayed until February 2000 when, at a little over 100 years of age, she went to be with her Lord.

[Brian]
This past August another woman of great faith passed from among us into the presence of her Saviour. Miss Eleanor Moyer was also a key figure in the early days of IVCF in the Lakehead. In the early 40's she moved far from her home in Southern Ontario to work with children and youth in the Thunder Bay district.

In 1999 Judith Gooding published the following recollection of her Aunt Eleanor's involvement with ISCF in the book Lord, May I?:

[Jenny]
Back in 1949, Eleanor learned of a teenager she knew who thought he was the only Christian in his high school. He was finding it very difficult. This concerned Eleanor, and the wheels of her mind began turning and she prayed, “Lord, may I sponsor an ISCF club so this young man can meet other Christians?”

[Brian]
“Yes, Eleanor," replied the still, small voice of God. "You may."

[Donna MacMaster]
So Eleanor was asked by Mrs. Plunkett to sponsor an Inter-School Christian Fellowship. The meetings started out in the home of Leonard and Irene Beer, who lived just across from Fort William Collegiate, and who had become close friends of Eleanor. I am their daughter and I was just a baby at the time. Later I went on to become involved with IVCF myself as a student, ISCF sponsor and interim worker.

When a new principal came, the ISCF group was allowed to meet in the school. Then a Christian teacher joined staff, helping Eleanor at first, but eventually taking over the responsibility of sponsoring the club. Eleanor went on to start clubs in Selkirk and P.A.C.I., working with them until other sponsors came along.

Eleanor had the privilege of accompanying three groups of young people to Urbana, an Inter-Varsity missionary conference held every four years and attended by thousands. There Eleanor led a small group Bible study, though she was not actually an Inter-Varsity worker. Eleanor was the director of Dorion Bible Camp which will celebrate its 60th summer of ministry next year.

[Jenny]
The story of IVCF in Thunder Bay and that of Dorion Bible Camp are interwoven. Many, many campers have been nurtured in faith by ISCF and in that way trained for summer service as camp staff. This pattern has now expanded to include Round Lake Bible Camp, Camp Gitchigomee and Manitoba Pioneer Camp among others. In any case, this relationship between camps and the student clubs exists in large measure due to Miss Moyer's willingness to encourage young Christians in their schools while away from the relative safety of Camp.

[Brian]
Mr. Don Merritt was a teacher at P.A.C.I. in those early days. Recently he and his former student, Maureen Harvey, shared some ISCF memories together.

[Brian]
Since the opening of the Thunder Bay Health Sciences Centre, the halls and wards of the former McKellar and Port Arthur General Hospitals are empty. But, not only was there a time when these institutions were places of healing, they also served as the schools and residences for nurses in training. Inter-Varsity, in the form of Nurses Christian Fellowship, had a presence during these times.

Lenore Hawkins started the Port Arthur General group around 1965 and it lasted until Confederation College took over the nursing program in 1971. At an NCF retreat in Winnipeg in 1966 Fran Muir was challenged to become a Christian. Two years later when she moved to Port Arthur, she began to help with small group meetings.

[Jenny]
As for the McKellar site, Jean Fisher, now Jean Lister, and her classmate from St. Boniface School of Nursing, Joyce Knight, began to sponsor the NCF there in 1959.

[Brian]
Activities included weekly Bible studies and prayer meetings, and fun indoor or outdoor adventures. A highlight for Jean was a weekend at the Wahlberg family’s camp at Dog Lake. The time was focussed on increasing their effectiveness as witnesses to Christ and -- Jean recalls-- they had a lot of fun doing it.

The NCF undertook an interesting project of developing the Christian literature section of the student library by contributing Bible commentaries, reference books and Christian missionary novels.

Jean and Joyce regularly attended a prayer meeting for the local work of IVCF, NCF and ISCF at Mrs. Plunkett’s. Because they could not afford a car, they had to be chauffeured across town -- by such mature, older men as Mr. Henry Derynck and Dr. Arnot Hawkins.

[Jenny]
While a nursing student from 1969 to 1972 Donna Beer, assisted by Fran Muir, led weekly Bible Studies and craft times. After this time Christian LU nursing students attended LUCF. And yet this relatively brief chapter in the Thunder Bay IVCF produced results in lives far outweighing its apparent significance.

[Brian]
Jo-Anne Minor speculates that her children, Carolyn, Shawn, Chris and Mike might all have been leaders of Inter-Varsity *Hippy* Fellowship, if she had not met some caring Christian students while at L.U. in the mid-sixties. And, though IVHF is a groovy idea to contemplate, we are all glad Jo-Anne’s story unfolded as it did.

"Will Your Anchor Hold?"

[Jenny]
IVCF is *led* by students. IVCF respects the gifts and needs of student. Students have resources of enthusiasm and energy to give -- but -- they also have many needs.

[Brian] For instance, students need to eat.

[Jenny]
Throughout the years the hospitality of many, many adults and their families have contributed to the growth of IVCF and that of the students themselves From 1968 until 1974 Dr. Jerome and Maureen Harvey hosted an incredible four ISCF retreats a year at their home in Nipigon.

[Brian] Each retreat featured snacks,

[Jenny] Bible discussions,

[Brian] a potluck lunch,

[Jenny] a guest speaker,

[Brian] a roast beef dinner,

[Jenny] an afternoon of skiing, street hockey or visiting,

[Brian] snacks,

[Jenny] attending a church service together,

[Brian] pancakes and sausages,

[Jenny] mixer games

[Brian] and snacks.

[Jenny]
Yes, these were great times of prayer, discussion and spiritual growth, but the Harveys tell us that the students were not serious *all* the time such as the time when Maureen was listening to the rowdy mixer game going on downstairs, curious as to what the four loud cracking noises were. On coming downstairs, Maureen observed a stack of four broken teak chairs, providing the answer. From that point on, benches from Camp Dorion were used for these retreats. Hospitality after all does have some limits.

[Brian]
Another long-standing tradition of hospitality in the Thunder Bay IVCF community was the annual LUCF Christmas party hosted by Dr. Harold and Wilma Cumming at their home in McKenzie. These parties began in the 70's and continued on until Wilma passed away from cancer in 1998.

When Dr. Cumming came to teach at Lakehead University in 1973, he commented to a colleague that he wasn't aware of any Christian group on campus. The next Monday he had an earnest young LUCF student standing before his desk, persuading im to become faculty advisor. Harold and Wilma's two little girls, Catherine and Christine, would attend the Christmas parties and sit on the students' knees or later join in the carolling on piano and violin. Eventually after years of attending LUCF in this way and ISCF at Hillcrest, they both became student leaders of the university club. Christine now works full-time for Inter-Varsity as Girls' Camp Director of Manitoba Pioneer Camp.

[Jenny]
The 1970's brought an explosion of "Jesus People" across North America and with them their own "Jesus Music".

IVCF in Thunder Bay (as the Lakehead was now called) was not untouched by this movement. Yes, the old Inter-Varsity Hymn Books continued to be used in some settings, but now the livelier rhythms and contemporary sounds of Larry Norman, The Imperials and Andrae Crouch were introduced by such local "long-haired, freaky people" as Don and Marilyn Shaver, the Walsh Brothers, The New Life Quartet, the *many* incarnations of "His Band" and such guitar-strumming young adults as Gord Walford and Reg Jones.

[Brian]
Reg and Marianne Jones met through IVCF at the Hawkinses’ house. Marianne became a Christian through LUCF, while Reg had been involved in leadership in ISCF and LUCF. The two have continued on supporting the work through involvement with the area committee and Marianne’s creative input, teaching creative writing at a Leaders Conference and writing and directing pieces for previous IVCF Fundraisers. We have asked Reg and Marianne to share a favourite from the seventies with us and then to lead us in singing a classic together. At that time all of *you* will need to keep up with the Joneses.

(Reg & Marianne Jones sing "Man of Galilee" and then lead all in "Pass It On".

[Brian]
Bill and Nina [Pendergrast] were amazing people. Who would imagine that an off-the-wall Theatre Arts and Creative Writing instructor would go off to Bible School in his fifties and then -- with some trepidation -- take up youth ministry in 1984? But perhaps it was precisely this wild, imaginative side of Bill -- and the gentle, caring side of Nina -- which suited them to ISCF work.

Bill succumbed to cancer, passing away on his 64th birthday, Feb. 11th, 1989. Nina carried on the work after him until her own cancer required that she leave the work.

[Jenny]
It wasn’t until January 1997 that Nina finally passed away and so she took advantage of opportunities to say farewell. In November 1995 she wrote to her many friends, "Jesus Christ called me to be His 22 years ago with the diagnosis of lymphoma. Now He is calling me to my eternal life with Him. I am filled with joy at the knowledge of this perfect life that I will soon be enjoying. But there is also sadness in my heart now because I leave behind some very treasured people."

[Brian]
Bill is remembered as celebrating ingenuity. When their son John and Carla Judson tried to sell home-made tattoos door-to-door, Bill just laughed and asked if they had made any money. Actually, they had.

And one day while some ISCF students were brainstorming with him, one of them suggested they hold a parade. The other students laughed, but Bill spoke up, "Well, why not?" The "Hello Summer Festivals" of '85 and '86 were the result. [Live marching band]

[Jenny]
An important value in the Inter-Varsity movement is the role the students play in leadership. Carla Harbron recalls,

"Many of the activities that I knew of for teens were led in a very “hand holding” manner; adults told teens what to do and when. I appreciated that the adults in ISCF spent time equipping us in leadership. While in ISCF I was always treated as if I was intelligent and that my opinions mattered. Inter-Varsity has taught me that it is crucial that children, teenagers and young adults have a voice in decision making."

[Jenny]
But the expectation that students will lead does raise the need for training in leadership skills. When Harold Cumming was unable to locate a Christian group in 1973, it was because the group was small and struggling at the time -- trying their best -- but essentially with no training. Grant Loewen came along as staff worker and in 1977 Thunder Bay began sending university students along with the highschool students to the Labour Day Leaders Weekend at Manitoba Pioneer Camp. Harold Cumming traces the growth in numbers and impact of LUCF to this point.

[Brian]
But Bill Pendergrast in his typical think-big kind of way had asked, "Why just have a weekend camp? And why can't we do it nearby? And why not call it a "conference"?"

Thus ISCF's Leaders Conference at Dorion Bible Camp was born, first led by Bill in 1988. After Bill died of cancer in Feb. '89, Nina continued the Conference annually at Dorion until 1992.

After another year at the MPC weekend, the new staffworker, Tim Lappala, revived the local Leaders Conference in 1993 and Carla Harbron named it "The Village on the Rock". Carla's memories of various Leaders Camps or Conferences include new songs, interesting discussions, learning to speak “Opinglopish” and having to chant the three questions of Inductive Bible Study before being allowed into supper:

[Narrators together with rhythm]
“What does it say?
What does it mean?
What does it mean to me?
Ugh!"

[Brian]
Since 1997 IV and ISCF students have returned to Leaders Camp at MPC. Though greatly impacted by times of extended heart-felt worship, prayer and Bible teaching, likely the students' best memories involve being covered in mud while fighting over a soccer ball in a pit.

But no matter the location, the length of the event, the name "Camp" or "Conference" or the amount of mud involved, the training of students for leadership continues to be valued by Inter-Varsity for the benefit of the students themselves, their student groups and also their churches and communities throughout their lives.

[Steve Wiebe reads:]
In 1997 Mary-Ellen Cain returned from a staff meeting in Winnipeg with an idea that ISCF had been doing there. Students would dress up in costume and go door-to-door collecting “real” food for the food bank instead of candy. When I, the student co-ordinator of LUCF at the time, heard this from Mary-Ellen, it sounded so outrageous that it just had to be tried.

It was decided that LUCF would run a small pilot version of the Food Drive that year to see if it would work.

Well, did it ever! Thirteen students showed up, but, even though they were adults dressed in costume, the welcome they received was overwhelming. And they did accept *some* candy along with canned goods. As Scripture says, "Do not muzzle the ox when he is treading out the grain."

The donation the LU Food Bank received that night was also overwhelming. Virtually all empty shelves were filled. The night was finished off with a social time at Doug and Jane Doyle’s house, where I was a boarder.

Next year ISCF clubs across the city joined in with their donations going to the Thunder Bay Food Bank. Costumes became more elaborate; announcements were made on radio and TV; routes were mapped out for each group and a praise and worship service was held afterwards. Just imagine Darth Vader and the Tin Man of Oz praising the Lord together.

Starting with "a day of small things": 13 students and 58 bags of food, this event has continued to grow, with each year superceding the last in donations, now exceeding 5,000 lbs. This has resulted in some interesting by-products for the students.

This annual co-operative effort has made both LUCF and the ISCF clubs more aware of each other and of the neighbour hoods around their schools.

As well, the university student union (LUSU) came to see LUCF as a real contributor to LU student life. One year, the LU Food Bank even suggested that LUSU give $2,000 to LUCF, since the donations had cut their purchasing needs in half. LUCF used this money send students to the National Student Leaders Conference.

And an unexpected by-product has been the “Copy Cat Syndrome.” Seeing the success of IVCF with this project has led other clubs to start their own Halloween Food Drives. This threatens to turn a fun evening into chaos and anarchy as clubs battle it out on the mean streets of Thunder Bay for Food Drive supremacy. Houses could be hit twice or three times by various groups out on pantry raids. IVCF’s orderly mapped-out routes could be scrapped in favour of guerrilla warfare tactics. So far such disastrous outcomes have been narrowly avoided. The future for Thunder Bay’s good citizens remains uncertain, but we trust that Christian good will and diplomacy will win out in the end. There is certainly enough food to go around, as we seek to assist the poor and disadvantaged in our city. In the end they are the real winners.

[Jenny]
Christ Awareness Week has been an integral part of LUCF’s work on the campus, as each year LUCF students make a special effort to share Christ's love through such means as movie nights, Random Acts of Kindness, free hot chocolate and guest speakers.

An exciting feature of 1999's Christ Awareness Week was the presentation of "The Gospel of Luke" by Broadway actor Bruce Kuhn. Without props, sets or special effects, Bruce re-enacts the tale of Jesus in a compelling one-man performance.

One thousand people attended as all three nights were sold out. Many considered the claims of Jesus in a form they likely had never experienced before. Bruce also taught two highschool workshops that involved over 150 students. As well, he was the guest of honour at dinner discussions each night to which five Christians and five non Christians were invited.

[Brian]
This was a great event because it brought together our desire to celebrate the arts and Inter-Varsity's commitment to Scripture. LUCF has explored the arts and faith in the Church in the Pub setting. In the high school work Tim Lappala introduced an appreciation of the arts into the Leaders Conferences and helped the students develop the "Twilight Culture" evenings. At the 1998 Fundraising Breakfast Marianne Jones directed a group of talented ISCFers in a presentation of excerpts from the musical "Godspell". This evening's programme itself is an extension of the tradition of expressing the principles of God's word through creative means.

[Jenny]
God’s Word continues to change lives. Earlier we heard how Jo-Anne Minor came to Christ in the 1960's. In the 1990's Jackie Robillard, now Jackie Wesley, was a Hammarskjold student full of questions for her Christian friends. Jackie is here this evening to share a part of her exciting story with us.

[Jenny]
Some of you may look at this picture and say, "Ah what fine young men." Others of you may even know their names: Mike, Luke and Chris. Still others of you, however, might look at this picture and exclaim, "The Gooners!"

[Brian]
Yes, these three core members of "The Gooners" street hockey team are a good example of the growth that ISCF can develop in young lives. When students such as these arrive at high school, they are timid and shy, scarcely able to speak up in a small group discussion, let alone face such hardened veterans as Richard Pepper on the hockey battlefield without fleeing in terror.

[Jenny]
But the Gooners along with decades of students before them became involved not only in attending ISCF citywide events, but in planning them. The Boot Hockey Tournament, Twilight Culture, sleighrides, camping trips, Car Rallies and other activities typically are planned by a committee of students *assisted* by the staff worker. Sometimes there are glitches and the students grow by making mistakes, but generally good times are enjoyed at these events as we can see.

[Brian]
At the year end banquet this past June, the Gooners spoke to us of the growth they experienced through ISCF. They spoke also of the challenges and disappointments they have experienced, but stressed their thankfulness to God for the role ISCF has played in their last four years.

[Jenny]
And of course ISCF and LUCF are grateful for the leadership provided by the fine young men and women who step forward to lead and to serve -- even if from time to time they do goon the odd opponent on the hockey rink.

LUCF slide presentation & voice over.

(lights fade out, then straight into Frontline drama/video presentation- 4min)

[Brian]
In a movement working primarily with student leaders and young innovative minds, Inter-Varsity has always tended to be on the cutting-edge with new ideas and methods on how to bring the Gospel across in a raw and relevant manner to a generation of youth. Inter-Varsity is a channel through which youth who are searching for their place, such as the young man in this drama can find support and direction in following the example of Christ to have an impact in the world around them.

[Jenny]
We want to be students, fully alive, and fully aware of who we are, of the world we live in and of the people around us. We want to reach above the morals of our society to live with that same passion that drove Christ through every day of His life… right to death. We want to live for the greater cause.

[Brian]
So as we work at getting back to our roots and gaining a fresh start here in Thunder Bay, we have come up with a new name, Frontline, by which we are becoming known in the schools, to keep us reminded of our desire to be active in showing Christ’s love to our peers.

[Jenny]
Through our leaders’ retreats and training, and our in-school clubs and city-wide events, our desire is not only to grow spiritually as servant leaders, but also to be a witnessing community that has an impact on our schools and in the city, as we live our lives --- on the Frontline.

[Brian]
From the "small beginnings" of one young British doctor and his friend, prayerful women and concerned teachers

[Jenny]
and on through decades of students, volunteers, staff and adults simply willing to offer their homes

[Brian]
(and snacks)

[Jenny]
God has been working in lives of young people in Thunder Bay. The extent of this work may be glimpsed in part by looking around this room.

[Brian]
Another dimension can be imagined by recalling those nurtured by IVCF who are serving the Lord throughout the world.

[Jenny]
But ultimately the impact of this work will be revealed only by Eternity.

[Brian]
In the meantime we look to our Lord to continue to lead us in bearing witness to His truth in educational settings and encouraging any and all to consider Christ as the anchor for their lives.

(All cast on stage for finale chorus of “We Have an Anchor”)
[Credits and thank you’s appear on screen in second time through chorus.]

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