How this youth pastor uses Brio magazine to reach his community

Tyler and his wife had big hopes for where in the world they might be called into ministry. “We had lots of ideas and plans about the mission field,” he recalls. “We felt a change coming.” When his wife became unexpectedly pregnant, they found themselves in a mission field much closer to home. 

They turned to local youth ministry in a rural and economically disadvantaged community in Atlantic Canada. His wife ran a Vacation Bible School (VBS) at a local camp. At the end of their time together, she bought her volunteers a one-year subscription to Brio magazine as a thank-you. “She loves what Focus on the Family Canada does and pushes it all over her kids’ programs,” Tyler says. “If you know her, then you know about Focus on the Family.” 

As a youth pastor, Tyler knew the importance of helping disconnected teens find a faith community, especially amidst the challenges that come with rural living. “Parents are already driving their kids on Fridays for youth group, so asking them to do two nights a week with sports and everything else is just out of the question,” he explains. “We knew we had to do something.”

Tyler found the answer after talking with their daughter, Danielle, who had been receiving Brio magazine for a couple of years. She often talked to her dad about it as he prepared youth lessons. “They’re just so easy to discuss,” he says. “There are so many talking points. They're written in a way that's easily applicable to your life, and maybe that's what makes it so easy to discuss. They just demand discussion. I was like, oh, this is this has got to be it. And I just really felt God's leading.”

That’s when Tyler came up with the idea of Brio Bunch, an online community run by VBS volunteers for girls from six communities across the province. Each girl pays $20 and the church kicks in the rest for a one-year subscription. They get together once a week online and they just chat about their week and what's going on in their life, then they discuss an article from Brio. The online group is facilitated by two women. “They’re absolutely incredible at being sensitive to these girls,” Tyler says. “They’re that figure that teen girls just see and they know automatically that this woman is safe.” 

Wendy, one of the two facilitators, reflects on her experience: "One of my favourite parts is seeing these young teenage girls committed to their faith in God. They are looking to him in the challenges of their lives. I love seeing the Brio posters and Scriptures on their walls and seeing them light up when a specific verse keeps popping up in their week through different ways to impact. They are young and full of life and questions. The biggest challenge for me is the generation gap. The world's culture is almost unrecognizable from when I was their age. The good news is God is always steadfast and his word is for all generations. It is a privilege to know these teens and watch them grow and become stronger followers of our Lord. We end our video chats with prayer that brings a closeness despite the many miles between us all.”

Tyler hopes that God will continue to use Brio Bunch to strengthen the faith of teen girls across the province. “We want to just maximize this point of entry that's really resonating right now,” he said. “This is very much our mission field.”