"The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. 

Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning." 

— Lamentations 3:22–23 (NLT)

     Every year as I read over our Annual Report and prepare to write this introduction, I find myself pausing — not because I'm searching for words, but because I'm overwhelmed by what God has done among us.

     2025 was that kind of year. 

     As I look back, I’m reminded again why we do what we do. Our mission is simple: to help people find and follow Jesus. This report puts faces to that mission — people of all ages, from many cultures, experiencing God's faithfulness and discovering His mercy. The Spirit of God is at work in our church family, and it shows.

     As I reflect on 2025, it is clear we are on the move! As you will see in the pages ahead, we are growing — in spiritual hunger, in numbers, and in our urgency to see God's Kingdom expand in our province and beyond. We’re becoming more deeply rooted in Jesus, more prayerful, and more willing to do whatever it takes to make sure the world hears about Jesus. 

     In 2025, we recognized that our facility is one of the tools God has given us to live out our mission — and we've reached the point where we've outgrown it. Our Elders and development team have been working carefully on plans for an expansion that will position us to serve more people in the years ahead. We are not renovating for comfort; we are preparing space for His Kingdom to come. 

     Here's my encouragement to you as you read: the stories and stats in these pages didn't happen by accident. They happened because we kept showing up, kept giving, kept praying — and God's mercies kept showing up too.

     I've never been more excited to help keep us centered on King Jesus. I'm deeply grateful to be your pastor.

     Thank you BVCC for being an outpost of God’s Kingdom in the world! 

     The best is still ahead.

For the Kingdom,
Steve McMillan
Lead Pastor, Bow Valley Christian Church
 

Here are a few encouraging stats from 2025.

575

Avg. Sunday Attendance

38

Belonging Groups

22,565

Total Online Views for Sunday's
Message/Service
(434 views/week)

22

Baptisms

773

Christmas Eve Services Attendance

707

Easter Sunday Attendance

1600+

Stampede Breakfast Attendance

     I'm Elizabeth, and I got baptized in November 2025. I got baptised because I feel God's presence in my life and His mercy and grace. When you experience God's love, at some point, you yearn to be intertwined with it and experience it for life. I got baptized to be reborn and be able to fulfil God’s purpose for me in His kingdom.  

     In Matthew, John the Baptist tells us we are baptized in water and the Holy Spirit. During the summer of 2025, I made this decision after summer camp, and it was nevertheless the best decision I’ve ever made. The difference in my transition to a new life was visible not only to myself, but also to the people around me.

Elizabeth (Grade 9)
 

     Our children look forward to church every Sunday because they both feel welcomed, accepted and loved. They have become more confident in being themselves there, where they used to be very shy around other people.

      The things they have learned and have done in Sunday school have been mentioned throughout the week at home; like, during Bible studies in homeschooling, they might say things such as "Oh, I know that from church" or "We played a game about that" or "Next Sunday we're doing a draw that I don't want to miss".

     As parents, Elvina and I are so encouraged that we know our boys aren't deprived of good wholesome social interaction and feel loved outside of home through BVCC. You guys are an extended part of our family. We are grateful, that through things like birthday cards in the mail, we feel important and cherished by our church family, not only while at the church on Sundays, but in general all the time.

     Noah is really enjoying the extra opportunity to be connected and have fun in Club 56 once every two months, and Micah is looking forward to joining those when he is old enough to be in that group. We hope for more of those throughout the year, and we always look forward to each year's day camps. You have greatly enriched our lives in your ministry to our children. Thanks for what you do. God bless you!

Curtis (A Parent's Story) 

     Coming back to Bow Valley after many years away from church, I felt nervous but excited to be with other people who love God. I started going to service, young adults and youth group in January after I encountered Jesus at snow camp 2024-25. Over the first few months, growth in my faith came from going to young adults hosted by Andrew Kobe. There we read through Romans and I began to learn all about who Jesus is and who the holy Spirit is and what faith should look like. Before then I didn't really know much about God, just the generic stories I learned in Sunday school years prior. Now I was learning that I get to have a relationship with the Jesus I fell in love with (at snow camp) and that faith is a way of life that I have the ability to live out for the rest of my life.

     Once I realized that God is a god of grace and forgiveness and that I don't need to work for His love my life really began to change. A great opportunity I got was the baptism Sunday at Bow Valley, which came at just the right moment when I understood who Jesus was and wanted to put my life in His hands. I got to hang out with a bunch of new believers and understand why they were getting baptized and share my story, and when the time came on stage they were right beside me while I shared my story. This was greatly encouraging to me and I felt really connected to the church because they fostered my faith and showed me God's love.

     I loved joining the community at the youth group, that's where I met a lot of my current greatest friends and learned that many other people are struggling with understanding God and are seeking him in many different levels of faith. Young adults is where I learned, through scripture, who God is and what I'm called by Him to do. That's also where I met some of my greatest friends to this day.

This year, I started serving on the BVCC Kids team and the Hospitality team. They have offered great support to me and taught me lots about what a humble servant should look like.

     I'm so grateful for everyone I've met in Bow Valley who has helped me come to know God more and serve and worship Him. In particular, Andrew Kobe has been the #2 MVP in my faith (next to Jesus). His diligent work ethic and humility have been a shining example of how to follow Jesus, and his efforts to make me feel welcome have invited me into God's church. Judi Ringuette has also been an important person in encouraging me to serve and helping me do so with her in Kids Connect. Also, Cal Hultgren who baptised me has been a helpful catalyst in starting my faith journey and setting me in the right direction. There are many other amazing BVCC people who have helped me "Find and Follow Jesus", too many to mention here. But huge thanks to all at Bow Valley for welcoming me into God's loving presence.

Jack P.

     I attended the ladies' ministry weekend at King’s Fold retreat in October. Upon signing up, I did not know anyone personally on the roster. I am glad I did not let that stop me. King’s Fold itself is a beautiful place to meet with God. With its breath-taking views, quite contemplative places to pray and create, and plenty of beautiful walking paths to meet God along the way. It was rich, spiritual, and refreshing. 

        As an introvert, that would have been enough for a wonderful weekend, but the time spent with the ladies of BVCC enhanced the experience one hundred percent. When we gathered for meals or as a group, the conversation flowed easily, and I was touched by so many stories of grief, joy, and life experiences. There are very few times when I gather with those who are in different seasons than I am, and I was grateful for that chance. The level of sacred sharing strengthened my faith and my love for each of the women at BVCC.

     The program that was set out for us was another layer that brought meaning to the weekend. As women, we engaged the senses as we participated in several new spiritual practices together and through each activity, we sought God’s heart. After each session, we would have time to go and rest, contemplate, or enjoy one another’s company. It was one of the highlights of my year to just sit in a quiet library in an old, comfortable chair while watching the birds and spending time with my favourite authors. No need to hurry, prepare anything, or be busy. It was a weekend of spiritual growth, belonging, and retreat. 

Chelsie P, BVCC Member

     Because of the community that I have joined at BVCC’s youth group, I have been able to build my relationship with God as well as feel stronger and more secure in my faith. 

     I have felt such a sense of belonging joining this group since the day I walked into youth. The sense of family and community within this church is so strong, and it made me feel really welcome. I connected with people right away and have already built strong relationships with other people my age who have dedicated their lives to following Jesus. 

     I had been really wanting a community of people that I could be with that I knew cared about their faith as much as I do, and now I have found that. My identity with Christ has shone so brightly since I have joined. I have gained confidence to open up about my faith and religion to friend circles that aren’t religious, and I didn’t feel that confidence before joining.

Lily (Grade 10)

     Serving at BVCC for the Lord has been so cleansing and definitely helped me along my spiritual journey with God. I feel more connected with Him as I serve and please Him. I have seen kids grow through their faith from age 1-4. An example would be a little boy who I helped with in the nursery and is now in 4s-5s with me. He has grown immensely as well as other kids. They start to understand who Jesus is and that he loves them and it is really special to see that. 

     The most rewarding thing for me is seeing the kids begin to recognize that this is a safe space and a good community. As well as seeing them understand that Jesus loves them. 

     As a volunteer I feel that I am definitely supported and appreciated by Judi and her team here at Bow Valley. I find that this ministry is being run very well, it's organized and safe. I am honored to be a volunteer in the children’s ministry here at Bow Valley Christian Church. 

Lily

     Serving in kids ministry has given me an opportunity to be both a disciple and mentor to different peers around me and it's given me a great insight on how faith looks in different people. Serving in BVCC Kids has impacted my faith through the kids' questions, despite teaching a younger age group. I have many kids who are so curious about different passages of scripture, prayer life, theology and things like that.

     The most meaningful part of serving in BVCC Kids is building connections with the kids. learning names, likes, dislikes, funny habits. It's so exciting to see how they will grow and flourish and become leaders themselves.

Gracen

     It is such a privilege to be able to serve at BVCC in the youth ministry and lead students in our monthly youth worship nights. Once a month, we gather at Bow Valley with other churches in Calgary to worship and praise God in community. God is working in such amazing ways in each and every one of these students' lives, and being able to lead and watch each of them grow in their faith is so inspiring. These students have such big hearts for Jesus and are continually wanting to seek the Lord and His goodness.

Delaney Anderson

     My wife Barb and I were looking for a church family after we moved from north central Calgary to the Ranchlands community. After attending BVCC for a few weeks in the summer and fall of 2022, we decided to make Bow Valley our home.

     One of the first meetings I had was with Pastor Pete Justine, during which I gained the leadership’s vision for worship and the arts. I then shared my interest and background in the dramatic arts to determine if there was a fit with my experience and gifting. After connecting with Pete, I sensed there was a connection between the church’s vision for worship and the arts and my desire to continue using what God has blessed me with.

     Since that time, I have been fortunate to be part of the arts scene at BVCC and have been involved in a number of dramatic sketches and reader’s theatre presentations with other like-minded artists at the church.

     Barb and I have also had opportunities to participate in many of the activities and events held or sponsored by the church, such as theatre productions at Rosebud, the International Potluck supper, and small group ministry and have developed numerous meaningful friendships.

Conrad Hild
 

     Kim and I have been attending BVCC for the past two years, and we've felt totally welcome and included from the start. The initial draw was the strong preaching from Steve, Cal, Andrew and Gary, but what was soon apparent was how all the congregation live out their hope in Jesus through relationships with each other and the community. We were both welcomed into the BVCC community and have become involved with weekly bible studies, seniors get togethers, such as the regular trips to Rosebud Theatre, and also a thriving supper club group.

   We have also been blessed to be able to contribute to the Benevolence and Worship ministries. It has been particularly inspiring serving on the worship team, witnessing Pete expressing his Love for Jesus through pure joyful worship and care for the team. It is just another example of how relationships and community, modeled after Jesus, are the core of everything that happens at BVCC.

Tom Danshin

     In May of this year, I had the opportunity to travel to Pikeville, Kentucky, to partner with Lifeline Christian Mission on a short-term mission trip. Four other gentlemen and I were tasked with providing construction labour to a family in the small town of Jenkins, Kentucky, not far from Pikeville. A few years ago, the family had purchased an old church building as their home. Aside from being a roof over their families’ heads, they are also called to be a light in their community and see their home as a gathering place for future mission teams to help spread the gospel in their community and beyond.

     Our work centred around doing remedial foundation work and constructing bedrooms for the family’s two teenage sons, who had previously been sharing one room with their young adult sister. You can imagine how excited these two young men were to help in whatever way possible. We also replaced several windows in the house, including one in the sister’s bedroom. Honestly, I think she was the most excited to have some privacy from her brothers. Equally as important was having the opportunity to hear the heart this family has for the people of their community. It was unmistakable that this family had heard God’s call for them to be ambassadors of the gospel and to share Christ’s love with every neighbour and resident of their town and county. 

     What I was reminded of through this opportunity is that there is Kingdom work being done in places I had never heard of before boarding a plane to a state I had never visited. It was a reminder that we, as brothers and sisters in Christ, are called to support one another in ways we may not have previously considered. I want to thank Bow Valley for their generous support in making this trip possible.

Brad Anderson

     In November 2025, our church began a significant new partnership with Partners International to bring the Gospel to the Dom (Doom) people group in Nepal. The Dom are currently classified as a Frontier People Group — an unreached people group with virtually no followers of Jesus, no known movements toward Christ, and no self-sustaining church. This means there is little to no Gospel presence within their community and continued need for pioneer cross-cultural workers.

     Our prayer and commitment is to see the Dom people move from “frontier” to “reached” status. In global mission research, a people group is considered “reached” when there is a self-sustaining community of believers able to evangelize their own people without outside assistance. This is often marked by more than 5% Christian adherents and at least 2% evangelical believers — what many missiologists call the “tipping point,” where the Gospel begins to spread organically within the culture.

     Through strategic partnership, prayer, and financial support of trained indigenous Nepali Christians, we are investing in the development of indigenous churches among the Dom — churches with the leadership, resources, and spiritual maturity to carry the message of Christ forward from within their own community. The projected timeline for reaching this goal is 5 years. We will be sharing updates as progress is made and we will hopefully have the opportunity to send a team at some point to meet with some of the very first Dom Christians in Nepal. 

     Throughout 2025, we had many opportunities to shine the light of Christ in Calgary and beyond. We had a team of 26 youth and young adults build a house for a family and encourage a small local church in Ensenada, Mexico. We had more than 100 volunteers gather for a meal-packing event with Lifeline Christian Mission, assembling over 15,000 meals for communities in need around the world. 1,341 shoeboxes were delivered to our church in November in support of Operation Christmas Child. Our staff and elders even spent an afternoon serving at the Samaritan’s Purse warehouse, helping sort and prepare those boxes to be shipped around the world.

     Closer to home, our church family generously donated hundreds of cold-weather clothing items that were delivered to Hope Mission to care for those facing harsh winter conditions. Our Street Ministry team continued faithful, regular visits to the drop-in center area of downtown throughout the year, building relationships and offering encouragement to the homeless. They also held an event on December 20th where 35 people from Bow Valley joined them in order to serve hot chocolate, chili, and special gift bags to our homeless neighbors, sharing both practical help and the warmth of Christ’s love during the Christmas season.

     Then, on Christmas Eve, our Shine Special Offering raised just under $10,000 to support the ongoing ministry of Hope Mission in Calgary. Through houses built, meals packed, shoeboxes sent, clothing given, meals served, and resources shared, we were able to shine the light of Jesus’ love into the lives of so many people who desperately need it. What a joy to shine together as a church family in His name!
 

     In 2025, we saw God at work in powerful ways through our Family Ministry, creating new opportunities for parents, youth and children to grow together in Christ. We hosted a Christian parenting event designed to equip and encourage moms and dads in raising their children with faith and intentionality. We had another group of dads and sons participate together in our Journey to Manhood program, designed to help our dads intentionally disciple their sons. We held a marriage workshop that brought together 20 couples for a meaningful time of learning, conversation, and renewed commitment. We also created a Family Ministry Parenting Library providing resources for parents to grow in their ability to raise their kids to have strong faith.

     We had more than 50 youth regularly gathering on Friday nights throughout 2025 in order to build community and grow in faith together. In addition to their regular Friday gatherings, they enjoyed many special events including a camping trip, pool party, all-nighter sleepover, PYPA Youth Conference and 26 youth/young adults participated in a Mexico Mission Trip. 

     We had over 70 kids participating in our Sunday morning worship time downstairs with BVCC Kids in 2025. Each Sunday throughout the year they gathered to worship and learn from scripture together. Part of their worship time is taking up an offering and in 2025 they dedicated their offering to the Youth Mexico Mission Trip and ended up giving over $500 to the trip! One exciting addition in the fall of 2025 was scheduling regular Club 56 events where we have had 15-20 grade 5-6 students coming to the building on a weeknight to build community and belonging. We also have an incredible group of high school students serving as Club 56 leaders for those events, providing mentorship for our pre-teens.

     Throughout the spring of 2025, a team of youth and young adults was busy preparing to go to Ensenada, Mexico on a Go Experience. Throughout the fundraising process, we reached out to the congregation through events such as our Fiesta Fundraiser, bake sale, and through each of our members individual fundraising.

     We had 24 people on our team that were able to bless the Vallejo-Morales family with a new house, and because of your incredible generosity (we raised over $50,000), we were able to bless them with many of the optional extras, including beds, a welcome gift basket, and an outdoor toilet. In addition to blessing the family, we were also able to bless the local pastor that we were partnering with, Felipe, with a financial gift. This blessed him tremendously, as he lives in poverty in order to fully serve God. 

     One of the incredible opportunities that we got was to give the family bibles, write a verse on their wall, and paint the name of our church on the side of their house at their request. We talked throughout the week about YUGO's (our partnering organization) mission for the summer, Mission 646. 646 is the area code of Ensenada, and it was a great reminder for everyone on the team that we were empowering the local church to do God's work within Ensenada.  As we left, they challenged us to think about what it would look like to live out Mission 403, and for many of our team, we have been thinking about that challenge ever since.

     I encourage you to watch the two short videos below in order to hear the testimonies from some of the members of the team, as well as watch the story of everything we did in Ensenada through pictures and videos.

Mexico Mission Trip

Testimonies

     This grandpa and grandma decided to learn more about the role of grandparenting! We were very fortunate to attend a multi-session video-assisted seminar at BVCC presented by Larry Fowler of Legacy Coalition (https://legacycoalition.com), Grandparenting Matters. In a culture that often views the role of a grandparent as merely "spoiling the kids" or a season reserved strictly for leisure and retirement, we felt a tug to explore what the Bible says about this significant stage of life.

     We found the seminar to be exceptionally well-presented and deeply informative. It did not merely offer sentimental advice; it provided a robust, biblical framework for family discipleship. As other attendees of this curriculum have noted, the material is a "phenomenal resource" that transforms understanding of a grandparent's role from passive observer to active spiritual influencer.

     The most profound takeaway for us was the shift from being "supportive" grandparents to becoming intentional grandparents. The seminar opened our eyes to the unique position we hold to impact our grandchildren's eternity. We were challenged to look beyond simply leaving an inheritance of finances or memories and instead focus on leaving a legacy of faith.

     The curriculum equipped us with practical tools to overcome distance, navigate complex family dynamics, and model a Christ-centred life. We walked away with a renewed sense of purpose and a clear mission: to prepare our grandchildren for life intentionally and, most importantly, a lasting walk with God.

     We believe this material is vital for the health of our families and the future of the church. It bridges the generational gap and empowers elders to be the spiritual anchors their families need. We are grateful for the opportunity to attend and highly recommend that our church consider using these resources to equip other grandparents in our congregation.

Hendie & Lyné

     My wife and I have been retired for over 10 years.  We have had wills and other legal documents in place for even longer but haven’t put much thought into aging recently.  In 2025, Bow Valley made available “Aging Matters” seminars and we attended a couple.  The “Finishing Well” one by Gary Lepine explained and encouraged us to have updated wills, power of attorney documents and personal directives.  Gary also encouraged us to speak to our loved ones about the inevitable and how we would like matters (material, personal and spiritual) handled.

     A second seminar we attended was about downsizing and how we might go about doing it so we don’t burden our children when we die.
We found both seminars very informative and they have prompted us to action on a number of fronts.

     I was also privileged to attend an intergenerational event with a group of young adults.  It was a games night held after hours at Friends Cafe (my wife was away and unable to attend).  It was a great evening where I met a number of young adults and got to know a couple of them as we played games.  We don’t normally have opportunity to mix with folks outside of our age group so this was a great experience and very encouraging.

Paul Da Silva, BVCC Member

In 2025, there were some significant milestones achieved regarding our Building Development Project:

• BVCC’s Elders formally gave approval to proceed with the project and pursue a Campaign Planning Study
  • Initial project estimate of $12 million
• Capital Planning Study completed in June with these highlights:
  • 75 confidential interviews conducted with 85 participants, representing a broad cross-section of our church community – newcomers to members, ages 20-90, singles and families, non-donors to regular donors, ethnic diversity
  • Three Open Forum Sessions (everyone was invited to attend) held with 39 attendees
  • 93% of respondents support the project with 69% strongly in favor
  • Strong support for improving capacity and outreach
  • Some concerns about overall cost and loss of seating capacity
  • Highest priority items identified: commercial kitchen, chapel / fellowship hall, auditorium reno including reducing the sloped floor and upgrading lighting / sound, overall accessibility
  • 81% of respondents indicated they would consider contributing, of these 89% committed to pledging over 5 years
  • Average gift size of the respondent group was $21,146 for a total of $1.31 million
• Overall project funding could come from a combination of:
  • Congregational capital campaign donations / pledges
  • Legacy / Estate gifts
  • Preferred rate mortgage (max $3.5 million)
  • Provincial Grant (Community Facility Enhancement Program, Large Stream)
  • Private Family Foundations 

Towards the end of the year, the Elders requested revisiting the initial project plan (includes maintaining the balcony, but at a reduced capacity, and exploring options for the 2^nd floor of the West side expansion – complete elimination or preparing a ‘shell’ for future use).  These revisions and a final decision re: project scope will be explored in Q1 of 2026 with a subsequent formal Capital Campaign launch.

Without a doubt, live streaming our Sunday worship gatherings is the first impression most have of Bow Valley Christian Church.

To many of our viewers, watching online serves as a means to get and stay connected while otherwise there would be no way to do so. The top five locations of our viewers are Canada, the United States, India, the United Kingdom and Australia! Our gratitude continues to the many volunteers who provide a great online experience every week for those unable to attend our live service.

790

YouTube Subscribers

805

Instagram Followers

1,600

Facebook Followers

11,832

Livestream views (227/week)

10,733

YouTube Sermon Views (206/week)

We are so thankful for our faithful, generous, and committed donors that support our work for His Kingdom! For 2025 Audited Financial Statements, 2025 members can contact our church office or pick up a copy at the Welcome Centre in the foyer.

If I have a question or comment about our finances or ministries who do I speak to?

The leadership and staff want to hear from you at any time of the year! Please call (403-286-5300) or email the office ([email protected]) and we will direct you to the person who can answer your questions. If you would like to have a conversation regarding a specific area, consider these options:

Finances: [email protected]

Elders: [email protected]

Prayer Requests: [email protected]

Those wishing to become a member of Bow Valley Christian Church community can find out more on our membership page.

If you have any other questions, use the Connection Card below.
 

Every dollar given to BVCC goes to support ministry to our church members, to our local community and to our partners around the world. We could not do this without you. Our leadership is overwhelmingly grateful for your financial partnership in the gospel. We look expectantly to the next year of ministering together.