It looks like our Early Bird Registration push was a success. We have roughly 150+ Registered SFC across Canada, ready for their mission briefing. Thank you to all those who committed early on. Your diligence will be rewarded with a limited edition printed shirt that will NOT be sold at the conference. You got that Early Bird swag!

For those who weren’t able to register before June 1st, don’t fret! You have up to July 15th, 2011 to still avail of the lower price of $225. So get up on it, and help us reach our registration goal of 300 SFC present in Whistler. It’ll be more beautiful than the mountains there! (maybe).

Finally our newly updated website is here! Praise the Lord!

We’ll be adding more and more features and sections as we start to gather momentum in this web universe. But for now, you definitely get more than what you need to start getting yourself geared up for our SFC Conference this August.

One cool thing I wanted to bring to your attention is that the Conference Registration Form is fillable, and can be submitted straight to our registration team. All you need is the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader, and just type away! This is just one of the many different ways we’re trying to make it easier for you.

Keep checkin’ the site for more cool things to come. If you see any bugs, or something that is of a miss, please use the Contact Us page, and let us know. God Bless my friends!

We do encourage you register earlier rather than later, so that you can be taken care of more efficiently with regards to hotel room assignment, hosting after the conference, and pick up and drop off to the airport or station.

Register now!

As well, if you haven’t heard yet, Conference Competitions deadline has been extended to August 2oth, 2010. So take part, get some brothers and sisters together, and enter to share your talents with everyone!

Sign up now!

I can scarcely contain my joy, one which I have yearned for so fondly.  Yes, my friend, it is true. I declare my love and admiration. And as I write down these words I can not help but to take deep breaths lest fall into an ecstasy from complete and utter gladness.

Montreal, I find you interestingly charming. This I say not because I am used to you. Truth is, I do not think I will ever get used to you…this keeps your charms all the more appealing. Somehow, I find this mystifying. It is like knowing where you are but not knowing where you will be. Nonetheless, patience is the sister of mystery, just as tirelessness the best of roads.

You see, you are a UniqUe city..

You have always been a global cultural mecca for decades.  A combination of many stunning bits of North American and European city living in one place, your existence is always intoxicating. From classical to avant-garde, from formidable violence to tenderness, from your passion for great and loud to sudden silences…I feel a beauty there that neither time nor death has yet been able to kill. That even with unpredictable climate transitions, your rhythm does not stop. Like nature, you are a determined optimist. And life goes on..

There is a sense of pride surrounding all things artsy in you. An appreciation of the arts, of music, of dance, and of individual expression…all of these has lead you to becoming known as the City of Festivals. Your vast selection of events, come summer or winter, are nothing but exciting. From the world famous Jazz Fest and Just For Laughs, to the upcoming Montreal Film Festival, Hot Air Balloon Festival, and the Montreal NASCAR Race…all  truly are an immersing experience. All truly are excitingly memorable.  And while other cities have a concentrated downtown, here, each of your borough has its own attractions. Each has its own distinct appeal. The need to go to one place to experience a culinary nirvana or a good live show is unnecessary for I am certain to find them in every neighborhood. I can taste them equally at any town.

They say the mind is incessantly looking not only for food for thought but also for food for its identity. That is, its sense of self. Here, history is not solely well preserved in historical buildings but also celebrated in museums, churches, galleries, theaters, and cobblestone streets (Old Port). I adore that you were able to preserve your cultural heritage which is significant to the rest of the country. Without a doubt, it is your character that underwrites history. The quality of your structures only reflects so much a range of your sensitivity, perception, intellect, and yesteryears…all which bring forth a statement forever beneficial to your fellow human beings

Can you not see Montreal, there is something that age does to you—a venerable effect that I compare to an increase in contrast and definition rather than a diminishment of view. Having visited your scattered beautiful structures, I am astounded at how they seem to all pieced together. Ah, if you could only see how the landscape of you particularly moved me. I know, I know, they were only places. Mere interchangeable lumps of the earth. Nevertheless, there is more to it than meets the eye. For it is a landscape that controls you, sits you down and utters, Ferme-la!…I am in charge here.

And so I am blessed and profoundly grateful for having discovered you and your never ending enjoyments. In return, I look forward to being able to delightfully share with others the pleasant scenes and experience of life that you have to offer. That, like me, others may be uplifted and be fascinated by the charm of your city and by the diversity and warmth of your people. Hoping that in the end they may somehow feel like being let in on a secret. A secret that carves new version of consciousness and one that extends through unforgettable lifetimes into the future.

‘Praise God For All His Creations, and Praise Him From Whom All Blessings Flow’

Sincerely,

Rowena S. (SFC  Montreal)

Another reason I found myself attached to Montreal was because of its churches. Montreal has so much history rooted in the Catholic church and has all the beautiful churches & basilicas to prove it. During my visits there I was able to attend masses at Mary Queen of the World, Notre Dame Basilica, Mary Queen of Peace, St. Joseph’s Oratory and, my personal favourite, St. Patrick’s Basilica. They are all made with such intricacy and detail that I couldn’t help but be inspired. It reminded me of the intricacy & detail the Lord has put in each of us…in our physical human body with the function of all our organs (for all you science/engineering buffs!), in our emotional & social interactions with other people, in the individual plans God has set out for our lives…God has a purpose for it all.

If you’ve made it to this part, you’ve either read the whole thing or skipped to the end! But in either case I thank you and I sincerely hope you experience all Montreal has to offer!

Infinite blessings,

Jenelle Salanguit [SFC Winnipeg]

Satisfy your taste buds with a nice blend of multicultural foods from all over the world. Remember to make room for your Montreal must-haves: Schwartz famous ‘smoke meat’ sandwiches, Orange Julep, Marven’s calamari, Bagels and our indulging french fries, melted cheese curds topped with sweltering gravy (aka Poutine) that will leave you begging for more!

Take a stroll in the Old Port of Montréal, and you’ll discover: live jazz, street performers, museums, art galleries, the science center, paddle boating and a whole array of activities all year round! Spot the enormous blue and yellow tent and you might find yourself enjoying one of Montreal-based ‘Cirque du Soleil’ seasonal shows.

You’ll fall in love with the city even more when you see it during the day or night from the Mont-Royal look-out, located 692 ft above sea level. Don’t forget your cameras, the view up there is beautiful!

Situated 10 mins from Mont-Royal, is one Montreal’s most visited place: St-Joseph’s Oratory. (Have you noticed it on ‘The Monopoly World Edition’ board game? The City of Montréal claimed the ‘Boardwalk’ spot!). Along with St-Joseph’s Oratory, you are sure to find an abundance of churches, basilicas and cathedrals, that will definitely allow you to spend some time with God wherever you go.

What are you waiting for? Discover Montreal for yourself! Register for conference and pay online now!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW!

Need some help? Let’s break it down for you:

1. Go to http://cfcsfccanada.com/conference/register/
2. Input in all your important information. If you’re not sure of you’re travel details, it’s all good! Our registration team will send out a reminder for you to email those details to us!
3. Use your Credit Card or PayPal Account to submit your full payment!
   (Don’t worry! You can still pay using cash or check through your local Area Conference Coordinator)
4. Do a dance! Because you’ve just registered for a mighty good time in Montreal!

Don’t worry! An email will be sent to your Area Conference Coordinator notifying them about how awesome it is that you’ve registered and paid online.

Be sure to forward this to all your SFC Brothers and Sisters to let them know how easy it now is to ensure their spot at the conference!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW!

The first being the launch of this website. Although it’s still pretty bare-boned, over time and with much help from our volunteers this will be teeming with everything you need to know about our upcoming conference. As things start to align themselves, check back here often to sign up your area for some of the talent showcases we have planned, for instructions and general information you need to know about the conference as well as some reflection guides to help prepare you for this awesome event.

The one and most important thing you can do right now with the website, is register yourself for the conference. So go ahead, don’t be shy!

That’s it for now friends. Log in again soon to get more updates.

You can also find us on Facebook with “CFC SFC Canada” or follow us on Twitter: @cfcsfccanada

• http://cfcsfccanada.com/conference/register
• http://sfccanada.wufoo.com/forms/vivant-sfc-canada-conference-2010/

Please Note, that your registration payment must be given to your locally assigned Area Conference Coordinator. Your online registration will be verified to ensure that both payment and information are up to date.

We are currently looking into different payment options. Stay tuned to this website to see if and when they become available.

Registration Fee: $215 CDN

• 5 Meals
• Conference ID & Package
• 2 Nights Accommodation (Quad Occupancy)
• Access to Workshops

The E. Cobham Brewer, 1810–1897, and Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, 1898. defines “bon vivant” (French) as “a free liver; one who indulges in the ‘good things of the table.’”

St. Irenaeus of Lyons, an early Church Father and Doctor of the Church, once said, “The glory of God is man fully alive.”
“The glory of God gives life; those who see God receive life. For this reason God, who cannot be grasped, comprehended or seen, allows himself to be seen, comprehended and grasped by men, that he may give life to those who see and receive him. It is impossible to live without life, and the actualization of life comes from participation in God, while participation in God is to see God and enjoy his goodness. Men will therefore see God if they are to live; through the vision of God they will become immortal and attain to God himself. As I have said, this was shown in symbols by the prophets: God will be seen by men who bear his Spirit and are always waiting for his coming. As Moses said in the Book of Deuteronomy: On that day we shall see, for God will speak to man, and man will live….” (From “Man Fully Alive is the Glory of God”)

What are the “good things of the table”?

FAMILY. FRIENDS. FAITH. Each aspect of this life is a blessing. We are called to live fully in each aspect. As well, we need to grow a heart of thanksgiving. We must be in a constant state of graciousness.

In our families, whom God chose for us, we must be vessels of openness. The real struggles in our blood relationships will weigh us down, and will not disappear. The key is our attitude. We must start choosing to love our family just the way they are.

In our friendships the challenge is faithfulness and fidelity. Staying true and genuine is the virtue we need to master. This is where the Lord Jesus Christ calls us to carry our crosses, and also to rejoice in His truth.

In our faith life rituals express what is deeply important to us. Devotion is worship. To worship is to give worth to something, to someone. Who are we devoted to? Who do we worship?

To live, to be fully alive is to give glory to God –in any and every way. Live and love the good things of God!