History of Joy Chapel
“The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to You, ... You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.” Psalm 145: 14-16.
Joy Chapel Ministries, to persons with developmental disabilities, was not actually started intentionally. Back in the late 1980’s Dale Vosper asked his pastor, Paul Peacock, if he could bring his special needs client, Donald, to the mid-week fellowship supper at New Life Baptist Church (now called Coram Deo Baptist Church), in Grande Prairie, Alberta. Soon other special education folk began to come. The church eventually started a Sunday school class and a service for them after the Wednesday suppers. It became known as Joy Chapel, after a suggestion from Ms. Eula Horne that the guests were full of excitement and joy. The ministry continued to grow under Pastor Glenn Gifford.
In the spring of 1998 the Ivy Lake Baptist Church handed the responsibility for Joy Chapel over to Henry Paetkau. A board was formed and application made to be affiliated with CSSM Ministries. In the spring of 2004, with Henry moving to ministry in Europe, leadership of Joy Chapel was transferred to Cornelius Thiessen, who with his wife, Evangeline, has continued to give direction up to the present. In 2008 they were joined by assistants, Jonathan and Allison Lorentzen.
For over eleven years the Grande Prairie Alliance Church graciously allowed us to use their facilities, where we continued to meet weekly during the fall, winter and spring months for a supper meal and service. Since February 2010 we have had the privilege of meeting at Trinity Lutheran Church, centrally located in Grande Prairie. Since 2000 we have also held summer camps in cooperation with Bear Lake Bible Camp and later also at David Thompson Bible Camp.
Joy Chapel could not function without committed volunteers, and there are as many as 35 people from different churches who help, including several students who have come over the years from nearby Peace River Bible Institute. How thankful we are for our hands-on board members, cooks, servers, clean-up people, and folks who help with music and teaching the Word.
In the spring of 2020, due to Covid 19, our in-person ministry changed to an online format, envelope distribution, and phone calls, along with ongoing Facebook contact.
History of Joy Camp
Joy Camp, which began in 2000, was inspired by Corney & Evangeline Thiessens’ involvement with CSSM’s, now One Hope Canada, Amasa camps in B.C. in 1996 & 1997 and a reciprocal vision of Harold & Karen Gustafson, then directors of Bear Lake Bible Camp near Grande Prairie, Alberta. Bear Lake Bible Camp was operated for decades by several churches in the South-Peace area. Cooperation between Joy Chapel Ministries and the camp has characterized this program, designed to reach out to people with disabilities. BLBC underwrote Joy Camp, providing facilities, staff, etc, while Joy Chapel Ministries contributed some staff and directed the program. In 2018 Bear Lake Bible Camp joined One Hope Canada, and Joy Chapel now works under camp director, Danny Johnston to help operate Joy Camp.
Bear Lake Bible Camp has a historical link with One Hope Canada in that its founder, Walter McNaughton, (who happens to be Evangeline Thiessen’s father) was a CSSM worker when the camp first started, from 1935 to 1937 in other locations and in 1938 at the present site on the north shore of Bear Lake. The chapel building in our logo is a representation of the “tabernacle” he designed for the camp and which has been standing since 1941.
Joy Camps at BLBC have always been held some time in the last half of June. Our first one, in 2000, had 15 campers and we brought in Bob and Cheri Ayers from the Amasa ministry in B.C. to be director. The following three years were directed by Henry Paetkau, then director of Joy Chapel in Grande Prairie. After his being called to ministry in Europe, leadership of the camp was then turned over to Cornelius Thiessen. Camp attendance, which has always included some day campers, continued to grow, so that by 2011 there were 70 campers. 2012 marked the beginning of having a second camp—a day camp for those who manage better by commuting from their own residence.
That first day camp in 2012 saw a couple of campers commuting from Grimshaw, approximately a 1½-hour drive one way. More came in 2013. By 2014 thirteen campers drove in from Grimshaw, most of them for all three days. We realized it was time to link up with David Thompson Bible Camp, a One Hope Canada ministry near Fairview, to provide a closer day camp for those on the north side of the Peace River. 2015 brought eighteen campers to Joy Camp at DTBC, and this carried on for the next four years in cooperation with Mark and Carlee Wiederick, former directors at that camp.
The 2020 Joy Camp ministry took the form of camp packets which were distributed to campers who had attended the previous three years. Contents included Scripture activity sheets, a word-find puzzle about camp, a craft, and a copy of the Gideon’s Spark magazine. The hope in 2021 is to run day camps in both locations, the Lord willing.
We know that as the Lord seeks for the “other sheep” that Christ mentioned in John 10:16, He has a special place in His heart for those such as our guests at Joy Chapel and Joy Camp.