For the past 12 years, the Ottawa, Ont., RPC has hosted a youth retreat in February. This retreat overlaps with the Canadian Winterlude festival that takes place every year in Ottawa and centers on the Rideau Canal Skateway. Everyone who attends the retreat enjoys practical teaching, encouraging fellowship and great food. This year we had the privilege of welcoming Pastor Jared Olivetti of the Immanuel (West Lafayette, Ind.) RPC to come and speak to 45 young people ranging in age from 13-20.

Pastor Olivetti gave three messages on the book of James over the course of the weekend. On Friday evening he spoke from James 1 and gave helpful strategies for overcoming temptation and for using times of trial to be an effective witness to the world. Saturday’s messages taught us how to live by the law in the covenant of grace and showed the importance of looking for good fruit in your life as assurance of salvation.

On Saturday afternoon, we were blessed with wonderful weather for ice skating on the Rideau Canal. The canal is the world’s largest skating rink, measuring 7.8 kilometers end to end. Along the way, most people enjoy BeaverTails, a classic Canadian winter treat, and hot chocolate. At the end of the canal, talented artists transform a downtown Ottawa park into a world of impressive ice sculptures.

Sunday morning, the retreat guests worshiped with the Ottawa RPC under the ministry of Pastor Olivetti. The fellowship luncheon that followed was a wonderful opportunity for the congregation to get to know the youth better and to hear more about the work of the RPCNA in Indiana from Pastor Oli­vetti.

Many thanks to the Ottawa RPC and Sandra Giroux, in particular, for organizing the event again this year. In a culture of constant negative pressure, weekends such as this are invaluable times of spiritual encouragement and teaching for Christian young people. If you are interested in attending the retreat in 2015, please contact Sandra Giroux or Tara Kingswood later in the year for more information.

Words from Winterlude attendees:

“This was my third year at the Winterlude retreat, and I enjoyed it very much! The preaching was encouraging and convicting, and I liked the time set aside for group discussion. Winterlude was a great chance to connect with other Christian teens; I was very blessed by the weekend.” —Lydia Welter, 14, Russell, Ont., RPC

“If I had to summarize my experience of the Winterlude retreat weekend in one word, I would say, simply, enjoyable. The preaching was wonderful, and Pastor Olivetti really connected with the people there, which was great. People there, whether adults or kids, were really enjoying themselves, and found it uplifting. Overall it was a great experience and I would encourage anybody to come to it.” —Dina Plews, 14, Russell, Ont., RPC

–Elia Kingswood

Elia is a member of the Russell, Ont., RPC. She just completed her sophomore year at Carleton College’s school of journalism and communication in Ottawa, Ont.