Stories of Impact

Sometimes the greatest ministry impact happens in the smallest places.

At Sagehills Evangelical Free Church about fifty people gather each Sunday—they represent cultures from around the world. Families from various backgrounds, including Filipino, Nigerian, Venezuelan, Malaysian and Polish, worship together as one church family.

For Pastor Paul Ford, who has served as pastor for the past decade, this multicultural congregation is more than unique—it is the answer to a prayer. For him, it is a beautiful picture of the body of Christ in Ashcroft, B.C., a community of fewer than 2,000 people about four and a half hours north of Vancouver.

Over the years, Our Daily Bread Ministries Canada has become an important part of the church’s life. At first, copies of the Our Daily Bread devotional simply sat on a table at the back of the church. Pastor Paul noticed that very few people were taking them. That’s when he had an idea.

“I decided to hand them out personally,” he explains. “Once I started doing that, people began using them every day. Now they come to me asking when the next issue will be available so they can make sure they get their copy.”

Another resource that has quietly served the congregation is the Discovery Series Display located in the church foyer. While Pastor Paul doesn’t see people browsing it every week, he notices it being used often—especially when someone is going through a difficult season.

“They’re looking for first steps or guidance to help them through a problem,” he says. “It’s pretty useful and a non-invasive way of getting help and growing in Christ.”

Recently, Pastor Paul introduced another resource to his congregation: The Journey, an evangelical book that answers the tough questions unbelievers or new believers often have by walking readers through the Gospel of John. He ordered ten copies and offered them from the pulpit one Sunday morning. By the end of the service, every copy had been taken.

He was especially encouraged to see who picked them up. One brand-new believer took a copy and began growing deeper in her faith. A teenager grabbed one, possibly to share with a friend or to learn how to share her faith more confidently. Another copy went to a man who had just started attending the church and was sincerely seeking the Lord.

“It really helped them,” Pastor Paul said.

Pastor Paul himself has also been personally impacted by resources from the ministry. A few years ago, he worked through The Good Shepherd by Tim Laniak, published by Our Daily Bread Publishing. The study deeply challenged him as a pastor.

“It caused me to refocus my own life and reminded me how to shepherd my congregation better,” he reflected.

Today, he continues to engage with the ministry by reading the Our Daily Bread devotional online each day. One feature he particularly enjoys is the ability to switch between different Bible translations on the Our Daily Bread app.

“I enjoy reading different translations, and the app makes that easy,” he says.

When asked what he would share with other pastors or readers of Our Daily Bread Ministries Canada, Pastor Paul offered a simple but powerful insight:

“When we make the resources personally available, they are more readily received. All the materials I’ve used from the ministry are very helpful, but I’ve learned that what was missing before was the personal connection from me to the church.”

Pastor Paul also serves as a Ministry Ambassador with Our Daily Bread Ministries Canada. Through this partnership, he stays informed about new resources and maintains a personal connection with the ministry. For him, that relationship helps ensure he can continue equipping his congregation with tools that encourage faith, growth, and hope.

The heavy steel door closes with a sound most people hope never to hear. For many, prison is a place to avoid—a world of regret, anger, and forgotten lives.

But for Frank Loo, those doors have never been barriers. For more than 36 years, he has walked through prison gates across Guyana, Antigua, and Canada with one conviction that has guided his life and ministry.

Today, Frank serves as the Provincial Chaplaincy Coordinator for Ontario, overseeing chaplaincy support in 25 correctional institutions, while also pastoring Hope Christian Centre in Hamilton. Through decades of service, he has carried the message of Christ into some of the darkest places in society, often using resources such as Our Daily Bread devotionals and Discovery Series booklets to help inmates encounter hope.

But Frank’s passion for prison ministry did not begin in a classroom or seminary.

It began on the streets

Born in South America, Frank grew up in an abusive home. By the age of 14, he had run away and was living on the streets.

Survival soon led him into gangs, and violence became a normal part of life. One evening after a fight with a rival gang, Frank ended up in the hospital with a stab wound. When he was discharged, he sat alone on a street corner—tired, wounded, and unsure if he would survive another year. 

For the first time in nearly four years, he prayed.

He looked up and said, “God, if You are real, get me off this street. Because I know I won’t live another year out here.”

Not long after that prayer, a pastor who had just been transferred to the village rode up on his bicycle and stopped beside him.

“You should come with me,” the pastor said.

Frank was exhausted after years of sleeping on the streets. The chance to sleep in a bed was enough. He went with the pastor and stayed in his home.

The next morning, Frank asked why the pastor had helped him.

The answer stunned him.

The pastor explained that God had shown him Frank’s face in a dream and told him to find him and get him off the streets. God had also warned that if Frank stayed there another year, he would die.

Frank lived with the pastor for about six weeks before eventually returning home when his father came looking for him. Not long afterward, he gave his life to Jesus Christ.

He wanted to serve God—but he never expected where that decision would lead.

One day the pastor loaned Frank a comic-book version of Born Again, the story of Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship. Soon after, the pastor invited him to a prison ministry service.

Frank remembers walking into the prison and feeling something unexpected.

“It was like coming home.”

Inside were men he had fought with—and men he had fought against. They knew him, and he knew them. The conversations were honest and real.

That very day, several inmates gave their lives to Christ.

Frank knew this was where God wanted him

At just 18 years old, he started his own prison ministry, becoming the youngest person in his village to do so.

Over time, that calling would carry him into correctional systems in multiple countries and into a lifetime of ministry behind prison walls.

Frank believes that many inmates struggle with more than the crimes that brought them to prison.

“The root problem is often unforgiveness,” he explains.

Many grew up in homes marked by abuse, rejection, and neglect. Some have never heard the words “I love you” or “You are better than your situation.”

“They were set up for failure,” Frank says.

That is why he believes love is the most powerful tool any minister can carry into a prison.

Frank and other chaplains regularly share Our Daily Bread devotionals with inmates and distribute Discovery Series booklets—often removing the staples to meet correctional facility requirements. Titles such as Navigating the Storms of Life and When Anger Burns resonate deeply with those wrestling with anger, guilt, and broken relationships.

Through these resources, inmates are introduced to the message of Christ and begin to see that their lives are not beyond redemption.

Yet one of Frank’s greatest concerns begins when inmates leave prison.

Many struggle to find churches willing to welcome them.

Frank hopes more congregations will open their doors to people returning to society after incarceration.

“Sometimes they just need someone to sit beside them and help them find their place,” he says.

He often shares a powerful reminder with churches: “It is up to the church whether a person comes out of jail a beast or a priest.”

At Hope Christian Centre in Hamilton, Frank leads a congregation that may be small but is strong in outreach.

The church rents space from another congregation, and both churches regularly use Discovery Series booklets from the Discovery Series Display (a sturdy cardboard display, pre-stocked with twelve popular titles that can be ordered by churches or outreach ministries). The counselling-focused topics are so popular that they often need to restock the display.

Frank and his church also distribute the booklets during summer outreach to people experiencing homelessness, offering water, a cookie, and a resource that points to hope in Christ. They have also shared these booklets during ministry visits to a local long-term care home.

“The impact of these booklets is amazing,” Frank says.

Because at the heart of everything he does is one simple belief: “Souls matter. I help take care of the souls of people.”

Prisons can be dark places, filled with regret and broken stories.

But after more than three decades of ministry, Frank has seen again and again that prison walls cannot confine the gospel.

Through conversations, prayer, and the steady presence of hope, lives continue to change behind those locked doors.

And after 36 years of walking through prison gates, Frank still believes what he has believed from the beginning:

No one is beyond the reach of God.

“If God could change me, God can change anybody.”

Those words aren’t just something Samantha Major says—they’re the reason she spends her weekends handing out Our Daily Bread devotionals, Discovery Series booklets, and copies of The Journey wherever God opens a door.

But her story didn’t begin there.

It began in heartbreak.

As a child, Samantha endured sexual abuse at the hands of her father. Growing up in a home marked by alcoholism and addiction, she searched for relief in drugs, eventually becoming addicted to crack cocaine.

“I made a lot of wrong choices,” she says honestly. “I didn’t want to become an alcoholic like my parents, so I turned to drugs instead.”

Years later, after becoming pregnant with twin boys, she left drugs behind. But life dealt another devastating blow when her oldest son died from a fentanyl overdose in January 2020.

“It crushed me,” Samantha remembers. “I wanted to die. I laid in bed for ten days and just cried.”

Then, in the middle of her grief, everything changed.

“I finally said, ‘Okay, God, I can’t do life on my own anymore. I’m surrendering it all to You.'”

She called her former youth pastor, who invited her and her husband over for dinner. That evening, Samantha rededicated her life to Christ.

Just three days later, her husband did the same.

Soon afterward, their twin sons also gave their lives to Jesus.

Only weeks after losing her oldest son, the entire family was baptized together.

“It was beautiful,” she says. “We were all baptized as a family.”

Today, Samantha speaks openly about what Christ has done.

“God got me off drugs. He changed my life. Now I have a full-time job with benefits, my own car, my own home. He’s done so much for me.”

She smiles before adding, “I’m not bragging about me. I’m giving glory to God.”

That transformation created a new passion.

“My heart has always been for the lost, the broken, and the homeless. The Bible says those who have been forgiven much, love much.”

Long before becoming an Our Daily Bread Ministries Ambassador, Samantha was already finding creative ways to share Jesus. She distributed Bibles, encouraged children at the school where she works as a caretaker, and looked for every opportunity to remind people that God loved them.

Then she discovered the Ministry Ambassador Program—basically a way for a volunteer to connect their church or outreach ministry with the resources they need from Our Daily Bread Ministries Canada.

“I thought, because I could get my hands on so many Our Daily Bread resources, this would be such a great way to serve.”

Her first outreach event confirmed she had found exactly what she was looking for.

“We gave away almost all the Our Daily Bread devotionals,” she says. “Almost everybody already knew about Our Daily Bread. Some of the younger people even said, ‘My parents raised me on these devotionals.’ That was so encouraging.”

The Discovery Series booklets quickly became conversation starters, with their biblical insights on topical issues.

One man in a wheelchair stopped at the display and shared how he had once planned to take his own life before hearing the gospel at a Christian festival.

“He knew God had a plan for him.”

He took one of every Discovery Series booklet—and purchased a copy of The Journey, an evangelical book that answers the tough questions unbelievers or new believers often have by walking readers through the Gospel of John.

Another visitor explained that his church regularly distributes Our Daily Bread devotionals throughout their neighbourhood while inviting people to church.

“I never even thought about doing something like that,” Samantha says. “We all have our own way of reaching people.”

One of the Discovery Series titles that Samantha recommends most often is Overcoming Grief.

“I tell people that I’ve dealt with grief too. I’ve lost a son.”

At one event, a young woman who appeared to be expecting a baby stopped by the display. It turned out the woman’s newborn had died after just 26 minutes just one week earlier.

“We hugged and cried together.”

The grieving mother took a copy of Overcoming Grief with her.

“It reminded both of us that we don’t grieve without hope.”

Samantha has also found The Journey to be a powerful tool for new believers.

At the outreach event, a ministry leader purchased five copies to give away and planned to hand one to a woman who had just given her life to Christ.

Samantha said, ‘I’ll donate that one.’ The woman buying the books smiled and said, ‘Then I’ll take six.'”

Whether she’s serving at Jesus Festivals, homeless outreaches, church events, or simply encouraging people she meets throughout the week, Samantha sees every booklet as an opportunity for someone to encounter Jesus.

When asked what she appreciates most about being a Ministry Ambassador, she doesn’t hesitate.

“I love the Discovery Series catalogue. There are so many topics that speak to what people are going through.”

She explains that every season of life brings different struggles.

“If churches change the topics every once in a while, people keep coming back because there’s always something that speaks to where they are.”

For Samantha, that’s what makes the ministry so valuable.

“We’re all going through something. These resources help people find biblical answers and hope.”

She also appreciates how easy it is to serve.

“If you’re all about sharing the gospel and getting good material into churches and people’s hands, most definitely become a Ministry Ambassador. It’s so simple to do.”

After everything she’s endured, Samantha has discovered that God never wastes our pain.

Instead, He transforms it into a testimony that points others to Christ.

And every devotional, every Discovery Series booklet, every copy of The Journey, and every conversation is another opportunity to remind someone of the same truth that changed her own life:

“If God could change me, God can change anybody.”

It is with deep sadness, yet with the hope and joy of knowing he is home with his Lord and Saviour, that we share the news that Mart DeHaan, former President of Our Daily Bread Ministries (ODBM) and grandson of ministry founder Dr. M.R. DeHaan, passed away Tuesday, September 22, 2026, following complications from Guillain-Barré syndrome. He was 79.

For more than five decades, Mart served Our Daily Bread Ministries with distinction and humility. Beginning with what was then called Radio Bible Class in 1969, he became President in 1985 and served in that role until 2011. Under his leadership, the ministry expanded beyond radio into publishing, television, digital media, and other forms of Bible teaching. He oversaw the founding of Discovery House Publishers, now Our Daily Bread Publishing, and helped launch the conversational Bible-teaching program that became Discover the Word (heard on radio stations across Canada (and the US) and wherever you listen to podcasts world-wide, including on the Our Daily Bread app and this website).

Mart also had a special connection to our Canadian ministry, faithfully serving on the Board of Directors for Our Daily Bread Ministries Canada. We are grateful for the wisdom, encouragement, and spiritual leadership he invested in our ministry over the years.

Matt Lucas, the current global ODBM President and CEO, described Mart as “a unique blend of Bible scholar and leader. He had the courage to carry his grandfather’s ministry into new mediums to keep pointing people to Christ. And even after stepping down as president, he never stopped writing, teaching, and advising.” Yet those who knew Mart personally will remember that his influence came not simply from what he accomplished, but from who he was.

Memories from the Canada office

Donna, Donor Processing Specialist, remembers that shortly after meeting Mart, he asked her what God had been teaching her. Her response was the beautiful simplicity of the Gospel: Christ gave His life so that I could live. Mart treasured her answer and later shared it with the team. He had a way of making people feel welcomed, valued, and heard.

Lois, Ministry Services Representative, remembers Mart’s humility. She recalls a staff picnic in 1992 when a severe thunderstorm sent everyone running for shelter. The caterer, however, had to remain with his equipment. Lois watched Mart run down the hill with a large umbrella and stay with him until the storm passed. That simple moment says so much about Mart: he noticed people, and when he saw a need, he responded.

Kelley, Executive Assistant to Stephen Harbridge, remembers talking to Mart at a Canadian staff luncheon years ago. He remembered being told that she attended Dayspring Church of Windsor, founded by Mart’s friend, Bishop James Pittman, who had served at RBC Ministries (as it used to be known) as a counsellor, writer, and co-host of Discover the Word. Months later, while visiting the Grand Rapids office, Mart stopped her in the hallway. She was astonished that he could recall their earlier talk in Canada as he asked how her daughter was doing and inquired about Bishop Pittman.

Canadian Board Member Estherlita Griffiths remembers listening to Mart on the radio as a girl and growing in her knowledge of Christ through Radio Bible Class and Our Daily Bread Ministries. Her story reminds us that Mart’s influence reached far beyond those who knew him personally. Generations of people were encouraged to know Christ and understand Scripture more deeply because of his faithful service.

Stephen Harbridge, Canadian Executive Director, shares, “As I reflect on Mart’s life, I am reminded that a faithful legacy is ultimately measured not by positions held or accomplishments achieved, but by lives touched and Christ faithfully reflected. Mart did both remarkably well.”

Mart loved the Bible, welcomed honest questions, and consistently pointed people back to the character of God and the love of Christ.

He was preceded in death by Diane, his beloved wife of 52 years, and is survived by their children, Benjamin and Jennifer. We remember them in our prayers as they grieve their loss. At his request, the family planned a simple, private gathering.

May we honour his legacy by continuing the work to which he devoted his life: helping people discover the life-changing wisdom of the Bible.

Learn more about the DeHaan family (founders of Our Daily Bread Ministries) and the vision to see people of all nations know who Jesus is and experience a personal relationship with Him in the biography M.R. DeHaan: The Life Behind the Voice.

“What brought you here today?” 

As people found their seats, conversations started quietly across the rows as regular attendees noticed a lot of new faces that Christmas. 

It had been a bold move. After all, The Journey is a book that lays out the gospel in clear language. It contains the entire Gospel of John, and it answers the tough questions unbelievers and new believers often have. 

Not a lot of books are like it. And most of those 15,000 homes would never have been exposed to the gospel or received an invitation to church. 

But HPAC had decided to join The Journey Project, an ambitious plan of Our Daily Bread Ministries Canada to fill Canada with the gospel by working with churches to mail The Journey to every home in the postal code(s) around them. 

That Christmas, HPAC saw a 40 per cent increase in attendance! The neighbours were curious and they responded. 

“We have this idea that somehow it’s our job to get people saved,” says Stephen Harbridge, executive director for Our Daily Bread Ministries Canada. “It’s the Holy Spirit’s responsibility, but people need to hear the gospel. As Paul said in Romans 10, ‘How can they believe in the one that they have not heard?’ And how can they hear unless we preach or proclaim the gospel.” 

For HPAC lead pastor Travis Lacey, The Journey Project fit naturally with the church’s mission of “sharing the gospel with all our neighbours.”  

In the initial planning stages, the church had settled on distributing copies to close to 7,500, about half the homes in the surrounding area.  

For Heritage Park Alliance Church, The Journey Project became more than an outreach initiative. It became an opportunity for an entire congregation to step out in faith together, trusting God to work through their obedience.  

The true impact of the project cannot simply be measured in numbers distributed. Every book represented a person. A household. A conversation. A seed planted. 

“I would encourage pastors to have courage and be bold and to be open to taking a little bit of risk and seeing what the Holy Spirit will do with that,” says Pastor Travis. 

As HPAC continues serving its community, they know that God often uses simple acts of faithfulness to accomplish eternal work. Their role was to faithfully say yes. God is the One who changes hearts and brings about personal and church growth. 

“I can still see her face now.”

It’s surprising how a little booklet can make such a profound difference in a person’s life, but Rochelle Soza has witnessed the Lord working through the resources of Our Daily Bread Ministries Canada.

Faithfully believing that her ministry would be needed in the middle of a popular secular event, the founder of Sound of the Lord Mission in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia set up a booth at the Steveston Salmon Festival on Canada Day.

Amidst the parade, games, music, performers, and more, Rochelle set up a stand full of Discovery Series booklets and copies of Our Daily Bread, among other materials. She remembers how a woman who recently lost her husband made her way to the booth and gravitated to a certain topical booklet in the Discovery Series collection.

“She was holding on to this [Life After Loss] booklet. She said it’s been over five years since she lost her husband, but she started crying. Those are profound God moments you cannot put into words,” says Rochelle, who adds that she feels the topics covered by the Discovery Series seem to bring hope to people and a path to move forward with the issues they are dealing with.

“I think it’s impactful just us being there and being able to speak into people’s lives, just offering a word of comfort and listening, then giving them this resource to take home and read.”

Rochelle was already confident that the life-changing wisdom of Scripture highlighted in the resources produced by Our Daily Bread Ministries Canada could make a difference.

The mission volunteers regularly give out the Our Daily Bread devotional while handing out food to the unhoused population of Whalley, BC. It opens opportunities for us to spend time “talking, listening, and praying” with people.

“So, now, wherever I go, I carry Our Daily Bread in my backpack so I can give it to people,” says Rochelle.
She adds, “It’s sowing the seed. That is what we are called to do … because if we don’t sow the seed, there’s nothing for other people to water, and there’s nothing for God to give the increase to.”

• Would you want to distribute Our Daily Bread? It’s easy to order with no cost. Find out more.
• Discovery Series booklets provide Biblical insights into topical issues. They are also available at no cost, in several languages. Order here.

Born in Belgium in 1934, Marika could never have imagined her translations would one day bring spiritual hope to thousands across the French-speaking world.

But today, at 91 years old, (yes, you read that right!) she’s still faithfully translating devotionals for Notre Pain Quotidien (Our Daily Bread in French).

“The more I worked in God’s Word, the more I loved it. I always say to Jesus that I want to do what You want me to do.”

That passion has carried her through many seasons. For starters, the tools have changed, from typewriters to computers.

“I had to learn to work on a computer.” she says. “Once I’m on my computer and working.

“I don’t even think of having to eat. I’m so busy… maybe a little piece of Belgian chocolate,” she says with a hearty laugh.

She is driven to continue her work by a passion for translation and the conviction that the French world needs God Word. Most importantly, her deep love of Jesus fuels the work she does today.

“She’s such a sweetheart. So gentle,” says Cynthia Martineau, Manager of French Language Ministries with Our Daily Bread Ministries Canada.

“She has been concerned if she is still making a valuable contribution. Like asking me, ‘Am I still enough?” says Cynthia, who has assured her that is indeed very much needed.

Marika is on a translation team of about 10 translators and revisers, who reside in France and in Canada. For decades, she was the first translator in the process. These days, she is tasked with revising the translations.

“Actually, it is even more important than the initial translation,” says Cynthia. “She has the original English text next to the translation, and she is ensuring that we capture the essence of the text.”

Cynthia adds that Marika is really like a gatekeeper and performs a role that artificial intelligence (AI) never could. The translations need to capture the nuances of language but Notre Pain Quotidien also uses an international French for its global ministry, so Marika needs to ensure that the translator is not using a word or expression that would not be understood outside their country and context.

“Our devotionals draw people closer to God and to the Bible. It’s already a culture jump from the time and place of the Bible to French. But French is a language used in multiple cultures around the world. Marika and the team need to be almost oversensitive to this, so they provide the best possible devotional experience for francophones everywhere,” adds Cynthia.

For Marika, it’s been quite a journey. It started when she and her husband moved to Canada in 1960.

“God brought us here,” she says. 

Spiritually searching at the time, Marika prayed, “If you are really God, I would like you to let me know.” 

She and her husband both came to know Jesus, and she began to learn how to see life differently and listen for God’s leading.

While working as a university secretary in Québec, she took evening classes to learn English. A friend saw her potential in translation and told her, “You have a gift for it.” 

God opened doors, and that encouragement led her to one of the first French translations for Our Daily Bread more than 40 years ago, by our records!

“I never thought that one day I would be doing this,” she says, smiling, remembering that time so long ago. “It’s a real passion for me…I just love it! It’s more than a profession—it’s a profession of faith.”

Marika has translated God’s Word for readers in Canada, Europe, Africa, and beyond. Reading her Bible each day, every devotional she works on is rooted in her deep love for God.

Marika’s translations carry the message of Christ across cultures and continents. Each devotion she completes is a gift to someone she may never meet, but who will be encouraged by the translated words.

She is hopeful that the next generation will carry on her work. 

“I hope that there will be young people interested in doing the work, that there will be more translators. I won’t live 200 years!” (Marika encourages the youth today to be enthusiastic about the work they do!)

As for retirement, it’s not in the plan.

Biblical geography. Maybe those words intrigue you … or make you shy away. No matter if you’ve ever considered what “land” has to do with Scripture, we know a man who may just pique your curiosity and “turn up the volume on the Bible” for you.

Dr. John A. Beck. Although he is seminary-trained with two master’s degrees and a PhD, he is more like a friend who will walk with you to ignite a passion for learning more about Scripture than you ever thought possible. And, he likes to be called Jack.

This friendliness and approachability makes Jack a unique fit to host Our Daily Bread Ministries’ video series The Holy Land: Connecting The Land With Its Stories. 

“If we are people of place, and place is very much a part of how we’re shaped and how we interact with one another, then there’s no way I can leave my understanding of place out of any literature, much less the Bible,” Jack said. 

He believes that the Bible’s stories are so greatly impacted by location and setting, that it’s vital for us to truly understand how God communicated to His people in Scripture and to us today. Engaging with Scripture is “always a spirit-led process. Reading the Bible is different than reading another book.” 

Jack’s background in language and literature informed one way for him to view Scripture. But in grad school, he met a Bible geographer who sparked his interest in how the biblical authors and poets used geographical content to shape the learning—or faith—experience. Since then, incorporating geography as a tool in his multi-faceted toolbelt has allowed Jack to bring a whole new level of understanding to others.

As an adjunct professor at Jerusalem University College, he regularly travels to the Holy Land to teach and lead tours. These tours often cover over 100 miles of hiking in 10 to 12 days so people can experience the rugged outdoors and “feel” what the people on the pages of the Bible felt.

Jack is a scholar who has collaborated with Our Daily Bread Ministries (ODBM) to write numerous books, teach online classes, and film four seasons of The Holy Land. His first book with ODBM, the Discovery House Bible Atlas, was published in 2015 and was well-received because it was more like a Bible commentary that married the land with the stories. (Fun fact: The French translation is soon to be released by the Our Daily Bread Ministries Canada and distributed around the world. It has taken more than 12 years to translate with two attempts because many of the concepts, places, and names have never been translated to French before.)

Ten years later, this work has being re-published as the Our Daily Bread Bible Atlas. Even if you have the first atlas, the new version is a great addition to your library. “The clarity within the essays has gotten stronger,” Jack said. “The visuals have gotten a big touch-up. It really is a new piece, reflecting both maturity in my own thinking of the topic and the communication of that and the illustrations.”

Season 4 of The Holy Land video series has now been released, so we can virtually travel with Jack to Samaria, the Southern Wilderness, and Jerusalem. His goal in every season of this series is “to take folks into the land and show them that there’s a connection between how things happened and where they happened.” He guides us to a region and tells the arc of stories that happened there, organizing the content by historical location rather than a chronological approach.

Although Jack treasures all his excursions on these production shoots, one of his most memorable times was in the Jezreel Valley at the spring where Gideon and his army drank (Judges 7). It happened to be a holiday, so many families with children were camping and enjoying themselves. When the kids invited Jack into the water, he immediately rolled up his pantlegs, took off his shoes, and joined them laughing and splashing in the cool water. 

Although the spontaneous moment led to the demise of the microphone he still wore, Jack heartily agreed, “I’m grateful for those moments that are unplanned, unscripted but absolutely spot on!”

Jack appreciates exploring in his personal life, too. He and his wife Marmy live in Germantown, Wisconsin but are often soaring around the country in the airplane they built themselves. “We’re always up for an adventure. We egg each other on and sometimes it takes us outside the bounds of what makes sense to do,” Jack chuckled.

Whether it’s snowshoeing in the Colorado Rockies with Marmy or leading an expedition of eager students in Israel, Jack loves being outdoors and bringing the stories of the Bible to life. “This is my passion . . . to turn the volume up on those things that maybe get less attention,” Jack said. “I hope you leave your time with me a more interested, informed, and engaged Bible reader.”

Adventure with Jack Beck:

• A Walking Tour of the Gospels
• Our Daily Bread Bible Atlas
• The Holy Land DVD series

Tucked inside the West Edmonton Mall, lives are being quietly changed—not with sales, but with compassion, conversation, and the power of the gospel. 

The Lovedmonton Chapel is a ministry planted right in the heart of West Edmonton Mall (WEM), a place visited by more than 30 million people each year!

“This is an outreach community,” Braden explains. “Our goal is to be a storefront to the gospel in WEM. We want to be a place where the gospel can be spread in the mall.”

From youth with nowhere else to go to curious tourists, the chapel ministers to a wide range of people. Open every day of the week and weekend, the team also offers coffee, prayer, and encouragement to employees who work in the mall. But this unique mission field also presents challenges—especially engaging passersby in meaningful, faith-centred conversations.

That’s where the Discovery Series display comes in.

The display has become an impactful ministry tool inside the chapel, serving as both a resource and a pulse check on the spiritual needs within the mall. Booklets on anxiety, depression, and anger are picked up the most—often restocked because they are snapped up quickly.

“It’s really helpful for tracking what the mall is sensing at the time,” Braden notes. “I can even tailor our youth lessons to what people are gravitating toward.”

The chapel space, which resembles a coffee shop, offers a space for youth who come to the mall simply because they have nowhere else to go. Music, games, snacks, Bible studies, and genuine conversations pave the way for gospel encounters. 

Braden’s vision is simple: to meet people where they’re at. “Because it’s not a big pressure thing, you can say, ‘Do any of these interest you?’  instead of saying ‘you really need this one.’” He trusts the Holy Spirit will do the rest.

In a place where faith isn’t expected, Lovedmonton Chapel is making the hope of Jesus not just visible—but accessible, one visitor at a time.

Braden from the Lovedmonton Chapel is a volunteer Ministry Ambassador for Our Daily Bread Ministries Canada. That means he is approved by the chapel leadership to serve as a connection point between his ministry and ours. It helps Lovedmonton figure out what resources we have and how we can help.

Consider becoming an Ambassador for your church or organization today!