CRAIG KRAFT BLOG

OC Director's Blog: February 2022

Dr. Craig Kraft / Tuesday, February 1, 2022

Where is Your Home?

Pictured above is the house where I grew up as a child. I lived in this house for 12 years, longer than I have ever lived in any other place. We have moved around a lot and have lived in many different houses. It helps me have a different perspective on what we call “home.”

The truth is, as much as we try to make our home warm, welcoming, safe, and comfortable, it is always temporary. The Bible reminds us that this world is not our permanent home. If we choose to follow Jesus and accept him as our Savior and Lord, we become children of God with citizenship in Heaven. Jesus is preparing an eternal home for us in Heaven (John 14:1-4). There is a lot of unrest and anger in our world today. We have a lot of things to argue and complain about, and we don’t like having someone trample over our rights and freedoms. However, sometimes we need to consider our present trials in light of what is to come. The Apostle Paul wrote, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us”(Romans 8:18). God has bright plans for our future!

Last week I heard testimonies of Christians in other parts of the world who genuinely suffer persecution. One said, “it’s not that we are looking to be persecuted, but when it comes, we welcome the opportunity to suffer for our faith as Jesus suffered for us.” This man feels at home in the face of real persecution and the threat of death.

It has made me think about where my home is. Of course, it is where Heather and I are together, but in another sense, it is something that I have not experienced yet. I am looking forward to a perfect home in the future. One day I will truly be at home in the presence of God, where all of today’s challenges and trials will fade away like distant memories.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me, that you also may be where I am.” -John 14:1-3

What’s going on in OC right now?

Last week I participated in our OC Global Alliance North American Leadership Summit. It was great to hear about the new opportunities and challenges facing us as missionaries in North America. It was challenging to hear that our US partners now have as many missionary staff in the USA as they do serving overseas. Some have returned for retirement or family reasons, but many are also displaced by the pandemic or political events. I learned about one location where almost all Christians have had to leave a geographical region, but God has not abandoned them. The Holy Spirit is at work, people are following Jesus through dreams, and new pastors and missionaries are being called out of the rubble of broken communities.

This week, I also had an exciting phone conversation with a denominational leader who asked for help. They are beginning to receive requests from missionaries in the majority world wanting to come to Canada as their mission field. Missionaries are mobilizing from places like Ivory Coast, Haiti, and Costa Rica to come and share the gospel of Jesus here in our country. We are helping connect others in this situation to knowledge and experience to do it well and right.

I sat in a webinar this morning listening to the stories of churches in North America that are experiencing a new revival. They have shifted their focus from being religious, right, and information-driven to loving, discipling, and oriented toward obedience. As a result, these churches see transformation and growth as people live out their faith and discipleship multiplies!

God is at work in our world and our nation. These have been some hard years for our churches. Still, there is an opportunity for us to discard some practices that have drained resources with minimal outcomes and replace them with new fruitful practices for evangelism and discipleship.


Dr. Craig Kraft is the Executive Director of Outreach Canada. After 15 years of pastoral ministry in western Canada, Craig, with his wife Heather, served with OC in southern Africa before returning to lead the ministry in Canada. Craig is a graduate of Northwest Baptist Seminary at ACTS and a graduate of Asia Graduate School of Theology with a Doctor of Intercultural Studies. His study has focused on diaspora missiology in Canada.  His dissertation explores the potential for revitalizing Canadian churches through the practice of biblical hospitality with refugees and immigrants. Craig loves to watch sports, work in the yard & spend time in the woods. 





OC Directors Blog: May 2023 OC Director's Blog: May 2023

In our May Director's Blog, Executive Director, Dr. Craig Kraft, shares about the OC staff retreat ...
Read More..

5 Simple Checks for Discerning the Will of God 5 Simple Checks for Discerning the Will of God

Discerning God’s voice in our world today can be challenging. With so many voices and distractions,...
Read More..

OC Directors Blog: April 2023 OC Director's Blog: April 2023

OC Director's Blog - April 2023 Edition. In our April Director's Blog, Executive Director, Dr. Crai...
Read More..

OC Directors Blog: March 2023 OC Director's Blog: March 2023

OC Director's Blog - March 2023 Edition. In our March Director's Blog, Executive Director, Dr. Crai...
Read More..

OC Directors Blog: February 2023 OC Director's Blog: February 2023

OC Director's Blog - February 2023 Edition. In our February Director's Blog, Executive Directo...
Read More..

Outreach Canada Vision for Ministry in 2023 Outreach Canada Vision for Ministry in 2023

Sharing the OC Ministry Vision for 2023, Dr. Craig Kraft expands on who we are, where we are now an...
Read More..

End of the Year Giving End of the Year Giving

Our impact in Canada and worldwide is growing because of your prayers and investment in OC. In 2022...
Read More..
Thankful for a Warm Welcome
Chad shares a few thoughts and impressions from his busy first month as Executive Director of OC.
Read more...
Outreach Canada - 2023 Annual Report
At Outreach Canada Ministries, we recognize that the challenges facing the Church and individual Christians are too significant to be addressed alone. By partnering with churches, ministries, and individuals, we strengt...
Read more...
3 Stats Every Church Should Know about their Neighbourhood
How can your church better understand & serve your community? Here are 3 stats that we believe every church should know about their neighbourhood...
Read more...
Faith Moving Forward
A personal reflection from Rick Burdett, Outreach Canada's Chief Operations Officer and a member of the LeaderSHIFT team. 
Read more...
5 Ways to Pray for Outreach Canada in 2024
Standing at the head of the trail that will wend through 2024, we at Outreach Canada can see clearly where we are right now, and perhaps even a step or two ahead. But although we think we know where we’re going, ve...
Read more...
OC Director's Blog: The Last One from Craig Kraft
This is the last Director's Blog from Executive Director Craig Kraft, before he transitions to his new role as Director for Global Collaboration with the OC Global Alliance. (Have no fear, in this season of transit...
Read more...
OC Director's Blog: November 2023
In the November 2023 issue of our OC Director's blog, Rick shares items of thanksgiving and an update from the LeaderSHIFT team as the search for a new Executive Director continues to unfold. 
Read more...
A Prayer for the Persecuted Church
Canadians experience great freedom of religion compared to so many places in the world. In fact, it is hard for us to think that our brothers and sisters in Christ in other parts of the world are under attack. Churches ...
Read more...
A Personal Reflection from Ray Woodard
Ray Woodard, Outreach Canada's Board Chairman, reflects on this season of thanksgiving in regards to OC's current season of transition as we move towards the future.  "This season of thanksgiving holds special sign...
Read more...
OC Director's Blog: September 2023 - LeaderSHIFT
Since the beginning of the year, we have been working through a leadership transition at Outreach Canada. After fifteen years as Executive Director, Craig Kraft has moved to a new role as the Director for Global Collabo...
Read more...
The OC Global Alliance: Our Roots
Outreach Canada is part of a larger global story! Outreach Canada was one of the original founding members in the OC Global Alliance (OCGA). Today, the OC Global Alliance has 15 Mobilization Centres around the worl...
Read more...
OC Director's Blog: May 2023
In our May Director's Blog, Executive Director, Dr. Craig Kraft, shares about the OC staff retreat that took place the first week of May. He also shares about the Leader-SHIFT team and reflects on the special commission...
Read more...
5 Simple Checks for Discerning the Will of God
Discerning God’s voice in our world today can be challenging. With so many voices and distractions, how do we discern the will of God in our lives?  Craig Kraft, OC’s Executive Director, shares his personal experiences ...
Read more...
OC Director's Blog: April 2023
OC Director's Blog - April 2023 Edition. In our April Director's Blog, Executive Director, Dr. Craig Kraft, shares about an OC missionary who recently travelled through Asia, helping to start over 300 new micro-churches...
Read more...
OC Director's Blog: March 2023
OC Director's Blog - March 2023 Edition. In our March Director's Blog, Executive Director, Dr. Craig Kraft, shares thoughts on the Asbury Revival, and more details about the upcoming transition, including OC's new Leade...
Read more...
OC Director's Blog: February 2023
OC Director's Blog - February 2023 Edition. In our February Director's Blog, Executive Director, Dr. Craig Kraft, shares thoughts about football and the larger "team" at Outreach Canada. 
Read more...
Outreach Canada Vision for Ministry in 2023
Sharing the OC Ministry Vision for 2023, Dr. Craig Kraft expands on who we are, where we are now and where we are going...
Read more...
End of the Year Giving
Our impact in Canada and worldwide is growing because of your prayers and investment in OC. In 2022 we came alongside over 100 ministries to help them serve more effectively. We continue to focus on recognizing new chal...
Read more...
OC Director's Blog: Special Announcement
A special word from our Executive Director, Craig Kraft, and from the Outreach Canada Board. 
Read more...
The Canadian Census
Every ten years, the Canadian government takes an extensive census of our nation. This research provides an amazingly detailed look at who we are and how we have changed or grown in the past decade. Canada conducte...
Read more...
OC Director's Blog: November 2022
OC Director's Blog - November 2022 Edition In our November Director's blog, our Executive Director, Dr. Craig Kraft, shares about those who "lay down their lives for their friends" as well as updates on the OC Lead...
Read more...
OC Director's Blog: October 2022
OC Director's Blog - October 2022 Edition In our October Director's blog, our Executive Director, Dr. Craig Kraft, shares about the fall season at Outreach Canada and some exciting ministry updates!  
Read more...
Discipling Our Nation
No matter how well the church may have done in the past, the challenge of discipling our nation is new and fresh with each new generation...
Read more...
OC Director's Blog: September 2022
September 2022 Update from Outreach Canada's Executive Director, Dr. Craig Kraft. 
Read more...
OC Director's Blog: August 2022
August 2022 Update from Outreach Canada's Executive Director, Dr. Craig Kraft. 
Read more...
OC Director's Blog: July 2022
July 2022 Update from Outreach Canada's Executive Director, Dr. Craig Kraft. 
Read more...
Serving Leaders Globally
Communication and collaboration in intercultural environments are complex at the best of times, but the pandemic created new levels of complexity for our global alliance. However, through creative intentionality and sim...
Read more...
OC Director's Blog: June 2022
June 2022 Update from Outreach Canada's Executive Director, Dr. Craig Kraft. 
Read more...
OC Director's Blog: May 2022
May 2022 Update from Outreach Canada's Executive Directior, Dr. Craig Kraft. 
Read more...
OC Director's Blog: April 2022
April 2022 Update from Outreach Canada's Executive Directior, Dr. Craig Kraft. 
Read more...
OC Director's Blog: March 2022
March 2022 Update from Outreach Canada's Executive Directior, Dr. Craig Kraft. 
Read more...
4 Opportunities for Hospitality: Welcoming Immigrants
Did you know that in 2022, Canada aims to welcome 431,645 new permanent residents? And over the next 3 years, Canada aims to welcome 1.3 million new permanent residents? Welcoming strangers has become one of our gr...
Read more...
Hospitality and Church Revitalization
Months before we plunged into a socially isolating global pandemic, I completed a research project on the impact of hospitality in Canadian Churches. I studied a number of Canadian congregations engaged in the resettlem...
Read more...
OC Director's Blog: February 2022
February 2022 Update from Outreach Canada's Executive Directior, Dr. Craig Kraft. 
Read more...
Loving Strangers: Why the Canadian Church Needs Biblical Hospitality
Canadian Christians should be known by their love and acts of hospitality. Followers of Jesus should reflect the qualities of the One they are following. 
Read more...
OC Director's Blog: January 2022
January 2022 Update from Outreach Canada's Executive Directior, Dr. Craig Kraft. 
Read more...
Hospitality for the Holidays
4 Simple Suggestions to Include Hospitality in your Christmas celebrations. Christmas is a time for hospitality; a time to open our homes and extend a warm welcome to friends and family. But that’s not all. It is also a...
Read more...
How to Pray for your Church
One of the things that should be on all our prayer lists right now is our church.  Pastors, elders, and various leaders and ministries have had a challenging time as we live through a global pandemic.  The big pivot has...
Read more...
Looking Back & Looking Forward
We just installed new signs on our office and this provides an opportunity to look back at a moment in our history!
Read more...
At Our Doorstep
We often think of missions as being to the "ends of the earth," but Jesus commissioned his followers to be his witnesses, starting in Jerusalem, right where they were. As followers of Jesus, we are called to do the same...
Read more...
Welcoming Strangers: 4 Opportunities for Hospitality
Welcoming strangers has become one of our greatest needs and significant challenges as Christians in Canada. Here are 4 opportunities, for individuals & churches, to demonstrate hospitality to immigrants and other 'stra...
Read more...
Sharing the Gospel through Social Media
Young Canadians need to hear the gospel message, but where will they hear it? Jesus Cares Canada recognizes that social media provides a great opportunity for fresh, unencumbered access to the Gospel.
Read more...
Visitors or Guests? How Warm is our Welcome?
One day our churches will reopen. As we prepare for that eventuality, churches would do well to discern the difference between treating newcomers as visitors or guests.
Read more...
Stretching out Christmas
If you are like me, you are wishing that we could hold on to Christmas a little bit longer.  I don’t want to take the tree down or put away the decorations.  Is it ok to sing Christmas carols and eat cookies for a ...
Read more...
An Advent List: 3 Ways to Practice LOVE
The celebration of Christmas is the celebration of God’s love. Here are 3 suggestions to practice Love during the advent season. 
Read more...
An Advent List: 3 Ways to Practice JOY
If you are like me, then you have days when it is hard to be joyful.  The pandemic has not made me feel joyful. Like hope and peace, we can choose to be joyful despite circumstances that are outside of our control. ...
Read more...
An Advent List: 3 Ways to Practice PEACE
Peace. It can be hard to feel peace when the world around us is in such turmoil and uncertainty, but God wants us to experience his peace. Here are 3 suggestions to practice Peace during the advent season. 
Read more...
An Advent List: 3 Ways to Practice HOPE
Christmas will look different this year, but our Christmas celebrations can still be filled with hope, peace, joy, love.  Here are 3 suggestions to practice Hope during the advent season. 
Read more...
What will Christmas look like in 2020?
Christmas is going to look different this year. But our Christmas celebrations can still be filled with hope, peace, joy and love. 
Read more...
$25
Consider the purchasing power of $25 dollars here in Canada: A movie at the theater with popcorn and pop. Four or five large specialty coffees. Two months of Netflix. Dinner for two at McDonalds. Today, in India, $...
Read more...
A Canadian Prayer for our American Neighbours on Election Day
A written prayer from Canada for our American Neighbours on Election Day 2020.  
Read more...
International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
Join us in praying this Sunday, November 1st, on the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. 
Read more...
What is The Church when it is not Meeting Publicly?
What does the church look like when no one is attending? Do we identify the church by the location, facility, staff, programs, and services?  If our understanding of the church is tied to these things, then the church m...
Read more...
Why Canada Needs Biblical Hospitality
Jesus demonstrated how one can balance the tension between pursuing holiness and being a friend of sinners, and he did it through hospitality. 
Read more...
From Risky Experiment to Great Success
In 2009, in response to its growing opportunites and challenges, One Challenge (OC) International took a big risk to respond to its growing international ministries. One Challenge International was founded in 1952 ...
Read more...
Hospitality in the Early Church
Hospitality was one of the factors that led to the discipleship and rapid expansion of the early church. The second blog in the series "Understanding Hospitality in a Western Context", this blog takes a brief look at th...
Read more...
Hospitality in Scripture
Hospitality is a powerful practice with the potential to bring restoration and revitalization to souls in need.  It is a virtue, espoused in scripture, through God’s earliest interactions with the patriarchs right throu...
Read more...
Welcoming Strangers
A biblical understanding of how Christians should welcome strangers is imperative for our day.  How do we demonstrate love toward people who are very different from us?  We must learn how to see others the way God sees ...
Read more...
15 Suggestions for Today: A Response to COVID 19
Our world is changing by the minute. We are familiar with the stories of fear and panic, but I am encouraged to see people sharing positive stories about how people are helping each other in times of crisis. Here are 15...
Read more...
The Search for Meaning 2.0: Multiple Confirmations
Part 2.0 of The Search for Meaning. How should we pray when considering major life-changing opportunities? This is Craig's story of how God provided multiple confirmations to his family as they contemplated a move to Af...
Read more...
The Search for Meaning: 5 Simple Steps
5 Simple Steps to Search for God's Unique Purpose for your Life. How do we invite or search for a unique and life-changing opportunity to serve God? Finding our purpose in a changing world need not be complicated.
Read more...
A Season for Peace
We view Christmas as a season of peace, but does December really feel peaceful?  Jesus is referred to as the Prince of Peace. What does His peace look like in the midst of regular life, including the difficult time...
Read more...
What does Christmas Look Like?
I know the ideal Christmas looks different to each one of us. I wonder if God has an ideal image of Christmas that he wants to develop in our minds. For many, thoughts of Christmas involve family gatherings, f...
Read more...
Giving Thanks when Life Sucks
There are so many things that happen in our lives that just suck.  How can we give thanks when times are tough? Is it really God’s will that all these bad things happen in our lives? A simple understanding of how we can...
Read more...
Diaspora. Diaspor...what?
What is Diaspora? And how should this word affect our lives & ministry? Find out more about Diaspora, what it means, and what's new at Outreach Canada with what we believe is a very important area of ministry. 
Read more...
A Prayer for the Day After the Election
A Prayer for Canada after the Election... Our gracious and almighty Father, we praise you for your powerful presence in our lives and in our world.  We praise you for your faithfulness through all of time.  We prai...
Read more...
5 People You Might Want to Thank
We all have so much to be grateful for, but sometimes we get stuck in a routine of being thankful for the same things over and over. I would like to encourage you today to share your gratitude with these five people. Yo...
Read more...
This is my Story: Fisherman to Fisher of Men
Meet Craig Kraft. The Executive Director of Outreach Canada. This is his story... Growing up as a pastor’s kid seemed like a special privilege to me. I became a follower of Jesus at a very young age, and literally ...
Read more...
Our Big Thing
I am often asked to describe what OC is or what we do. It can be hard to describe, like the engine of a car. Our team is made up of a lot of different parts that work together to accomplish one big thing.
Read more...