NEW FROM ARPA:

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

COMING FALL 2026!

WHAT IS IT?

This event exists to equip thoughtful Christians with a deeper understanding of how faith
shapes public life, exploring what it means to pursue justice, order, and the common good
in a culture that often misunderstands or marginalizes biblical convictions.

We aim to encourage our audience not necessarily just to do more, but to think more
biblically, and stand more confidently in the public square as those entrusted with a gospel
that speaks to all of life.

Over Four Weeks In Ottawa, You’ll:

Dig into the biblical foundation
for political action

Learn about Canada’s constitutional history and legal system

Tackle today’s most pressing legal issues

Sharpen your skills through readings, assignments, and interactive seminars

Why does it matter?

The Academy isn’t just a program-it’s a launchpad. Living and learning in Ottawa gives you:

• Connection with ARPA Staff and leaders in Canada’s Capital
• Experience that can lead to roles on Parliament Hill, in provincial legislatures, or with Christian Non-Profits
• Confidence to apply your faith wherever God calls you
• Even if politics isn’t your career path, this one-month experience will deepen your worldview and prepare you to be a faithful, informed citizen.

Register Now!

What’s it all about?

ARPA Canada is hosting a one-month educational training program to prepare young people for faithful political engagement. Participants will explore biblical foundations for political action, learn about Canada’s constitutional history and legal system, study current policy issues, and develop skills through readings, assignments, and interactive seminars. ARPA Academy will serve to equip young people to face the opportunities and challenges of engaging in the public square.  

ARPA Academy is for Christian young people, ages 18-25, who are keen to apply their faith to the public square. ARPA Academy will deepen your worldview and open doors to further political action.  

The 2026 Academy will run from August 4-28.

Application Process

If you are interested in applying, please submit an application package including the following:

• Resume
• Latest school transcript
• Name and contact information of two references (at least one should be a pastor or elder) 
• Personal statement of faith 
• Short video (no more than 2 minutes) explaining who you are and why you want to participate in ARPA Academy. Include future career goals and intentions for career growth.  
• Brief explanation of what it means to be involved in politics as a Christian. How do faith and politics interact? (No more than 500 words).  

Applications are open from December 1st, 2025 to February 28th 2026

Register Now!

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Information Meeting Dates

Applications for the 2026 ARPA Academy will open in December 2025 and close at the end of February 2026.  

In the meantime, we would like to invite you or other prospective applicants to a Microsoft Teams meeting so you can hear about the Academy firsthand and we can answer any questions you might have.

• November 27 at 8 PM EST
• January 29 at 8 PM EST

Please reach out to [email protected] to request a meeting link.

Please send any questions or expressions of interest to [email protected].

Please Note: ARPA Canada is very grateful for any interest shown in this program. However, due to time constraints and other responsibilities, we reserve the right to not interview all applicants. The deadline for applications may also be changed as we deem necessary.

Register Below!

Sign up for our signature God & Government Event!
https://staging.arpacanada.ca/gandg2023

Levi gives an update of what he’s been up to in Northern BC.

It’s been a few months since the start of ARPA Profiles, and Daniel has some big news! 🎉

Over the last few years ARPA has hosted local youth conferences or school club conventions. These events are opportunities for high school youth who are interested in politics to meet students from other schools, learn more about political issues, brainstorm some activities for the year, and engage in some activism.

Here’s a quick recap of the three events. Each one was a smashing success!

British Columbia

Eighty students from 7 different schools across the province – from Smithers to Vernon to Chilliwack to Langley and even to Lynden, Washington – attended our second annual ARPA BC Youth Conference. This year’s conference, revolving around the theme of LIGHT, was held at Stepping Stones Bible Camp. The students learned about how to be the light of the world from Mike Schouten, the responsibilities and limitations of civil government from Levi Minderhoud, how Canada has no abortion law from Tabitha Ewert, and how we’re making political action just a little more fun with technology from Daniel Kanis.

The students had a blast participating in a mock election, completing a photo scavenger hunt, enjoying the pool, roasting marshmallows over the campfire, playing their own games, and competing in a final Kahoot competition. They also had the opportunity to take to the streets of Mission, delivering Care Not Kill flyers that highlight the fatal flaws with our federal government’s plan to expand eligibility for euthanasia. The flyers have already provoked a reaction, sparking a discussion around euthanasia on the Mission community Facebook page.

Ontario

We just wrapped up a great weekend in Fergus at Emmanuel Christian High School where 95 bright and passionate Ontario youth spent a couple of days focusing on the theme of apologetics. The word ‘apologetics’ comes from the Greek word ‘apologia’, which means “to give a defence.” In 1 Peter 3:15, Christians are called to be ready to give a defence for the reason for the hope that we have within us.

In addition to keynote addresses on Christian Worldview, Finding a Better Identity, and Pro-life Apologetics, the students also participated in workshops aimed at preparing them for action throughout the year. And, of course, we made room for plenty of games (including an epic Kahoot battle), good times, and great food. We’re already looking forward to next year!

Alberta

Alberta’s youth conference was a week behind the rest of the country, but perhaps we just saved the best for last! Parkland Immanuel Christian School was the host school this year, the fourth annual Alberta youth conference. The students heard from Mike Schouten (twice!), again about how to be effective lights in the world, as well as from Darren Versteeg on apologetics, ARPA’s Ed Hoogerdyk on political action, and MLA Mark Smith on what it’s like to be a politician.

As always, the students had a blast participating in the conference, particularly the games and hands-on writing thank you letters to the outgoing Premier Jason Kenney and congratulatory letters to the incoming Premier Danielle Smith. The ARPA school clubs and chapters also had an opportunity on Friday evening to promote their groups and strut their stuff!

Boo-yah!

You are ARPA. ARPA is you.

This tagline from ARPA’s intro video means that ARPA isn’t just made up of the staff members who work full-time for the organization. ARPA, fundamentally, is a grassroots network of people who take political action to bring a Biblical perspective to our civil authorities.

ARPA members and supporters in Smithers last week demonstrated what effective political action looks like.

A few years ago, the town of Smithers agreed to install a rainbow crosswalk to promote the LGBTQ cause. At the time, local ARPA supporters and staff voiced their concern about this advocacy by the town. Unfortunately, the town council ignored our concerns and proceeded to install the crosswalk.

Fast forward 5 years. At their April 14^th meeting, the town council raised the issue that maintaining the crosswalk and repainting the rainbow every year was expensive. Maybe it would be best to scrap the rainbow crosswalk in favour of something that required less effort and money to maintain. The council decided to put the discussion on hold for two months, solicit suggestions from the community, and brainstorm new ideas to replace the rainbow crosswalk.

The mention of the rainbow crosswalk caught the attention of members of the local Bulkley Valley ARPA chapter. They saw another chance to voice concern about the promotion of the LGBTQ cause in general, and a great opportunity to provide positive recommendations for change. Chapter members immediately began writing letters to their town council and encouraged their friends to do the same.

By the time of the next town council meeting on June 9^th, the council had received 29 letters from members of the community. Every single letter was written by an ARPA supporter. Bravo!

These letters made several arguments against the rainbow crosswalk. Governments should not be in the business of political advocacy. Governments should not encourage immoral behaviour. Governments should promote values that unify the community, not that divide the community.

Every letter was written respectfully and tactfully. Conversations about gay or transgender lifestyles and advocacy too often devolve – on both sides, unfortunately – into accusations of bigotry, unkind words, and even vandalism. Not so here. Each letter respectfully laid out heartfelt concerns, and many letters proposed constructive alternatives that would represent the values of all Smithers residents, not just those who support a gay or transgender lifestyle.

Unfortunately, the town council continued to promote the cause of sexual minorities to the exclusion of other interest groups by deciding to fly a rainbow flag instead of repainting the rainbow crosswalk. Council left the door open to reconsider the issue again next year.

One concerning element of the council’s decision was that it explicitly called the LGBTQ cause a human rights issue. Yet, when a discussion arose about what the council would do if residents requested a pro-life crosswalk or flag, they did not consider abortion to be a human rights issue. Council’s conversation reveals their – and society’s – misunderstanding about human rights.

A Christian understanding of human rights is rooted in God’s law. According to Professor John Witte Jr., God’s law outlines duties and subsequent rights and liberties for every individual. For example, God’s command against murder imposes a duty on every member of society not to murder their neighbour and gives everyone else a related right to life. The pre-born have that right to life as well.

There is no human right to practice a gay or transgender lifestyle because these lifestyles violate God’s law and His standard for humanity. The seventh commandment against adultery, along with other sexual laws in Scripture, provide some sexual duties and liberties. All humans have the liberty to marry one member of the opposite sex, to be free from sexual assault, and as a married person to be free from the sexual advances of another. However, the Bible does not provide the liberty or right to engage in behaviour that God forbids, such as having an intimate relationship with a person of the same sex, with a married person, or with multiple people.

Although we were disappointed with the decision of the Smithers town council, the level of concern, the respectful tone, and the political activity displayed by members of the Bulkley Valley ARPA chapter should inspire us all. These members reminded their elected officials of the Truth of God’s design for all human behaviour.

They are ARPA. And so are you!

Levi Minderhoud is the British Columbia Manager for ARPA Canada

Thirty-six high school students arrived in Ottawa on Tuesday, February 4. They came by planes, trains, and automobiles. They slept in an old jail. They went to court. They went to the theatre. Well, sort of. They attended question period in the House of Commons. They ate Beaver Tails, checked out the Rideau Canal, made new friends, and experienced the travel delights of delays and cancellations due to a whopping snowfall.

But most importantly, they came for politics. That’s where the fun really began. The students listened to presentations from a Reformed, biblical view of politics.

This was followed by an “ideation workshop” where students generated ideas for action – for educating and equipping others – in their churches and school communities, and in the public square. It was cool to witness this collaboration and peer evaluation of each group’s ideas. It didn’t take much time for them to move from politics and policy to political action.

Next on the agenda was a mock MP meeting demo by two ARPA staffers. This transitioned nicely into lobbying presentations about euthanasia, pre-born human rights, and prostitution/human trafficking. After these presentations it was the students’ turn to perform! They applied their new learning by attending meetings with “fake MPs” (including two retired MPs) who coached them on their lobbying. This culminated in the “real deal” when the students lobbied MPs and Senators the next day. In just one day the students went from practice to performance!

Friday, the final day, began with an inspirational keynote address by Rutledge Etheridge III, author of God Breathed. Rut encouraged the students to take the world, their Father’s world, very personally, very patriotically and to steward it well in the name of their Savior. He reminded them that the righteousness they’ve been learning and lobbying all week, will fully, and forever pervade this world.

Later that day, Blaise Alleyne, co-author of A Guide to Discussing Assisted Suicide, taught the students how to engage people in fruitful discussions about assisted suicide on the streets. Then they went out in the snowy Ottawa streets and did it – articulation to activism in just a few hours.

So, it was a content-filled and action-packed three days where the students went from politics to political action, from presentation to performance, and from articulation to activism. In short: Educate! Execute! Evaluate! And it’s our hope and prayer that the GGY 2020 participants return to their schools inspiring their peers to be educators, executors, and evaluators as ambassadors of Jesus Christ in their homes, schools, churches, communities and in the public square. To God be the glory!