Introducing...Danelle Kasdorf

Lisa Braun here - Let me introduce you to Danelle. I met Danelle van Nes in my first year at Bethany (1998-1999). She was the STUCO Recreation Chair, and so we worked together at Leadership Week to plan opening week events. I also had the privilege of working with her as the senior Youth Advance Committee member in 1999-2000. What a planner and organizer! I have fond memories of visiting her dorm room in North Court, and giving her and her friends permission to wear old Bethany Eagle jerseys during men’s basketball games.


Name: Danelle (van Nes) Kasdorf
Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Program: Bachelor in Christian Ministries 2000
Employment Role: Mother, Household Manager
Employer: Kasdorf Family
Email: danellekasdorf@hotmail.com


I am an organized person. In fact, I thought I had my whole life planned out. The plan was to go to Bible School, meet an awesome guy, settle down and have two kids. Well, I was one of the first to register for Bethany for the 1997-1998 year. And I did indeed meet a wonderful man, Danny Kasdorf (1997-1999) and married him in 2000. We decided to settle down in Winnipeg. Danny had just graduated from a tech college and was starting work as a web designer/developer. I found work at a Christian supply distributor and later at MBCI. And we waited to start our family, we waited and waited.

Finally in the summer of 2007 we were overjoyed to find out that we were expecting. We welcomed Janaya Helene into our family in March of 2008. Now life seemed to be going according to my plan again. In the fall of 2009 we discovered we were expecting again. There, two kids, just right according to MY plan. In February 2010 at the routine 20 week ultrasound we got a HUGE surprise. We were expecting TWINS!!!!!! My mind started going through the check list. What about the cute little house we had strategically bought to hold our future family of four? What about the car we had spent 7 years saving up for only to have to trade it in for a van? How are we going to manage twins? What if there are born really early? What if they are sick? Can we stretch one income that far?

It was a huge reminder that I am not in charge of my life. I can plan and plan as much as I want, but God is in control. And boy, have we ever learned to rely on him this year. I was reminded of a favourite verse: Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Well, after a few more months of anxiousness, Joshua Evan and Jenna Catherine were born full term and healthy weighing 6 lbs 1 oz and 7 lbs 7 oz. We’re nearing the twins’ first birthday and celebrating that we’ve made it. There have been some crazy moments and a lot of adjusting needed but we’ve made it. Thank you Lord for seeing us through it all. And we’ll wait to see what is next according to YOUR plan.

Introducing...Chantelle Funk

This is Chantelle Funk and her family. She and her husband are entrepreneurs establishing a business in Kelowna while they raise two young sons. Chantelle also serves on the Board of Directors at Bethany College where she passionately challenges us to think creatively in our ministry. She brings her workplace fundraising experience and her business skills to the board and helps in focusing our mission: Nurturing Disciples and Training Leaders to Serve. Life for Chantelle is lived in relationship with God as she brings the issues of her life honestly and directly to Him. Here are some insightful and challenging words from her.
~Howie Wall, President

Be joyful always, pray continually and give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). I get the praying thing, I get the giving thanks bit, but being joyful ALWAYS?!?!? What about most of the time? I think I was born cynical and jaded and have had to work my way up to being content in every situation but God is trying to show me that it is possible to live up another step – with joy. Always. Joyce Meyer said something that I wrote on my calendar: “An attitude of trust releases joy in our lives.” I read it every time I passed my calendar for two weeks. On January 13 my husband had a seizure out of the blue (later revealed to be a benign brain tumour) and after a long day trying to take care of our business and kids and being at the hospital, I walked past my calendar and read that quote again. At a moment when I had every excuse NOT to be joyful or feel joyful, I CHOSE to trust – whatever, whenever, I trust you Lord, my times are in your hands. And the next few weeks my joy increased even as all my circumstances gave reasons for the opposite.

The verse God gave me for 2011 is from John 15:5 “I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.” The chapter goes on to talk about love and obedience and then in verse 11: “I have told you these things, that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing.” And there it is – another step in my journey of learning about joy. I dwell in Christ, cut off from everything but him, I obey his commands, I live as a flow-through of his love; receiving it and giving back out to others – and His joy is complete and overflowing in my life. I may have to look on the bright side of things after all.

Chantelle Funk (nee Priebe)

Team Awards

On April 6, the Bethany community took a moment to celebrate the accomplishments of specific individuals from the Ministry Arts and Athletics teams. This has been a great year for both departments, having seen great involvement and success. It was an extremely enjoyable Selah and the Bethany community supported the award winners tremendously.

Paul Woodburn (Ministry Arts Director) opened the Selah with special acknowledgment for this year’s House Band (Joe Molina, Nick Poetker, David Zentner, and Chris Penner) for their weekly ministry to the Bethany community in their leading of music worship in Friday Selahs. He also noted the ministry of Fixed on Faith (Kevin Dyck, Cambria Hiebert, and Jay Nguyen), a new team which served in local churches by providing music worship leadership.

Point of Impact and Bethany Players had three award categories. The first was for Growth, given to the team member who displayed the most improvement since the start of the year. The second was for Team Builder, awarded to the team member who was most helpful in the development of team unity and bonding. The third was for Guide, awarded to the team member who was most helpful in shaping and maintaining the spiritual health of the team.

Nick Boschman (Athletics Director) also presented awards for each of the athletics teams this year. The three awards were for Most Improved, Most Valuable, and Christian Leadership. The coaches of each team provided comments about each award winner, adding a personal touch for each recipient.

The award winners were as follows:

Point of Impact
Growth: Tyrel Klassen
Team Builder: Dan Kroeker
Guide: Cam Kearney

Bethany Players
Growth: Erin Willems
Team Builder: Erick Penner
Guide: Carley Snaith

Men’s Volleyball
Most Improved: Tim Peters
Most Valuable: Kendell Wiens
Christian Leadership: Steve Dueck

Women’s Volleyball
Most Improved: Vanessa Kroeker
Most Valuable: Erin Bader
Christian Leadership: Erin Bader

Men’s Indoor Soccer
Most Improved: Austin Gagne
Most Valuable: Kendell Wiens
Christian Leadership: David Zentner

Women’s Indoor Soccer
Most Improved: Terri Omani
Most Valuable: Kiley Zdunich
Christian Leadership: Kaylee Buhler

Men’s Hockey
Most Improved: Brad Bergen
Most Valuable: Aaron Willems
Christian Leadership: Mike Brandt

Congratulations to all the award winners and to all the teams for a great 2010-2011 season!