As the name suggests, participants (aged 18-39) are invited to partake in a rather informal Bible study, where after an hour of input and reflection on Scripture at St. Patrick’s, further discussion and fellowship are offered at Sin & Redemption afterwards, a clever name for a pub located just 20 metres from the steps of St. Patrick’s. Food and libations are shared while conversations among guests carry on.
The monthly event is run by Ignite, the youth and young adult ministry of the Redemptorists of Canada. This month’s theme, at the event hosted March 5, was “Reply, Reply All, Forward, Send: Being Messengers of Hope in Dark Times,” and focused on topics of how the Good News amid darkness can allow our world to be enveloped with light.
With a particular heart in its charism for the marginalized, abandoned and forgotten, including young adults, Ignite Ministry works to provide social and spiritual initiatives through a multitude of events and programs.
“We sometimes describe (our mission) as keeping the doors of the church open for youth and young adults to enter, to come and to go freely, and then also going out to meet them where they are,” said Jenny Hood, associate director of Ignite Ministry. “We do a mix of social and spiritual-based events that try to keep that spirit of welcome. It really is a place for the searchers and the questioners, but also for people who want to go deeper in their faith.”
Apart from local events in Toronto, Ignite also provides training to those working or volunteering in youth, young adult and family ministries across the country through seminar series and individual workshops. It also hosts a high school retreat program for students to learn about social justice through the lens of poverty, hunger and homelessness.
The Bible and Beer event has been taking place in Toronto for several years now, a model Hood said goes back to the Redemptorists’ influence of incorporating unique styles of preaching in its mission.
“It comes from wanting to offer something that was Scripture-based, something that provided spiritual formation for our young adults,” she said. “St. Alphonse de Liguori emphasized that in the training and the vision for what Redemptorists would be, having the spirit of mission in every parish.”
The practice is not unheard of, with similar campaigns such as Theology on Tap known for inspiring the trend of religious-based discussions taking place in pub settings.
The model continues to draw crowds, perhaps for its more laid-back nature, with Hood confirming that Bible and Beer events are one of the most popular and most consistently attended events for Ignite. Each session draws anywhere from 30-50 young adults.
“I think what makes it work as a model is that it provides consistency because it follows the same format every month, but it is very accessible,” she said. “It’s also only an hour on a weekday evening, so if you’ve worked all day and you just want to come for the Bible study in short groups, you only have to stay for an hour. Then afterwards, you can stay for as little or as long as you want.”
With the conversations always based around the upcoming Sunday readings, the latest event focused on Jesus speaking with Nicodemus in John’s Gospel. Fr. Santo Arrigo C.Ss.R., director of Ignit and pastor at St. Patrick’s, presented the readings and led the discussions.
“We’re trying to build on this idea that no matter how dark the world gets, no matter how hopeless things can seem, we have this message of hope in this person of Jesus,” Hood said. “As Christians, we know Him through Scripture, we know Him through prayer, we know Him through the Church and we know Him through personal relationships… How do we share that with the world?”
For more on Bible and Beer, see ignite-canada.ca/events/.