“It feels like I’ve won the lottery,” is how Koenraad Beugelink describes his time mentoring secondary students during the annual Nicaragua trip. Whether he is a speaker for both middle school and secondary chapels, a leader on the Nicaragua service trip, a soccer coach, or an influence within the Student Life Centre, creating strong relationships with students is how Koenraad shapes God’s world.
More than A Face In Chapel
Previously a youth pastor at New Life CRC, Koenraad worked with children and youth for a greater part of his life, helping establish the faith journeys of young Christians. But when he was asked to help in a Bible class at ACS Secondary, he discovered his love for working within the classroom setting. “I was invited to teach a Bible 12 module, and I loved it. I loved being in the classroom,” he shares.
With a new window of opportunity opened, he felt called to something more. It took time to make the career change, but Koenraad stepped into the role of faith formation director in 2019.
Over the past six years, he has displayed his enthusiasm and heart for the ACS community in many ways. Most students know him best through his teachings during chapel on Fridays, where the student body comes together for a time of focused worship. His prior experience in front of audiences stands out as he finds a balance between a playful (he often features silly voices and occasionally even puppets), yet thought-provoking style of speaking.
However, Koenraad is much more than just a face in chapel. Those who were part of the Nicaragua team saw his passion for relationships and service in his leadership role.
From his frankly jarring wake-up calls at 6:30 in the morning (think loud falsetto “singing”), to leading the team in discussions each evening, Koenraad has influenced students from both ACS and Centro de Fe, ACS’ sister school in Managua, Nicaragua.
A Larger Community
What began as a pilot project with Worldwide Christian Schools in 2010, the annual trip has developed into a strong relationship with deep connections.
“In Nicaragua, there’s a whole new layer of connecting with people,” he says. “I want to show students that bonds with others beyond Canada are important to our larger Christian community.” Koenraad especially cherishes the genuine evening conversations with students about faith and Scripture. “The ability to be part of and lead things like the Nicaragua trip are the moments that I thank God for,” he reflects.
This year’s trip was a 15-year celebration, or Quinceañera, of the relationship between these two schools. In Latin America, families celebrate the birthday of a 15-year-old girl as her “rite of passage” from childhood to adulthood. As such, the 15-year anniversary of something is often celebrated. To mark this milestone, Centro de Fe planned a party complete with Minute-to-Win-it type games (Canada vs Nicaragua), dinner, Quince cake, and a dance.
Another highlight was when Koenraad inspired a group of students to play in the annual ACS versus Centro De Fe soccer match. Channeling his coaching experience in Canada, he brought his expertise to the field and led ACS to their first win against Centro De Fe in years!
Different Hats
Nicaragua brings out a special part of Koenraad, but other areas of his work also reveal his different strengths.
He shares, “I feel like sometimes, with the different hats that I wear, there are aspects of my true personality that are reserved for specific contexts. For example,” he explains, “you will see a very different Mr. Beugelink in Bible class than you would see at the beach in Nicaragua.”
One of those hats is his role in the Student Life Centre (SLC). “One of the coolest things is to connect with students at the SLC and take them outside of their educational identity to talk with them about how they are really doing,” he says. Understanding that there are barriers to students being comfortable and open to talking, Koenraad strives to maintain a welcoming environment wherever he goes.
“One of the aspects I love about my job here, is that I get to be my true self across the various positions I find myself in,” he says. He exemplifies authenticity by showcasing his genuine nature and “being real” with the student body. Rather than simply teaching and preaching the gospel, he recognizes the importance of student-teacher connections in learning spaces, linking them to the gospel, and modelling a relationship that God invites us all into.
It looks like Koenraad really did hit the jackpot.
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