Welcome to Rocky

One of my favourite stories of Jesus in the New Testament is told in Luke 2:41–52. There, a 12-year-old Jesus accompanies his parents to the temple in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. It would have been an exciting time for the young Jesus, with bustling crowds and time-honoured ritual. Most people know that Mary and Joseph left Jerusalem thinking Jesus was with them, and when they realized he wasn’t there, they raced back to Jerusalem to find him. The interesting part of the story to me is not that they left their 12-year-old behind, nor that it took them a day to figure it out. The interesting thing to me is what they found upon their arrival in Jerusalem: they found Jesus in the Temple, listening to the elders and asking them questions.

I’m not surprised by the curiosity of Jesus. I have four kids and all of them were 12 at one time. They ask a lot of questions! What I’m surprised by is Jesus’ willingness to engage not just with his parents or people his own age, but the scholars, the elders, and the leaders of the synagogue, who are amazed by his learning.

Later on in Jesus’ ministry he will continue to connect with people that I view as “unlikely” conversation partners. He talks to a woman (simply not done in his culture), and a Samaritan woman at that, to tax collectors, to the sisters of his friend, to synagogue leaders and to people who are actively trying to kill him. Jesus readily teaches anyone who will listen, and he even teaches those who are unwilling to listen through his parables. He welcomes children, cripples, blind people, lepers, a woman with a bleeding disorder, and he even teaches the vilest betrayer: Judas.

I believe that Jesus is so expansive in his desire to teach because he believed two things:

1. He believed that everyone was made in the image of God. Jesus looked at the world and did not divide into those deserving of his teaching. He saw only those created by God and in God’s image, in need of the message Jesus was bringing.
2. He believed in his message. The message of the good news of the Kingdom was designed to set anyone free, not just a select few.

Jesus’ recognition of the image of God in everyone and his focus on the message of the Kingdom led him to spread the Good News far and wide, to the expected and the unexpected alike.

And nothing has changed! Everyone is still made in the image of God, and the message of the Kingdom is still the best world the whole world has ever needed to hear. The good news is good news for anyone and for everyone!

All the best,

President Rev. Dr. Mike Swalm

It has been many years since I left Rocky. The girl I was would not be recognized by the woman I am, and Rocky played a part in that. It was at Rocky where I learned to question the theology of the church today, and that God could and would handle all my doubts.

From the first moment, when I was on a literal mountain questioning my life choices, as Teigen told me I was as sure-footed as a mountain goat, to now, living in the UK as a soldier's wife with two small girls.

My days are full of praising Jesus in the kitchen and watching kid shows, and refereeing fights.

We have been through three moves and three churches. All different, yet all helping to continue shaping me like the potter's clay. It is not the life I had pictured for myself, but it is a million times better.

I know I owe it all to saying yes to God that first time to attend Rocky. Everything I have learned helped to make my faith my own: authentic, messy, with some bruises but still strong and sure-footed, which I know will help me better steer my family through this life.

We are excited to tell you that we have moved into a new office space. Please update your records with our new address:

Rocky Mountain College
#2, 120 Commercial Drive
Calgary, AB
T3Z 2A7

Your donation to Rocky Mountain College directly empowers students to achieve their goals and create lasting impact in their communities. With your support, we can continue to foster Christian education, growth, and leadership for tomorrow’s trailblazers. Every contribution, no matter the size, helps shape the future of higher learning and transforms lives.

For three decades, Dr. Jurgen Czechowsky, D.Min, RMFT, CCAC, CCS-AC, and Dr. Janice Dinsmore Czechowsky, D.Min, RP, RMFT, CCAC, CCS-AC, founders of ACT Associates have helped individuals, families, churches, and organizations find healing and renewal through compassionate, faith-informed counselling.

As Registered Marriage and Family Therapists, Certified Addictions Counsellors, and Certified Clinical Supervisors in Addictions Counselling, they bring clinical excellence, spiritual insight, and deep empathy to every client relationship.

 Both received advanced training at Wilfrid Laurier University, a respected institution known for shaping thoughtful leaders in ministry and mental health. Their time there laid the foundation for their evidence-based, heart-centered approach to therapy.

Janice’s experience includes both long-term and short-term addiction treatment settings. She also served a five-year term as Chair of the Ethics Board of the Canadian Addiction Counsellors Certification Federation (CACCF), helping uphold professional standards and ethical practices within the counselling field. Her designation as a Registered Psychotherapist (RP) reflects her deep commitment to excellence in clinical care.

Together, Janice and Jurgen also mentor and supervise students pursuing certification in addiction counselling, fostering a new generation of skilled, compassionate professionals.

In response to a request from Teen Challenge to certify all their addiction counsellors, Janice and Jurgen developed a faith-based Addiction Studies Program, officially certified by CACCF. This initiative has allowed them to expand their impact by equipping other professionals with the training and credentials needed to deliver transformative care.

With over 30 years of service, ACT Associates remains a place of growth, guidance, and genuine care—where expertise and compassion come together to create meaningful change, one life at a time.

RMC has THREE new programs for Addictions Counselling!

These programs are designed for those wishing to work in a secular or faith-based setting and will be taught from a Christian faith-based perspective, recognizing everyone in treatment as being created in God’s image.

• Pray for our recent graduates, that they would put their hard-won learning to work in the service of the Kingdom

• Pray for our course facilitators who work so tirelessly to ensure our students have consistent and timely answers and grades

• Pray for our Board of Governors as they continue to develop our strategic plan to see RMC succeed long into the future