Cooperative ESL Ministries

Cooperative ESL Ministries

Cooperative ESL Ministries (CESLM) is a Christian organization in Calgary, dedicated to welcoming newcomers to Canada. Our mission is to empower churches to reach out in love through ESL (English as a Second Language) to the immigrants and internationals in our community. As such, CESLM provides training for church-based ESL facilitators, and supports churches in their outreach programs for newcomers.

Our next training event is coming in October 2010:

ESL Training for Church Volunteers

CESLM’s 30 hour ministry training for church volunteers will give you the confidence and skills you need to use ESL to reach out to new Canadians in your community click here for more details and early bird pricing.



How to Welcome Newcomers to Your Community

Calgary's immigrant community is growing at a rapid pace, while more and more temporary foreign workers and international students are choosing Calgary as a place of temporary residence. We encourage the Christian community to respond to the needs of these individuals and embrace them as our new neighbours.



1. First, be sure to visit the Start an ESL Program page to get a quick overview of what starting your own program involves.

2. Second, find out about our Upcoming Training Events for church ESL teachers and volunteers.

3. You can also have us come to your church or organization to conduct an Intercultural Communication Workshop to prepare your group to welcome newcomers.

4. Become an Associate of CESLM to receive 10% off all training events, a monthly newsletter, and advertising in our directory of church-based ESL programs.

5. Donate - for those individuals, churches, and organizations who want to contribute to the broader mission of helping churches welcome newcomers.


"As a new immigrant, we are so happy that we always meet kind and nice people like you. The road toward a new life in Canada may seem to be windy and bumpy, but with the warm welcome from your open heart, we are definitely encouraged, because we feel already among One Big Family." - quote from a church-based ESL student