Online Bulletin
ABBA Canada: The Special Offering for February is for ABBA Canada. ABBA Canada provides financial assistance and support to Canadian Christian families wanting to grow their family through domestic or international adoption. Although not every Christian will adopt, ABBA believes every Christian is called to play a part in caring for the orphan. By providing adoption grants, we help ease the economic burden so more children can be adopted into Christ-loving families. Since 2011, ABBA Canada has provided $650,000 in adoption grants to over 150 deserving Canadian Christian families. 100% of all donations to ABBA Canada help fund a Canadian family’s adoption without deducting administration costs. Our dream is for every believer to be engaged with helping these vulnerable children.
Celebration of Life for Ella Hoogwater: The funeral for Ella Hoogwater will be held here at Willoughby Church on Monday, February 27rd at 1:30pm.
Bible Study: Women's Bible Study hosted by Grace doing the book Life Lessons from the Book of Mark by Max Lucado, will be doing Lesson 9 this Tuesday, February 21st at 10 am.
Preteen Youth Night (Grades 4-7): This Wednesday, February 22nd @ 6:00pm here at the church. A chance for our youth to get together and celebrate though games and bible study!
Women's Bible Study: The Wednesday night study, will be skipping this week due to Ash Wednesday. This Friday February 24th, at 10:00am, we'll be studying Colossians 1: 24-29. All are welcome, please come and join either session!
Seniors: Come and join us for coffee on Thursday February 23rd at 10 am as we enjoy a morning of fellowship and community together. This week there will be a Video Presentation of Choral Music by George Van Beek. He has put together a program consisting of choral music featuring hymns and popular classical pieces. Hope to see you all there & all are welcome!!
Youth Group (Grades 8-12): Here is the February Youth Group Schedule!
- February 5 - Bible Study with Will & Joanna @ Willoughby - 7pm
- February 12 - 20:20 @ Immanuel - Noon - 2pm
- February 19 - NO YOUTH GROUP - Family Day Weekend
- February 26 - Youth Dinner @ Willoughby - 5-7pm
Women's Reconnect Social - Come join us Saturday, February 25 9:30am- 12pm for some easy card making while enjoying connecting with each other. Invite a friend to join us too! Refreshments will be provided. Childcare will be available. Just let us know in advance. The sign up sheet will be in the foyer after the service or contact Marlene 604-312-4463 or Nancy (604) 418-4409.
Hearts Exhanged: For the month of February, the group will be meeting on the 28th at 7:00pm. It is learning opportunity for anyone willing to come with minds and hearts open to transformation as we wrestle with the challenges and opportunities of reconciliation in our personal lives, local communities, and our CRC churches and institutions.
Have you been heard? Our congregation has a once-in-five-year opportunity to participate in the 2023 CRC denominational survey. This survey helps denominational leadership understand the concerns and needs of local congregations like ours. It is crucial that as many people from our congregation as possible participate. Please visit crcna.org/survey/1059 to answer the survey questions by March 31.
The Power to Do Good: The Use & Misuse of Power in the Church:
ALL are invited to attend this workshop at BCSE & BCNW Classes meetings Mar 7 & 8. Abuse of Power by church leaders is all around us - communicated through both faith-based & mainstream media. All denominations live with the reality of the abuses of power – no church is immune. Come learn more about power in the church – both the good & its misuse, identity & grow in our understanding of both positive & preventative measures & more appropriate responses. 2 attendance options Tues Mar 7, 5:50pm - 9pm - Langley Immanuel CRC OR Wed Mar 8, 8:50am - 12noon - Burnaby Nelson Ave Community Church *REGISTER/Info Click HERE More Questions? Email Faye@bcsafechurch.com *If you have not registered and would like to come - please do join us! A collaboration of the BC CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCHES, BC SAFE CHURCH MINISTRY & CRCNA SAFE CHURCH.
Learning How to Grow Restorative Churches Mar 31 – April 1, 2023 8:30am – 4:30 pm Langley Willoughby CRC. This 2 day training will introduce participants to FaithCARE’s framework & vision for restorative congregations. Participants will learn how to design and facilitate proactive listening circles for a variety of topics and occasions, incorporate restorative practices into interpersonal relationships, ministry groups, congregational life & discernment, leadership meetings etc. Tools are given to help restore or make right where harm and wrong has occurred. The training supports churches to become restorative culture congregations which can help to both reduce & address conflict in healthy ways. More INFO & to REGISTER: Restorative Congregations BC Registration is limited to 25 people
Coffee Break: A Bible Study for women of all ages and stages of life and Story Hour for children, ages 3-5 continues at Langley Immanuel Church every Tuesday, with a study by Nancy Guthrie, “The Word of the Lord-Seeing Jesus in the Prophets”. Doors open at 9:15 a.m. You are welcome to come and join us for the first time! We look forward to seeing all of you again! For more details contact Elsa at coffeebreak@licrc.ca or Rose at coffeebreak@willoughbychurch.com
Music for a Winter's Night: Join Calvin Dyck and the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra on Saturday, February 25th at 7pm for “Music for a Winter’s Night” - a 75-minute concert featuring some of your favourites including Bach’s Air, a Vivaldi Concerto for Four Violins, and a recently discovered “Gloria” by Handel featuring Soprano Alison Nystrom. Concert will take place at Calvin Presbyterian Church (33911 Hazelwood Ave) in Abbotsford. Ticket prices are $22 (Adults); $20 (Seniors - 65+); $10 (Students) - plus tax/fee. Tickets available on Eventbrite only.
Education Info & Worship Night: Hosted by Columbia Bible College, Pacific Life, TWU & Summit Pacific College: Join us on March 2 at 6:30pm for an education fair and worship night hosted at Columbia College in the gym. The night will include worship, sermon for students, worlshops for parents and an opportunity to talk to 12+ different college and universtiy booths. Admission is FREE!
Prayer Changes Things - We know prayer is powerful; it can change hearts, relationships, and circumstances. In the Prayer Guide you'll find daily items of thanks, praise, request, and lament that can remind you and your fellow church members that God is in control, and cares for his world and all people. Sign up or print PDF pages to share at crcna.org/get-involved/pray
Focus on the Cross - Lent is a season to focus on the hope of Jesus Christ. Receive a free Today devotional email series to help you refresh, refocus, and renew your faith during Lent. Or download the ebook! Subscribe at todaydevotional.com/lent.
Umran Prayer Newsletter: We are happy to share this Newsletter from our Ministry partner Naji Umran who we support here at Willoughby through Resonate Global Missions. Pursuing Spiritual and Socail Transformation with the Middle Eastern Church. click here to read the newsletter.
1Life February Newsletter: 1Life exists to curate a curriculum of resources that equips individuals and congregations to become increasingly whole-hearted, vibrant communities of Christian worship, discipling & mission. Click here for the February newsletter.
Do Justice - Justice Prayers: Do Justice is a conversation space for justice in the Christian Reformed Church, from the Office of Social Justice. Justice Prayers is a weekly post addressing justice issues from around the world. Click here to pray and read more!
CRC NEWS:
1. Finding Home: Participants at the Calvin Symposium on Worship were reminded that God holds all things together and the church needs to put God first. Click here for the full article.
2. Cleaning Up after Hurricane Ian: Tracy was unprepared for the brunt of Hurricane Ian when it hit her community in late Sept. World Renew was able to help. Click here for the full article.
3. 8 Signs of a Healthy Intergenerational Church: These churches are intentional about bringing different generations together in a mutual, influential relationship so they can achieve common goals. Click here for the full article.
Groundwork: Learning from the Seven Churches of Revelation - Ever believer must discern what it looks like to live out their Christian faith in the midst of a secular culture. Join Groundwork as Dr. Jeff Weima joins us to study Revelation 2-3 and discuss the sermons Jesus told John to write down for seven of the early Christian churches and what they might have to say to the Church also yet today. Listen now at Groundworkonline.com and subscribe to Groundwork's weekly emails for future episodes.
At-Home Faith Formation Tip - Wearing ashes on one’s forehead on Ash Wednesday is a symbol of repentance. At home, invite each person to write an action for which they want forgiveness on a slip of paper. Burn the papers, saving the ashes. Talk with kids about the fact that repentance is more than saying “I’m sorry”—it means asking God to change our heart and mind. (Tip from Faith Formation; bit.ly/CRCFaithFormation)
Help Provide Emergency Food to People in Crisis - In two weeks, please join us for Canadian Foodgrains Bank Sunday. Your participation and partnership helps World Renew to provide emergency food and non-food essentials in times of crisis and provides long-term responses to help vulnerable communities journey to food security. Your gifts help share Christ’s hope with people impacted by disasters, conflict, and other crises – people like the already-struggling families in northern Syria who now face even more challenges following the recent twin earthquakes in the region. When you give directly to World Renew’s Canadian Foodgrains Bank Sunday offerings, your gifts are matched up to 4x which means your donation goes further to help more families. To learn more visit: worldrenew.ca/foodgrains
Position Opening: Director of Advancement (Canada) - Join the CRCNA staff team to provide leadership in strategic planning for the ministry share program, church and donor engagement, grants and planned giving, and other means of supporting the dynamic ministries of the Christian Reformed Church. This full-time position can be remote within Canada. For details and to apply, go to https://crcna.pinpointhq.com/en/jobs/81800
Christian Stewardship Services seeks a full-time Consultant in BC. CSS has a tremendous opportunity for a people-oriented person with a passion for the Kingdom to join our team as a Stewardship Consultant in the lower mainland of British Columbia. Preference will be given to applicants with a client servicing and/or financial planning background, however, training will be provided to help develop skills specific to the position. Send Resume to lindad@csservices.ca.
The Banner: The February edition of the Banner is now available at the church. You can also access a copy online at The Banner. To support the Banner's ongoing journalistic ministry, consider making a donation. www.theBanner.org/Donate
Today Devotion Books: The Today booklets are available at the church.
Contact for Online Bulletin: If you have anything to add to the bulletin, please email info@willoughbychurch.com
Contact Council: If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to email the council at council@willoughbychurch.com