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 in 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 27th at 1:30 pm.
Youth Group (Grades 8-12): Here is the February Youth Group Schedule!
- February 5 - Bible Study with Will & Joanna @ Willoughby - 7 pm
- February 12 - 20:20 @ Immanuel - Noon - 2 pm
- February 19 - NO YOUTH GROUP - Family Day Weekend
- February 26 - Youth Dinner @ Willoughby - 5-7 pm
Women's Reconnect Social - Come join us Saturday, February 25, 9:30 am- 12 pm 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. The sign-up sheet will be in the foyer after the service contact Marlene at 604-312-4463 or Nancy at (604) 418-4409.
Women's Bible Study: Friday, March 3rd, at 10:00 am. We'll study Colossians 2: 6-23. All are welcome, please come and join!
Hearts Exhanged Cohort meets on Thursday, March 2 at 7:00 pm. We will discuss Session 4: Decolonizing our Legacy.
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
Have you heard? Your voice matters! 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: Everyone is invited to attend this workshop at either the BCSE or 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. Choose either Tues Mar 7, 5:50 pm - 9 pm @ Langley Immanuel CRC or Wed Mar 8, 8:50 am - 12 noon @ Nelson Ave Community Church, Burnaby. REGISTER/Info Click HERE More Questions? Email Faye@bcsafechurch.com * 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, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm Willoughby Church. 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
1Life Foundations Conference w/ Andrew Root - Join us Friday, May 12 through Sunday, May 14 for a 1Life Conference w/ Andrew Root, Will there be Faith? Following Christ in a secular age. Author & cultural critic Andrew Root (Luther Seminary) and jazz musician Mark Glanville (Regent College) will unpack Jesus’ big question at the first ever 1Life Foundations conference at Fleetwood CRC in Surrey. For more info or to sign up, see crc1life.ca. Sign up for the whole conference or for single events.
What Does It Mean to Be a Global Neighbour? Join Ken Kim, World Renew’s International Disaster Response Director and Chris Orme from World Renew's Church Engagement team for a Facebook Live Discussion on Wednesday, March 1st at 12pm EST to talk about what it means to be a neighbour on a global scale. Listen in as they discuss ways to love our neighbours and how your offerings are tangible ways that bring hope and light to those experiencing trauma and hunger. For more information go to World Renew Canada's Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/worldrenew.canada).
Free Online CRC Leadership Training! - Register now to take the Thriving Essentials virtual training in March at no cost (limit 25 persons). The two, 2 hour-long evening Zoom sessions (March 21 + 28) can help get all church leaders on the same page concerning the key concepts of Mission, Discipleship, Discernment, and Leadership. Take the class for yourself, then decide if attendance would benefit your core church leadership. More info at: crcna.org/Thrive
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.
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. Resonate Director Named: Kevin DeRaaf has been named as the nominee for director of Resonate Global Mission, pending ratification from Synod 2023. Click here for the full article.
2. Building Relationships: The staff of Congregational Ministries was hard at work at the Worship Symposium, engaging CRC people face-to-face after years of being apart. Click here for the full article.
3. Reconciliation in Education: Join us in advocating for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Calls to Action 7-10! Click here to help advocate.
Groundwork: Worshipping Christ, the Lamb Who is Worthy - When the world tries to squash our faith and it seems like evil is winning, Christians can find encouragement in Revelation. Join Groundwork as we explore John’s visions of heavenly worship in Revelation 4-5. We’ll discuss the truths these visions convey and why they offer valuable assurance for our faith. Listen now at Groundworkonline.com and subscribe to Groundwork's weekly emails for future episodes.
Lent At-home Faith Formation Tip - Engage in Lent with a Lenten journey calendar similar to an Advent calendar. On a large piece of paper, draw a path with 40 stepping stones on it, and an empty tomb at the end of the path. Since Lent started on Feb. 22, color in all the stepping stones from then until today. Each day, color in another stone and pray together. For help with explaining what Lent means to young children, check out tinyurl.com/LentQuestions. (Tip from Faith Formation; bit.ly/CRCFaithFormation)
Thankyou for your Gifts to Resonate Global Mission:
Dear friends at Willoughby Church,
Thank you for your faithful support for God’s mission!
As we consider the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023, I’m reminded of Jesus’ words from Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Thank you for taking those words to heart and living out your faith.
Jesus’ words came at a time of transition—it was the end of Jesus’ ministry on earth, but only the beginning for his disciples. Here we have Jesus’ promise to send the Spirit, and our instructions to live out his mission! Those instructions are for us, too, and Resonate is here to continue partnering with you as you join God’s mission in whatever way he calls you in the new year.
Right now, God is working through your support for Resonate missionaries, church planters, campus ministers, and other ministry leaders in your own community and to the ends of the earth. And in the coming year, even more people will come to know Jesus Christ and grow in their faith. Thank you for walking with them!
In Christ, Kevin DeRaaf, Acting Canada Director
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