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March Special Offering: The Special Offering for March is the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, right now, an estimated 828 million people struggle with chronic food insecurity due to conflict, climate and COVID-19.  More than ever, Christ's command to love our neighbour rings out loud and clear. In times of conflict and disaster, hunger becomes even more overwhelming.  Together, World Renew and the Foodgrains Bank assist communities with today's recovery, while laying the groundwork for tomorrow's security through vital agriculture and nutrition programs. Your gifts today can be matched up to 4X by the Foodgrains Bank!

Community Meal Share Program: Are you tired of meal prep?? Or have extras to give?? The community meal share is a new program here at the Church and is another way for each of us to bless and be blessed by our community on a regular basis with culinary delights.  On Sundays and throughout the week during office hours the church will be open for meals to be dropped off or taken home whenever is convenient for you.  This is not charity, it's just community. Grab a meal for no other reason than you want to, or you're having a busy week. Bring a meal just because you had leftovers! Swap a meal if you're dropping off and another meal looks good! Labels to provide the date and any common allergens will be provided, and there will be a space in the freezer for the meals. 

Office Assistant Position Available: Willoughby Christian Reformed Church in Langley is seeking to hire an office assistant 5-6 hrs per week, on Fridays, plus absence coverage. The successful candidate will work at the direction and supervision of the Office Administrator. This position includes social media, website and clerical duties, some hospitality duties and coverage for the Office Administrator while away from the office. Familiarity with Word and Outlook required. A full job description for this position is available here.  Please submit resume to: personnel@willoughbychurch.com. Application deadline extended: Thurs. Mar. 23, 2023

Youth Group (Grades 8-12):  Here is the March Youth Group Schedule! 

  • March 5 - Bible Study with Will & Joanna @ Willoughby - 7 pm
  • March 12 - 20:20 @ Immanuel - 5:30pm
  • March 19 - Pizza & Bowling - 5-7pm -  Meet at Stortebooms for pizza dinner at 5pm. Pick up at Alder Ally (Aldergrove) at 7pm. Please bring $10 to help cover bowling costs.  
  • March 26 - NO YOUTH

Preteen Youth Night (Grades 4-7):  This Wednesday, March 22nd there will be NO Preteens, due to Spring Break!

Women's Bible Study: The following are all the sessions offered at the church for Women's Bible Study, please feel free to join any session at any time.  All are welcome!

  • Tuesday, March 21st, at 10am, this study hosted by Grace is doing, Lesson 11 from the book Life Lessons from the Book of Mark by Max Lucado
  • Monday March 20th, at 7:00pm, focusing on the third chapter of Philippians.  
  • Friday, March 24th, at 10:00 am, studying Daniel 1. 

Potluck Lunch: We will be getting together as a church and community with a potluck lunch of "Appies & Desserts" on Sunday, March 19th after the church service.  Please join us for a lunch of fingerfoods and desserts to go along with coffee. This will be a time to fellowship and to connect with your church community!! See you all there! Any questions, please reach out to Tamara at tamara@willoughbychurch.com

Easter Worship Night: The multi-church Young Adult Ministries (YAM) invites all young adults to join for an Easter themed worship night on March 26 7pm @ Maple Ridge CRC

Becoming Neighbours Workshops:  You're invited to join the 2023 Becoming Neighbours Workshops.   These five community workshops explore the values that undergird, guide, and enliven communities of refugees and citizens in Canada.    Each dialogue focuses on the complexities of one "value" and includes refugee panels and roundtable conversations. Our first event is Saturday, 25 March 2023, 0900-1200 and focuses on 'welcome.' The events will be hybrid: join in-person in Vancouver or via zoom from anywhere.  To register click here.

Hope Community Church (18625 Fraser Hwy) is hosting an information session about foster parenting on Monday, April 3 at 7:00pm. If you’ve considered doing foster care, respite care, or just want to know how to support those who are doing foster care, please come! Representatives from the Ministry of Children and Family Development, as well as members from Hope who are currently doing fostering and respite will be speaking. There will be coffee, tea, and cake! This is an open event, so please invite your friends and neighbours. 

The GLORIA DEI CHORALE, under the direction of Rob Workman, is pleased to lead the Palm Sunday Worship Service, featuring choral selections, readings, and congregational songs, on Saturday, April 1 at 7:00 pm in the Oasis Room at Elim Village, 9025 160 Street, Surrey, BC, and on Sunday, April 2 at 7:00 pm at the New Westminster CRC, 8255 13th Ave, Burnaby, BC.  A free-will offering will be received.  Contact Tina 604-588-6377 or Elaine at 604-271-0283 for more information.  

Coffee Break:  Coffee Break and Story Hour at Langley Immanuel CRC will be taking a two-week break, March 21 and 28, 2023 resuming with our regular meetings again on Tuesday April 4, 2023...enjoy the break!   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.

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 Learning Hub Conference w/ Andrew Root - Join us Friday, May 12 through Sunday, May 14 for a 1Life Learning Hub 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.

CRCNA Online Leadership Training Course Starts Tuesday - 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

You Can Be Part of the Story of Sharing God’s Love - In two weeks, join World Renew to celebrate refugee families whose lives have been blessed with community and safety thanks to the churches and groups who extended God’s love and welcomed them to Canada through sponsorship. In the past year, World Renew has helped sponsors to resettle 193 refugees and submitted applications for 200 refugees. Discover how through your gift to World Renew’s Refugee Sponsorship and Resettlement Program or through sponsorship you can be part of the story of sharing God’s love with refugees trying to rebuild their lives after the heartache of violence, war, or persecution. To learn more, visit: worldrenew.ca/refugeesunday

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 March 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 March 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!

Social Justice - New Video Study - Trees. Solar panels. Activism. These are some of the ways churches and people of faith are fighting environmental injustice. Learn more through the new OSJ storytelling series This is Hunting Park, available now, along with a free small group study guide. Visit www.crcna.org/hunting-park to explore the series.

CRC NEWS:

1. Sharing Stories from Ukraine: In the midst of war and conflict, ReFrame Ministries staff are finding ways to share the gospel.   Click here for the full article.

2. Safe Church Conference a Success: The 2023 Inter-Classis Safe Church Conference brought together participants from Ontario and Michigan.    Click here for the full article.

3. Chasing Wisdom: He filled a small, ornate box with gold coins, jewelry, precious gemstones, and other exotic artifacts. Then he hid the box somewhere in the Rocky Mountains.   Click here for the full article.

Groundwork: Encouragement as We Wait for Christ's Return - Waiting for Christ’s second coming can feel discouraging as we continue to witness the pain and brokenness of this world. Join Groundwork as we study John’s vision of a restored heaven in Revelation 22 and discuss the hope and encouragement it provides so that we might persevere and remain faithful in doing the work to which God has called us while we wait. Listen now at Groundworkonline.com and subscribe to Groundwork's weekly emails for future episodes.

Lent At-home Faith Formation Tip - During Lent, many Christians try to become more aware of the suffering of others as we remember Jesus’ suffering and sacrifice. How might you do this? Consider volunteering as a family, with friends, or on your own at a ministry of mercy, or visiting members of your congregation who can’t physically join you in worship on Sundays. (Tip from Faith Formation; bit.ly/CRCFaithFormation)

Summer Service Trips with World Renew DRS - Looking for ways to serve with your congregation or youth group this summer? Join World Renew DRS to repair homes after natural disasters all across the US and Canada! We have sites available in Washington, Kentucky, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, and more! Contact Chris, our Groups Program Manager, at cgibson@worldrenew.net if interested or with questions.

The Architecture of Prayer - The Center Art Gallery at Calvin University presents The Architecture of Prayer, a survey of church architecture exploring a selection of the most thoughtful liturgical projects of the 21st century. On display until April 7th, the exhibition showcases drawings and travel photography of historic church buildings in dialogue with new projects built after 1999—contributed by 40+ internationally-recognized practices and local firms. To explore the exhibition virtually, visit: https://bit.ly/arch_pray

Christian Stewardhip Services: Gain “Peace of Mind” and answers to your charitable giving and estate questions by attending one of Christian Stewardship Services’ upcoming Partner Community Will Clinics! You can learn the basics of getting your documents in place, and learn how to support your favourite Partner Charity and others. Our online Partner Community Will Clinic will be on April 5th as well at 8:30pm EST. Register HERE for the online will clinic. For more information contact Katiev@csservices.ca or 800-267-8890 x213 

The Banner: The March 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