Online Bulletin

The August Special Offering is for the Chaplain and Refugee Support Mobilizer ministry of Dena Nicolai. Through her work, Dena provides a ministry of presence to people who have arrived in Canada as refugees, and partners with supportive communities in extending practical and relational support to these newcomers. 

Nomination Process Update:  Willoughby Church Council is continuing with the nomination process for selecting new persons to serve in the office of elder and deacon beginning September 2023. After meeting with potential nominees, we would like to put forth the list of candidates based on the needs for new Office Bearers:  

New Admin Elder Needed - 1

• Nominee - Christian Surniawan

New Deacon Needed - 1

• Nominee - Audrey Ravenek

New Pastoral Elders Needed - 2

• Nominees - Norm Groot & John Vanderzwaag

The Affirmation Vote for Administrative Elder, Pastoral Elders and Deacon will be August 27th. To view the Nomination Bios for this year, please click the link here! May God bless you as you discern on the nominees for these positions of leadership.  Thanks, The Nomination Team

Join Hearts Exchanged - Wondering how to personally move ahead on Indigenous reconciliation? Joining Hearts Exchanged might just be your next step. Hearts Exchanged, a project of the Christian Reformed Church, is designed for those who want to grow in understanding of and practices towards Indigenous people. Starting this fall, Liz Tolkamp is hosting an in-person Hearts Exchanged cohort just for Willoughby Church!  We will meet once a month for 7 - 8 months with individual self-guided online learning between cohort meetings. If you are interested in joining this cohort, contact Liz at liztolkamp@gmail.com 

Garden Sharing Table: If you have extra vegetables and fruit in your gardens, you are invited to bring them to our Garden Sharing Table located in the front hallway of the church. We will continue the sharing table through the summer months. 

A Toddler Carseat is needed for a newcomer family. If you have any leads on a gently used one please contact Pastor Liz at liz@willoughbychurch.com 

Langley Food Bank Donations: The Deacons have set up a permanent basket in the lobby for Food Bank Donations. You can bring in donations of canned goods, toiletries, baby items, or dry goods during church office hours or on Sunday mornings. Thanks for continuing to support this great cause!

Coffee Break:  Coffee Break, a Bible Study for women of all ages and stages of life and Story Hour and nursery care for children, ages 0-5, is ready to begin a new season! We are inviting YOU to come to our fellowship, refreshments and Registration morning at Langley Immanuel Church (21713-50 Avenue, Langley) on Tuesday, September 26, 2023. Doors open at 9:15 a.m. We are beginning our study this season with a book, “Identity Theft: Reclaiming the Truth of Who We Are in Christ” Editor: Melissa Kruger “Who am I? It’s a question we all ask ourselves at some point. Depending on the season we focus our identity on our job performance, marital status, personality type, or social network, among other options. However, there’s a larger question to consider. Who does the Bible tell me I am in Christ? From the wisdom and perspective of insightful authors—including Jen Wilkin, Hannah Anderson, Trillia Newbell, and Jen Pollock Michel—we’ll seek to answer this question.” We look forward to meeting with YOU!

PUBLIC LECTURE & RESPONSE: Thursday, Sept 14 • 7–9 pm (PT) Regent College Chapel & Online - Fr John Behr, Houston Centre Fellow and Regius Professor of Humanity at the University of Aberdeen, has published the first English-language translation of Gregory of Nyssa’s classic text On the Human Image of God (De hominis opificio) since the 1800s. In this public lecture, Fr John will expound St Gregory’s anthropology and its ongoing relevance for the central question of what it means to be human. This event will take place at Regent College and will also be streamed live. Click here for full event details.

The GLORIA DEI CHORALE, a Christian community SATB choir based in Burnaby, and attracting singers from all over the Lower Mainland, is in need of a PIANIST to accompany the choir at rehearsals and concerts. We rehearse on Wednesday nights from 7:30 – 9:45 pm at the New Westminster Christian Reformed Church:  8255 - 13th Avenue, Burnaby, B.C.  Our season runs from September through the beginning to middle of May. The choir consists of about 32 singers presently and is a fun group to work with!  The Gloria Dei Chorale is directed by Rob Workman, with whom you would be working closely. Salary to be negotiated in person. Please send your application along with your resume to:  

Nel: nelvdmeij@shaw.ca  and to Marilyn:  mheinen@telus.net

Heading to University or College? - Moving to campus this fall? We’d love to help you get connected to a campus ministry community! There are over 35 CRC ministries on university and college campuses across North America, gathering students, faculty, and staff to grow together in faith as they engage God’s world. To find out if there’s a CRC ministry at your campus, please check resonateglobalmission.org/campus-ministry/partner-campus-ministries. If there isn’t a Christian Reformed ministry at your school, you can locate a nearby CRC here: crcna.org/church-finder. For more information about our ministries, or other info about how to grow in faith while you’re on campus, please contact us at campusministry@crcna.org

ICS Fall Courses - Check out the new courses offered at the Institute for Christian Studies this fall. Explore Jim Olthius’ 'theopoetic philosophy' in "A Cosmic Theopoetics of/for Love", "Biblical Foundations: Narrative, Wisdom, and the Art of Interpretation" with Nik Ansell, or "Critical Theory and Religion: The Frankfurt School and Beyond" with Ron Kuipers. All of ICS' fall courses are offered online, so you can take them no matter where you are. Tuition is $1,500 to take a course for credit, $600 to audit, or $400 for first-time auditors and alumni. To learn more or register, email academic-registrar@icscanada.edu or visit icscanada.edu/fall-courses to see more offerings.

1Life August 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 August 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:

Thrive Receives $1.2 Million Boost: The CRCNA has received a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help parents share their faith and values with their children.   Click here to read the full article.

Learning About Hard Topics: Whenever you’re facing a contentious issue, it's important to learn about and understand the issue.  Click here to read the full article.

Groundwork: Understanding Christian Freedom - What happens when our personal freedom is in direct conflict with someone else’s personal freedom? Join our Groundwork conversation as we study 1 Corinthians 9-10 to discover why Paul does not equate personal freedom with Christian freedom and why remembering the second Greatest Commandment helps us embrace our Christian freedom more fully. Listen now at GroundworkOnline.com and subscribe to Groundwork's weekly emails for future episodes.

Job Postings:

M2W2: Are you a CGA or CPA? Are you looking for part-time employment? M2W2 is seeking a part-time Financial Controller to oversee its financial record keeping and planning. If you are qualified and interested, please contact M2W2 Board Chair William Veenstra at 604-702-8564 or frogcrossing27@gmail.com

Based in Abbotsford, BC, M2W2 serves people affected by incarceration by providing opportunities for mentoring, work experience, and post-prison support. Visit m2w2.com to learn more

Passionate about church ministry? Come work for The Network! - The CRCNA has an online community dedicated to helping ministry leaders from local congregations connect. We are looking for an Online Community and Content Manager to help us keep The Network (crcna.org/Network) running smoothly. This 15 hour/week position can be done remotely from anywhere across the United States or Canada, and will play a key role in connecting people with stories, conversations, and other content of interest. Learn more and apply at crcna.org/careers.

The Banner: The July/August 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