Online Bulletin
October Special Offering: The local Langley Foodbank is the focus of our giving for October. The Langley Food Bank is a not-for-profit organization and is funded entirely through the support of local churches, organizations, and individuals. With the rise of inflation rates and increased cost of food, the food bank is being utilized more and more by families in need. You have a few options for giving: Food/grocery items; grocery bags with a list of food items to purchase (3 of an item, 2 of an item, and 1 of an item) for the Langley Food Bank are available in the church lobby. Return the filled grocery bags to any of our services this month or drop them by the church office at your convenience. As well you are also invited to donate through the offering plate on Sunday mornings or by clicking here to give through Tithley (Langley Food Bank). Please give generously to this great cause!
Guatemala Missions 2024: Once again, we hope to have a team of 14 heading down to Guatemala to be involved with house building, wheelchair distribution, and visiting homes to get to know the people. It is a busy week of seeing the great things God is doing in this country! If you are interested in being involved with this team and for more information about costs, please email Al Vandenberg at al@scouttg.com. Dates are March 2 – 9, 2024.
Youth Group: Here is the upcoming schedule for October:
- October 20: Friday Night Special Event - BC Lions Game!!
- October 22: Youth Dinner at Willoughby 5-7 pm
- October 29: Youth Pumpkin Carving at Willoughby 7-8:30 pm.
Thanks! The Youth Team - Amanda, Will & Joanna
Women's Bible Study: The Friday Women's Bible Study will begin on Friday, Oct 27 2-3 pm in the church prayer room. This time we will study Ephesians 1: 1-14. All are welcome!
Seniors: Come and join us on Thursday October 26 at 10 am, we will be getting together for a time of fellowship, fun and games over refreshments. Please join us, everyone is welcome!
Connect Course: We are pleased to be offering our Connect Course for new members here at Willoughby Church. There will be three sessions, on October 22, 29 & November 5. All three courses are in person and will be after the Sunday morning service in the Fireside Room. Lunch will be provided and we hope to see you all there. If you would like to register for the course, please click here! Any questions, please contact me or Pastor Jenna! Thanks, Tamara
Blood Donor Clinic: This month we will be hosting a Blood Donor Clinic on Tuesday, October 24th starting at 1pm. If you are able, please join in saving lives together by donating blood. Appointments are necessary and can be booked at blood.ca.
Women's Connect Social: Will be having an event on Saturday, November 18 at 10:00am. The Christmas Season is coming upon us! Invite someone to join us and help us get into the festivities! Cost to get in? A wrapped unused item in good condition that you have at home and no longer need. (We don’t want you to go out and purchase something) Remember it must be wrapped! We are looking forward to a morning of fun as we enjoy each other’s company. Sign up table will be in the foyer. Contact Marlene DeRover or Kim Purdy if you have questions.
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 until the end of October.
With the Fall season comes preparations for Christmas at Sea. This year the Ministry to Seafarers will again be delivering Christmas gifts for seafarers. Your donations for this project can be made by cheque payable to Ministry to Seafarers, and mailed to 401 E Waterfront Rd, Vancouver, BC V6A 4G9. You can also make donations online via our website, ministrytoseafarers.com. Please designate gifts for "Christmas at Sea." Thank You! For more information or to view our Fall Newsletter, please click here!
CA CHURCH & REGENT BOOKSTORE PRESENT: FAITH & WORK CONFERENCE 2023
DOES MY WORK MATTER TO GOD? SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21 • 8:45 AM–1 PM Does God only care about what happens on Sunday morning? What about the other six days of the week? Does my work matter to God and if so, how? Should I change jobs? What kind of work honours God? What about retirement? These are huge questions that so many of us struggle with in our daily lives. If you have ever wondered whether what you do during the week matters to God, then this conference is for you. We have invited key thinkers in the field of Faith & Work, Dr. Paul Stevens, Dr. Wilson Chan, Dr. David Robinson, Paul Townsend and Elaine Comeau, to help us explore these questions and more. Click here to learn more!
Trauma Informed Response in the Church: Monday, Oct 23, 2023 @ Fleetwood CRC – 2 options – 12:30-3 pm OR 6:30-9 pm. On average 2 of 5 congregants have experienced trauma. Trauma is a wound of the heart and mind that causes suffering. Our churches can become safe places to process & heal from trauma when leaders are equipped to support those whom God puts in our paths and churches. Come learn about trauma, what the Bible says about trauma, recognize symptoms in self & others, gain an understanding of the 3 most common ways trauma presents itself, & respond in nonharmful/practical ways. Facilitated in partnership by Stacey Stolte (program lead-Bible based Trauma Healing - Canadian Bible Society) & Faye Martin (Abuse Prevention & Response Coordinator - BC CRC Safe Church Ministry) INFO & REGISTER FREE @ www.bcsafechurch.com
Advocate Life & Education Services invites you to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Hope for Women at the 9th Annual Celebrate Life Gala on Thursday, November 2nd at 7 pm. We are thrilled to welcome David Bereit, founder of the global 40 Days for Life movement that has saved 14,643 children’s lives and mobilized 750,000 volunteers in 700+ cities. We’ve got 161 reasons to celebrate! Sponsor a table or reserve your spot for FREE in General Seating. Visit celebratelifegala.ca or call 604-852-4623 x26.
Saturday, October 21st, 7:00 pm. Matsqui Centennial Auditorium, Abbotsford. YOUNG ARTISTS concert features talented youth from the Fraser Valley accompanied by a professional orchestra along with members of the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra. Calvin Dyck, Conductor. Tickets are online (calvindyck.com or Eventbrite).
Trends in Youth and Emerging Adults Ministry: On Saturday, November 18, a workshop addressing the topic of Faith Formation Trends in Youth and Emerging Adults Ministry will be held at Gateway CRC in Abbotsford from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Lunch is included. All Youth Pastors, Youth Leaders, Parents, Elders, Pastors, and, honestly, anyone interested in this topic is welcome to come out! It will be led by Ron DeVries (Youth and Emerging Adult Ministry Consultant for the CRCNA) and Kevin Lobert (longtime Youth Pastor at Langley Immanuel CRC and member of the Classis BCSE Youth Ministry Task Force). This workshop will focus on current trends happening in youth/emerging adult culture, and how the church can best learn, serve, and minister to this demographic in our congregations. Cost is $20 per person. Please click here to register.
All Saints Community Church: Their Christian family are on a mission to save the last existing church in Cresent Beach, Surrey. Chrisitans have been worshipping there since 1946. The building is in need of repairs, so if you are interested in helping out this community. Please visit www.allsaintswhiterock.com for mare details.
Thrive Faith Formation Tip - Keep track of God’s good gifts using a format that works for you. Some ideas: keep a gratitude journal; express your thankfulness on paper strips placed inside a Gratitude Jar; write or draw things for which you are grateful on a paper tablecloth during mealtimes. Save your lists and drawings and revisit them when you need a reminder of God’s provision. Learn more at crcna.org/FaithPracticesProject
Together We Can End Global Hunger - In a world where there is more than enough to feed everyone, yet more than 828 million people do not have enough to eat, let us work to end hunger for good. In two weeks, let us join World Renew’s mission to share Christ’s hope with communities struggling with hunger. Through our gifts we can help provide the training and tools families need to journey away from hunger for the long haul. For more information, go to: www.worldrenew.ca/worldhunger
Hungering for Good, Together! - Join World Renew on Wednesday, October 25th and November 1st at 1:00pm EST as we dive into the "Hunger for Good" devotional. As World Hunger and food insecurity continue to rise, what are we as followers of Jesus invited into? How can we align our hearts with God's hunger for justice? We'll explore these questions and more! Join us live on World Renew Canada's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/worldrenew.canada
1Life October Newsletter: 1Life exists to curate a curriculum of resources that equips individuals and congregations to become increasingly whole-hearted, vibrant communities of Christian worship, discipline & mission. Click here for the October 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:
The Network: Sometimes Words Wound - How can our Christian communities become more inclusive of people with all abilities? Click here to read the full article.
Mercy & Justice: Disability Training Promotes Belonging - A Thrive training on Oct. 11 focused on nurturing belonging for all people in and around faith communities. Click here to read the full article.
Groundwork: Why We Need the Gospel - Why do we need the gospel? Why is the gospel so relevant to my life? Join Groundwork as we study Romans 1-3 for answers to these questions and discuss Paul’s summary of the gospel, his explanation of the purpose of God’s law, what it means for our lives today, and where he says we can turn for hope. Listen now at GroundworkOnline.com and subscribe to Groundwork's weekly emails for future episodes.
Job Postings:
Position Opening with EduDeo - EduDeo Ministries is hiring! If you have a heart for seeing local communities lead their own development; strong relationship-building skills across cultures; and strong administrative, communication, and planning skills, come join our team! The position is open to remote work across Canada and the posting closes October 31, 2023. Visit edudeo.com/careers for more info and to apply.
The Banner: The October 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 donating. 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