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October Special Offering: This is the last Sunday to give to this great organization! 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 schedule for end of October & November:

  • October 29: Youth Pumpkin Carving at Willoughby 7-8:30 pm.
  • Nov 5: Study with Will & Joanna 7 to 830
  • Nov 12: No Youth - Remembrance Day Weekend
  • Nov 19: Youth Dinner 5 to 7pm at Willoughby
  • Nov 26: Ice Skating!  Meet at George Preston Arena at 415 (pre registration required)

Thanks! The Youth Team - Amanda, Will & Joanna

Memorial Services: 

  • The funeral for Johanna Barneveld will be Saturday, October 28th at 1:00pm in the West Harrison Chapel at Elim.
  • The funeral for Ted Vanderhoek will be Wednesday, November 1st at 1:30pm here at Willoughby.
  • The funeral for Chris Tolkamp will be Saturday, November 4th at 1:00pm here at Willoughby.

Preteens:  Preteens are meeting Wednesday, November 1 @ 7:00pm! Preteens is for children in grades 4-7 they meet at the Church every second Wednesday at 7:00pm. The group is lead by Brooklyn, with Jamie-Lynn & Josiah as other leaders! If you are interested in joining or want to know more about the program please contact Brooklyn at preteens@willoughbychurch.com.

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

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.

Guess Who's Coming to Lunch:  Sunday, November 19th following the worship service.  To sign up you can pick up a card in the foyer after the services on October 29, November 5 & 12,  guests bring dessert & hosts prepare lunch.  Please fill it out and hand it to Rose or Tamara by November 12th. You will receive an email prior to November 19th, with the address where you will have lunch or how many you will be hosting!  Hope you all join in to build our community here at the church and make new friends!!

Garden Sharing Table: This is the last weekend to share any extra vegetables from your garden! You are invited to bring them to our Garden Sharing Table located in the front hallway of the church. 

Church Network for Refugee Welcome: Join Dena Nicolai (Chaplain and Refugee Support Mobilizer) and others involved in welcoming refugees on Saturday, November 4 from 9:30 am - 11:30 am at Tenth Church (11 W 10th Ave, Vancouver) to learn, listen, share, and collaborate with those currently working alongside refugees resettling in Canada or those looking to get involved. This event is free but we ask you to register so we have a sense of numbers. You can do so by clicking here.

Langley First Capital Chorus: Welcome to our Remembrance Day Tribute, honouring our heroes, remembering their achievements, their courage, and their dedication. The theme for this year is "It's Been a Long, Long, Time", hearkening memories of the emotions when forces returned home from the field of duty. This is our thank-you to the members of the Canadian Armed Forces. This year, we are excited to include the Langley Ukulele Ensemble as our featured guest, on Thursday November 9th at 7:00pm at Willughby Christian Reformed Church. Tickets are $25.00 and available on Eventbrite - click here to purchase!

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!

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.

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.  

HEALTHCARE & THE CHRISTIAN LIFE: FREE WEBINAR AND Q&A Thursday, November 23, 2023 
11 am–12 pm.  What features define human life? How do individuals and communities understand and withstand suffering and pain? What is good dying? In our time, these essential human questions are often viewed primarily as bioethics issues. In reality, these are not exclusively medical or bioethical enquiries. Rather, they are questions that all human individuals and societies ultimately wrestle with. Dr. Quentin Genuis is an Emergency Physician at St. Paul's Hospital and Physician Ethicist for Providence Health Care. Join us on Zoom for a one-hour webinar as Quentin introduces these topics and previews his upcoming course, Healthcare & the Christian Life.

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.

Paul’s Missionary Journeys in Greece (May 31 - June 11, 2024): Travel by motor coach (7 days) and cruise ship (3 days) to sites connected with Paul’s second and third missionary journeys, as well as visit other major sites of biblical, archaeological, and cultural interest. Jeff Weima, professor at Calvin Theological Seminary and leading Pauline scholar, hosts this inspirational tour. For more information, contact Dr. Weima at 616-328-3110 or weimje@calvinseminary.edu.  

Hunger for a World Where Hunger Does Not Exist! - No child should know the pain of hunger. No parent should have to watch their children grow weak due to malnutrition. Hunger for good; hunger for a world where hunger does not exist! Next week is World Hunger Sunday and through our gifts we can help World Renew equip communities with the knowledge and resources they need to change the story of hunger. To learn more, visit: www.worldrenew.ca/worldhunger

Hungering for Good, Together! - Join us in the last session of our three-part online devotion series on Wednesday, November 1 at 1PM Eastern. 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 through this year's World Hunger Devotional. Find us live on World Renew Canada's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/worldrenew.canada

1Life November 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 November 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:

Servant Leadership: B.C. Church Leaders Meet for Inaugural Conference - Church leaders and staff recently gathered at New Life Christian Reformed Church in Abbotsford, B.C.  Click here to read the full article.

Mercy & Justice: Hearts Exchanged - A new course at Calvin Theological Seminary helps to prepare ministers to participate more fully in the journey of reconciliation with Indigenous people.   Click here to read the full article.

Groundwork: Our New Life in Christ - Gain a better understanding of the Christian doctrines of justification and sanctification. Join Groundwork as we study Romans 4-7 to remember the good news of salvation, hear what Paul teaches about how we live now because of Jesus Christ, and glean his wisdom for the struggles we sometimes experience while we are in the process of becoming more Christ-like. Listen now at GroundworkOnline.com and subscribe to Groundwork's weekly emails for future episodes.

Thrive Faith Formation Tip - “Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations” (Psalm 100:4-5). How has God been faithful to the generations in your family? Tell those stories to each other. Learn more at crcna.org/FaithPracticesProject

Job Postings:

Job Opening: Abuse Prevention and Response Coordinator: Classis BCSE & BCNW Safe Church Team Ministry (SCT) supports the important ministry work done by the Christian Reformed churches in BC.  The SCT is in the process of succession planning and is looking for someone to succeed our current Abuse Prevention and Response Coordinator who is looking ahead to retirement. This position would require on average approximately 20 hrs. per week, with certain months having increased hours.  The work includes providing abuse prevention and response education and requires travel to the Christian Reformed churches in BC.  Applicants must be knowledgeable about the subject of abuse, have related work experience & education.  Start date is flexible & training for the position will be provided.  For more information/ job description, please see this job posting, and email the SCT executive chairperson – Andrew Van der Leek - avdleek@gmail.com. 

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