Offering for weeks 1 & 2 of May: Advokate - Baby Bottle Campaign: This month we're joining Advokate Life and Education Services in their Annual Baby Bottle Campaign to support their hope for women pregnancy services initiative. All funds raised go directly to supporting vulnerable women and families facing unplanned pregnancy. Thanks to services including pregnancy counseling, ultrasounds, postpartum support, they've seen countless lives saved and changed. Let's help make a difference in these young lives.
* The Deacons we will now be doing two Special Offerings per month, Advokate - Baby Bottle Campaign will run for the first two weeks, with Christian Reformed Campus Ministries Okanagan for weeks 3&4. You are invited to give to either or both offerings as they will both be available on tithley for the whole month of May! *
Wednesday Bible Study: Bible Study meets weekly on Wednesday, on May 8th at 2pm. We will be studying from Micah 5. Everyone welcome! Please contact Pat Storteboom for more info.
Youth Group: Here is the schedule for May:
- May 5 - Disc Golf meet at 630pm at Passive Park
- May 12 - Study with Joanna and Will 7 to 830pm
- May 19 - Happy Long Weekend - NO youth
- May 26 - Youth Dinner 5 to 7pm
Thanks! The Youth Team - Amanda, Will & Joanna
Nominations for Office Bearers: This is the last week to put in your suggestions!!! Willoughby Church Council is once again engaging in a nomination process for selecting new persons to serve in the office of elder and deacon beginning September 2024. For this process to be both meaningful and comprehensive, the council invites and encourages all members to prayerfully consider our congregation’s leadership needs and to suggest people to serve in the office of admin elder, pastoral elder and/or deacon. Submit your suggestions by April 30, 2024 to council@willoughbychurch.com. New Office Bearers Needed: Admin Elders: 2, Pastoral Elders: 2, Deacons: 2. Please click here for the Nomination Process information and form. Hard copies of the nomination forms will be available on Sunday morning, or are available at the church anytime during office hours!
Women's Connect Social: Come and join us for a morning of fun making a Herb Planter. If you know someone who might enjoy making a planter and meeting some new people, invite them. The more the merrier! Light refreshments will be provided. Saturday, May 25 at 10am. The cost is $15 per person to help cover the cost of materials. There will be a sign up sheet in the foyer before and after the service! Any questions, contact- Marlene Derover (604) 312-4463 or Kim Purdy (604) 928-0307.
Drivers Needed: Volunteer drivers are needed from time to time to take members of our church to medical appointments. Please let Evelyn Bouwman know if you could be someone on a list of volunteers for this occasional purpose. Thank you in advance for considering this opportunity, you may email the church office to be put on the list at info@willoughbychurch.com.
Children's Ministry Volunteers: Our Children's Ministry is looking for volunteers on Sunday morning!! To ensure we have a safe environment for the children upstairs, especially the Nursery, we need a few more adults to look after the kids. If you are interested in volunteering, please reach out to Christian at christian@willoughbychurch.com.Thanks!!
Looking for Accomodation: Young Christian Professional is looking for a one bedroom suite in Langley or Surrey area. Has just graduated from BCIT and is preparing to begin working again starting in May. Please contact konrad.balzer@outloook.com for any opportunities.
Blood Donor Clinic: This month we will be hosting a Blood Donor Clinic on Tuesday, May 7th 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.
SAVE THE DATE!!!!! Willoughby Church BBQ, Campout & Pancake Breakfast Event: We will be having another campout and BBQ on Saturday, June 15th!!! Come out and enjoy the afternoon and evening together here at the church, with games, BBQ, sing-along & campfire!! Games start at 3:00pm with the BBQ and sing along after, if you aren't camping with us, then please come by anytime to share in the activities or just pop by to say hi!!! There will also be pancake breakfast before the church service on Sunday morning, so come hungry!
Coffee Break and Story Hour at Langley Immanuel Church: We invite women of all ages to come study from Global Coffee Break Discover Your Bible Study Guides: “Shalom-The Promise of Peace —Every day there are countless reminders of the lack of peace in our world and nations; perhaps also within our own families, lives, or minds. Peace is something we all long for. Peace is a significant theme in God’s Word, the Bible. In this study, we invite you to discover together what the Bible says about peace. We will trace the idea of peace throughout the Bible and connect it to our lives, our community, and our world. How does God bring peace to our world—to your life?” This session will end with a closing social on May 14, 2024. Interested? Check with Elsa for more info at CoffeeBreak@licrc.ca
Send in your poems! We want to do a worship series during the summer where we include a poem every week in our liturgy. So if there is a worship-appropriate poem that you know and love, or that you yourself have written, please send it in! Our hope is to have poems from many different cultures, influences, and languages included. Every poem will be reviewed by staff to see where it might fit and if it is appropriate to include in a worship service. Please direct any questions to our worship coordinator, Jamie-Lynn Ravensbergen, and send all poems to worship@willoughbychurch.com.
Ministry of Seafarer's Spring 2024 Newsletter: Please check out the good work Rev. Gary Roosma and his team are doing at Roberts Bank and the Waterfront Center. Providing ministry to all the seafarers that dock here in Vancouver. To read the newsletter, click here!
WCRC Library: Did you know Willoughby Church has a library? Find the 'Willoughby Faith Formation Library' through the offices or look online on our website! Whether you are looking for a devotional or a book on reflection, there are books available for all ages. This resource is open during office hours and after the Sunday service. For inquiries, email Natalie at natalie@willoughbychurch.com.
Start your crafting!!: On Saturday November 9, from 10am-4pm Immanuel CRC will host a Christmas Craft and Bake Fair. We invite all crafters to reserve a spot. The cost is $50 for one 8x6 area. For information, please contact Miriam deWinter at mbdewinter@gmail.com.
Missionary Support Dinner & Presentation with Hannah van der Kamp - Join us for a Missionary Support Dinner and Presentation with Hannah van der Kamp, missionary in Lesvos, Greece. Friday, May 24 from 6-8 p.m. at Fleetwood CRC in Surrey. To reserve a place at the table ($25), go to crc1life.ca.
You are making a difference! On behalf of the ministries of the Christian Reformed Church in North America, thank you for your gifts to ministry shares. Your support enables congregations to do so much more to further God's Kingdom than any one church could do alone. Our denomination could not impact the world through missions, media, and church development without your incredible and faithful support. Thank you! To discover more visit crcna.org/ministryshares.
THE GATHERING: BLOOM WHERE YOU’RE PLANTED: We're building a community of pastors and church leaders for connection, learning, and growth. Join us this May! Date: May 9–May 10, 2024, Location: Regent College, 5800 University Blvd, Vancouver, BC V6T 2E4. The Gathering is an annual event for church leaders and pastors seeking to refresh and build lifelong friendships for resilient pastoral ministry. As a non-conference conference, we focus on encounters over information-exchange. Through worship, prayer, teaching, dialogue, sharing food, and recreation, we will grow our pastoral imagination. Come and refresh with us in the beautiful surroundings of Vancouver, BC.
Thriving Essentials: Thriving Essentials is a new way to get all the ministry leaders in your church (Elders, Deacons, volunteers and staff, newbies and old-timers) aligned on key concepts about Mission, Discipleship, Discernment, and Leadership. These special 2-hour online sessions (2x) offer refreshing insights and can serve as a springboard to deeper conversations about ministry in your local context. Here's the latest one: Two Wednesday evenings - May 22 & 29 at 6:30pm - 8:30 (PST) <<Zoom registration link here>> Please join us for these preliminary learning sessions as we establish a learning cohort with one another. For questions or comments about Thriving Essentials, please contact Elaine May (Facilitator and Thriving Essentials Curriculum Developer): emay@crcna.org For more information about Thriving Essentials:
https://www.crcna.org/thrive/course-overview
Please pray for Synod 2024! - We need everyone to be involved. The theme for synod worship and prayer is God With Us. You can sign up to pray on your own, with your church or small group, or at Calvin University in June. Check out the many opportunities at crcna.org/synod/prayer and join us in humble prayer for God's will to be done in the CRC. Email SynodPrayer@crcna.org with your questions or comments.
Bethesda's Lend a Hand campaign raises funds to provide practical and much-needed support to people with diverse abilities and their families in communities across BC. Please consider a gift of partnership with Bethesda. You have three different ways of donating:
- mail your cheque made payable to Bethesda Christian Association to 2775 Emerson St, Abbotsford, V2T 4H8
- go on-line to BethesdaBC.com and click on Donate,
- or, if you live in the area, feel free to drop off your donation.
Watch our Why Donate video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRcA4T0-fB4
Visit our webpage at https://bethesdabc.com/lend-a-hand/ to learn more about the Lend a Hand campaign. If you have questions, please email life@BethesdaBC.com or phone us at 604-850-6604 (locally) or toll-free at 1-866-455-2231.10
April 2024 World Renew Church update: This month we are looking ahead to “Women of Hope” Sunday, a World Renew offering to be held Sunday, May 12th. Women of Hope Sunday is focussed on community health with a particular emphasis on Women, maternal and newborn health.Please take a moment to watch this month’s video update here.
1Life May 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 May 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:
Denomination: Director of Synodical Services Passes Away Rev. Scott DeVries, director of synodical services for the CRCNA, passed away from cancer April 27.
The Network: 40 Days of Prayer for Synod Sunday will mark the start of 40 days of prayer leading up to Synod 2024.
The Banner: Make Every Day Ascension Day On Ascension Day, Jesus takes up his seat at God’s right hand as king of kings and Lord of lords. We let that pass with a yawn. How does this make any sense?
Groundwork: Spiritual Priorities in Haggai and Zechariah - In good times and bad, life is full of struggles and challenges. Even when God answers our prayers, the way forward isn’t always straight. Join Groundwork as we study Haggai 1-2 and Zechariah 1-14 to glean biblical wisdom for navigating and enduring our own spiritual and physical challenges today and find courage to continue trusting God. Listen now at GroundworkOnline.com and subscribe to Groundwork's weekly emails for future episodes.
Thrive Faith Formation Tip - In Whistling in the Dark, Frederick Buechner writes, “‘Thy kingdom come . . . on earth’ is what we are saying. . . . To speak those words is to invite the tiger out of the cage, to unleash a power that makes atomic power look like a warm breeze.” What are we asking when we pray for God’s kingdom to come on earth? Learn more at crcna.org/FaithPracticesProject
Job Posting:
Director of Youth & Young Adults Ministries: Willoughby Christian Reformed Church in Langley is seeking to hire a Director of Youth & Young Adults for 30 hrs per week.
Position available – The Director of Youth & Young Adults at Willoughby Church is called to be an exemplar and spiritual leader who will help to inspire the WCRC young people to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Director of Youth & Young Adults will focus on nurturing the faith of our youth and young adult members (Grades 9-12, and ages 18-30), seeking to support them in developing their love for Jesus and for others.
To apply please contact info@willoughbychurch.com or (604) 530-5959 for more information. A full job description for this position is available by clicking here.
Open Position: Stated Clerk, Classis BC South-East
Later this year Classis BC South-East will need a new stated clerk. The current clerk will complete his term in October and will not continue in the role. The position involves preparation of agendas for classis and the Classis Ministry Committee, taking minutes at the meetings, record keeping, as well as communications with churches and denominational offices in Burlington and Grand Rapids. It's a high traffic position with ties to gifted people across the classis and denomination. If you have an interest, feel free to contact the current clerk Len Batterink (statedclerk.bcse@gmail.com) for more information. If needed, a transitional training period is available.
Job Opening: Abuse Prevention and Response Coordinator (APRC) 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.
Job Posting: Eguipping Children & Families Director - Cariboo Community Church in Williams Lake is looking for a fulltime Equipping Children & Families Director. The purpose of the Equipping Children & Families Director is to equip children and families to live missionally through discipleship, community, leadership development, outreach, and worship. For more information please visit their website!
The Banner: The April 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
The Banner’s Counting On You! - Please support the award-winning, journalistic ministry of the CRC by donating online today. $500,000 is needed every year to keep The Banner going. The more funds we are able to raise, the less we need to draw on ministry shares, releasing money to other ministries of the CRCNA. Give now at: TheBanner.org/Give
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
