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December Special Offering: For the month of December the special offering is for World Renew - Gift Catalogue, to help people who live in extreme poverty experience more of the fullness of life God intends for them. We are striving to raise funds for three of World Renew’s best-seller bundles (p.17 in the gift catalog). One bundle, worth $3,878, contains goats and quackers, the herd, 10 bars of soap, the whole barnyard, a family-sized water filter, 1 bicycle, and “where needed most”. You are also invited to visit the Christmas Giving Tree in the church lobby and ‘buy’ an ornament(s). Each ornament is a unique gift that can make a difference for people in need around the world. Complete the information on the ornament card and mail it directly to World Renew. You can also browse or purchase the giving ornaments online with the World Renew Gift Catalogue.

Youth: Join us on Sunday evenings at 6:30pm for faith, devotion and fun!!!  Youth is for children in grades 8-12 and they meet every Sunday evening here at Willoughby.

Here is the activities for the rest of December:

  • December 22nd - Family Skating Night - 4:30-6:30pm
  • December 29th - Christmas Break - No Youth
  • January 5th - New Year's Break - No Youth
  • January 12th - Bible Study
  • January 19th - Cooking Night with Tamara - 5-7pm
  • January 26th - Bible Study

Thanks, Christian & Joanna

Preteens: Join us on Thursday evenings for faith, activities, bible study, games and a whole lot of fun!!! Preteens is for children in grades 4-7 and they meet on the first and third Thursday's of every month at 6:30pm. 

Here is the upcoming schedule for January:

  • January 9th - Bible Study at Willoughby 
  • January 23rd - Bible Study at Willoughby

If you are interested in joining or want to know more about the program please contact Christian at Christian@willoughbychurch.com.

December Services: This December Living Word Church, will be offering a Christmas Eve Service on the 24th at 6:00pm or you can join us on Christmas Day for our service with a wide variety of familiar Christmas songs, and a message from Pastor Bert. Expect vibrant worship and warm fellowship as we anticipate and celebrate the coming of the Savior into this world. 

Holiday Office Hours: Dear Congregation, As we come closer to the week of Christmas, we wanted to share the office hours with you over the Christmas Holidays. For Christmas, the office will be open on December 23 & 27 and closed the 24, 25 & 26. The office will also be closed on January 1 for New Years Day.  We the staff here at Willoughby, wish you a very Merry Christmas and Joyous New Year! The Staff at Willoughby Church *The daycare will be closed from December 24 - December 31, re-opening on January 2.*

Family Fun Skate: Join our Youth and Preteens for a great afternoon of ice skating!! They will be hosting a Family Fun Skate, that is open to all the congregation. See the details below and we hope you can enjoy the festivities with us!! Details for December 22: Location: Langley Sportsplex - 20165 91A Ave #100, Langley Twp, BC V1M 3A2, Time: 4:30pm-6:30pm, Fees: Skate rentals ($5) & Helmet rentals ($2). Their rental shop closes at 5pm. If you do plan to rent, please come early. After our session, they will have a bin to return the skates to. Feel free to bring your own skates, hockey sticks and FRIENDS!!! Hope to see you all there!!!

Potluck Lunch: On Sunday, December 29th we are blessed to be having a combined Sunday morning service with Living Word Church. We will be celebrating the new year with a potluck lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the service. Please bring the required dish based on your last name, A-H: Salads, I-P: Desserts or Sweet, Q-Z: Hot or Cold Appetizer.  Please join us in worship and building community as we get ready for the coming of the New Year. Hope to see you all there!!

Coffee Break Bible Study, fellowship and refreshments for women of all ages, With Story Hour and nursery care for children, ages 0-5. Every Tuesday morning at Langley Immanuel Church (21713-50 Avenue, Langley) Doors open at 9:15 a.m. If you are interested in joining in contact Elsa at CoffeeBreak@licrc.ca or Rose at coffeebreak@willoughbychurch.com.

Langley Ukulele Association presents "A Christmas Recital" on Saturday, December 21st at Willoughby Church.  Doors open at 11:30am with the concert starting at noon. Performances will be by the Junior, Intermediate, Senior B & Senior A Ensembles. Tickets are $10.00 and can be purchased at the door. Come and enjoy this special musical presentation with family and friends!

Christmas Pipe Organ Concert with audience singing with organist, Aart Bijkerk, (Yarrow). There will be seasonal sacred music by Bach, Dupré, Widor and Zwart on the Heritage Pipe Organ (1912). It's a concert for the whole family. When: Saturday, December 21, 2024 at 3 PM Where:  Maranatha Canadian Reformed Church, 12300 - 92 Ave, Surrey, B.C. Admission by donation, refreshments will be served following the concert. Contact:  maranathaorgan@gmail.com

An Advent Greeting from the CRCNA - As we prepare for Christmas, the ministries of the Christian Reformed Church in North America wish to share with you the Christmas story and find comfort in God's faithfulness. Watch this short video at youtube.com/watch?v=gLDlg-9DLKY Have a blessed Christmas!

Jesus Christ is Born! - As we exchange gifts at Christmas, we celebrate Jesus, God’s great gift to us. Will you add someone in need to your Christmas giving today? Your financial gift to World Renew helps people around the world who live in poverty improve their lives and find a home for their heart in Jesus. Please give generously in today’s offering for World Renew, go to worldrenew.ca/gifts or call 1-888-975-3769.

Christian Stewardship Services: Is there a charity close to your heart that you would love to see thrive for years to come? Christian Stewardship Services is hosting open Q&A sessions every week this winter to answer all of your questions on charitable giving and estate planning,  Explore the topics and register on our website at : https://csservices.ca/winter-conversations-2025/ Each session will have a 10 minute introduction, then an interactive Q&A on any charitable giving and estate planning questions. The first four topics are: Multiplying your Gift, Pets, Life Insurance, adding a Charity Child, and Cryptocurrency. These are conversations you do not want to miss!

Telecare Crisis & Caring Line: Be the Lifeline Someone Needs - Do you have a heart for helping others? Telecare Crisis & Caring Line invites you to join our Call Responder Training Program, starting January 22, 2024. This 8-week program equips you with skills to provide compassionate support, including:

  • Active listening and crisis intervention techniques
  • Tools to assist with mental health, grief, and more
  • Support strategies for phone and chat

Training Details:

  • When: Wednesdays, 7-9 PM PST (Jan 22 – Mar 12, 2024)
  • Where: Online via Zoom

Cost: $100 (includes materials and mentoring) - Click here to Register

Regent College - J-term 2025: Special Invitation for Church Groups What's better than taking a great course? Saving on a great course while you learn with members of your community! When you register as part of a group of 3 to 10 people from your church, you'll each get 25% off the cost of tuition for your course. The Church Group Benefit is great for small groups, Sunday school classes, ministry teams, or any group that wants to learn together. Questions? Get in touch! Email registration@regent-college.edu, and our team will be happy to answer any questions and help you walk through the process.

The January Series - The January Series of Calvin University returns January 20 through January 31.  From Paralympians to historians, adventurers, and innovators, we have a topic for you to deepen your curiosity. Join us in the Covenant Fine Arts Center on the campus of Calvin University or online. More information can be found at www.calvin.edu/january-series

Stories & Strategies: Strengthening the CRC in Canada - Are you interested in learning more about ministry happening in CRC churches? Join the Canadian Ministry Board for stories (and best practice learnings from those experiences) and how they might be applicable to your local church context. We look forward to discussing these ideas with you alongside other church members & leaders. Join us virtually on January 25, 2025 (11am-1pm ET / 8-10am PT). More at crcna.org/Canada

1Life December 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 December 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: Halfway Through Gather “Gather” events bring CRC people together for fellowship, encouragement, and renewal. To date, five of 10 planned Gather events have taken place.

Global Mission: Moving Forward in Faithful Obedience An opportunity from Resonate and Diaconal Ministries Canada teaches how to walk alongside God in mission.

Calvin University: 1Life Equips Churches in British Columbia The 1Life learning hub trains and equips churches and their leaders in Classes B.C. North-West and B.C. South-East.

Groundwork: Jesus: Our Prince of Peace - As we celebrate Christmas, join Groundwork as we study Isaiah 9:6, Psalm 137, Isaiah 49:6, Isaiah 53:4-12, Ephesians 2:14-19, and Luke 2:1-21 to discover the deep and meaningful shalom Jesus brought to us in his birth, that he promises to establish permanently when he returns, and how we can be his agents of peace in our world here and now. Listen now at GroundworkOnline.com and subscribe to Groundwork's weekly emails for future episodes.

Thrive Faith Formation Tip - For you Jesus Christ came into the world: for you he lived and showed God's love; for you he suffered the darkness of Calvary and cried at the last, “It is finished”; for you he triumphed over death and rose in newness of life; for you he ascended to reign at God’s right hand. All this he did for you, though you do not know it yet. And so the word of Scripture is fulfilled: “We love because God loved us first.” –Adapted from the French Reformed Church liturgy During this week of Christmas, tell the familiar story of the birth of our Savior with the hope of hearing it in new and beautiful ways, remembering Christ’s incarnation and birth for YOU. Brought to you by Thrive: crcna.org/Thrive

Year End Support for The Banner! - Help The Banner reach its annual goal of raising $500,000 by giving before December 31. Your gift will enable The Banner to continue reaching North Americans with inspiring and insightful Christian content for another full year. Please donate now at TheBanner.org/Give

The Banner: Dear Banner reader, The Canada Post strike has delayed the delivery of your Banner. Thank you for your patience in this matter! In the meantime, you can read the full issue in PDF form online here. And just for your information, from this link you can read the past issues going back to 2005. You can also check back each month, as new issues are posted to this page as well. We hope this serves as a helpful option as we wait for the strike to be resolved.  Also, please note the January and February issues will be combined. This will be similar to the way our July/August issue works, where it will come a bit later in the month. The issue to follow will be the March issue.  Happy (online) reading! And for those wanting a little Advent smile, check out this short video on the postage strike from the CRCNA staff in Burlington. Shiao Chong Editor in Chief, The Banner

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