Virtual Conference Held in Port Alberni, BC
On September 12, 2017, Port Alberni hosted a virtual “meet the denomination” meeting facilitated by Pastor Curtis Korver, Rich Braaksma and Jessica Boy from Resonate Global Mission. Attending live and on-screen were people from many different ministries in the CRC – Diaconal Ministries Canada (DMC), Resonate, Faith Formation, Aboriginal Ministries, BCLDN (Leadership Development Network) and the National Director of Canadian Ministries, Darren Roorda. More than 20 people from the church came out for this event – impressive for a community of about 100 adults! There was a palpable sense that the denomination sees the local church, cares about the local church and is present and ready to help and serve.
The meeting was structured to:
- Live into the denominational posture of wanting to serve and help the local church; and
- Specifically address three areas that Alberni Valley CRC was connecting with – discipleship, leadership development and collaboration (community engagement)
Rachel Vroege, the Western Canada Regional Ministry Developer for DMC, partnered with Karen Wilk from Resonate and Shannon Perez from Aboriginal Ministries to lead the break-out session Collaboration. In this break-out, the leaders helped those present to see deacons as leaders providing opportunities for congregations to be bridges of reconciliation in their neighbourhoods through community partnerships. Karen Wilk talked about the call to love our neighbours by welcoming them into our homes and Shannon Perez talked about the ministry of reconciliation with our Aboriginal neighbours and how to use the Declaration of Indigenous Rights as a framework.
After the break-outs, everyone gathered together to come up with 6 or more directions to pursue for follow-up. All participants committed to taking time in the coming month to sit in a coffee shop on a busy corner or walk through their neighbourhood with one prayer on their hearts: “What, Lord, do you want me to notice about this city?”
This virtual conference was the first of its kind in a local CRC congregation in Canada. It was one way to show all of the resources available to a church from the denominational agencies as well as act as a catalyst to open up the eyes and hearts to what God would have the church do to be as a presence in their city.
Interested in doing this in YOUR church or Classis? Email dmc@crcna.org today to find our more!
