Engaging Community
A Church on Mission
With a desire for spiritual renewal, Maple Ridge CRC initiated a Community Opportunity Scan in order to listen to their community, their church, and the Holy Spirit. Photo by Lina Kivaka from Pexels By Cindy Verbeek, Board Member of Diaconal Ministries Canada and Erin Knight Maple Ridge Christian Reformed Church is what you might call…
Read MoreSparks Fly at Maritime Gathering
By: Karla Winham For over 10 years, a day of encouragement and equipping has been held in the Maritimes. This fall, on Nov. 8 and 9, members and leaders gathered for a time of learning, encouragement, and inspiration at John Calvin Christian Reformed Church in Truro, N.S. Participants worshipped together, heard presentations, attended workshops, enjoyed…
Read More6 Ways to Stay Motivated this Summer
Summer is finally here! In Canada, we cherish these long-awaited months as they seem to go by faster and faster each year. We can’t wait to spend time outdoors, on the water, or just plain relaxing – or all three! No matter what part of the country you live in, we Canadians love these dog…
Read MoreFrom “Identity Crisis” to Identity in Christ
Providence CRC’s Community Opportunity Scan Opens New Doors into the Community The congregation members and leadership team might not have said it outright, but Providence Christian Reformed Church was experiencing an identity crisis. The congregation had a 30-year foothold in their Beamsville, ON, community, one of the sleepier spots along the QEW corridor. But, while…
Read MoreThe Top 5 Things Gateway Church Discovered Running an Extreme Weather Shelter
This is the second article in a 3-part story on the Extreme Weather Shelter opened up by Gateway Church in Abbotsford, British Columbia. You can read the first article here. When Gateway CRC decided to host an Extreme Weather Shelter in their building three years ago, the staff and volunteers knew there would be a…
Read More“How could we say ‘no?’” Gateway CRC responds to need for homeless shelter
(Pictured Above: Larry, one of the shelter’s guests who has also started to regularly attend Gateway, sitting in the church gym.) This month, guest blogger Monica deRegt will be writing a 3-part story on the Extreme Weather Shelter opened up by Gateway Church in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Our theme for December has been “Helping Without Harming”…
Read MoreWebinar Addresses Helping that Helps at Christmas (and beyond!)
Christmas is almost here! I’m sure you didn’t need that reminder (at all!). Costco shelves and dollar store aisles have had their Christmas supplies out since October, if not sooner. Churches and charities have been busy planning and promoting their Christmas programs and ministries for a while now. Social media has been buzzing about who…
Read MoreAre You Lonesome Tonight?
I stumbled upon this quote the other day while I was doing some research on loneliness. “It is strange to be known so universally and yet to be so lonely.” ~Albert Einstein While at first this may seem utterly impossible, and perhaps even absurd, I wondered how many people would agree with this statement. This quote…
Read MoreYouth Justice Initiative Coming in 2019
|By Erin Knight, Communications Coordinator for Diaconal Ministries Canada I recently watched the movie Black Panther with my two sons, aged 11 and 13. While I wasn’t exactly filled with enthusiasm to be watching yet another Avenger movie with my kids on a Friday night, some of the buzz I had heard surrounding this movie…
Read MoreManitoba Church on Mission to Bless its Community
Mission statements are wonderful, aren’t they? They tell us exactly what an organization is all about. It proclaims to the entire world, ‘This is why we exist!’ It gives us a clear picture of what motivates a certain group of people to do what they do. For instance, here’s one: “To bring inspiration and innovation…
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