Equipping Leaders through Encouragement and Learning

(Pictured above: A panel discussing the day’s theme, left to right: Aaron Helleman, on the future in technology; Jonathan Maracle, on reconciliation between indigenous people and the church; Sid Ypma, on the future of the church.)

A Day of Encouragement (DOE) is an event held in many regions across Canada. Participants worship together, share ministry stories and best practices, and learn from one another. These can be anywhere from a half-day or evening gathering to a full weekend. The aim of a DOE is to help your church’s leaders experience…

• Refreshment and encouragement as they serve and work;
• Inspiration and motivation to persevere in ministry;
• A deeper sense of community with others who serve in Christ’s name; and
• A venue where all leave affirmed and encouraged

DOE’s can also offer a safe and inclusive environment for difficult topics and conversations to be discussed.

On April 7^th, a DOE was held in Brockville, ON for the western half of Classis Eastern Canada. This year’s theme was “What Will the Future Hold?” Those in attendance expressed their appreciation for the day and of several of the workshops held. Two highlights were the “Dance of Reconciliation” dialogue on reconciliation between indigenous people and the church, led by Mike Hogeterp and Jonathan Maracle, and “The Mirror of Popular Music”, a workshop led by Micah van Dijk which discussed the use of popular songs in order to engage in critical conversations about cultural issues.

A DOE has been held in this region every other year since 2007. When organizing this year’s event, the Planning Team felt it was time to step out in faith and, as a result, they tried out some new things:

First, the location of this year’s DOE was changed to Brockville, ON, instead of holding it in the Ottawa area. This required a LOT of trust since historically about 50% of the attendance has come from the Ottawa area and the team knew this could affect the turn-out. Since the location of the event was moved further west, those from Classis Quinte were invited to join this year’s event as geographically it was a bit closer to them. Twelve (12) people arrived from Kingston and Frankford which was encouraging to the Planning Team. As well, many from the Ottawa area were still able to make the trip and while overall attendance did dip a bit, the total number of those who attended was 72 which the team was very grateful for!

Secondly, the team organized a Panel Discussion around the theme of the day in order to examine it from different perspectives. Each of the panel members gave interesting and eloquent insights and the Planning Team is exploring how this can be done a bit more efficiently and effectively next time around.

Lastly, an online registration program was used for this year’s event (via Cognito Form). On the whole that appeared to go well: it was simple to set up and easy to use. This will likely be used again in the future.

Overall, the Planning Team and those in attendance agreed the day was an overwhelming success!

Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance (Prov 1:5)

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Is it time for your church (and Classis) to hold a Day of Encouragement?

Are you and your diaconate looking to meet with other people who are passionate for God’s Kingdom and their community? Does hearing other’s stories inspire you? Is your team ready to learn from experts in a workshop setting? Are your volunteers longing to enhance their current skills and develop new ones?

Or perhaps your need to give your annual DOE a re-boot? Either way, our website offers some helpful resources that you can use, including a Day of Encouragement ‘Best Practices’ handout, a Sample Budget, and a DOE Sample Brochure.

And as always, please contact us if you need further assistance.