Events

Workshops and events are happening all over the country, yet not every one is listed here. Reach out to your local Coach or to our staff to find out what is happening!

Special Learning Event, hosted by BC1Life*

*No need to register – we look forward to seeing you there! Questions? Email Rachel at rvroege@crcna.org.

Upcoming Webinar: Good News for Whom? The Gospel and Canada's Refugee System

Guest Speaker: Dena Nicolai

Thursday, February 12:

Eastern Canada: 8:00-9:15 PM EST
Western Canada: 6:30-7:45 PM PST

If the gospel is meant to be good news, then what does that good news mean for the complex questions of refugee policy? This webinar will explore the current landscape of that policy in Canada and engage participants in discussion of how followers of Jesus can be voices of hope and truth in that landscape. A special focus will be on identifying practical steps that deacons and ministry leaders can do to bring light to this increasingly controversial subject.

We’re excited to have Dena Nicolai lead this online webinar. Dena is a Program Associate with World Renew’s Refugee Sponsorship and Resettlement Program. She previously served as Chaplain and Refugee Support Mobilizer with the Christian Reformed Churches of BC, offering a ministry of presence for people new to Canada who arrived as refugees, and working to build bridges between those newcomers and churches. She lives in Vancouver.

Questions? Email Rachel (rvroege@crcna.org) or Mark (mvanderwees@crcna.org).

Helping Without Harming in Church Benevolence

Upcoming Workshops in Ontario

Many churches struggle when faced with requests for financial help. Often the church does not have a clear understanding of how to appropriately respond and react and so they resort to meeting the ‘immediate’ need(s). In some cases this could be the correct response, but in other situations this neglects to address the underlying root causes. The latter could contribute to greater dependency, where in effect, the church might be playing an enabling role rather than an empowering role.

This workshop will help the church be better prepared to walk alongside individuals or households, bringing positive and long-lasting changes to their lives and ultimately contributing to them being restored to all that God intends them as image-bearers. This workshop may not give specific solutions but will help deacons learn the right questions to ask which will lead to a better pathway in dealing with requests.

Questions? Email Regional Ministry Developer, Mark at mvanderwees@crcna.org or your local Diaconal Coach.

Sarnia area churches:

Saturday, February 7, 2026 at 8:30am at Living Hope CRC* (1281 Exmouth St, Sarnia)

*Email Anita Plat-Kuiken, your local Diaconal Coach to let her know you’re coming: aplatkuiken@crcna.org

Ingersoll/Woodstock area churches:

Thursday, February 26, 7:00-9:30pm at Ingersoll CRC (429 King St W, Ingersoll, ON N5C 3J7)

Frankford & surrounding churches:

Wednesday, March 18, 7:00-9:30pm at Frankford CRC

Annual Classis Huron Diaconal Event

Building Community Partnerships: From Proximity to Relationships

Date: Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 7:00-9:00pm

Location: Palmerston CRC, 400 Whites Rd, Palmerston, ON

Your Classis Huron Diaconal Team invites you to take part in this exciting training session, open to all members of the Christian Reformed Churches in Classis Huron, at no cost to you!

In this interactive workshop led by NewGround‘s Program Coordinator, Amy Baarda, we’ll explore how churches can build meaningful community partnerships through real-life stories, reflection, and shared learning — honest accounts of both the joys and challenges of building relationships and walking alongside neighbourhoods.

Together, we’ll reflect on what it means to shift from doing for to doing with, and how to uncover and honour the gifts already present in our neighbourhoods. This participatory session will include time for discussion, shared learning, and a Q&A segment, inviting all voices to contribute to the journey.

Questions? Email one of your Diaconal Coaches for Classis Huron:

Fred Vander Sterre; fvandersterre@gmail.com, or
Jane Vander Velden; janevandervelden5318@gmail.com

Or reach out to your Regional Ministry Developer for Eastern Canada, Mark, at mvanderwees@crcna.org.

Annual General Meeting

Our AGM is typically held in November and is a time to meet the staff and board of Diaconal Ministries, approve our Audited Financial Statements, review our budget for the upcoming fiscal year, and celebrate the work God is doing in and through our agency!

Each CRC church in Canada is required to send one (1) or more deacon delegates to our AGM. Each church is entitled to one (1) vote per motion presented at the meeting.

On top of this, our AGMs are also open to ALL who are interested in the work of Diaconal Ministries Canada.

Our AGM was recently held on Monday, November 24, 2025 @ 8:00pm EST via Zoom. THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO TOOK THE TIME TO ATTEND!

A recording of the meeting will be posted shortly.