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VanHemert Funeral:  John Van Hemert's funeral service will be held at the First Christian Reformed Church of Lynden, Washington, on Thursday, June 23, at 2:00pm. 1010 Front Street, Lynden, WA. Rev. Van Hemert was pastor of the First CRC in Langley from 1968 -1980.  Please keep the family in your prayers during this difficult time.

Schaafsma Funeral:  The Memorial Service for Jeff Schaafsma will be on Saturday, June 25, at 10:00am, here at Willoughby Church. All are welcome to attend. Please keep Henry & Trudy Schaafsma and Janet Schaafsma in your prayers at this difficult time.

Church BBQ: On Sunday June 26th after the church service, we will have a BBQ to enjoy lunch and fellowship together.  As a way to celebrate Community and coming together as a Church Family, you are all invited to join us for lunch after the service.  The Church will be supplying the hotdogs, dessert, coffee & tea, and juice for the kids!  We are asking the congregation to bring a salad to share with everyone.  If you are interested in supplying a salad for the BBQ please let Helen Vandenberg, Rose Scholtens or Alice Voogt know.  Hope to see you all there!! 

Synod 2022: Synod 2022 reconvened this past Thursday morning in closed session with worship and then finished conversation about matters related to Neland Ave CRC in Grand Rapids, Mich. Delegates also considered an overture related to racism and white supremacy. Synod 2022 finished with a time of worship.

Synod 2022 has now concluded. Recordings of the sessions are posted to the CRCNA's YouTube channel. Visit crcna.org/Synod to access the webcast recordings, photos, reports, liveblog, and all the news from Synod 2022. 

Bible Reading Cohort 2022-23 Information Session (BC LDN) - Learn more about our BC LDN 2022-23 Bible reading cohort (Old Testament). Sign up for one of our summer online information evenings: Monday, June 27; Monday, July 18; Monday, August 22 (7:00PM-8:30PM Pacific each time). Register here: https://bit.ly/3N6VX1o

Living the Call:  You are invited to check out Living the Call, the ministry report to classis and councils on the work of the CRCNA. This informative report gives you a brief overview of the work that you are a part of as a congregation of the Christian Reformed Church.   In five issues each year, they focus on each of the five callings of the CRC: Faith Formation, Servant Leadership, Global Mission, Mercy & Justice, and Gospel Proclamation & Worship.

Summer Camp: Fleetwood CRC in Surrey is hosting three summer camps this year for a variety of interests and ages. NoteWorthy Music Camp, for ages 7-12, focuses on introducing young kids to music and teaching basic musical skills (June 27-30). Compassion Camp, our VBS for ages 5-10, tells the gospel through games, crafts, and stories (July 18-22). World’s Stage Theatre Camp, for high schoolers aged 12-18, is a week of writing, directing, and acting with a healthy amount of improv thrown in (August 1-5). Registration opens May 22nd. For more information, please visit fleetwoodcrc.org/SummerCamps2022 or email fcrc.interns@gmail.com.    

World Renew Disaster Response:  2022 is World Renew Disaster Response Services’ 50th year of ministry in North America! Join World Renew at an open house-style celebration at Third Christian Reformed Church, Lynden WA on July 19,  As an agency of the CRCNA, you are invited to join World Renew at the celebration to learn more about DRS, reconnect if you’ve served with us, celebrate and commune together. More information can be found at worldrenew.net/drs-50th-anniversary-tour.  

Send Us Your Church Life Photos - Send us your photos of the church at work or at worship! If you attend a CRC church and like taking photos, we'd love to see photos of your church in action: worshiping, engaging with the neighbourhood, gardening...anything that brings church members together. We hope to share these photos on our Facebook page, on the homepage of the CRCNA website, on the Deacons' Offering Calendar, and in other ways that showcase some of the many faces of the CRC. (For that reason, please ensure that you have permission from the people in the photo to share it.) Send your photos to Communications@crcna.org

Inspire 2022 - Gather with Reformed believers from across the continent August 4-6 at Tinley Park, near Chicago, for Inspire 2022. Worship, learn, find fellowship, and be refreshed! For more information and/or to register: www.crcna.org/inspire

Ableism Training Hosted by CRC-RCA Disability Concerns - Join us online August 11 & 12 (from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm EDT) for our annual training event. We will unpack ableism and consider ways we can help reduce the impact of ableism in churches. This event is open to everyone interested in learning more about this very important topic. We will continue to release more information about this event on our dedicated website: Let’s End #AbleismAtChurch Register at https://bit.ly/ableismatchurch

CRC NEWS:

First Week Highlights: Synod 2022 opened online May 25, and in-person meetings began June 10. Here are some highlights of the meetings so far.   Click here for the full article.

Women Gather at Synod 2022: For the fourth time, a special dinner was held for women in leadership in the CRCNA.   Click here for the full article.

Wondering About the Sacraments With Children: Here's a list to guide conversations about baptism and the Lord's Supper.   Click here for the full article.

Groundwork: Jonah: Running Away from God - What happens when we try to run away from God? Join Groundwork as we begin our study of Jonah. Together we’ll discuss the resonance of Jonah 1 for our lives today and find assurance in God’s persistent and relentless love for his people. Listen now at GroundworkOnline.com and subscribe to Groundwork's weekly emails for future episodes.

Faith Practice Reflection Tip - Reflection and Discussion Starter—the Practice of Wonder: Read Luke 5:21-26 and ponder or discuss the following questions. Jesus knew the Pharisees’ thoughts before they said a word. How does it make you feel to know that Jesus knows you that way too? If you were in the crowd that day, what would your first reaction to the healing be? Praise? Skepticism? Awe? Fear? Describe a time when you were “filled with awe.” What prompted that emotion? (For more on faith practices from Faith Formation Ministries, visit bit.ly/FaithPracticesProject)

Grants Available for Churches! - The NewGround Program of Diaconal Ministries Canada offers coaching, networking, and grants to churches seeking to break new ground to start (or grow) a sustainable community ministry. For over 35 years, NewGround (formerly Operation Manna) has helped CRC's across Canada love their community. NewGround has supported teen drop-in centres, community dinners, ministry to newcomers/refugees, art studios, counselling and debt centres and so much more! Applications for our Community Ministry Grants are due by August 15, 2022, so start praying and dreaming with your church and community now. Find out more on our website: diaconalministries.com/newground/ and/or email our NewGround Program Director, Karla Winham, with your questions and ideas: kwinham@crcna.org.

Here are the current song selections for this Sunday's service, please feel free to familiarize yourself with the music ahead of time by clicking on each song below. * Please note that adjustments may be made prior to Sunday morning.

  1. Behold Him
  2. Cornerstone
  3. I Need Thee Every Hour
  4. Baptism song: Be Unto Your Name
  5. Response song: This I Believe 
  6. Offertory: Holy Spirit Living Breath of God
  7. Benediction: All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name

Job Postings:

Diaconal Coaches Needed! - Diaconal Ministries Canada is currently recruiting new Diaconal Coaches in British Columbia and Alberta. A Diaconal Coach helps deacons grow in their understanding and capacity as leaders - providing coaching/training, support, encouragement, and accountability for CRC diaconates. Our team of Coaches are well-trained and supported by our Regional Staff. Positions are flexible, part-time, and paid! If you'd like to find out more, reach out to Rachel, Regional Ministry Developer for Western Canada. You can also find out more on our website: https://bit.ly/39eVvPS. Please share this with someone you think would make a great coach, and/or within your CRC networks.

Part-time Reception/Admin position available at Cascade Christian Counselling in Surrey. The position is for two days a week beginning June 27, 2022.  Hours of work day coincides with school hours (6 hours). Responsibilities: Answering phone calls Booking appointments for clients with counsellors for both the Surrey and Abbotsford office in Jane Software General admin duties such as newsletters, mail and organize publications, typing letters Updating website content Skills: Excellent communication and relational skills Attention to detail, strong organizational skills Good computer skills (and willingness to be trained) Ability to manage confidential information in appropriate manner   Please email resume to: info@cascadechristiancounselling.com 

The Banner: The June edition of the Banner is now available at the church. You can also access a copy online at The Banner.  To support the Banner's ongoing journalistic ministry, consider making a donation.  www.theBanner.org/Donate

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