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March Special Offering: The Special Offering for March is the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, right now, an estimated 828 million people struggle with chronic food insecurity due to conflict, climate and COVID-19.  More than ever, Christ's command to love our neighbour rings out loud and clear. In times of conflict and disaster, hunger becomes even more overwhelming.  Together, World Renew and the Foodgrains Bank assist communities with today's recovery, while laying the groundwork for tomorrow's security through vital agriculture and nutrition programs. Your gifts today can be matched up to 4X by the Foodgrains Bank!

Preteen Youth Night (Grades 4-7):  This Wednesday, March 8th @ 7:00pm here at the church.  A chance for our youth to get together and celebrate through games and bible study! 

Youth Group (Grades 8-12):  Here is the March Youth Group Schedule! 

  • March 5 - Bible Study with Will & Joanna @ Willoughby - 7 pm
  • March 12 - 20:20 @ Immanuel - 5:30pm
  • March 19 - Pizza & Bowling - 5-7pm - more details to follow
  • March 26 - NO YOUTH

Women's Bible Study: The following are all the sessions offered at the church for Women's Bible Study, please feel free to join any session at any time.  All are welcome!

  • Tuesday, March 7th at 10am, this study hosted by Grace is doing, Lesson 10 from the book Life Lessons from the Book of Mark by Max Lucado
  • Wednesday March 8th, at 7:00pm, focusing on the second chapter of Phillippians.  
  • Friday, March 10th, at 10:00 am, studying Colossians 3. 

Seniors: Come and join us for coffee on Thursday March 16th at 10 am as we enjoy a morning of fellowship and community together. This week Dr Bruce Griffioen will join us to talk about his work as a GP (General Practitioner) and share some helpful information with the group. Hope to see you all there & all are welcome!!

Spring Forward: A reminder that Daylight Saving Time begins on March 12th, 2023 and we are springing forward on hour!!!!  Please remember to set your clocks & don't be late for worship service on Sunday!!

Potluck Lunch: We will be getting together as a church and community with a potluck lunch of "Appies & Desserts" on Sunday, March 19th after the church service.  Please join us for a lunch of fingerfoods and desserts to go along with coffee. This will be a time for fellowship and to reconnect with your church community!! See you all there! Any questions, please reach out to Tamara at tamara@willoughbychurch.com

Blood Donor Clinic: On Tuesday March 14th, there will be a Blood Donor Clinic held in the church starting at 1pm. If you are able, please join in saving lives together by donating blood. Appointments are necessary and can be booked at blood.ca.

Coffee Break:  A Bible Study for women of all ages and stages of life and Story Hour for children, ages 3-5 continues at Langley Immanuel Church every Tuesday, with a study by Nancy Guthrie, “The Word of the Lord-Seeing Jesus in the Prophets”. Doors open at 9:15 a.m. You are welcome to come and join us for the first time!  We look forward to seeing all of you again!  For more details contact Elsa at coffeebreak@licrc.ca or Rose at coffeebreak@willoughbychurch.com 

Have you heard? Your voice matters! Our congregation has a once-in-five-year opportunity to participate in the 2023 CRC denominational survey. This survey helps denominational leadership understand the concerns and needs of local congregations like ours. It is crucial that as many people from our congregation as possible participate. Please visit crcna.org/survey/1059 to answer the survey questions by March 31.

The Power to Do Good: The Use & Misuse of Power in the Church: Everyone is invited to attend this workshop at either the BCSE or BCNW Classes meetings Mar 7 & 8. Abuse of Power by church leaders is all around us - communicated through both faith-based & mainstream media. All denominations live with the reality of the abuses of power – no church is immune. Come learn more about power in the church. Choose either Tues  Mar 7, 5:50 pm - 9 pm @ Langley Immanuel CRC  or Wed  Mar 8, 8:50 am - 12 noon @ Nelson Ave Community Church, Burnaby. REGISTER/Info  Click HERE   More Questions?  Email Faye@bcsafechurch.com *   A collaboration of the BC CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCHES, BC SAFE CHURCH MINISTRY & CRCNA SAFE CHURCH.    

Learning How to Grow Restorative Churches:  Mar 31 – April 1, 2023, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm  Willoughby Church.  This 2 day training will introduce participants to FaithCARE’s framework & vision for restorative congregations. Participants will learn how to design and facilitate proactive listening circles for a variety of topics and occasions, incorporate restorative practices into interpersonal relationships, ministry groups, congregational life & discernment, leadership meetings etc. Tools are given to help restore or make right where harm and wrong has occurred. The training supports churches to become restorative culture congregations which can help to both reduce & address conflict in healthy ways. More INFO & to REGISTER: Restorative Congregations BC  Registration is limited to 25 people 

Canadian National Gathering: The Christian Reformed Church in North America will be holding its Canadian National Gathering at Algonquin College in Ottawa on May 25-28, 2023. Classis BCSE has seven delegates planning to attend and there is room for another. This gathering will build on the Hearts Exchanged project that focused on the call to reconciliation and right relationships with Indigenous peoples. Participants will gather for worship, prayer, teaching, and circle-discernment on exchanging hearts and seeking faithfulness in Creator’s call to reconciliation. All of this will be done under Indigenous leadership. If you have an interest in attending, please contact Len Batterink, the Classis BCSE stated clerk (statedclerk.bcse@gmail.com), or the CRC office in Burlington (abowes@crcna.org).  

1Life Foundations Conference w/ Andrew Root  - Join us Friday, May 12 through Sunday, May 14 for a 1Life Conference w/ Andrew Root, Will there be Faith? Following Christ in a secular age. Author & cultural critic Andrew Root (Luther Seminary) and jazz musician Mark Glanville (Regent College) will unpack Jesus’ big question at the first ever 1Life Foundations conference at Fleetwood CRC in Surrey. For more info or to sign up, see crc1life.ca. Sign up for the whole conference or for single events.

Free Online CRC Leadership Training! - Register now to take the Thriving Essentials virtual training in March at no cost (limit 25 persons). The two, 2 hour-long evening Zoom sessions (March 21 + 28) can help get all church leaders on the same page concerning the key concepts of Mission, Discipleship, Discernment, and Leadership. Take the class for yourself, then decide if attendance would benefit your core church leadership. More info at: crcna.org/Thrive

Prayer Changes Things - We know prayer is powerful; it can change hearts, relationships, and circumstances. In the Prayer Guide you'll find daily items of thanks, praise, request, and lament that can remind you and your fellow church members that God is in control, and cares for his world and all people. Sign up or print PDF pages to share at crcna.org/get-involved/pray

Focus on the Cross - Lent is a season to focus on the hope of Jesus Christ. Receive a free Today devotional email series to help you refresh, refocus, and renew your faith during Lent. Or download the ebook! Subscribe at todaydevotional.com/lent.

1Life March Newsletter: 1Life exists to curate a curriculum of resources that equips individuals and congregations to become increasingly whole-hearted, vibrant communities of Christian worship, discipling & mission. Click here for the March newsletter.

Do Justice - Justice Prayers: Do Justice is a conversation space for justice in the Christian Reformed Church, from the Office of Social Justice. Justice Prayers is a weekly post addressing justice issues from around the world.  Click here to pray and read more!

CRC NEWS:

1. February Meeting Highlights: The COD met via video conference Feb. 15-17 and discussed Inspire, a new Resonate director, and more.  Click here for the full article.

2. Leading Through Change: Calvin Theological Seminary is offering a new leadership cohort designed to help people lead effectively through times of change.   Click here for the full article.

3. How the Church Communicates Love: If the person you are offering care to recognizes and trusts your intentions, they are likely to receive and respond.  Click here to help advocate.

Groundwork: Heavenly Visions to Encourage Our Faith - Seeing heaven’s perspective of the cosmic, spiritual battle between God and evil provided John comfort while he was exiled on the island of Patmos. Join Groundwork as we study Revelation 7-14 and discuss the meaning of the images and numbers in John’s famous heavenly visions and the comfort we can continue to find in the eternal truths those vision conveyed. Listen now at GroundworkOnline.com and subscribe to Groundwork's weekly emails for future episodes.

Lent At-home Faith Formation Tip - Many Christians practice giving something up for Lent in order to make more space for God. If you have kids in your household, think together about how you might make more space for God this week. For example, you might take a technology break each day and spend the time reading about Jesus’ life and ministry in The Jesus Storybook Bible or Growing in God’s Love: A Story Bible and talking about the stories together. (Tip from Faith Formation; bit.ly/CRCFaithFormation)

Summer Service Trips with World Renew DRS - Looking for ways to serve with your congregation or youth group this summer? Join World Renew DRS to repair homes after natural disasters all across the US and Canada! We have sites available in Washington, Kentucky, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, and more! Contact Chris, our Groups Program Manager, at cgibson@worldrenew.net if interested or with questions.

The Architecture of Prayer - The Center Art Gallery at Calvin University presents The Architecture of Prayer, a survey of church architecture exploring a selection of the most thoughtful liturgical projects of the 21st century. On display until April 7th, the exhibition showcases drawings and travel photography of historic church buildings in dialogue with new projects built after 1999—contributed by 40+ internationally-recognized practices and local firms. To explore the exhibition virtually, visit: https://bit.ly/arch_pray

Thankyou for your Gifts to Resonate Global Mission:

Dear friends at Willoughby Church,

Thank you for your faithful support for God’s mission!

As we consider the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023, I’m reminded of Jesus’ words from Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Thank you for taking those words to heart and living out your faith.

Jesus’ words came at a time of transition—it was the end of Jesus’ ministry on earth, but only the beginning for his disciples. Here we have Jesus’ promise to send the Spirit, and our instructions to live out his mission! Those instructions are for us, too, and Resonate is here to continue partnering with you as you join God’s mission in whatever way he calls you in the new year.

Right now, God is working through your support for Resonate missionaries, church planters, campus ministers, and other ministry leaders in your own community and to the ends of the earth. And in the coming year, even more people will come to know Jesus Christ and grow in their faith. Thank you for walking with them!

In Christ, Kevin DeRaaf, Acting Canada Director

Christian Stewardship Services seeks a full-time Consultant in BC. CSS has a tremendous opportunity for a people-oriented person with a passion for the Kingdom to join our team as a Stewardship Consultant in the lower mainland of British Columbia. Preference will be given to applicants with a client servicing and/or financial planning background, however, training will be provided to help develop skills specific to the position. Send Resume to lindad@csservices.ca. 

The Banner: The February 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