Online Bulletin

Celebration Sunday: Join us as we celebrate each other and our Church Community at Willoughby! As we start a new ministry year, we want to celebrate you our church body!!! It's a time to get together and have some fun!! We'll be serving a pancake breakfast before the church service at 9:30am, with cake and games after! Hope to see you all there!!!  

Blood Donor Clinic: For the month of September we will be hosting a Blood Donor Clinic on Tuesday, September 23rd 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.

Garden Sharing Table: As summer winds down, there's still time to share the abundance from your garden! The Garden Sharing Table will continue through the October Thanksgiving weekend. So if your late-season fruits and veggies are still producing, your contributions are welcome!  Bring your extras to the table in the church’s front lobby on Sunday morning. 

Hearts Exchanged Learning Cohort:  October -May: This 8-month cohort, modeled on a transforming journey of reconciliation, equips participants to build respectful, neighbourly relationships with Indigenous communities. Contact Liz Tolkamp for more information. Online and in-person options available. A ministry of CRC-Canada. crcna.org/hearts-exchanged

Book Launch: The Invisibility of Religion in Contemporary Art - Please join us at 7 pm on Tuesday, October 7, as we celebrate the release of The Invisibility of Religion in Contemporary Art by Jonathan Anderson, Eugene and Jan Peterson Associate Professor of Theology and the Arts at Regent College. Jonathan will speak about his book, followed by a Q&A session and book signing. Books will be available for purchase through the Regent Bookstore. Please join us in the Regent College Chapel or connect online via rgnt.net/live.

"FAN INTO FLAME” MEN’S CONFERENCE : Registration is open for the 2025 Fan into Flame Men’s Conference on Oct 31-Nov 1 with Aaron Baart. In 2 Timothy 1:6-7, Paul urges Timothy to “fan into flame the gift of God”— a reminder that the fire doesn’t keep itself burning; it needs to be stirred, fed, and fueled. It is our hope that through this Men’s Conference, God’s Spirit would reignite our passion, lead us to step boldly into our calling and to strengthen us to stand firm in faith. Come for a time of meaningful teaching, heartfelt worship, and authentic connection with other brothers in faith to be encouraged and equipped to live out the calling as godly men. Visit newlifecrc.ca/fanintoflame to learn more and register. We hope to see you there!

Registration for the 3rd Annual BC Leadership Conference closes on Sept 13! This conference will be held at New Life CRC in Abbotsford, BC on Saturday, September 20. Eight Christian Reformed Churches in the Fraser Valley decided to pool funds and resources together to form one large conference for any and all interested churches. Our goal is to provide a well-planned conference to bless our elders and deacons, staff and ministry leaders. For this year's event, we have invited gifted leaders to teach us on important topics that include, but are not limited to: safe church, church governance, pastoral care, crucial conversations, missions, diaconal and mercy ministries, spiritual formation, and more. We are also excited to welcome Tim Sheridan as the General Session Speaker. Each participant will be able to choose from a variety of different breakouts based on interest, and their role within the church. Registration is only $25. Register at newlifecrc.ca/2025leadershipconference/.

Worship Conference: You’re invited to a special, one-day worship conference on Saturday October 4th at Langley Immanuel Christian Reformed Church! Join together with other worship leaders, volunteers, and worshipers for a special day of praise and learning shaped around the theme of bringing our entire selves into the presence of God. Sometimes we have heard the message that we must leave our cares and struggles, hardships and challenges, trials and doubts at the door when we enter worship - but what happens when we bring the whole of who we are into the presence of all of who God is? God calls all our inmost being to praise his holy name (Psalm 103:1). Part of that includes shining the light of worship on our fears, sorrows, and tears—along with our hopes, joys, and gratitude. For more information and to register click “Learn More”.

A Rocha: Summer Shindig in the Barn, September 20th @ 5pm - A Fun + Festive Fundraiser - Help us raise funds to renovate our historic yellow barn! Join us for an evening of delicious farm-fresh Hearty Appetizers + Beverages, both a Live + Online Auction, a Raffle, and a Concert by The Coveralls! The online auction will launch two-weeks before the event – these items will be highlighted during the Shindig, with bidding closing at midnight on September 20. 

Come ready to:

• Hear about some dreamy Nature Getaways for online bidding;
• Bid on a homemade Quilt, Half a Cow, or other farm items;
• Participate in our Raffle for locally grown items, like A Rocha Flowers or a Basket of Veggies.

Don some farm chic garb, and bonus if it includes a splash of yellow as a nod to the colour of the barn! To purchase tickets click here!!

DO YOU LOVE TO SING?: IF SO, THE LANGLEY FIRST CAPITAL CHORUS Invites you to attend our open rehearsals starting in September 2025 and discover the world of 4-part Acappella harmony. We’re looking for new members and our rehearsals are open to guests of all ages and genders, who might be interested in attending either as an observer, or, to participate by sitting in and singing with us to experience the joy that we share every time we sing together. Either way, we would welcome you to join us for an evening in a relaxed cordial environment and to share the fun. If you can carry a tune we can teach you the rest in a fun, inclusive and friendly atmosphere. We’d love to see you on Thursday evenings at 7:00pm, at Willoughby Church.

On October 25, M2W2 will host Raising Hope: A Night of Dignity and Belonging, our annual gala to support individuals transitioning from incarceration into new lives. These are men and women seeking restoration, healing, and connection, and this event makes that possible by providing funding for mentorship, housing support, and employment opportunities rooted in Christ-centred compassion.

Telecare Crisis & Caring Line seeks volunteers to support hurting people via phone and chat services. Training for this meaningful ministry begins September 18, 2025 online. For more information, go to Support Worker Training. 

Support Earthquake Survivors in Afghanistan - Thousands of families are still experiencing urgent need from the devastating 6.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Afghanistan on August 31, followed by multiple aftershocks across remote, mountainous regions in several eastern provinces. More than 2,200 lives have been lost, and entire villages have been levelled—leaving families without shelter as winter approaches. We pray for God’s comfort for grieving families, healing for the injured, and provision for those displaced. World Renew is responding to meet urgent needs among the most vulnerable. Please give generously at worldrenew.ca/afghanistan-earthquake or by calling 1-888-975-3769. Let us stand together to extend God's hope to families impacted by this disaster.

Hymn Text Contest - Calvin University will host an Anniversary Worship Celebration in honor of its 150th year on Sunday, March 29, 2026, at the Calvin University Covenant Fine Arts Center for community worship. You can help us celebrate by participating in our 150th  Anniversary Hymn Text Contest! The planning committee invites hymnwriters to submit a hymn text to be sung at the worship service; submissions must be sent via email by November 1, 2025. The winner of this contest will receive a $1,500 award. Find details at calvin.edu/150/hymn-contest

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

Church Renewal: Calling Project Sparks Hopeful Conversations Ministry leaders are calling churches to learn what they are passionate about and encourage them in ministry.

The Network: Four Pieces of Paper to Reduce Team Conflict Learn how to help your church team run more smoothly.

Mercy & Justice: Seeing God at Work in Uganda Ten World Renew supporters recently took part in a Discovery Tour in Uganda.

Thrive Faith Formation Tip - This week is Mission Emphasis Week in the Christian Reformed Church, a time to think about God’s mission to restore and renew his broken creation through Jesus Christ (see Rev. 21:1–4). It is also a time to renew our participation in that mission by supporting missionaries nearby and far away and by creating our own descriptions of God’s mission—a few sentences that describe what God is doing and why we are glad he’s doing it. Practice sharing your sentences with one another, and then look for opportunities to share them with others! Brought to you by Thrive: crcna.org/Thrive

Groundwork: Be A Disciple of Jesus Christ - Many Christians have questions about following Jesus. Join Groundwork as we study 1 Timothy 4:7-8, 1 Peter 2:2-5, and 1 Timothy 2:1-3 to help us define discipleship, understand what this means for the lives of his disciples today, and discover the importance of community on our journey. Listen now at GroundworkOnline.com and subscribe to Groundwork's weekly emails for future episodes.

The Banner: The September 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 donating. 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