Online Bulletin
Offering for weeks 3 & 4 of September:
The special offering for the third and fourth week of September is for the Willoughby Church Refugee Sponsorship Fund. Willoughby Church has successfully helped settle 13 families over the past 12 years. We are excited to announce the arrival of Ibrahim Mohammed who is arriving on October 2nd! Ibrahim is the nephew of one of the families we sponsored several years ago. We are also looking forward to welcoming two new families and another single man in the next few years. One of the families, currently in Kenya, is the wife and children of Richard Kambale, who attends this church!
The Refugee Sponsorship Team will present information about the sponsored individuals and families. As always, we are grateful for the generous support Willoughby Church has provided for refugees who are seeking a new, safe home country, and we pray for continued generosity.
You are invited to donate through the offering plate or click here to give through Tithley (Willoughby Refugee Sponsorship Fund)
Refugee Committee Request: The refugee committee is looking for furniture or house hold items for a single male we have sponsored who is arriving in October. If you have any household items that you would like to donate please contact Peter Roukema or Helen Vandenberg.
Request: Helen Agyemang, who has been attending our church for over a year, is in need of cash employment and is available for house cleaning. She is willing to do 'one time' cleans or on a regular basis. She relies on the bus for transportation but it's not impossible to work out other transportation possibilities if needed. If you, or someone you know, would like more information, please text or call Helen at 604-345-6815. Thanks!!!
Young Adults Dinner: The Young Adults would like to say thanks to the Church!! Join them on Monday, September 29th at 6:30pm for dinner and devotion. They will be hosting dinner for the church body to say thank you to everyone, especially the host families who have had them in their home over the last few years. Everyone is invited and if you are planning on attending, please use the link below to sign up for the event!
Thanksgiving Service: Come join us on Thanksgiving Monday, October 13th at 10am in the fellowship hall for a service of gratitude! There will be singing, a homily, and pumpkin pie after the service. Hope to see you all there!!! *As this service will be in the hall, it will not be livestreamed.*
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.
Christmas Decorators: We are looking for 5-7 people to help with decorating the church for the advent season (the more the merrier)!!! If you love Christmas and want to help the staff out this advent season, we'd love to have you help decorate the sanctuary and foyer. Please email, or talk to Tamara (tamara@willoughbychurch.com) or Jenna (jenna@willoughbychurch.com) if you are interested so we can co-ordinate a day and time for the whole group!!! Thanks, The Staff at Willoughby
Weekly Prayer: Starting on Tuesday, October 7, Pastor Jenna will be leading a prayer group that meets at 11:00am. Some days we will pray together in the Sanctuary for our church, and other times we will go out to walk the neighbourhood and pray for our neighbours and for our city. We will seek the Spirit's guidance! The approximate length of time is 30-45 minutes, but you are welcome to come for any length of time. If you're able, we would love to have you join us!
Short Term Community Groups: Book Study - Starting Friday, Oct. 17 Short Term Community Groups are back! This year we are inviting you into a book study on Pete Scazzero's book, "Emotionally Healthy Spirituality." Below is a synopsis of the book.
Pete Scazzero learned the hard way. You can't be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature. Though Scazzero was an experienced pastor of a growing church, his life and faith remained emotionally unhealthy. Like so many in the church, he routinely: avoided healthy conflict in the name of keeping the peace, ignored and suppressed emotions, used work for God as an excuse to run from God, and lived without limits. In this best selling book, Scazzero outline the top ten symptoms of emotionally unhealthy spirituality. He then unpacks core biblical principles to guide you into an experience of lasting, beneath-the-surface transformation in your relationship with Christ.
The group(s) will run every Friday evening from October 17 - December 5. If you are intersted in joining, please use this link to sign up.
Teach-It Tuesdays: The last Tuesday of every month!!! Starting Tuesday, October 28th! More information yet to come, but put the date on your calendar for October!
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
Stories in Song: Paraguay Comes to Canada! Stories in Song: Everyone is warmly invited to a concert featuring music, dance, and stories of God's faithfulness from students living in poverty-stricken neighbourhoods in Paraguay. This FREE CONCERT will be in Langley on Wednesday, October 1st at 7:00pm at the Willoughby Christian Reformed Church. No tickets required to attend and there will be a freewill offering to support Christ-centred education for children and youth in Latin America. For more information about the event, please contact Generation Rising at 204-415-6836 or online at www.genrising.org/events.
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”.
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!
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.
Strengthen your ministry's listening skills: On Oct 4, 2025, Telecare is hosting a morning workshop ideal for anyone in your church eager to sharpen their listening skills including pastors, youth leaders, grievance counselors, caregroup leaders, and the like. This professionally facilitated interactive workshop uses ideas, discussion, videos, activities, and roleplays to learn as a group. Register Here!
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:
Spiritual Disciplines: Online Prayer Vigil Offers Hope CRCNA leaders hosted a YouTube gathering to pray for the needs of immigrant churches.
Servant Leadership: Wildeboer to Lead Diaconal Ministries Canada Diaconal Ministries Canada has announced John Wildeboer as its next national director.
The Network: Caring for the Minister Find resources to help your church leaders support your pastor.
Thrive Faith Formation Tip - What do you think of when you hear the word “peace”? Let’s try this: Think of a person that you wouldn’t want to spend time with, and now try to think about them as an imagebearer of God rather than simply as someone who hurt you, is different from you, or whose perspective is different from yours. Pray for that person this week, and commit to sending them an encouraging message (see Rom. 12:14–21). This habit reflects the heart of God and makes you a peacemaker! Brought to you by Thrive: crcna.org/Thrive
Groundwork: Grow As A Disciple Of Jesus Christ - God provides his grace and the Holy Spirit for our discipleship journey. Join Groundwork as we study Ephesians 4:7-15, Colossians 2:6-22, and Hebrews 6:1-12 to find out what maturing disciples of Jesus understand and recognize the signs of dynamic discipleship in your own life. 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