Bulletin Announcements

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Libertas Male Choir Spring Concert - Join director Martin Mans, pianist Joyce Postmus, and organist André Knevel, and the Libertas Male Choir on April 14, 2023, at Drayton Reformed Church, Drayton, ON at 7.30 PM, or on April 15, 2023, at Covenant Canadian Reformed Church, Grassie, ON at 7.30 PM. Order tickets at www.libertasvoices.com or call 905-745-5609 or 905-522-0001. Also, save the date for Libertas and Urker Mans Formatie in concerts June 12-18, 2023.

Sing with Martin Mans and the Libertas Male Choir in 2023! - New for this year, join for the full year or, on a series only basis. Inquiries from new members are most welcome as we anticipate concerts on April 14 & April 15, 2023. Not to be missed, our June (12-17) concerts welcome the audience favourite, Urker Mans Formatie! Now is the time to join as a member; contact us at [email protected] or call 905-745-5609. Full rehearsal concert schedule: libertasvoices.com

1Life Learning Hub Conference w/ Andrew Root - Join us Friday, May 12 through Sunday, May 14 for a 1Life Learning Hub 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.

Inspirational Women's Conference - Ladies, you're invited to attend the Inspirational Women's Conference! The theme for this year is I Belong... Completely and Forever. In Christ, we belong (Romans 12:5). All women are welcome, and you're encouraged to share this with someone who is exploring the Christian faith. Mark your calendar on April 29th, 2023, 9:00am - 3:30pm (Eastern Time), at Compass Point Bible Church in Burlington, Ont. Registration is required. Lunch and refreshments are included. For more details about speakers and to register, go to www.inspirationalwomen.ca

ReFrame Ministries

Family Fire - is an online community exploring Spirit-led family, marriage, parenting, in-laws, blended families, and intimacy. Find encouraging articles and devotions at familyfire.com. Subscribe for regular email updates and connect with our Family Fire community on Facebook.

Kids Corner: Jesus Cried - Check out this week’s kids’ devotion at www.kidscorner.net. Through crying with his friend, Jesus set an example for us by showing empathy towards others. And by feeling for our friends, listening to them, and being with them, we can follow Jesus and show his love. Check out all the great content at kidscorner.net like the Bible Story Coloring Packet 6: The Miracle of Easter.

Family Fire - Family Fire is an online community exploring Spirit-led family, marriage, parenting, in-laws, blended families, and intimacy. Find encouraging articles and devotions at familyfire.com. Subscribe for regular email updates and connect with our Family Fire community on Facebook.

Kids Corner: Jesus' Palm Sunday - Check out this week’s kids’ devotion at www.kidscorner.net. How do you picture Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem? No marching band. No banners waving. Doesn’t sound like how Aladdin arrived in that popular Disney movie, does it? Check out all the great content at kidscorner.net like the Bible story podcast “Palm Sunday and the Arrest.”

Kids Corner: Easter: A New Beginning - Check out this week’s kids’ devotion at www.kidscorner.net. This week’s devotion explores the story of the Women at the Tomb. They were friends of Jesus who experienced deep sorrow when he died, but became the first people to share the good news of Jesus’ resurrection! Check out all the great content at kidscorner.net like the Bible story podcast “The Women at the Tomb.”

Kids Corner: Wow! Creation - Check out this week’s kids’ devotion at www.kidscorner.net. Think back on your day yesterday. Make a list of God’s creations you saw that brought you joy, and then thank God for them. Check out all the great content at kidscorner.net like the Bible story podcast “The Creation Story.”

Groundwork: Experiencing Palm Sunday with Jesus - During Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the crowds hailed him as king. Join Groundwork as we examine Matthew 21:1-9, Mark 11:11-17, Luke 19:41-44, and John 12:12-19 to discuss the meaning of Palm Sunday and observe Jesus’ actions and countenance as he experiences the events of that first Palm Sunday. Listen now at Groundworkonline.com and subscribe to Groundwork's weekly emails for future episodes.

Groundwork: Remembering Jesus' Sacrifice on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday - Christians around the world mark the events of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday with reflection and special worship services. Join Groundwork as we study John 13:34-35, Mark 15:1-15, and Matthew 27:45-50 to discuss the meaning of these holy days, re-examine our expectations, and reflect on Jesus Christ’s example. Listen now at GroundworkOnline.com and subscribe to Groundwork's weekly emails for future episodes.

Groundwork: The Anticipation of Holy Saturday and the Thrill of Easter Sunday - Holy Saturday is a day to reflect on Christ’s death before celebrating his resurrection on Easter Sunday. Join our Groundwork as we study John 19:38-20:23, Luke 23:55-24:47, and Matthew 28:16-20 to discuss the events of these holy days and remember again the unexpected, mind-blowing thrill of our salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Listen now at Groundworkonline.com and subscribe to Groundwork's weekly emails for future episodes.

World Renew

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 [email protected] if interested or with questions.

Join us for World Renew Sunday - More than 700 million people around the world live in extreme poverty (on less than $1.90 a day). Next week, World Renew and churches across the US will be partnering together to help build pathways out of poverty for the world’s vulnerable people. Visit worldrenew.net/world-renew-sunday to learn more and come prepared to give next week for World Renew Sunday.

Today is World Renew Sunday - Today, we will receive an offering to support the work of World Renew. World Renew comes alongside communities experiencing poverty, hunger, injustice, and violence to help build long-term pathways towards flourishing. We are excited to join in this work as a faithful response to the God who can accomplish abundantly more than all we ask or imagine. Thank you for giving as you are able to help end global poverty. You can also give online at worldrenew.net/world-renew-sunday

Thank you for supporting World Renew Sunday! - Thank you to everyone who made a donation in last week’s World Renew Sunday collection to help build pathways out of poverty. Together, we are coming alongside families so they can put food on their tables, build stable sources of income, access clean water, and find long-term flourishing. Your gift makes a big difference in achieving that goal. You can still learn more and give anytime at worldrenew.net/world-renew-sunday. Thank you!

Let’s Answer God’s Call to Welcome Strangers - Around the world there are over 27 million refugees – people who have been displaced by war, conflict, persecution, or violence. God calls us to welcome strangers and offer them shelter, food, and rest. On April 2nd – Refugee Sunday – World Renew celebrates the churches across Canada who have welcomed refugees into their communities through sponsorship. To learn more about sponsorship, view the video at: https://vimeo.com/695814671 or visit: worldrenew.ca/refugeesunday, then join World Renew on April 2nd and through your gifts become part of the story of answering God’s call to welcome strangers.

From Heartbreak to Hope: Changing Refugee Stories - Today is Refugee Sunday. As conflict, violence, and persecution drive people from their homelands in search of safety, many wander from country to country never finding welcome. Compelled by refugee families’ stories of heartbreak, churches across Canada open their hearts and share God’s love through sponsorship – offering refugees the opportunity to find safety and welcome here in Canada. Through your gifts to World Renew’s Refugee and Resettlement Sponsorship program you can help share God’s love and hope with refugees as they journey to rebuild their lives in Canada. Prayerfully consider giving to World Renew’s Refugee and Resettlement Sponsorship program. For more information, visit: worldrenew.ca/refugeesunday

Thank You For Participating in Refugee Sunday - As the injustices of conflict, war, and violence escalate around the world, worsening the refugee crisis, God’s call to welcome strangers rings out loud and clear. World Renew is grateful for your generosity that makes it possible for sponsorship groups to receive support as they go through the sponsorship process–support from World Renew’s Refugee Sponsorship and Resettlement team that helps ensure their applications are processed smoothly and in a timely way. You are part of the story of welcoming newcomers to Canada. Thank you! For more information, visit: worldrenew.ca/refugeesunday

World Renew Responds to Tropical Cyclone Freddy - Last weekend, Tropical Storm Freddy hit Malawi, Mozambique, and Madagascar, sweeping through some countries twice with wind and rain, causing landslides that destroyed roads, hospitals, and schools. World Renew has released emergency funds to provide blankets, food, and tarps to those who lost homes and loved ones. You can help families displaced by the storm. Please give online at worldrenew.net/cyclonefreddy, call 1-800-552-7972 to give by credit card, or mail your check made out to World Renew with “Tropical Cyclone Freddy” in the memo line to: World Renew, 8970 Byron Commerce Drive, Byron Center, Michigan 49315-7400.

Join World Renew in Sharing Hope with People Impacted by Cyclone Freddy - In early February, Cyclone Freddy developed over the Indian Ocean and made landfall in southern Africa three times. Freddy, the longest-lasting and most-travelled tropical cyclone ever recorded, brought torrential rains and high winds that resulted in landslides and flooding that claimed hundreds of lives and caused widespread damage across Malawi, Mozambique, and Madagascar. World Renew has released emergency funds to provide blankets, food, and tarps to people who have lost homes and loved ones. You can help families impacted by this disaster. Please give online at worldrenew.ca/cyclonefreddy, call 1- 888-975-3769, or mail your cheque, made out to World Renew with “Tropical Cyclone Freddy” in the memo line, to: World Renew, 3475 Mainway, PO Box 5070 STN LCD 1, Burlington, Ontario, L7R 3Y8.

Calvin University

Travel with Calvin University - Join Debra Freeberg and Gary Schmidt on a trip to the Stratford Festival in Ontario from May 22-25, 2023. The tour includes five theater performances, several pre- and post-show talks, and free time for exploring and shopping. See calvin.edu/go/travel for details.

CRC Communications

CRCNA US Director of Ministry Operations Position Opening - Are you an adaptive leader with experience managing a non-profit organization, business, or church? If so, please prayerfully consider if God is calling you to apply for the U.S. Director of Ministry Operations of the CRCNA in Grand Rapids, MI. This is a great opportunity to be a part of God's work in the church and the world by using your administrative skills to lead in an organization that serves a church that is increasingly ethnically and culturally diverse and has global impact. The ideal candidate would be someone who can calmly lead staff through a time of transition, cast a compelling vision for the future, and foster meaningful collaboration across teams to achieve ministry goals. If these executive leadership qualifications sound like you, visit www.crcna.ore/jobs for more details and to apply.

Diaconal Ministries Canada

NewGround (Diaconal Ministries Canada) - NewGround is a program that helps churches start or grow community ministries at the ground level, through grants, coaching, and resources. It helps churches discover the gifts and assets already present in their local community and opens their eyes to where God is already at work! Churches are also encouraged to explore the Deacon Scholarships and Youth Justice Project it offers. And don't forget NewGround Sunday is May 7th this year! Your generous donations help us grow God's Kingdom all across Canada. Find out more on how to get involved or donate on our website: diaconalministries.com/newground/

Bearing Fruit That Lasts - Was your church a former Operation Manna partner? Over the years, Diaconal Ministries Canada has helped over 100 churches in Canada love their community and the people in it by setting up healthy and sustainable community ministries. In 2019, Operation Manna became NewGround, to better reflect the mission of the program and to increase its impact. This year, NewGround Sunday is May 7th. Will you donate this year so that we can help even more churches discover God’s dreams for their local community? Learn more about NewGround and its initiatives by visiting Diaconal Ministries' website: diaconalministries.com/newground

Faith Formation, Worship

Even More Resources for Exploring Faith Practices through Intergenerational Worship and Church Gatherings - Want to try something new (and easy) at your church this summer? Last year we released resources for planning worship services, series, or gatherings on particular faith practices with people of all ages. This year we’ve added resources for six more practices! Learn more at crcna.org/FaithPracticesProject