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MOUNTAINVIEW NEWS
Join us Friday evening at 7 pm or anytime throughout the week. We will have a Tenebrae service “a service of shadows” focussed on Isaiah 53. During the service we will celebrate the Lord’s Supper.
On Good Friday, we gather to remember and feel the depth of suffering that Jesus experienced on the journey to and on the cross. This year we focus on how Jesus was rejected by us. We pay attention to our painful part in that and to his incredible love.
Join us Sunday morning at 10 am for our Easter Celebration Service with Pastor Erick Schuringa. (or watch online anytime throughout the week) He will be looking at the book of Matthew chapter 28 verses 1-10 .
Easter is our celebration of newness, life, restoration and hope. We gather to sing praise, share testimony and pay attention to all the ways God is bringing new life among us. As part of our service of celebration we will witness the sacrament of Baptism with the Schmidt familiey and celebrate Holy Communion.
LET’S BUILD SOME COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS!
(Click on the pictures to go to related webpages, links or emails)
JOYFUL GIVING
Good Fridays's offerings are for our Ministry Promise (a.k.a. Budget) AND for...
Easter Sunday’s offerings are for our Ministry Promise (a.k.a. Budget) AND for...
Upcoming Offering:
UPCOMING OFFERINGS: April 27th A.M. – New Ground (Diaconal Ministries Canada-DMC) - NewGround has been impacting communities for more than 35 years. God is always at work and calls churches to follow Him into their communities to share Christ’s transformational love with each and every person. Cities and neighbourhoods should be impacted and blessed through the social action and thoughtful cultural engagement of local Christians. The NewGround program of DMC partners with deacons and churches to break new missional ground, nurturing Spirit-led ideas into healthy ministries that bear everlasting fruit; assisting churches in areas like leadership development, fundraising, strategic planning and more. When you give, it’s about the people in your community who will be reached through your gift.
Give the Gift of Hope this Easter - As we think about the sacrifice of Jesus’ death on the cross and the hope of his resurrection, let us consider how we can be a part of God’s promise to restore creation. In some cultures, disasters cause people to ask whether they might be a punishment from God. At World Renew, we see a crisis as an opportunity to unite as God’s people and share God’s hope and love. When we respond with mercy, we make room for God to use us to reconcile lives. The people of Myanmar continue to struggle to access food, water, and other essentials following the devastating earthquakes of March 28. Please give generously to World Renew’s Myanmar Earthquake Response Fund and help share the unimaginable love of God. To give, visit worldrenew.ca/earthquake or call 1-888-WRLD-RNW.
The Annual Banner Appeal is underway! - The 2025 appeal for The Banner, the CRC’s award-winning monthly magazine, has started. The Banner is delivered free in print and online, and this annual donation appeal makes it possible. To help keep this community conversation going please give online now at: TheBanner.org/Give
Other…
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
& OPPORTUNITIES
On April 26th the Cairn Christian School Board of Directors is hosting our annual Gala dinner! Join us in person for an evening of musical entertainment, delicious chef-prepared food, & a silent auction OR pick up a prepared meal to enjoy at home— all in support of Christian education! To reserve or order, visit https://bit.ly/CairnDinner2025
SOCO Beach Project Update:
We've hit over 35% for our ‘Light the Way’ new monthly donor campaign - and you can be part of it! Read about the exciting retreats being hosted at the SOCO house. And come out on Saturday, April 26 to help with the SOCO Spring Clean up. Read all about it in this week's newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/southcoastbeachproject/soco-update-april-17-8568805
On April 29 at 7pm, Grimsby Life Centre will be holding a free community information session about substance use and its impacts. This session is suitable for highschool-aged teens and their parents. You will learn about common substances in this region, how to navigate social pressures and tools for holding tough conversations. Where? Living Light Canadian Reformed Church. For more information, please call the office at 905 309 0944. We hope to see you there!
St. John's Presbyterian Church in Grimsby will be hosting a May Speaker Series geared towards Seniors in our Community and led by our Seniors Ministry Coordinator, Rev. Maria Lallouet. Each Wednesday in May we will host a special guest speaker on various topics that include, Fraud (Bank Manager and Police), Fire Prevention and Safety, Falls in the home and prevention. This free event is open to the general public. We invite you to join us! Speaker timing: 10:30am-12:00pm in Memory Hall.
March for Life: Choose Life Niagara invites high school and post-secondary students to join us on our annual March for Life trip to Ottawa! Leaving Vineland Carpool at 5:00 am Thursday, May 8 and return at 9:30 pm Friday, May 9. Cost is $120 and includes the National March, the Youth Conference, the Rose Dinner, accomodations, and coach bus. Register at chooselife.ca/events OR email info@chooselife.ca.
CORAM DEO CHOIR: Join us for our Spring Concert entitled "He Has Made All Things New." Where? Heritage Reformed Congregation, Jordan Station on Friday May 9th @7:30, and at Maranatha Free Reformed Church, Hamilton on Saturday, May 10th @7:30. Tickets can be purchased through our website https://www.coramdeochoir.ca/tickets. We look forward to seeing you there!
Feeling overwhelmed with anxiety, stress or loneliness? Want to talk to one of our psychotherapists or counsellors? We are here to help ! Please call 905.309.0944. We will be answering the phones Monday - Friday daily between 9am – 4pm. Sessions typically run about an hour. All of our services are free and confidential. Sometimes we all need help!
Has ALCOHOL OR DRUGS taken over your or a loved one’s life? Family Outreach Ontario can help. There are literally thousands of Christian recovering addicts out there… you may be sitting beside one in church next Sunday. Confidentiality guaranteed. Visit our web site for more info at www.familyoutreachontario.com, contact us at 905-933-3994, or e-mail us at info@familyoutreachontario.com.
NEWSLETTERS FROM OUR MINISTRY PARTNERS
Links are available on our website under
“Community Connections” - “Partnerships”
Paper copies can be requested from the church office.
DENOMINATIONAL NEWS
The Classis Niagara Ministry Leadership Team invites students intending to go into ordained ministry in the CRC to apply for financial support after their undergraduate studies are completed and after they qualify for entry at Calvin Seminary or a comparable institution recognized by Classis. Applicants need to receive endorsement from their home church. Contact Pastor Mike Vandyk (mike.vandyk@gracecrc.ca) for an application form and funding criteria. (Deadline May 31, 2025).
40 Days of Prayer for Synod - You’re invited into 40 days of intentional, guided prayer leading up to Synod 2025. The theme, Journey With Jesus, has been engaged with by a wide variety of CRC contributors. Learn more and sign up for either daily Scripture and prayers OR a week’s worth of Scripture and prayers that will be emailed to you. crcna.org/synod/prayer
Pre-Synod Prayer Gatherings - Synod 2025 will be held June 13-19 at Redeemer University in Ancaster. In preparation for synod, on Wed., June 11, there will be a Pre-Synod Prayer Gathering at Grace CRC in Ancaster 9am - 5pm to spend time in worship, and intercession all those who will be participating at Synod. Lunch will be provided with registration. From 7-8:30pm, there will also be a Synod prayer service that is open to all. On June 12, 9-11 am, there will be a prayer walk starting on the floor of Synod and then throughout Redeemer's campus. Learn more and register at crcna.org/synod/prayer
ReFrame Ministries Provides Devotions, Podcasts, and Blogs - Start a new Biblical habit with resources from ReFrame Ministries. DEVOTIONS including the Today devotional offer short daily meditations and scripture. Kids Corner includes devotions, especially for children and guardians. PODCASTS help you dig into scripture with Groundwork, explore pop culture and Christianity with Think Christian, or energize your church communications with Church Juice. BLOGS offering spiritual advice for parenting, dating, and more are available in new posts from Family Fire. Learn more about the spiritual habit of praying with ReFrame’s prayer ministry.
Groundwork: Easter: Jesus is Risen! - Christians around the world celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter. Join our Groundwork conversation as we study the story of Jesus’ resurrection in Mark 16:1-8, Matthew 28:1-10, Luke 24:1-12, and John 20:1-10 to grow in faith by remembering and celebrating Christ’s victory over death, and to see how we’re invited to participate in telling the gospel story again. Listen now at GroundworkOnline.com and subscribe to Groundwork's weekly emails for future episodes.
Kids Corner: Good News at Easter - Check out this week’s kids’ devotion “Good News at Easter” www.kidscorner.net. Just like we know the voice of someone we love, Mary Magdalene knew it was Jesus when he called her name outside the empty tomb on Easter morning. That special moment changed everything for her! It reminds us to share the amazing news that Jesus is alive and loves us so much. Check out kidscorner.net, and KC’s Lent and Easter Collection.
Abuse Awareness Sunday - April 27 - Next week, Thrive invites our church to imagine a more holistic approach to nurturing a safe and healthy church community where abuse itself becomes unthinkable and where survivors feel supported and safe. In preparation, learn more about Thrive's work toward safer churches and consider giving to this valuable ministry that empowers all CRCs at their website: crcna.org/SafeChurch.
The Classis Niagara Ministry Leadership Team invites students intending to go into ordained ministry in the CRC to apply for financial support after their undergraduate studies are completed and after they qualify for entry at Calvin Seminary or a comparable institution recognized by Classis. Applicants need endorsement from their home church. Contact Pastor Mike Vandyk (mike.vandyk@gracecrc.ca) for an application form and funding criteria. (Deadline May 31, 2025).
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.
JOBS AND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Cairn Christian School/Smithville Christian High School are looking for a bus driver for our St. Catharines to Smithville High School express route, effective May 12. If you have your 'B' class licence or know someone who does and would love to drive for our schools either for a few weeks to end the school year or to continue on a more regular basis in September, please contact Kevin Huinink 519-546-9159 or khuinink@cairnchristianschool.ca
Board Member Needed - Do you: Like having your voice heard on important issues? Like collaborating with other like-minded individuals to bring positive change to the local church through the ministry of the deacons? Have time to volunteer to help deacons across Canada flourish? Then become a Diaconal Ministries Canada Board Member for your local classis! Email our Board Chair today to find out more: Peter VanHarmelen, pvanharmelen@gmail.com.
Treasurer Needed: Classis Niagara is seeking an individual to serve in the role of Treasurer. This is a part-time position that comes with a $6500 stipend. Familiarity with QuickBooks is essential. Ideally the individual will have some experience with bookkeeping work for non-profit organizations, however this is not a prerequisite. The workload fluctuates around the meetings held in February, May and October, along with additional year-end responsibilities. If you would like more information of what is involved or to apply, please reach out to our current treasurer, Diane Zantingh, treasurer.niagara@gmail.com, or call 905-975-6630.
Join EduDeo’s team as the Communications Specialist. Visit https://edudeo.com/careers for more info. Applications are due on April 27, 2025. About us: EduDeo Ministries believes education rooted in the Gospel is the best way to bring about whole-life transformation for children and their communities. We exist to advance Christ-centred education for children in the majority world.
We Are hiring at Shalom! Working at Shalom is a great opportunity to share your gifts and talents in a wonderful workplace and to become involved in the community! We take pride in offering the best possible care and making Shalom home for our residents. Become part of the team! We are always accepting resumes for potential future hiring.