December 1st, 2024 News
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MOUNTAINVIEW NEWS
Join us Sunday morning at 10 am or anytime throughout the week. Pastor Erick Schuringa will begin our Advent Series “In The Fullness of Time” with the first message entitled “Blessed Through You”. He will be looking at the book of Genesis, chapter 12 verses 1-9.
For Advent we will look at a few spots in the genealogy of Jesus, starting with Abram. In just 9 verses, Genesis 12 summarizes how this man would go down in history as the father of nations who would be a blessing in the land. And he would do this by following promises faithfully, at least for the most part.
LET’S BUILD SOME COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS!
(Click on the pictures to go to related webpages, links or emails)
JOYFUL GIVING
Sunday's offerings are for our Ministry Promise (a.k.a. Budget) AND for...
UPCOMING OFFERING: December 8th A.M. – Grimsby Benevolent Fund: Your contribution will help provide people who are at a disadvantage to obtain food, clothing, and emergency assistance. GBF Community Services assists individuals and households in meeting their basic needs. Through our programs, we have been helping the Grimsby community in achieving self-sufficiency for more than 56 years. Please give generously to help those who are in need in your community.
Give a Gift Giving Tuesday - Giving Tuesday is on December 3rd! Your support on this day and beyond can help the CRCNA to equip CRC churches to grow gifts of spiritual disciplines, empower a new generation of leaders, foster hospitality among diverse groups of people, and share the gospel all across our country. Your gifts give extra horsepower to areas where God is already at work. Donate now: crcna.org/canada/giving-tuesday
Canada Post Strike - With the holiday season upon us and the Canada Post strike affecting mail delivery, we want to make it easy for you to support your favourite ministries! You can still make your year-end gifts quickly and securely online at crcna.org, by calling us at 888-827-5272, or through The Bridge App. If your donation was sent in the mail during the strike, we will confirm its receipt as soon as we can after the strike is over. Strike or no strike, your support makes all the difference for our ministries —thank you for making this season one of hope and generosity!
Help us Make Double the Impact with Rose City Kids We are excited to announce our $200,000 match campaign. It 2X the support for the 700 children and youth God has placed in our lives to serve. At RCK, we believe in sharing the love of Jesus with each child who walks through our doors. With your help, we can keep providing a safe place where kids experience God's love, and grow in hope for a brighter future. Campaign Nov 1- Dec 31, 2024. Questions? Contact Barb Donker (905-788-9800) or office@rosecitykids.com/www.rosecitykids.com.
Other…
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
& OPPORTUNITIES
A few devotional options and preparatory activities for the Advent Season:
CRC Network: Advent Resources Round-up
Thrive: Colab of World Renew, Resonate, and CRCNA Social Justice -sign up here for Advent Justice-based devotions 2024 (previous years are also here).
Indwell - has again developed a series of five Advent devotionals — this year they're written from the unique perspectives of 5 Indwell staff! Sign up now at indwell.ca/advent.
Canadian Bible Society: 2,000+ years ago, a Baby born in a manger brought hope to the shepherds, reminding them that God had revealed Himself through Christ. Today, in the midst of life’s challenges, that same hope, peace, joy, and love are available to us. This Advent, join us on a journey of waiting for His presence to transform our lives and discovering the gifts of the season. LEARN MORE
Right Now Media has Advent (& Christmas) Studies and devotionals for adults, kids and families. Check out our Mountainview Page for some ideas or search under “Advent” and “Christmas”.
SOCO Beach Project Update: Recruitment has begun for SOCO 2025. If you are a young adult between 18 - 29, check out this summer opportunity (May - August) to deepen your faith and live in intentional Christian community, all while having a summer job in beautiful Port Dover. Check out this week's newsletter, celebrating God's faithfulness to young adults through SOCO. Be part of this ministry with a year end gift! https://mailchi.mp/southcoastbeachproject/soco-update-november-21-8565954
The Young Adult Winter Retreat (YAWR) is back again at Maranatha CRC, Woodstock! We encourage all young adults ages 18-30 to join us for this weekend of faith-based discussions, service, fellowship, and funtivities! Pastor Stephen Terpstra (First CRC Iowa) will be leading us in a series of discussions on engaging community. Date: January 24-26, 2025, Theme: Engage. Early bird registration: $60. Grow in faith, build lasting connections, and have fun! Follow us: Instagram (yawinterretreat) or Facebook (Young Adult Winter Retreat). Email: ya.retreat.team@gmail.com. Register at: https://forms.gle/pz9Bw8ReB1mg3Djm6 (Reg. opens Dec 1st).
Great Lakes Christian High School invites you to join us! We have a Musical Production “Cinderella” on Friday Dec 6th 7 pm and Saturday Dec 7th 2&7 pm
Join us as the newly formed Coram Deo Choir will be presenting their inaugural Christmas Concert entitled "On this Still Night." Concerts will be held at the Heritage Reformed Congregation, Jordan, on Friday Dec 6 at 7:30pm, and the Hamilton Free Reformed Church, on Saturday, Dec 7th at 7:30pm. Tickets will be available Nov 20 at 7pm and can be purchased through our website at coramdeochoir.ca.
Celebrating our Expansion! Open House – Refreshments & BBQ: Saturday, December 7, 10am – 2 pm. is inviting you to join us in celebrating the completion of our new expansion. Due to the prayers, financial support, and volunteers of our community, we were able to undertake this project. Thanks for your incredible support! We hope to meet many of you as we celebrate our ability to bless more people with the gift of food.
On Friday December 13 at 7:30pm and Sunday December 15 at 3pm — the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra and the Bach Elgar Choir come together for Handel's monumental work Messiah, led by HPO Music Director James Kahane as Conductor at St. Catherine of Sienna Church on the mountain. This performance promises to uplift and delight audiences during the festive season. Tickets can be purchased at HPO.org. Tickets can also be purchased directly here: https://www.hpo.org/handels-messiah-2024/
Dutch Christmas Hymn Sing – Immanuel CRC and Grace Community CRC invite you to a Nederlandse KERST SAMENZANG held on Sunday Dec. 15th at 3pm at Grace Community CRC, Ancaster. Put it in your calendar, and plan to join! The hymn sing will also be live-streamed. For more information contact John VanderLaan at 905-648-3170 or Femke Visser-Elenbaas at visser.elenbaas@gmail.com.
A Unique Mission Trip for Teenagers - Join a group of teenagers from multiple countries on a trip across three Central American countries (Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Guatemala) to learn more about these countries' histories and learn how local ministry leaders are working to meet the needs of communities in difficult realities. This is a great opportunity to grow in your faith and understanding of mission! Learn more and apply online at www.resonateglobalmission.org/encounter
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
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: Jesus: Our Wonderful Counselor - The prophet Isaiah calls the coming Messiah a "Wonderful Counselor.” Join Groundwork as we explore Isaiah 9:6, Proverbs 1:1-7, 1 Corinthians 1:18-24, and Colossians 1:15-19 to discover what this title communicates to us about Jesus and its connection to the biblical wisdom tradition. Listen now at GroundworkOnline.com and subscribe to Groundwork's weekly emails for future episodes.
Kids Corner: Advent Week 1: The Prophecy - Check out this week’s kids’ devotion at www.kidscorner.net/. During this Advent season, we can remember God’s faithfulness and our hope in Jesus, our Lord. Think of the names of Jesus in Isaiah 9:6: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. How do these names bring us hope? How do they express God’s faithfulness? Check out all the great content at kidscorner.net, like the Bible Story Podcast The Story of the Prophets.
Thrive Faith Formation Tip - Advent is a season of waiting. We wait expectantly for the birth of Christ, and we wait with hope for his coming again. Yet this season is often marked by hurried consumerism and overfilled calendars. How might you practice “waiting” in new ways this Advent season? Brought to you by Thrive: crcna.org/Thrive
Introducing The Postma Post! - Stay connected with Al Postma, ED of the CRCNA in Canada, as he shares updates, reflections, and key highlights about the incredible work God is doing in our communities. Through this new email, you’ll receive updates like highlights from the Canadian Board meetings and insights into our strategic goals—delivered right to your inbox. Sign up today: crcna.org/canada/postma-post
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
Shalom 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.
Sunday Service Volunteers/ Accompanist needed for 2025! Meaningful worship opportunities are important to our residents and us! Our residents love to make a joyful noise unto the Lord and we are in need of accompanists to assist them for Sunday Services / Wed. am sing songs. Can you accompany on either the piano or organ, or help with ushering residents to these services? If so, it would be very appreciated. Please contact Brooke at volunteercoord@shalommanor.ca or at 905-945-9631, ext. 1115.
We're Hiring! Canada Global Coffee Break Representative - The successful candidate will promote and support the Global Coffee Break Program and Resonate Core Initiatives in churches and organizations by connecting leaders to a learning community, training, leader care, and coaching. This position is part-time remote, with an expectation to work 18 hours/week. Apply at crcna.pinpointhq.com