December 22nd 2024 News
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MOUNTAINVIEW NEWS
Join us Sunday morning at 10 am or anytime throughout the week. The focus of this Sunday’s service will the drama “In the Fullness of Time”
"In the Fullness of Time" invites us to feel what it is like to wait and wonder. Children struggle with patience as captured in the repeated line "is it time yet?" A family is waiting to celebrate Christmas with the opening of presents, so to help fill the time, they tell Bible stories about waiting: Noah waiting to get out of the ark; Abraham and Sarah waiting for a promised child; the people of Israel waiting for their desert journey to be over. Finally, it is time to open the presents --- but the surprising gifts lead to yet another story of hope. -ES
Tuesday, December 24th
Join us Tuesday evening at 6:30 pm for our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service.
We will walk through a retelling of the Christmas Story from the Children’s Storybook bible in a service of readings and Song.
Wednesday, December 25th
Join us Christmas Day at 10 am (or anytime throughout the week.) Pastor Erick will share a message concluding “The Fullness of Time” series. He’ll be focusing on Matthew chapter 1 verses 19-25.
This year we celebrate the birth of Jesus in the fullness of time. Matthew's version of the story picks up themes from the Old Testament and gives hints of themes that will carry through the Gospel. As we remember the moment of Jesus' birth, we also see how he is the fullness for all times.
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 Offerings:
December 24th A.M. – Grimsby Life Centre is a ministry that is committed to providing help for the physical, social, and mental well-being of those in crisis. This loving care is demonstrated through on-going counseling, support and care. All services are free and confidential, and we depend solely on donations from individuals, churches, businesses, and fund-raising events. Thank-you for your support and prayers.
December 25th A.M. – World Renew – The Gift of Christmas: Jesus Christ is Born! - As we exchange gifts at Christmas, we celebrate Jesus, God’s great gift to us. Will you add someone in need to your Christmas giving today? Your financial gift to World Renew helps people around the world who live in poverty improve their lives and find a home for their heart in Jesus. Please give generously in today’s offering for World Renew, go to worldrenew.ca/gifts or call 1-888-975-3769. Your Mountainview Deacons invite you to join the 2024 Giving Tree Project from World Renew! (Tree and gift catalogues in the foyer).
Choose an ornament from the Giving Tree or online at worldrenew.ca/gifts
Complete the order form at the back of the gift catalogue OR give online at worldrenew.ca/gifts
Place cheque/cash and card/form in offering vase OR give online at worldrenew.ca/gifts
December 29th A.M. –The Village Church (Thorold): Thank you for your partnership in the gospel! What we are excited to share about is our dinner church ministry. It began three years ago in a small, well-equipped garage apartment in St. Catharines. Leah DeVos, a former overseas missionary, was inspired to use her gift of hospitality to bless others and share the love of Christ. She started by inviting international students into her home on Friday evenings for meals, games, and devotional discussions. These gatherings attracted 6-16 students from various cultural and religious backgrounds, creating a space for meaningful community and spiritual conversations. As of the end of 2024 there are now 8 dinner churches throughout Niagara that we get to resource. The mission of this ministry is to equip a movement of churches and individuals to share the love of Christ over a meal in their communities (www.niagaradinnerchurch.ca). God is at work at The Village and at Mountainview in unique ways. Stay steadfast in your calling, and trust that He will continue to provide and lead as you share His life-changing message this Christmas! Let’s celebrate His faithfulness together and look forward to all He will do in the year ahead! - Pastor Mark
Canada Post Strike - With the holiday season upon us and the recent 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.
From Grimsby Life Centre Ministries - We wish to express our heartfelt thanks for the incredible generosity we receive from our community year over year. Your support makes such a difference in the lives of those we serve at GLC. Due to the Canada Post strike, to help ensure your donation reaches us, we can arrange a pickup to send a year end financial contribution to our ministry. You can also donate via e-transfer. Visit: www.grimsbylife.org. Please don’t hesitate to call us at 905-309-0944. Thank you again for standing with us and making our work possible! We wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Cairn Christian School staff and students want to wish you a blessed Christmas celebrating Christ's birth! Thank you for your prayers, donations, and support in 2024! As we near the end of the calendar year, amidst a postal service disruption, we continue to rely on your support to achieve our mission. To see more about how God is working in our schools daily and opportunities to help make Christian Education affordable and accessible, see our latest Compass Newsletter. https://simplebooklet.com/thecairncompassfall2024
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 (Christian Discipleship & Summer Experience for Young Adults): Applications for SOCO Summer 2025 are OPEN! 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. Applications are open - deadline for first consideration is January 15. Check out the latest newsletter and be part of this ministry with a year end gift! Link: https://mailchi.mp/southcoastbeachproject/soco-update-december-19-8566565
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).
Is there a charity close to your heart that you would love to see thrive for years to come? Christian Stewardship Services is hosting open Q&A sessions every week this winter to answer all of your questions on charitable giving and estate planning. Explore topics or register at : https://csservices.ca/winter-conversations-2025/
Each session will have a 10 minute introduction, then an interactive Q&A on any charitable giving and estate planning questions. The first four topics are: Multiplying your Gift, Pets, Life Insurance, adding a Charity Child, and Cryptocurrency.
Journey with World Renew in 2025! - World Renew offers global engagement journeys to educate and equip Canadians about the story of poverty. Plan to join us in the new year to experience World Renew firsthand. Opportunities include Discovery Tours to Honduras, Uganda, and Cambodia, as well as the Guatemala Christian Leaders Tour and Nicaragua Young Adults Trip. Visit worldrenew.ca/volunteer for trip dates and register today!
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
The January Series - The January Series of Calvin University returns January 20 through January 31. From Paralympians to historians, adventurers, and innovators, we have a topic for you to deepen your curiosity. Join us in the Covenant Fine Arts Center on campus or online. Information can be found at www.calvin.edu/january-series
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 Prince of Peace - As we celebrate Christmas, join Groundwork as we study Isaiah 9:6, Psalm 137, Isaiah 49:6, Isaiah 53:4-12, Ephesians 2:14-19, and Luke 2:1-21 to discover the deep and meaningful shalom Jesus brought to us in his birth, that he promises to establish permanently when he returns, and how we can be his agents of peace in our world here and now. Listen now at GroundworkOnline.com and subscribe to Groundwork's weekly emails for future episodes.
Kids Corner: Advent Week 4: The Blessing -The Servant - Check out this week’s kids’ devotion at www.kidscorner.net/. We cannot repay God for his love. What we can do is give his love to others and bless those around us the same way God blesses us. Christ is the ultimate blessing, and when we receive him, it’s not something we keep to ourselves. As God's children, he wants us to share the good news of Jesus's birth, death, and resurrection with others. Check out all the great content at kidscorner.net, like the Bible Story Podcast The Story of the Shepherds.
Thrive Faith Formation Tip - For you Jesus Christ came into the world: for you he lived and showed God's love; for you he suffered the darkness of Calvary and cried at the last, “It is finished”; for you he triumphed over death and rose in newness of life; for you he ascended to reign at God’s right hand. All this he did for you, though you do not know it yet. And so the word of Scripture is fulfilled: “We love because God loved us first.” –Adapted from the French Reformed Church liturgy During this week of Christmas, tell the familiar story of the birth of our Savior with the hope of hearing it in new and beautiful ways, remembering Christ’s incarnation and birth for YOU. 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
Stories & Strategies: Strengthening the CRC in Canada - Are you interested in learning more about ministry happening in CRC churches? Join the Canadian Ministry Board for stories (and best practice learnings from those experiences) and how they might be applicable to your local church context. We look forward to discussing these ideas with you alongside other church members & leaders. Join us virtually on January 25, 2025 (11am-1pm ET). More at crcna.org/Canada
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.
Position Opening: NewGround Coordinator - Through its NewGround program, Diaconal Ministries Canada (DMC) partners with deacons and churches, offering grants, coaching, and other resources to help them start or grow a local community ministry. Overall, its mission is to help churches build strong connections with their local communities, offering practical and spiritual support to the marginalized and under-served populations. We are currently seeking a part-time NewGround Coordinator (18 hrs/week) who will provide ongoing development and administration for this vital program. To read the full job description, visit DMC's website now: www.diaconalministries.com/our-team/careers-opportunities