April 13th, 2025 News
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MOUNTAINVIEW NEWS
Join us Sunday morning at 10 am or anytime throughout the week. Pastor Erick Schuringa present the 6th message in our Lent Series “Come to the Living Rock” entitled “Living Stones” He will be looking at passages from Luke 19:28-44; 1 Peter 2:4-10
Palm Sunday connects with our Lent rock theme. Jesus talks about stones crying out and temple stones dissembled. In 1 Peter we hear of living stones assembling to praise God.
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 Bulter-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
Sunday's offerings are for our Ministry Promise (a.k.a. Budget) AND for...
Upcoming Offerings:
April 18th A.M. – Good Friday – Bible League Canada: All Peoples. Everywhere. Transformed By the living Word of God. Through our various ministry programs led by local champions, we continue to see evidence of God’s transforming power in amazing ways. It’s local champions who can best understand and love their local communities. The bibles you send equip these champions to continuously work in nearly 50 countries around the world to provide Scriptures and training so that people prepared by the Holy Spirit will be brought into relationship with Christ and His Church.
April 20th A.M. – Easter Sunday – Resonate Global Mission: He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! This centuries-old greeting proclaims the foundation of our faith, that we serve a risen savior. This message of Christ's resurrection was proclaimed by the apostles and the church worldwide today. Proclaiming this good news is at the heart of our faith and Resonate's mission work around the world. These resources remind us of the declaration that we are all called to make on Easter and every other day of our lives.
A Special Opportunity on Mission with the Christian Reformed Church - Don’t miss out on an opportunity to double your gift to God’s mission! Resonate Global Mission is your Christian Reformed Mission agency, working together across our denomination to help your church spread the gospel. This Easter season, you can help provide hope and transform lives—and double your gift—by giving to our special campaign at www.resonateglobalmission.org/Double. Please ensure your gift is designated “Where Most Needed” to mark it for this matching campaign (for gifts made via check/cheque please write 801210 on the memo line).
World Renew is working with our partners and network peers in Asia to share Christ's hope with survivors of the recent earthquakes in Myanmar. For families displaced by this disaster, and living in the open, the situation has been made more dire by the onset of heavy rains. Your gifts will help us to provide food, shelter, medical support, clean water, and other essentials to the most vulnerable families impacted by this crisis. Please give generously at worldrenew.ca/earthquake or call 1-888-WRLD-RNW.
Journey with World Renew in Uganda! - Join the World Renew Uganda Discovery Tour from August 9–19, 2025, and experience the transformative power of God firsthand. Visit communities focused on maternal and child health, food security, and conservation agriculture. Connect with youth empowerment clubs and village savings groups, witnessing how lives are being changed for a brighter future. Experience the breathtaking Murchison Falls, embark on an exciting safari adventure, and immerse yourself in the incredible beauty of Uganda. For more information and to register, visit: https://bit.ly/2025ugandainfo
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
SOCO Beach Project Update:
We are making some progress to light up the Lighthouse in our new monthly donor campaign - and you can be part of it! Help out with a spring clean up at the SOCO house on April 26. And if you are a young adult between 18-29, there's still time to consider 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. For more information: www.southcoastbeachproject.org. Read all about it in this week's newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/southcoastbeachproject/soco-update-april-10-8568536
LAST CALL for the annual combined concert of the Hosanna Choir & Mattaniah Choir at FirstOntario Concert Hall, Hamilton on Saturday, April 19 at 7:30pm. The choirs will be accompanied by Ryan Vandenberg (Organ), Andre Knevel (Organ), and Naomi Noorduyn (Piano) and the 16-piece Scott Harrison String/Brass/Percussion Ensemble. Tickets are $25 & $35. via www.hosanna-choir.org, a choir member, or Wendy den Hollander at 905-628-1211 or at hdenhollander@yahoo.com.
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
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!
Get ready for an exciting spring at Countryside Camp and Camp Shalom! From April to June, we have an exciting lineup of events you won’t want to miss:
1) Lifeguard and First-Aid Training: We are hosting a variety of first aid, lifeguard training, and swimming lessons this spring right out of our Camp pool. Space is limited so register today at https://ontariochristiancamp.ca/lifeguardtraining/;
2) Teenager Conference: Calling all Grade 8-12 students. This Camp Shalom Alumni led event is for you. Did you love Quest during the summer? Then you will love this one-day event full of worship, speakers, and tons of fun. Register today for the REVIVAL CONFERENCE at https://ontariochristiancamp.ca/revival-conference/
3) Pedal Car Grand Prix Fundraiser: will be May 3rd, 1-3pm at Calvary Church in Ayr. NEW with four events to choose from. Register a team or as an individual here: https://ontariochristiancamp.ca/pedal-car-grand-prix/
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).
You’re invited into 40 days of intentional, guided prayer leading up to Synod 2025. Echoing the Emmaus Road theme from Gather events, we hope to "Journey With Jesus" as we ask for God's guidance, with prayers written by a wide variety of CRC contributors. Learn more/sign up at crcna.org/synod/prayer for either daily Scripture and prayers OR a week’s worth of Scripture and prayers that will be emailed to you.
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: Holy Week: The Week of Jesus' Death - Many formative events for our Christian faith occurred in the last week of Jesus’ journey to the cross. Join Groundwork as we study Matthew 21:1-11, John 13:1-17, 34-35, Matthew 26:26-30, and Matthew 27:32-50 to remember, meditate on, and nurture our faith by once again journeying through Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday with Jesus. Listen now at GroundworkOnline.com and subscribe to Groundwork's weekly emails for future episodes.
Kids Corner: Lent: Jesus Loves Me - Check out this week’s kids’ devotion “Lent: Jesus Loves Me” at www.kidscorner.net. What does it mean to love like Jesus? Even while on the cross and in his deepest suffering, Jesus prayed for forgiveness for those who hurt him and extended love to a criminal who asked to be remembered (Luke 23:39-43). Check out all the great content at kidscorner.net, like KC’s Lent and Easter Collection.
Thrive Faith Formation Tip - Palm Sunday - Today we remember that Jesus rode into Jerusalem as the crowds sang, “Hosanna! Hosanna!” Imagine being there in the crowd that day. What would you be thinking about or feeling? What could you do today or this week to help bring Jesus’ kingdom of peace here on earth right now? Brought to you by Thrive: crcna.org/Thrive.
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.
Camp Shalom Summer Staff - This summer at Camp Shalom, our theme is "Paid in Full." We’ll be sharing the message of God’s grace and generosity with 1000+ campers, teaching them how He gave the ultimate gift of Jesus Christ to cover all their debts. We're hiring 45 young adults looking for fun and with an interest in sharing the Gospel, as counselors, lifeguards, kitchen staff, and maintenance staff. All positions are paid and you must be 16 years old before Dec. 31st, 2025, to apply. Visit www.countrysidecamp.com to apply and for info on positions.
Become a Certified Lifeguard! Camp Shalom is excited to offer on-site Lifeguard Training! Whether you’re looking for an amazing summer job at camp or want to work at your local pool, becoming a lifeguard is a valuable and rewarding skill.
What better place to earn your certification than right here at Camp Shalom, surrounded by a supportive community and a beautiful outdoor setting? This training is open to anyone who is interested, so don’t miss this opportunity to gain essential lifesaving skills and prepare for a great job. Visit this LINK for more details.
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.