Dear Canadians,
It’s here. After months of prayer and planning, we’re all together in one place. We can feel that God is with us as well. Attendees are looking forward to God’s leading.
Last night was the opening dinner. Jeremy Zeyl and his band led us in worship. Wilma van der Leek had us dig deep into how we are feeling, how we are thinking, as we connected and empathized with people from across Canada.
Today, like every day, we will start with Jeremy leading us in worship. Everett Vander Horst will set the stage for our time together. Through teaching, prayer and interactive conversation, Wilma van der Leek will lead us through the spiritual practice of communal discernment. Late afternoon, we will split into the first workshop (The Path of Disaffiliation) and the Working Groups (starting to articulate our shared values). Then after another amazing dinner, we will be blessed by Dr. Melanie Humphreys who will share her experience with “Cultivating a community at The King’s University that is both diverse and welcoming.”
Please continue to hold the Summit in prayer as we listen and discern where God wants us to go.
Day 2 - sent on November 7Dear Canadians,
The first full day of the Summit was filled with enriching conversations and a passionate sense of moving ahead. It began with worship led by Jeremy Zeyl and the band, who introduced to us what will become our theme song, Here I Am, Show Me The Way. Next, the chair of Toward CRC Canada, Pastor Everett Vander Horst, inspired us with a vision of a Reforming future. We then joined Wilma van der Leek in thinking through what communal spiritual discernment means at this time.
In the latter part of the afternoon, we split into two groups: Working Groups to imagine our future and a Workshop to share our experiences. After another amazing dinner, we were joined by many folks from across Canada to listen to Dr. Melanie Humphreys’ experience in forming a diverse and welcoming community and the challenges that came with that (recording here).
Today, the Workshop track will have three sessions informing and contextualizing our future. The Working Group track will have on-going conversations as they prepare to present their ideas for feedback this afternoon. Tonight, after dinner, Chaplain Paul Verhoef will encourage us with his talk “Oh The Places You’ll Go Following the Way of Love.”
Thank you for all your support.
Day 3 - sent on November 8Dear Canadians,
When you put passionate people together with a grand vision, beautiful things happen. The Workshops gave opportunity for learning, offering space for communities to share experiences. The six Working Groups deliberated for several intense hours with a view to developing a foundation for a new network of churches. They then received feedback from the whole group and took that feedback back to their groups, building in that new wisdom into their progress.
Another amazing dinner. In his amazing Keynote Presentation, Rev. Paul Verhoef left us encouraged and inspired to Love wherever we go (recording here).
This morning, Mr. Shiao Chong will encourage us to see with new eyes, a Christianity Canada Needs, followed by a time of conversation with us. This afternoon, we’ll hear presentations from the Working Groups again, this time with a view to developing next steps and moving forward.
At the end of today, we will have reached a new milestone, a consensus of where we’re going, painted with broad brushstrokes of what the future could look like for this community of churches.
Please continue to pray for the Spirit’s leading in all our conversations and in the coming weeks and months.
Day 4 - sent on November 9Dear Canadians,
God With Us. That’s how every attendee described the feeling over the last three days. The conversations about discernment that led off the Summit on Thursday culminated in profound foundational statements yesterday.
Saturday morning, Chong brought our entire vision to life with his keynote presentation and workshop, “God With Us: A Christianity Canada Needs.” He articulated the passion of this Summit to be with instead of against (recording here).
We carried that guiding principle into the rest of the day. The wisdom received by the Working Groups on Friday was incorporated into their final reports and presented to the whole group. The group received the reports with delight, affirming them as the clarity we need for the road ahead.
This morning, we will worship with Waterloo CRC and hear Pastor Laura de Jong give a message entitled “A Took or a Baggins?” Jeremy Zeyl will continue to lead us in worship, with a variety of talented musicians. Join us on the livestream at 10:30 am EST.
Attendees will then travel back to their homes across Canada, bringing their excitement and hope back to their congregations (snow permitting). These newsletters will continue to share next steps in this amazing journey.
Thank you for all your support,
Peter Bulthuis
