Helping Churches Move Forward in Faithful Obedience
Conversations began several months ago at Resonate Global Mission about how to engage churches in Eastern Canada on living into God’s mission.
“Some of the CRC resources give churches the ‘why’ but not the ‘how.’ We wanted a conference that could provide practical learning and resources,” said Beth Fellinger, regional mission and engagement leader for Resonate in Eastern Canada. “We’ve also seen that when you hold a smaller, classis-focused event, there are churches who don’t attend if their ministry is not going so well. They feel safer and less exposed in a larger environment.”
The Resonate team also knew that other, larger, denominational events, such as Inspire, would no longer be happening.
At the same time, Diaconal Ministries Canada (DMC) was having similar discussions. In 2018 they had decided to discontinue the Annual Day of Encouragement, an event for deacons, church administrators, and others who served congregations in the Southern Ontario region. And more recently DMC had begun to wonder what a cross-country speaking tour could look like. Because collaboration is one of their top values, they also began to discuss whom they could partner with for such an endeavor.
“When Beth called and asked if we would be interested in partnering with them on an event, I figured it was worth a try,” recalled Ron Vanden Brink, national director of DMC. “The timing seemed right, and when we agreed to focus on the ‘how’ of community engagement and missional living, I knew we had to be a partner!”
As the planning began, it became clear that both agencies hoped to create an opportunity for CRC folks to come together to learn and share about what it means to walk alongside God in mission.
Joan Brady, mission catalyst and engagement specialist with Resonate in Classis Huron and the event’s coordinator, shared that the planning team reflected on Diaconal Ministries’ previously held Day of Encouragement and how it had successfully introduced new ideas and enabled training. “Our team decided to replicate that event with a few tweaks, and it made sense for Diaconal Ministries and Resonate to host this ‘new and improved’ event together,” she said.
Chosen by God
The conference was held Friday evening and all-day Saturday, November 15-16, at Compass Point Church in Burlington, Ont. Its theme was “Chosen by God,” based on John 15:16-17.
“These verses identify the church’s calling to be and to make disciples in Jesus’ name,” Brady shared. “God is doing great things within our region, our churches, and our denomination, and we are chosen by God to walk alongside him in his vision for the world and to play our part in its transformation.”
Things kicked off Friday evening with guest speaker Caesar Kalinwoski, who talked about “Everyday Discipleship” and led three workshops the next day around this theme.
Worship leader Abigail Jallim from Living Hope Community Church in Whitby, Ont., organized the weekend’s praise team and invited two other churches to join (Discovery in Bowmanville and Grace in Scarborough). With a wonderful mix of agencies – Canadian justice ministries, World Renew, Resonate, and DMC – there were 27 workshops to choose from on Saturday, all of which highlighted the theme of disciple-making and being agents of change in our local communities.
Every workshop leader was enthusiastic to share their expertise and passion with conference-goers. A bus-tour option was also part of the event, and several participants said they were blessed by their visits to New Hope CRC and Inclusion Cafe, learning more about different ministries in the area, such as Indwell and Act 5. Storytelling was also a priority for this event, with various ministry leaders giving presentations during the large-group gatherings on how God has been at work in their community.
Moving Forward in . . . Diversity
Something new and intentional at this conference was to have a significant number of young adults present to offer their perspective and provide energy and momentum, which many others said they appreciated. A few generous donors made it possible to offer a discounted rate to youth and young adults who attended.
“One thing that really stood out to me was the diversity of the attendees,” shared VandenBrink. “Years ago, the demographic of the Day of Encouragement attendees became less varied, and this was something we kept in mind when planning this event.”
Mark Jallim, pastor of Living Hope Community Church in Whitby, Ont., and local mission leader for Diaspora and Diversity at Resonate, was excited to see churches come together to hear and share stories of what God is doing, particularly in bringing more and more newcomers into our churches. “This gathering also highlighted the beauty of diversity within the body of Christ and how the diaspora is shaping and enriching our congregations,” he said.
In addition, about 10 percent of the attendees were pastors, and conference planners wanted to honor them and their leadership in their local congregations. With the help of a generous donor, three names were drawn from a hat, and those pastors received a special door prize.
What’s next?
Because of the practical nature of the workshops at this event, Brady hopes participants will take what was offered and use it as inspiration and as a foundation for further study/discovery, both for their congregations and for personal spiritual growth.
VandenBrink urged attendees to get involved and to motivate others to get involved. “This can start with listening to your church’s neighbors in a fresh way and then acting on it. And then to listen some more!” he said.
Jallim said he hopes attendees will share the stories of what they have learned, inspiring others to attend in the future. “By applying the lessons, teaching others, and sharing their experiences, the blessing of attending becomes even greater as it encourages broader participation and growth,” he explained.
The planning team has already spent time debriefing and sorting through evaluations from the event. Feedback on the conference has been very positive, and nearly all in attendance said they were looking for another opportunity to attend a “moving forward in faith” conference.
“Building on the successful partnership, engaged participants, relevant presenters, and supportive sponsors, the planning team is considering how to make this a sustainable annual or biannual event,” Brady shared.
Diaconal Ministries Canada and Resonate are committed to seeing how they might take this event “on the road” or help to enhance other events like it that are already happening across the country.
