Time to Be Inspired Again
In 2019, Mary Hulst, chaplain at Calvin University, challenged the Christian Reformed Church in North America: “I’m excited for the future of the church because the next generations are asking us to answer the most important questions. They are asking us if following Jesus affects how we spend our money, and how we engage our sexuality, and what we do with power. They are asking us if following Jesus makes a difference. And they are asking that because they want it to.”
Her talk in Windsor, Ont., was the opening event for Inspire 2019, setting the tone for three days of engaging worship, informative workshops, and meaningful fellowship with ministry leaders from across North America.
“Mary Hulst's opening plenary session spoke deeply to me,” one participant shared. “For many years I have been waiting for someone to name the things she named with boldness. The rest of the weekend followed in a similar fashion – it was a call to the church to rise up even though it's going to be hard and messy-- we have hope because God goes ahead of us and with us.”
Registration for Inspire 2022 is now open, and this year’s gathering promises to be powerful as well. Originally planned for summer 2021, Inspire had to be postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. After two years of adapting to the pandemic, congregations and ministry leaders in the CRCNA know even more today what it means for the work of the church to be hard and messy. Inspire 2022 organizers are hoping that these leaders will be eager and ready to come to Chicago, Ill., in August 2022 to be inspired and equipped to boldly step into the future.
Plenary speakers for the event include Ken Shigematsu, Steve Argue, Bishop Zac Niringiye, and Sandra Van Opstal. The three-day conference will conclude with an inspiring concert from singer-songwriter Sandra McCracken. In addition, there are nearly 100 workshops planned on topics related to every aspect of congregational life.
Whether you are a deacon, Sunday school teacher, Coffee Break leader, outreach coordinator, youth pastor, disability advocate, or someone who just wants to learn more about serving God in your local context, Inspire 2022 will have something for you.
Perhaps the greatest way to describe what Inspire 2022 will be about is to hear from people who attended the 2019 event. Here are a few quotes from post-event evaluation forms:
“I am a member of the United Church of Canada living in Windsor, Ont.,” wrote one person. “When I learned of this conference on ‘Inspire’ in my city, I called to see if I would be able to attend. Not only did I attend, I was truly ‘inspired’ and given a new hope that the Holy Spirit is alive within the CRCNA. As a UCC person, I found the diversity amongst theology and the people wonderful, enlightening, and filled with hope. My expectations were met – and more! Thank you, CRCNA, and, especially, thanks to God in Christ, who brings us together as one!”
“I was at Inspire in 2017, and it was so impactful that my expectations for 2019 were extremely high,” wrote Amy Klanderman. “Every single one of them were met. The speakers challenged, the sessions equipped and made me think about how I do ministry, and we were given resources to help our church step into future ministry. It was just such a blessing to be a part of what God is up to, pressing into the future.”
“The conference affirmed for me that the CRC is where I belong – that God's Spirit is working through the church,” wrote another attendee. “It also renewed my confidence in denominational leadership and their focus. My husband and I are on the cusp of empty nesting and are excited that the CRC is truly moving away from being a social club to a place where we can reach out to our neighbors and the world. I loved the conference and will work to bring a crew to Chicago!”
Tara Szabo wrote, “We didn’t just learn new things to do our roles in church better; we were challenged to do better to live a life like Jesus did.”
“Meeting people from all over the U.S. and Canada was the best part,” added Gerri Yoshida. “Even though we are strangers, we are family and friends because of our love of Jesus Christ, and that is touching and meaningful to me.”
“Learning together with others from my church and being challenged to press forward into the future in new ways by the speakers and session leaders were definitely the highlights for me. The materials and resources are just so good!” said another attendee.
Doing all of this with others from your church can make the experience even better. One attendee wrote, “The most significant aspect of Inspire was the opportunity to share the experience with two other members of my congregation! I look forward to debriefing with them further and discussing how we will use what we learned!”
Inspire 2022 will take place Aug. 4-6 at the Tinley Park Convention Center.Registration is now open, with an early-bird registration rate available until March 31 and group discounts available to attendees coming from the same congregation.
Because COVID-19 continues to be a concern, Inspire organizers have added a refund policy that will allow full refunds to anyone who needs to cancel by June 30. If someone needs to pull out after that deadline for any reason, their registration can be transferred to another member of their congregation at no cost.
“Our hope is that Inspire 2022 will be a gift to everyone in the CRCNA,” said Colin Watson, executive director. “It has been an exhausting few years, and we want to offer people an opportunity to come together, be rejuvenated for ministry, and be challenged and equipped for what God has in store for our future.”
