Tour Has Lasting Impact across Canada

Almost two months ago, Jeremy Benjamin (Zeyl) and his family started off on a cross-Canada musical tour. They had several goals in mind: connect with Christian Reformed congregations across the country, celebrate our Reformed faith and identity, record 10,000 voices singing the same song, raise funds for local and global missions, and worship God in a robust and meaningful way.

Since early June, Benjamin has led worship and shared his story during 19 evening concerts and Sunday services from Prince Edward Island to Manitoba. Along the way so far, he has recorded nearly 5,000 voices, raised $30,000, and left a lasting impression in the communities he has visited.

One woman on Prince Edward Island who asked not to be named said, “I was thinking about all the seeds Jeremy planted here on P.E.I. Seeds of hope and encouragement, seeds of connection between people and between people and God, seeds of more interest in the Heidelberg Catechism. . . . Thank you.”

Rev. Paul Vanderkooy of Faith Community Church in Milford, N.S., agreed.

“It’s hard to overstate the energy something like this brings to a congregation. Jeremy is a very gifted worship leader, and he seamlessly melted into our own worship team so we could all praise God in ways that were familiar to us while learning a few new songs to add to our repertoire. And the congregation responded enthusiastically. Together we made a joyful noise to the Lord, and the Spirit moved freely among us,” he said.

VanderKooy noted that events like this take a lot of work and organization. He appreciated that someone would go through that trouble to visit even remote communities like his.

“Out here on the east coast we sometimes feel a bit isolated from the rest of the denomination because we are far from the epicenter of all things CRC. Yet with Jeremy dropping by, we were reminded of the heritage we share with believers across the country and the very basic truth we profess in the Heidelberg Catechism – ‘that I am not my own, but belong -- body and soul -- in life and in death, to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.’”

VanderKooy added that not only had Benjamin raised awareness of World Renew and a local food mission during his concert, but he also “reminded us that our stories are all a part of God’s story, and that we are united with brothers and sisters across the country and throughout the world because of God’s calling in our lives.”

Reflecting on a special concert at the Montreal Ministry to Seafarers, chaplain Michelle DePooter said, “One of the things we have noticed is that seafarers from a certain company generally don't come to the Seafarers Centre because they have been coming to Montreal so often that they know their way around and just go out on their own. However, when we have special events, those same seafarers come and participate.”

Two of those seafarers stayed to sing with Benjamin after his concert. She said she appreciated Benjamin’s flexibility in inviting this participation.

“Many seafarers enjoy music, and being invited to a special event with live music especially for them was great. It also allowed them to hear the gospel in a nonthreatening and approachable manner,” she said.

DePooter added, “After everyone sang ‘I am Not My Own,’ a Chinese seafarer was wondering about what the song meant, and a local participating student was able to sit with him and tell him about Jesus. Without the song and music, the conversation might not have happened in the same way.”

Because each church along his route supports a local cause, Benjamin makes an effort to visit with each of those ministries as well. He gets acquainted with and highlights the local ministry during the concert. “The Gathering Place in Thunder Bay [Ont.] and the Indigenous Family Centre in Winnipeg [Man.] are two CRC ministries that I was particularly impacted by while visiting in the last couple of weeks. I was encouraged and inspired by the hand of God through his people filling such a great need in their communities with such love and care,” he said.

Looking ahead, he added, “My prayer is that we can continue to raise awareness for what God is doing across the country through the Christian Reformed Church and encourage people to learn and give generously to these critical ministries in Canada.” Other planned stops along the tour include Regina, Sask.; Medicine Hat, Alta.; and Smithers and Vancouver, B.C.

Find more information about the tour, the causes supported by it, how to donate, and how to book a concert in your community, at iamnotmyown.org/, the tour website, which is updated each week. Also, see the tour blog for more about the family’s adventures along the way.