Barrie Covenant News Brief

If you want to join us for worship tomorrow, we are using Zoom.

See the information below for both a 9:30AM and 6:30PM service.

Barrie Covenant Church is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Barrie Covenant Church’s Zoom Meeting
Time: Mar 29, 2020 09:15 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/2891034710

Meeting ID: 289 103 4710

 Dear Friends in Christ,

 Do you feel it? How beyond us this pandemic is.  As we prepare for worship this weekend, remember those words that we begin so many of our worship services with:  Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Psalm 124:8  We and our world need real help from the LORD and we are to seek it together.   Here are a couple suggestions to help in preparing for worship together this week:

• Pray and ask others to join you: Pray to God for an end to this pandemic and for those fighting it on the front lines.  Pray for those infected.  Pray for the vulnerable and those caring for them. Pray that we all will be “right” with God and know His peace.
• Read God’s Word. We are continuing in our series in the book of Numbers: Life in the Wilderness.  This week we make the transition to the last third of the book.  We’ve seen God’s good plan in chapters 1-10 on how a sinful and broken people can live with a holy and merciful God.  In chapter 11-22, we saw the challenges of grumbling and trials that we must overcome with faith.   Now we get to see how the 2^nd generation after 40 years in the wilderness experiences salvation through faith in the promises of God.  I challenge you to read Numbers 16-17, 20.  See how the first generation, even Moses, is infected with unbelief and grumbling, yet how the Lord provides in the worst of times.  Then read John 3 and see how Jesus says he is like the bronze serpent lifted up in the wilderness in the middle of a time of plague.  Attached is an outline of the morning sermon that our kids have been using.  If you have a printer, use it for the fill-in-the-blanks during the sermon.  Feel free to use it for yourself.
• Sing.  Did you see those in quarantine in Italy get out on their balconies and sing?  Someone once said, “ Singing God’s praise brings down the atmosphere of heaven into our homes. “ One translation of a Psalm says, “ God inhabits the praises of His people.”   Before the service I challenge you to read the attached bulletin and look up a few of these songs.  Practice them.  Get a hymn book out or find it online.  Let’s prepare to sing it out from across the Barrie region on Sunday.
• Serve in Love. I imagine you’ve experienced the care and concern of family and neighbours.  As you prepare to love God in worship, also love your neighbour as yourself.  Pick up that phone and give a listening ear, write a senior a card or letter. In a safe way, check in on any needs we can meet.

 Shalom,  Pastor Harry

Worshippers never leave church…We carry our sanctuary with us wherever we go.     A.W. Tozer

We are respecting the recommendations of our provincial government and will not be gathering together physically in our church building for the next few weeks.

If you would like to worship with us remotely, please contact the church secretary, Donna Veenstra at covenantcrcoffice@gmail.com and she will let you know how to connect.

Rita Veenstra (nee Van Leusen)  Passed away peacefully at Hospice Simcoe in Barrie after a strong and courageous battle with cancer.  Safe in the arms of Jesus, Rita Veenstra went to be with her Lord on Sunday, January 6, 2019 in her 72nd year.
Rita was the loving and cherished wife, of almost 49 years, to Albert Veenstra.   Cherished and much-loved mother of Mark & his wife Karin, Jan & his wife Kathrin and Rob & his wife Jenn.  Rita was the fun-loving and laughter-filled Gramma of Emma, Levi, & Maddie, Christopher & girlfriend Rachel, Jenna, Jeremy & Calvin, Nathan & Aaron  Rita was also the loving sister to Bill (the late Effie) and the late Jerry (Debbie), and leaves behind many brother & sister-in-laws, nephews and nieces.
Friends may call at COVENANT CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH, BARRIE 101 Ardagh Rd on Thursday, January 10  from 2 – 4 pm and 7 – 9 pm or prior to the service at 10 – 11 am on Friday, January 11.
A funeral service will be held on Friday, January 11, 2019 at COVENANT CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH, BARRIE at 11 am.  Spring interment at St. James Cemetery, Stroud.
The family ,with heartfelt gratitude, acknowledges the many kind nurses and doctors from the Simcoe Regional Cancer Centre, Palliative Care in the RVH and Hospice Simcoe in Barrie that cared for Rita during her illness.  In addition, would also like to thank the many friends, family, and our church families for walking alongside our family during Rita’s journey.
As an expression of sympathy, in lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Hospice Simcoe, Barrie.
“But now, Lord, what do I look for?     My hope is in you.” Psalm 39:7
Please uphold Albert and his family in your prayers.

Hope you are doing well. Just a quick update. Curtis and his team will be crossing the border from Saskatchewan to Manitoba today. After a bit of a drive this morning – Curtis will be riding from Fleming to Brandon Manitoba where the Gary & Judy Edwards have provided for the Teams need. Thank you. Tomorrow they will continue on to Winnipeg where Gregg & Leanna Filmon are providing for their needs. They have also arranged for a group of their friends to join them and hear Curtis’ story. Thank you. Please keep the team in prayer as they continue to have open doors to sharing. Below is another short video clip that the team has put together – please take the opportunity to share this with others.

https://www.facebook.com/rideforpromise/videos/811477212364149/

Ride for Promise www.facebook.com We’re all in this together, we do it for the kids, for the families that wake up everyday and work their hardest to put meals on the table. This journey isn’t for me, it’s for the community. To help…

Thank you for all you have done or are doing in support of Curtis, the Ride for Promise and UrbanPromise Toronto. We appreciate you.

Blessings,

Peter Kentie

Director of Development

UrbanPromise Toronto

416-516-6121 (ext23)

peter@urbanpromise.com

http://www.urbanpromise.com/support-a-missionary/

What will Happen to the Ministry we Support? It has been an honour to work with missions advocates over the years and we want to thank you for your dedication to missions! For more than a century, Christian Reformed churches have been introducing people to Christ in North America and abroad through Home Missions and World Missions. We are so grateful for your church’s partnership! Through missionaries, church planters, and ministry leaders here and around the world, your congregation is making a far-reaching, eternal impact. Your partnership is tangible proof that you believe in a God without borders. Announcing Resonate As you may have heard, Synod 2017 just approved a name and director for the new mission agency and we are excited about our future as Resonate Global Mission under the leadership of Rev. Zachary King, a longtime missionary to Haiti. This idea of a ‘Resonating’ sound isn’t just a metaphor for our work, it’s a picture of the future we pursue—living out and sharing the good news so that it goes out in every direction like an expanding, amplifying sound. As our two agencies come together, we understand how important it is for you to be able to support the ministry that matters the most to your church. We’ve ensured that you will be able to continue to give to either international or domestic ministry (or hopefully both!) and we will apply the funds exactly as you specify. We also want to reassure you that the ministry work your church has stood behind will continue. In addition to the ministries that you are familiar with, we anticipate new ministry opportunities to engage with as Resonate Global Mission leverages the benefits of bringing “home” and “world” together. With your prayers and financial support, we will be able to equip all our churches for ministry and join together with what God is already doing around the world. If you have additional questions or concerns about your giving, please contact Trish De Jong at tdejong@crcna.org or (800-730-3490).

Resources for the Future This will be the final Missions Advocate newsletter that you will receive from CRWM. Resonate Global Mission will continue to provide you with helpful resources. In the meantime, you can continue to visit the resources page on CRWM’s website as well as the Global Mission section of the Network. Ministry Openings With the new agency and new fiscal year on July 1, also comes a number of new ministry positions!

Here is the full list, which will be available at crwm.org/career:

Media Director, West Africa • Evangelist, West Africa • Leadership Developer, Asia, Middle East, and Japan • Lecturer in Community Development, Uganda • Promotions Assistant, Haiti • Church Leadership Developer, Haiti • Transformational Network Coordinator, Nigeria • Cohort Program Coordinator, Central America • Theological Educator, Nigeria • Bible School Teacher, Nigeria • Christian Education Specialist, South Africa • Church Developer, Nigeria • Education Consultant, Nigeria. Summer 2017

As Christian Reformed World Missions prepares to become Resonate Global Mission, so too comes an end to what is currently the Canadian Missions Network (CMN). The CMN is concluding on June 30, 2017, as Resonate launches on July 1. Much of what we learned through the CMN will provide a foundation that will continue through Resonate. Even before Resonate was on the horizon, we recognized the desire for churches to receive resources through a regional delivery system. Responding to this desire, staff developed the CMN to increase connections with congregations. Since then there has been an increase in the number of church engagements and presentations, conversations with pastors and ministry leaders, and a rise in congregation Missions Committees/Global Outreach Teams. We feel privileged to have walked alongside many churches as they have deepened their interest in global missions, and their partnership with our ministry. In July, that work will continue in Canada through Resonate’s regional teams, under the leadership of Rich Braaksma and Kevin de Raaf. Rich (pictured above) will serve the western Canada region, which includes Alberta and British Columbia. Braaksma is currently a pastor at The Road Church, in Calgary, Ala. Kevin  will lead the eastern Canada region, which includes Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Maritimes.

DeRaaf will lead the region with his wealth of experience in classis leadership and church renewal along with his 24 years Thank you for your faithful prayers on behalf of God’s mission to His world.

The Future of the Canadian Missions Network of combined experience as a lead pastor in Ontario. As a Missions Advocate reader, you have played a valuable role in the Canadian Mission Network. We look forward to continuing to partner with you for mission through Resonate. Thank you for your ongoing ministry to raise awareness for missions in your church and care for your church’s missionaries! A Special Thank You Both Bill and Ko Spyksma and John and Margaret den Otter  will be retiring from their positions in the CMN. We are so thankful for the ministry of Bill & Ko and John & Margaret! They have been a tremendous blessing to churches, missionaries in their years of ministry—including the extra year that they graciously committed to in order to ease the transition to Resonate. We wish the Lord’s blessings as the Spyksmas and den Otters close this chapter of their lives, knowing that missions is very much part of their hearts and passion.

If you have an opportunity, please feel free to drop them a word of congratulations.