Pickering, ON
Diaspora communities, or “scattered people,” are all around us and Ontario cities reflect this mosaic more and more. People from all over the world have moved to our communities as immigrants, sought safety as refugees, come to study as students, or traveled to work in seasonal jobs.
How can you be a good neighbor, friend, and witness for Christ to your neighbors who come from a different cultural or religious background?
Resonate Global Mission and Classis Toronto Ministry Committee (CMC) leaders invite you to a Diaspora Leaders retreat on 4 PM September 7 through 2:00 PM September 9, 2023.
Who?
Believers throughout Ontario who are ministering with people who come from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds, who want to be better equipped and inspired for ministry.
What?
Like our first diaspora leaders retreat of 2022, we again expect an encouraging time of worship, fellowship, mutual support and sharing successes and burdens. This year, you can expect us to go wider and deeper in hearing from the diaspora communities that are integral parts of our CRC churches and those that wish to build deeper partnerships with us. Speakers will lead us in topics like hospitality, discipleship, integration challenges of new Canadians, and issues unique to ministry toward and among 2nd generation immigrants.
Why?
Our goal is to encourage each other to grow in reaching the lost who come from every nation of the world into every region of Canada, for the glory of God.
What can our churches do to develop interculturally competent leaders?
It’s time to learn how to be a good friend and witness to people from a variety of cultures and religions! God has given every culture a different gift to share within the mosaic of the worldwide Church. Friendships inside a multiethnic fellowship enrich our faith, our worship, and our hospitality posture.
We believe that this wave of Diaspora renewal that we are seeing happening across the region is just the tip of the iceberg of what God is doing here and across Canada. As the CMC of Classis Toronto, we want to uncover, join, learn from, and encourage what we see God doing in diaspora ministry.
Cost
$100 per participant for 2 nights and 6 meals at a beautiful venue!
We are grateful to Resonate Global Mission and several of our regional groupings of CRC churches (classes) who have also committed grants to keep this cost low. For those who need assistance, we offer stipends to help you (your local church may also cover the expense)
Please send questions or requests for stipends to gtimmerman@crcna.org or call 437-288-6673.
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Guest Speakers
Sylvie & Nasser
As a couple they served the church of God in their homeland for many years before moving to Canada. They are passionate about reaching people of their homeland who also find safety and new beginnings in the Greater Toronto Area. They are active in organizing unique evangelistic outreaches, and using social media as well as in person one-on-one and group activities to teach new seekers/believers about Jesus Christ and the faith journey of Jesus followers.
They are members/leaders of Farsi Fellowship at Willowdale CRC and international partner missionaries with Resonate Global Mission. As part of their global mission, they also lead a Farsi speaking global ministry by the name of Spiritual Growth Ministry which is recognized as a Canadian faith based charity.
Marco Avila
Regional Mission Leader for Eastern USA
Marco supports local mission leaders from Boston to Miami, promoting church planting. He loves working with local organizations who have initiatives to support and lift up emerging leaders who have a passion to change the world around them.
Marco's focus is to form missional leaders in collaboration with Mission-shaped congregations, connect and send them locally or globally. A second responsibility is to be a liaison person from the denomination to the Latino ministries in NA.
Hilda Vanderklippe
Hilda Vanderklippe, who is a member of The Village Church in Thorold Ontario, is an assistant chaplain at Brock University. From this church grows the Dinner Church model of outreach in the Niagara region. Former serving with CRHM, she now works with Niagara International Students under the umbrella of International Student Ministries Canada, meeting various practical, social and spiritual needs of students. Hilda will be sharing out of her experiences as one focused on hospitality to international students. niagarainternationslstudents.com
Terence Schilstra
Terence Schilstra is a planter of the Table which seeks to live and reach the communities of downtown Thorold (Niagara region). Terence is the author of "Peace of the City: A handbook for Missional Communities".
Pastor Julio (Peter) Carrion
Pastor Julio (Peter) Carrion married to his wife Gabriela, and is the father of 3 amazing girls. Born in Ecuador, he found Jesus and started serving in a Baptist church. He came to Canada in 2001 where he continued leading youth groups and worship teams, working in a multicultural and intergenerational environment. God call him to become a pastor in 2010 and in 2012 has planted “La Roca” in Brampton Ontario, the first Hispanic CRC church in Canada, and this year, he planted Ministerio Hispano Covenant CRC in Woodstock. Pastor Peter has been part of the CRC’s Race Relations team. He will be sharing around the challenges of discipling the next generation of Canadians.
Jose Luna
Jose Luna is currently planting a Spanish-speaking church out of Crosstowne Church in Milton ON. He will be sharing about the reality and place of God's call on our lives.