ENCOURAGE
ANOTHER
Ministry Update Newsletter – Oct. 2016
Catalysts for Conversation
While the differences among
religions are easy to spot in our
increasingly diverse world, the
differences among denominations
can be far more difficult to identify.
The Ottawa Christian Reformed
Campus Chaplaincy’s “CPR” Panels
are hoping to change that.
The CPR acronym stands in for the
multitude of titles Christians give
their faith leaders: clerics, curates,
chaplains; priests, pastors, parsons;
reverends, rectors, rabbis. Students
at Ottawa University have realized
they know little about the doctrines
of denominations outside of their
own. Chaplain Sid Ypma recognized
this as a problem: “Many Christians
are good at caricaturizing other
Christian perspectives,” he noted.
“Instead of talking about differences
in conversational margins, let’s
bring them front and center [and]
wrestle with differences within the
faith in a healthy manner.”
Past panel topics include
discussions on prayer, how to read
the Bible, atonement, and the Holy
Spirit. The panels have been wellattended for students, and have
led to further interdenominational
dialogues. Ypma observes that “in
secular universities, the Christian
community has to come together.
I can only understand my fellow
Christians if I understand our
differing beliefs. Once we open up
Start. Strengthen. Transform.
www.crhm.org
space for dialogue, we open up more
opportunities to come together for
the kingdom of God.”
The Ottawa Campus Ministry’s CPR
panels reflect Christian Reformed
Campus Ministry’s mission to
deepen students’ understanding of
their own faith as well as the faith
of fellow Christians. “What we do in
campus ministry serves as catalysts
for conversation,” Ypma remarks.
“Churches are not safehouses from
our culture but catalysts within it.”
Pray with us
“Let us consider how we may
spur one another on toward
love and good deeds . . . let us
encourage one another — and
all the more as you see the
day approaching.”
—Hebrews 10:24-25
Please pray for:
• Students and others
discovering God’s call in
their life
• Pastors and church planters
working in challenging
places
• Congregations and church
members who are joining
God on mission
• God’s faithful provision of
financial support and new
ministry leaders
Faith and Food
Destination Church in St. Thomas,
Ontario, is a place for community,
hope, and purpose — and really
good food.
“If someone is hungry, it’s really
hard for them to hear you,” explains
pastor and church planter Beth
Fellinger. Destination Church has
had a big impact on the lives of
hungry people, including lots of
single moms in the community.
“If you’re a single mom and you
have no family support and we just
say, ‘Jesus loves you; we’ll pray for
Local vendors sell affordable, fresh food every Saturday at Destination Church.
you,’ that’s great — but so what?”
This church is about more than just
doing ministry for people but about
doing ministry with people.
The community is starting to notice
— what began with gardening and
community dinners has grown as
partners all over the city have come
together in Destination Church’s
building, formerly occupied by
bars, restaurants, and a strip club.
Planted just six years ago with
support from Home Missions, now
this space is home to a farmer’s
market, life skills programs,
‘Kitchen Smarts’ classes on how to
make nutritious meals, certification
courses to equip people for jobs in
Anonymous, and of course Sunday
worship.
Destination Church, explains
Beth, adds value to people’s lives
and builds its ministry in layers.
“We find [a group of] single moms
who can come together and be
mentored by people who have been
through it. They become a group;
they babysit for each other . . . I can
coach from the sideline but they’re
actually doing the mission work
themselves.” Two single moms at
Destination are now able to move
into their own houses thanks in part
to life skills learned at church.
the food industry, group meetings
Our goal is to make a faith
for at-risk youth, ‘Shenanigans’
foundation for their life and use it to
events and classes for people with
raise them up . . . it’s not just about
special needs, debt counseling
food, it’s about learning life skills
and budgeting courses, Alcoholics
and being part of [this community].
Start. Strengthen. Transform.
www.crhm.org
800-266-2175
Home Missions
Needs You
This year, Home Missions will
invest more than $4.1 million
in the mission effort including
in coaching, training,
resourcing, and giving grants
to life-changing ministries
like the ones you see in this
newsletter. This is made
possible by generous people
like you giving through gifts,
offerings, and ministry shares
— thank you! You are making
a difference in starting and
strengthening churches
and campus ministries
throughout North America.