Ressources Chretiennes

Ressources chrétiennes is a website that makes Reformed resources available for the French speaking world. In this presentation Rev. Paulin Bédard explains the character and global reach of the website, as well as future projects that he is working on.

Mission Among Immigrant Communities in Canada

At a conference that focuses on world mission, we cannot ignore the fact that in many ways the world is coming to Canada. Each year more than 250,000 people from other countries receive permanent resident status in Canada. This has led to the establishment of many immigrant communities (and new mission fields!) in and around Canadian cities. Revs. Tony Zekveld and Matthew Vanluik have been involved in efforts to reach these “new Canadians” with the gospel, Rev. Zekveld by way of planting a South Asian congregation in Mississauga, Rev. VanLuik by way of integrating immigrants in an existing church in Brampton. In their presentations they reflect on their respective missionary methods.

Mission Among Immigrant Communities in Canada

At a conference that focuses on world mission, we cannot ignore the fact that in many ways the world is coming to Canada. Each year more than 250,000 people from other countries receive permanent resident status in Canada. This has led to the establishment of many immigrant communities (and new mission fields!) in and around Canadian cities. Revs. Tony Zekveld and Matthew Vanluik have been involved in efforts to reach these “new Canadians” with the gospel, Rev. Zekveld by way of planting a South Asian congregation in Mississauga, Rev. VanLuik by way of integrating immigrants in an existing church in Brampton. In their presentations they reflect on their respective missionary methods.

Work Undone and Fields Unwon: Why Global Missions Needs to be More of a Priority for All of Us

If you talk about the need global missions in Canada today, someone will inevitably share the popular perspective that significant investment of money and time into supporting foreign missionaries is no longer necessary because the nations are now on our doorstep and in our neighbourhoods. In this talk, I hope to expose the fallacy of this line of thinking, and demonstrate that global missions must in fact be more of a priority for us. To do this, I will survey the state of Christianity and missions around the world, share what other conservative, Reformed churches are doing to fulfil the Great Commission, and consider the state of "foreign mission mindedness" among our churches. Throughout, I will draw on my experiences as a pastor in Canada and as a missionary in Papua New Guinea.

"Preaching the Gospel in Lands Beyond You”: Paul’s Vision for World Mission

The apostle Paul worked tirelessly among the churches he had planted but he never lost his zeal to take the gospel to new areas where Christ had not been proclaimed (2 Cor. 10:16). At the beginning of a conference on world mission it will be good to reflect on Paul’s missionary approach. We will focus especially on the balance he maintained between planting churches in new areas and nurturing the churches he had already planted.

Mission Organization of the CanRC: Time to revamp the model?

When the Canadian Reformed Churches launched their first foreign mission projects in the late 1950s, they decided that the work of foreign mission should not be organized by a central mission board (appointed by general synod) but rather through the initiative of local churches. Ever since, CanRC foreign mission projects have been initiated and supervised by "sending churches" such as Toronto, Hamilton and Surrey. In this presentation we will raise the question whether the time has come to revamp the model and move to a more centralized approach. Advantages and pitfalls of both approaches will be discussed.

Louis Bourgeois or Luiz Gonzaga: Contextualizing Worship in Foreign Mission

Travel involves baggage. We take a lot of stuff with us when we go overseas, especially if we’re going for an extended period of time. The same is true for foreign mission, but the “baggage” that we bring is far less tangible and far more important. We bring ourselves, with our ethnic and social background, with our personal opinions and prejudices, shared experiences and expectations. So with these things in mind, I will be discussing Reformed worship and the “baggage” we bring with us, from my own Canadian-Brazilian perspective. Does our Reformed worship “work” in a foreign mission setting, or is Reformed worship too “euro-centric”? To what extent can or should it be contextualized?

A Lesson in Humility: The Challenge of Training Christ-Exulting Leaders in Foreign Mission

The great need for well-trained, Christ-exulting leaders in the global and local church cannot be overstated. Having witnessed the fallouts of poorly trained pastors, for example, lessons have been learned that are worth sharing. I will expose some of the inherent struggles in leadership training that we faced in Papua New Guinea - whether with pastors or lay-leaders -- and I will argue for an effective triad of learning between the local church, the local seminary, and post-seminary mentorship.

Exposing Worldviews: How the Challenges of Preaching in PNG are Surprisingly Relevant Everywhere

The process of leaving my ministry in my home culture and learning to minister and preach in another, very different one has been like learning how to crawl again. I have had to rethink the impact that culture, cultural assumptions, and worldview play in proclaiming the gospel of Christ, and I constantly experience how much these things matter. In this talk I want to share some of those experiences, and how the much neglected discipline of Elenctics, coined and promoted by the great Reformed missiologist, J.H. Bavinck, has been invaluably useful. But I think that a greater sensitivity to the impact of worldview and the use of Elenctics is not only valuable for foreign missions, it is valuable for all preaching everywhere.

Reformed Faith Confronting Witchcraft in Africa

Witchcraft beliefs and practices are still widespread in Africa and have a detrimental effect on the well-being of its people. It is a huge factor in hindering development and it has kept many in the bondage of Satan’s grip. The hope and freedom for Africa rests with the Reformed faith. How? Come and hear!

Cultural Factors in Missionary Work in the Big Smoke

Cooperative Mission Approaches

Gospel Growth

What does springtime have to do with the gospel? Is botany connected to theology? Dr. J. Van Vliet explores these questions in a meditation on Col. 1:5-6.

Evangelism and Planting Reformed Churches: Winning the Lost without Compromising the Faith

Rev. Eric Watkins, pastor and church planter at the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in St. Augustine, FL, shares his personal story and the lessons that he has learned about how to bring the gospel to the lost without compromising the faith.

Evangelism

This small volume contains a collection of speeches that arose out of the Western Australian Evangelism Convention in Rockingham, held on May 18 and 19, 2007.

Author: J. Smith. Publisher: Reformed Guardian, 2008.

Reformed Church Planting in the 21st Century

Talk delivered by Rev. Ross W. Graham at the 2nd annual CRTS Lecture Series - Rejoicing in Growth: Church Planting and Evangelism.

Fulfil Your Ministry

A series of twenty-two articles for ministers of the Word and for all who have to fulfil their service before God. The diverse selection of topics covered include: the responsibilities of parents, Reformed liturgy, preaching, mission, and church government.

Author: K. Deddens. Publisher: Premier Publishing, 1990. ISBN 0887560482

Honoured but Eclipsed: Beliefs about Christ in an African Church

Analysis of the Christology of the Zion Christian Church, the largest church in southern Africa

Motivating Reformed Churches to Multiply: The 2011 Metro Vancouver Church Planting Initiative

Dr. T.G. Van Raalte discusses the 2011 Metro Vancouver church planting initiative. Delivered at the second annual CRTS Conference in 2012. "Rejoicing in Growth: Church Planting & Evangelism"

Spreading the Seed of the Word: Reformed Foundations for Evangelism

Talk delivered by H. Drost, a Reformed church planter in Ukraine, at the second annual CRTS Conference, "Rejoicing in Growth: Church Planting and Evangelism."

Developing Missionary-Minded Congregations

Henk Drost, a Reformed church planter in the Ukraine, delivers a speech at the second annual CRTS Conference "Rejoicing in Growth: Church Planting & Evangelism."

Mission work among the First Nations of Canada

Recorded during the 2015 CRTS Interim Semester. Rev. Jim Witteveen speaks of Mission work among the First Nations of Canada, and its potentials & pitfalls. Rev. Witteveen is a missionary of the Canadian Reformed Church in Smithers, serving in Prince George, B.C., Canada.

Developing a Plan for Congregational Outreach

Recorded during the 2015 CRTS Interim Semester. Rev. William Boekestein, minister at Covenant Reformed Church in Carbondale, Pennsylvania, speaks about developing a plan for congregational outreach.

Planting a Reformed church in the “Northern Capital of BC"

Recorded during the 2015 CRTS Interim Semester. Rev. Jim Witteveen describes the task of planting a Reformed church in the “Northern Capital of British Columbia." Rev. Witteveen is a missionary of the Canadian Reformed Church in Smithers, serving in Prince George, B.C., Canada.

Mission work in Mexico

Recorded during the 2015 CRTS Interim Semester. Rev. Richard Bout, former missionary of the United Reformed Churches having served in Tepic, Mexico, speaks of mission work in Mexico.