Welcome Church resource helps Canadian churches welcome newcomers
The Canadian Church has a new and practical resource to help congregations from coast to coast better welcome newcomers to Canada into churches and into deeper community.
Welcome Church (www.welcomechurch.ca), which officially launched on Feb.1, 2022, is a video-based training program produced by Our Common Calling (OCC), a partnership of four national groups: The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC), Lausanne Canada, the Canadian Centre for Christian Charities (CCCC) and Christian Higher Education Canada.
“The videos include teaching from a theologian, a professor, pastors, ministry leaders and a spiritual director, all helping to equip us to better serve the needs of people around us,” says the EFC’s Joel Gordon, director of the EFC’s Centre for Ministry Partnership and Innovation, and an OCC partner. “The Welcome Church training videos are lively and accessible, covering topics like engaging respectfully with newcomers’ backgrounds, providing practical hospitality, and how to start a welcome team.”
Each Welcome Church video concludes with an interactive quiz to help participants better remember what they have learned. Welcome Church can also provide tailored and deeper learning for churches that want to better welcome specific people groups in their areas.
After churches complete the free program, their congregation will appear on a Canadian online map that helps newcomers navigate their way to friendly congregations.
Jon Fuller, Executive Director of OCC reminds us that, “Welcoming newcomers into our neighbourhoods and our homes is loving others as we have been loved (John 4:19). It is extending an invitation to God’s household of grace for the stranger in our midst (Matthew 25:35, Leviticus 19:33-34).”
Churches can register and find out more at www.welcomechurch.ca.
“We know so many Canadian churches are already welcoming newcomers from around the world. After all, we live in a very diverse country,” says John Pellowe, CEO of CCCC. “This training will help us to go deeper and be even better at this central task of being a hospitable church. We hope every Canadian church will sign up for this opportunity.”
#
For interivews please contact MediaRelations@theEFC.ca
Who is Our Common Calling (OCC)? The OCC partnership exists to encourage collaboration amongst God's people as we together follow Jesus into the world. OCC is a partnership of four Canadian national groups: The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC), Lausanne Canada, the Canadian Centre for Christian Charities (CCCC) and Christian Higher Education Canada (CHEC).