Reconciliation Meets Gospel Mission at Upcoming Canadian National Gathering

The upcoming Canadian National Gathering focuses on reconciliation. The theme of reconciliation can help us to understand many other facets of our Christian walk. Understanding reconciliation more fully can help the Church as it shares the gospel and seeks to live it missionally. This is one of the CRCNA’s goals as stated in Our Journey 2025. Enjoy the reflections from missional leaders below that illustrate these connections.  

Joyce Suh 

Joyce and her husband Gil served as missionaries with Resonate Global Mission in Nigeria and Cambodia. She currently works for Resonate as program leader for intercultural gospel witness. 

“The gospel has two dimensions, reconciliation with God and reconciliation with each other. We are in a season of mission in which mission from the West is being placed in a bigger context of mission from everywhere to everyone. I believe it is a moment when God is calling us to see the gospel more fully through the eyes of others. We are called to something more than tolerance, we are called to a longing for community. What might happen if we are willing to live into and experience God with and through others?”  

Jeremiah Damir Bašurić

Jeremiah is a Commissioned Pastor at mosaicHouse Church, a multicultural Christian Reformed Church plant in Edmonton. He is also a Chaplain at an organization walking alongside those scripture calls "blessed" and the "rich in faith." 

“In terms of the gospel, the good news of Jesus must remain good news for all who participate in it. It cannot be a tool of power causing a god-like attitude of superiority (bad news for the message bearers); nor can it be a tool of oppression and manipulation causing an impoverished view of self (bad news for the message hearers). 

As we discern how to “connect” with people and places, it is good to know how we are currently connected, good and bad. It is good to prayerfully observe in weakness (as opposed to discovering through strength) how the Spirit of Christ is breaking old habits and making new connections ahead of us.” 

Anthony Pennings 

Anthony and Barbara Pennings partner with Resonate Global Mission and work at DayStar, a ministry that serves Indigenous people in various First Nations communities in Ontario. They are based in M’Chigeeng First Nation with a focus on building mentoring relationships and supporting an Indigenous-led church plant.

“It didn’t take long for us to discover that when we had our own plan of how we intended to serve the community, it was often quick to fall apart. It was far more valuable to serve the community by having our brothers and sisters in Christ on the reserve lead (rather than us as the outsiders).  This takes a lot more time and a lot more investment; you really need to spend a lot of your time listening. 

When we presume that people see Jesus through the same cultural lens we do, we make a mistake. (Indigenous) believers work out what is appropriate for their expression of Christianity through prayer, scripture reading, and understanding from the Holy Spirit.”