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Formerly known as Ontario Women's League Day
News
Voting Information - Recording Secretary
Feb 2025
The Sisters in the Word Board have the blessed opportunity to vote in a new Recording Secretary to join them, as Elsa DeGelder will be retiring from this position later this year. We thank her for the many years of dedicated service she has provided and pray she may be a blessing to others wherever the Lord leads her. We are thankful to announce that we have two candidates who have been found willing to fill this vacancy, Diane Jonker (Canadian Reformed Church of Grand Valley) and Scarlett Guy (Grace Canadian Reformed Church in Brampton). Their bios are found below. We ask that you cast your vote via a Google Form. The link to the Form will be sent to the Women's Bible Study leaders at your church, or you can message our Secretary. Voting will close on March 31st. We covet your prayers as we fill this new vacancy and look forward to seeing you all at our Spring Conference, to be held Saturday, April 12th, 2025, DV.
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Scarlett Guy​
Hello all! My name is Scarlett Guy (nee Riemersma) and I’m a long-time member of Grace Canadian Reformed Church in Brampton. I also have the privilege of being the facilitator-coordinator for our Thursday Morning Bible Study, which is comprised of a terrific group of women of all ages and stages, sharing experiences and insights from our various perspectives in a unique blend of scripture study and practical application. Our focus is to learn what God is teaching us in His Word, and how it applies within the context of our here-and-now lives. This group is a great blessing to me personally and I know that everyone who attends our meetings has grown in their love for Jesus!
I was married for 32 years to Bill Guy, who was a gentle, sweet man who loved the Lord deeply, and I learned a lot from him. Our marriage encompassed half of my life up to the point that he suddenly passed away on July 15, 2024. Although I’m still somewhat in a state of shock, I am truly grateful for the unwavering love and encouragement that he demonstrated throughout our marriage and the legacy of a simple faith: “The main thing is the main thing – Jesus!”
Since I own a business that provides professional minute-taking services, and since I now find myself open to other life options, the timing is right for me to take on the position of SITW recording secretary. I would be happy to serve in this way, if I were to be appointed to this task.
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Diane Jonker​
Hello everyone. My name is Diane Jonker. I have been a member of the Canadian Reformed Church of Grand Valley since 1999. Throughout the years I have been involved in church life in different ways. I have been a member of the Ladies Aid. I was involved in Meals on Wheels for many years. Together with other volunteers, we made and delivered meals to those in need in the Grand Valley area. I spent many years volunteering in the Dufferin Area Christian School library and in the Learning Assistant department of the school. More recently I was the secretary of the Share and Care committee in our church. I currently attend the evening women’s society.
I have recently been widowed. I have three children, all of whom are married. I am also blessed to have seven grandchildren. Outside of church life, I work part-time in a Dutch store as a retail and accounting clerk. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and cooking.
Board Announcement
Feb 2024
“Women’s League Day” Name Change, Date, Website, and Board Nominations
Dear Sisters,
We pray this message finds you well. We are excited to share a significant update regarding our Women’s League. After careful consideration and acknowledging the changes in our league over the years, we have decided to embrace a new chapter by changing our name from "Women’s League" to "Sisters in the Word". This change reflects our commitment to the broader sense of community among us as sisters in Christ. We believe "Sisters in the Word" better captures the spirit of our shared Reformed values and the meaningful connections we aim to foster as we focus on God's Word together. Unlike “the League”, which has changed considerably (no more membership dues, ILPB, magazines, etc), the new name expresses that all Reformed women are welcome to join the conference, even if they are not currently a member of a study society. We understand this name change may not be something everyone is enthusiastic about, especially since it’s been called ‘League Day’ for 60 years! Our hope is that this name change reflects that we are all “Sisters in the Word” who will continue to meet together to promote unity, study, and fellowship, and will not change the essence of our day of study.
Fall Date Change: Traditionally the fall “League Day” was held on the first Wednesday after Thanksgiving. For the last number of years this date has conflicted with the “Eastern Ministerial” retreat for Pastors and their wives. We have discussed this issue and will move our date by a week so we can accommodate any ministers' wives who wish to join us too! (It was definitely a topic at their last retreat!)
Survey Results: With the most recent survey completed by many of you, we concluded that a good majority wanted the full-day Wednesday conference in October to continue as is. However, a large number of women also indicated that they are unable to attend on Wednesdays, and so in the spirit of compromise we plan to also have a Saturday half-day morning conference each Spring after Easter! This will not replace the Fall Full-Day conference. We sincerely desire that this will put conference attendance within reach for even more of you. Thanks to everyone for your feedback!
Board Nominations: With the retirement of valued board members (who have already graciously stayed on longer than initially elected for), we are actively seeking nominations for enthusiastic and dedicated women willing to serve. Currently, we have 3 ladies willing to let their names stand, but need one more for the Vice President position (the VP moves into the President role after a few years). We will be in touch about how to vote asap. We invite you to suggest names, or consider putting your own name forward for nomination by Monday March 4, 2024. Your position is to help guide/encourage each new congregation in organising the next study day. Serving on the Board usually involves two full-day meetings a year (in May and Nov), and email correspondence. Generally the Board meets in the morning to discuss the previous study day, and then they enjoy lunch. After lunch the new congregation reps join for an afternoon meeting to go over the duties and what is expected of them. The groups from each congregation do the actual organising of each day and the Board is in place to help guide the process. It provides a unique opportunity to play a pivotal role in strengthening the bonds among sisters in Christ. A lasting tradition, fostering a sense of community and spiritual growth.
Yes, lots of new changes, but it has all been done after a lot of prayerful discernment. Your faithful involvement is vital to the continued success of our study days. We encourage you to participate in this exciting transition, check out this new website, and keep your eye out for more conference details in the future!
If you have any suggestions for the board, or wish to nominate yourself or someone else, please reach out to Sylvia Nobel at secretary.sistersintheword@gmail.com by Monday March 4, 2024.
Thank you for your ongoing support, and we look forward to this new chapter as "Sisters in the Word"!
Warm regards,
Trish Gelms, Joanna VanLuik, Elsa deGelder, Sylvia Nobel, Sara Kingma.