The classes and programs listed here are the ones that reoccur at a set time, but there's a whole lot more going on at Olivet. To see a full list of our upcoming events, or to find out exactly when things are scheduled, take a look at our events page.
**Please note that, due to COVID-19, many of these programs are on hold, or are taking place online only. You can read more about our adaptations to the pandemic here.**
Classes
These classes are for anyone who wants to explore God's Word and talk about what it means to live according to its teachings.
When: Twice a month on Fridays from 10:00 am - 11:45 am
Where: Currently being held on Zoom
Host: Rev. Jon Lee
This class explores the teachings of the New Church found in the book Arcana Coelestia (Heavenly Secrets). If you don't have a copy of the Arcana Coelestia, they are available through our church office.
When: Monthly on Wednesdays
Where: Currently being held on Zoom
Host: Rev. Jon Lee or Rev. James Cooper
This class dives deep into the study of New Church teachings.
When: The Discussion class is temporarily suspended. We invite you to attend the monthly Doctrinal zoom class that is held on Wednesday evenings or the Arcana zoom class that meets twice a month on Friday mornings.
The Discussion class seeks to understand what the Lord says about topics related to life and religion and provides an opportunity to discuss and explore related ideas.
When: Keep an eye out on our calendar for upcoming classes.
This class offers middle school students a chance to get together with their peers and a youth teacher to talk about today's issues in light of the church's teachings.
When: Keep an eye out on our calendar for upcoming classes.
This class offers high school students a chance to get together with their peers and a pastor to talk about today's issues in light of the church's teachings.
Programs and Events
These are just a few of our connection-and-community oriented offerings.
The Forward Sons Club is to advance, in the light of Devine Revelation - The understanding of Truth and its application to life and thus to develop true masculinity. This is furthered by holding regular discussion on ideas and principals of life, promoting the welfare of the Olivet Church and world wide new Christian Church, supporting New Church education and evangelization, and fostering the spirit of comradeship.
The Forward Sons Club meets on the second Friday of each month at 7:00 pm for a topic presentation and discussion and comments. Meetings are currently taking place on Zoom, but are in the process of transitioning back to in person.
When: Potluck lunches are often offered following the third Sunday Worship Service of the month. Keep an eye on our calendar to know when the next potluck lunch will take place.
Good food is one of the best tools for building happy communities. Potlucks are a fun social event for the whole family; everyone simply heads down to the church hall after worship, and then they eat!
When: Keep an eye out on our calendar or the Chatterbox to learn when our next teen weekend will be!
This is one of our most exciting programs: teens from Canada and the US are invited to gather at a church somewhere in the Great Lakes region for a weekend of fun, religious discussion, and community service. These weekend events are held twice a year, in the spring and in the fall.
Summary for our recent Youth Weekend – April 21-23-2023
The 2023 spring youth weekend was hosted in Caryndale, Kitchener over the weekend of April 21-23. Rev. Justin Schorran and his wife Denali (Heinrichs) Schorran were the hosts for the event. A record-breaking number of people attended, including 58 teens and 14 chaperones/drivers from seven New Church societies such as Kempton, Pittsburgh, Glenview (Chicago), Caryndale (Kitchener), Mitchellville (Maryland), Toronto, and Oak Arbor.
Rev. Brett Buick, Rev. Calvin Heinrichs, Brooke Brown, Ahmai Cole and Nicole Frazier brought 25 teens from Kempton. Rev. Jared Buss, Gabrielle Uber and Burgundy Smith brought 9 teens from Pittsburgh. Rev. Elmo Acton and Phil Parker brought 3 teens from Glenview and 6 teens from Oak Arbor (Michigan). Rev. Justin and Denali Schorran had 10 teens attend from Caryndale. Jana Sprinkle brought 2 teens from Mitchellville (Maryland). Naomi Reid brought 3 teens from Olivet (Toronto). The male chaperones and boys stayed overnight at the Caryndale church, while the female chaperones and girls were hosted by Denali Heinrichs at the manse down the hill from the Caryndale church.
The spiritual theme for the weekend was based on an idea from the Writings called “The Affirmative Principle.” Rev. Brett Buick introduced the idea in the Friday evening vespers service and Rev. Jared Buss explained it further in the afternoon doctrinal discussion class. Through their explanations, we learned that the affirmative principle means accepting and affirming that what the Lord says in His Word is good and true because it comes from Him. This attitude leads to intelligence and wisdom, while acting on the belief that we know better than the Lord leads to a life of folly and insanity. This idea comes from Arcana Coelestia 2568.4 and opposes the ways and common thinking of the world which would like us to think that we can decide for ourselves what is right and wrong while ignoring what the Lord says in His Word. Rev. Calvin Heinrichs did the Saturday evening Vespers service, sharing more in-depth ideas on the topic. After the vespers service, Kai Smith (one of the Mitchellville (Maryland) students) shared his musical talent by playing two beautiful songs on the piano: Comptine de Autre by Yann Trersen and Marriage de Amour by Paul de Senneville. If you aren’t familiar with these lovely songs, they are worth finding and listening to.
Rev. Calvin Heinrichs and his sister Denali Schorran ran the lively, interactive, and fun icebreaker game time on both Friday and Saturday evenings. Since the teen group was large and it would have been hard to get to know so many individuals, they divided the group into four smaller teams and competitions were held, including guessing Disney movie lyrics, stacking cups, and knocking them down with ping pong balls, and a lively hockey game outside.
On Saturday, the group planted trees for the new and emerging landscaped outdoor space and future steps that will eventually go from the Carmel church down to the valley and houses below. The teens were good natured about planting trees in the rain. After washing their muddy shoes, they attended a doctrinal class, had a BBQ lunch, and went to the Skyzone Trampoline park. After returning, they were invited into Caryndale church homes for showers. Thank you to the hosting families.
After a pizza dinner on Saturday evening, Naomi Reid taught the teens to make twisted wire trees, which they mounted onto semi-precious stones from a local stone store and other stones that were collected from the shores of Lake Ontario. The final results of this project were displayed on the stage and could be seen by everyone who attended the church service on Sunday morning.
The meals were planned with care and precision by Rev. Justin and Denali Schorran. Thank you to the local Caryndale church members who assisted in the kitchen with the important job. The weekend concluded with a society pancake breakfast cooked by the teens and a church service with Rev. Mark Allais, who asked the attendees to consider if they have asked the Lord to be a central part of their lives. Being willing to ask the Lord to be at the center of our lives is the capstone idea to the affirmative principle of being willing to accept that what the Lord says is true and not putting our own ideas about life above what the Lord has said in His Word. This idea resonated with me as I observed the young people and adult leaders gathered together in church that morning.
This was perhaps the largest group ever in the history of young people’s weekends. Throughout the weekend, I witnessed the teens making positive connections with each other and displaying positive and helpful attitudes towards both their peers and the staff. I noticed the Ministers and chaperones who brought the young people to this weekend sitting among the congregation. These individuals hold a high value on supporting the youth in our church, as evidenced by their willingness to drive many miles to bring their young people to these events and their dedication to ensuring a safe and memorable experience for them. As I looked around that morning I felt a strong sense of gratitude and connection to everyone who helped make these weekends possible. Without the hard work of those who plan and organize the events, as well as the dedication of those who are willing to drive and chaperone from as far away as Maryland, Glenview, and Kempton, these weekends would not be feasible. It is heartening to know that these youth weekends are made affordable through the generous support of the General Church in Canada Board. Thank you for your continued support of this invaluable resource for the young people in our wider church community.
Written by Naomi Reid (Chaperone/Driver)