Bethel Canadian Reformed Church
Sharing the Gospel Through Fellowship and Discipleship
Through the Lord’s guidance, Bethel Canadian Reformed Church has developed a more intentional approach to local mission and strengthened its commitment to sharing the gospel within its surrounding community. Located in a very diverse community north of Toronto, the congregation has seen the Lord open doors for outreach, drawing people from many cultures and backgrounds into a welcoming environment of fellowship, spiritual growth, and purposeful discipleship.
Through careful research, prayerful discernment, and strong congregational commitment, Bethel has developed a sustainable local mission ministry that continues to bear fruit, reflecting God’s ongoing work of renewal within His church.
The Opportunity
For many years, Bethel Church had a desire to engage more intentionally in mission within its local community. In 2015, Bethel joined with Grace Canadian Reformed Church in Brampton to explore opportunities for developing mission work among local congregations in the Greater Toronto Area. Through this broader initiative, the Lord began shaping a renewed vision for outreach within Bethel itself.
As the congregation reflected on its calling within a rapidly changing and increasingly diverse neighbourhood, Council recognized the opportunity to grow in intentional hospitality, community engagement, and personal discipleship. The church sought to better understand both its own strengths and the needs of the surrounding community in order to serve faithfully.
In February 2021, Bethel’s Council appointed a committee to research and develop a proposal for local mission work. Over several months, the committee surveyed the congregation and Council, conducted interviews with members, and gathered demographic data about the surrounding community. Through this careful process of listening, research, and prayer, a clear direction for local mission began to emerge.
The Partnership
During the research and development of a new mission plan, Sycamore Tree Mission partnered with Bethel’s committee in a supportive and advisory role. STM provided research guidance, administrative support, and broader ministry perspective drawn from its work with other congregations.
Because Bethel possessed strong internal leadership and resources, the partnership functioned primarily as consultation and encouragement. STM representatives assisted the committee’s work, helped clarify direction, and offered insight from mission initiatives in other churches.
After the proposal was adopted, Bethel Church moved forward with significant congregational ownership. The church undertook its own fundraising efforts and called Kwangyoung Park to serve as mission worker, helping to lead and shape the congregation’s local outreach. During the early years of the ministry, STM continued to provide limited support through administrative assistance and collaboration with Bethel’s Home Mission Committee until the work was firmly established.
The Renewal
As the mission developed through the work of Rev. Park and the Home Mission Committee, the Lord worked deeply within the life of the congregation. Bethel engaged in numerous outreach opportunities and developed a clear system of follow-up with new visitors and regular attendees. Increasingly, the congregation reflected the diversity of its surrounding community, welcoming people from many nations and backgrounds into the fellowship of the church.
Through intentional outreach, personal discipleship, and a warm and hospitable environment, new relationships were formed and many were nurtured in their faith. Members of the congregation grew in their understanding of mission as a shared calling, and the church experienced renewed unity, purpose, and joy in serving Christ together.
The Outcome
By God’s blessing, Bethel Church has witnessed meaningful spiritual fruit through this work. Lives have been touched by the gospel, believers have been strengthened through intentional discipleship, and the congregation has grown in its calling to reflect Christ’s love within its community. What began as careful study and planning has become a sustained ministry marked by faithful outreach, growing diversity, and renewed congregational vitality.
As the ministry matured, Bethel’s local mission work developed into a stable and self-sustaining effort under the leadership of the congregation itself. Having established a strong foundation, the church continues to pursue the mission God has set before it with confidence and joy.