Author Archives: Arnold Sikkema

Date: Thursday 21 March 2019
Time: 7:30-9:00pm
Location: Northwest Building Auditorium, Trinity Western University (campus map; pay parking is available)
Invite Others via the Facebook Event Page

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of theological reflection on work, calling, and the importance of seeing all of life under the Lordship of Christ. However, many people still struggle to connect this rich theology with the specific tasks of their employment, educational pursuits, and responsibilities in the home. This is especially true when it comes to the seemingly mundane tasks of life. In this lecture, Jim Mullins will argue that we need more than a theology of work and vocation; we need a theological imagination that helps us reframe all of life in light of the Biblical Story.

How does the doctrine of creation shape the way we organize our calendars? How does a robust eschatology shape the way a teacher writes a lesson plan? How can our textbooks become catalysts for worship and wonder? How does Jesus’ call to love our neighbours transform the work of forensic accountants, biology students, and custodial staff? These kinds of questions can only be answered if we have a theological imagination that allows us to see the whole scope of human life through the lens of the Biblical Story.

Along with a discussion about how our work is reframed by the Biblical Story, we will spend some time reflecting on how to discern our particular callings and how to live into the unique good works for which we were created.

SPEAKER: Jim Mullins is the pastor of theological and vocational formation for Redemption Church, helps lead the Surge Network, and leads the Faith, Work, and Rest Initiative in Tempe, Arizona. He has worked as a pastor, entrepreneur, nonprofit leader, and second rate basketball scout in Turkey. He’s married to Jenny, and has a nine-year-old daughter named Elliana. They spend their time watching basketball, cooking Middle Eastern food, and ineffectively attempting to grow a garden.

The Geneva Society invites everyone to attend this free public lecture by Derek Schuurman entitled “Responsible Automation: Faith and Work in an Age of Intelligent Machines.”
DATE: Saturday 3 March 2018
LOCATION: Christ Covenant Church (PCA), 6866 Glover Rd, Langley, BC [access via Maxwell Crescent]
TIME: 7:30-9:00pm
SUMMARY: Ever since the Luddites revolted in opposition to the industrial revolution in the early 19th century, concerns over automation have persisted. Throughout the Industrial Revolution, the introduction of new technology did displace certain jobs, but it simultaneously created new jobs. And so it went for much of the 20th century. However, the digital revolution and the increasing pace of automation are now rapidly transforming the economy and employment. With recent developments in robotics and artificial intelligence, many have begun to warn of the “end of work” in what has been called “the second machine age.” If pursuing absolute efficiency through automation leads to undesirable consequences, what normative guidelines can help us responsibly harness the possibilities of new technologies while simultaneously ensuring flourishing for humans and the rest of the creation? A set of norms informed by a Christian perspective for responsible technology will be presented to provide a helpful framework as we face the second machine age.

SPEAKER: Derek C. Schuurman worked as an electrical engineer for several years and later returned to school to complete a Ph.D. in the area of robotics and computer vision. He has taught computer science at both Dordt College and Redeemer University College and is now professor of computer science at Calvin College and the current William Spoelhof Teacher-Scholar-in-Residence chair. Dr. Schuurman is a fellow in technology at St. George’s Centre for Biblical and Public Theology and is a member of the board for the Association of Christians in the Mathematical Sciences (ACMS). He has written about faith and technology issues and is the author of Shaping a Digital World: Faith, Culture and Computer Technology (InterVarsity Press, 2013).
This lecture is co-sponsored by the Canadian Scientific & Christian Affiliation.

The Geneva Society invites everyone to attend this free public lecture by Bill DeJong entitled “Being Right or Living Well: Why Character Matters as Much as Conscience.”
DATE: Thursday 27 October 2016
LOCATION: Auditorium, Northwest Building, Trinity Western University
TIME: 7:30-9:00pm
SUMMARY: What characterizes a good life? One in which a person is moral, obedient to God’s law, and upright in conduct? What if such a depiction actually represented an impoverished life? Suppose a moral and upright woman is deathly ill, but does not know how to live with her illness. Is her life still a good life? Suppose a scrupulously obedient man is successful in resisting temptation, but sees himself as fundamentally deprived. Is his life still a good life? Protestants have traditionally prided themselves on being right, but is living well exhausted by being right? In this talk, I will argue that in order for us to live the good life, our character is as important as our conscience.
SPEAKER: A pastor of Reformed churches for over twenty years in both Canada and the United States, Bill DeJong currently ministers at Blessings Christian Church, a newly launched missional church in the city of Hamilton, Ontario. A PhD candidate at McMaster Divinity College, Bill is completing a multidisciplinary dissertation on the psychology, theology, and philosophy of gratitude. His extracurricular interests include running, watching Woody Allen movies, and especially spending time with his wife, Kim and their four sons.
Audio Recording coming.
LOCATION: Auditorium, Northwest Building, Trinity Western University. This is building #28 at this campus map; pay parking is available nearby.
Please help get the word out via our Facebook event page!
Other appearances by Bill DeJong, both on Saturday 29 October 2016

• “Nature & Vocation of the Church”, 9-11:30am, Christ Covenant Church, Milner (registration required)
• “The Power of Gratitude: How to Understand the Virtue the Reformation Rediscovered”, 7:30pm, Aldergrove Canadian Reformed Church (2469 267 St, Aldergrove, BC), hosted by Reformed Bible College.