Save the Date!

Join us for a night of excellent food and great information with Dr. Calvin Beisner of the Cornwall Alliance, a respected biblical scholar on climate change, as he presents "Understanding and Responding to Climate Change." Traveling all the way from Mempshi, TN, Dr. Beisner will apply biblical worldview, theology, and ethics, combined with science and economics, to address pressing questions about manmade climate change and discuss appropriate responses for churches, nations, and the global community.
 
Date: Friday, February 28th
Time: 6:30 pm (doors open at 6:00 pm)
Location: Oxford Reformed Christian School, 333182 Plank Line, Mount Elgin, ON
Dinner by donation - cash, cheque or e-transfer to: arpaoxford@gmail.com
RSVP to Rachel - arpaoxford@gmail.com or 519-550-0488

2024 Annual General Meeting

For those who were unable to attend the Annual General Meeting on December 12th; you missed an evening of some business, the viewing of the film "Dead Name" as well as a discussion regarding the transgender movement and the "Let Kids Be" campaign. 

We opened the evening by reading from Isaiah 1:1-10. Here the prophet Isaiah is calling the people of Judah back to God. We also see in these verses how the vulnerable are the first to suffer. After opening, we started the evening off with some pie from The Hot Oven in Verschoyle while we watched the film "Dead Name". 

The film covers the story of three parents whose lives have been shaken and forever altered because their children have declared (or have been given) a transgender identity. We saw how shocking it is for parents to hear that their children in their mid to late teens have seemingly out of nowhere decided to switch from female to male or from male to female. In another story, we follow one parent's nightmarish descent into the transgender world as her ex assigns a female gender to their very young son. Ultimately, we find these parents struggling with disbelief, loneliness, helplessness, isolation and despair.

Following the film, we opened the floor to questions:
1. Are there any positives on this front?

a. Europe tends to be ahead of us with all the bad stuff but in this case, most European countries have actually stepped back from what would normally be prescribed for puberty blockers, surgeries etc. The UK has announced that all medicalization has been paused while they research and now this research is showing that it isn’t helping and so the government has announced they are indefinitely stopping this for minors. This is coming to North America as well. There are US states as well as the Alberta government who have passed legislation to stop it for minors.
2. The most overlooked part is the financial benefits for people in the medical industry which is why they recommend these things and won’t stop until there’s legislation against it.
a. Yes, but in the UK last year there was a case of people suing the UK government over this stuff and similar things are happening in Canada. Gender dysphoria is a mental health problem but that’s not how they are treating it.
3. After watching this film, I can’t help but think how primed these parents are for the gospel. How can we use all this for good?
a. This entire culture is run further and further from the gospel and they have rejected “what is thy only comfort in life and death?” and this is the end result. This is a huge opportunity to show love and preach the gospel of Christ’s love for them.
4. Is ARPA involved in any legal cases regarding this?
a. Yes, in BC there was a similar situation to Jonas and his mother in the film. There was a case where the mother fully supported the daughter’s transition and the father opposed. Ultimately, in this case the father lost the case to the point where he lost custody of his daughter and went to jail because he refused to follow a court order about pronouns and names.
5. These young people that transition all seem to have troubled pasts?
a. There are under-lying issues every time including autism, sexual trauma, broken families, abused young girls, bullying, PTSD, puberty, etc. It’s important to show love when talking to these people. Speak the truth of God and that God made you and he didn’t make a mistake. That doesn’t mean you don’t have feelings and don’t struggle, but that doesn’t change the truth.
6. Each of these three families say they don’t know what to do as parents. Are there support teams for these people?
a. Yes, there is growing support and people talking leads to more people talking.
7. What is the suicide rate on those that are transgender?
a. July last year, more than 40% of transgender adults have attempted suicide in the US. People defending transgenderism will often pose the question, “do you want a live son, or a dead daughter?” (or vice versa). They’re implying that if you don’t support your child and let them transition, they will commit suicide. The research doesn’t support this. In fact, studies show that in 80% of cases, if you leave them alone, it will go away on their own.

Our hope and prayer is that we would continue to stand for the vulnerable while bringing the gospel of Christ to our Canadian society.

Our meeting also included voting in the 2025 board, a recap of the past year's events and a financial report.

‘Let Kids Be’ Bus Ads

Recently we had the opportunity to post bus ads in London for the Let Kids Be campaign. We are excited to share that our ads have now been posted on 10 buses! If you spot our ads, send us a photo!

Thank you to all of our generous supporters. You make this work possible!

We are thankful that the local media has already taken note of our ads, and is generating further discussion on this important issue: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/trans-activists-appalled-by-new-bus-ads-but-ltc-says-they-re-allowed-1.7415048

The Let Kids Be campaign raises awareness about the medical transition of minors. Childhood is a precious time that should be protected. Children should be allowed to grow and develop naturally. For more information, see www.letkidsbe.ca

‘Care Not Kill’ Letter Writing

Thank you to everyone who came out this past week for our topic and dessert evening! Thank you Mike and Ryan for the wonderful talks. Thank you to Esther and her crew at The Hot Oven for the delicious pies! As you can see we were able to fill out a stack of postcards which are en route to various MPs and MPPs as we speak!

2024 Annual Fundraising Dinner

Our annual spring fundraising event was a great success!
Thank you to everyone who came out and supported us. Thanks to Henry and Jacqueline Scholten for again making a fantastic meal. Special thank you to MP Viersen for joining us and talking about some of the bills he's working on. A main takeaway from our evening is that personal relationships are key in Parliament. This is something each and every one of us can do whether it's by taking the time to go and meet with your MP or other government officials or contacting them by mail, phone or email. Oxford’s own MP Arpan Khanna was also able to join us for the evening, giving our guests a great opportunity to meet him. We encourage you to start building a relationship and to consistently reach out to them about bills that are concerning to you. Thank you also to all our generous sponsors and volunteers who made this evening possible! We couldn't do it without you!

2023 Annual General Meeting

For those who were unable to attend the Annual General Meeting on December 7th; you missed an evening of some business and a wonderful topic by Pastor Greg Bylsma. 

We started the evening off with a delicious fish and chips meal prepared and served by Nectar. Following dinner, we enjoyed some pie from The Hot Oven in Verschoyle while listening to Pastor Greg Bylsma speak on a Christian's response to woke culture. 

Pastor Bylsma began with reading Psalm 2 and giving a brief explanation of woke culture. To our society this is essentially an opening of their eyes and being alert to oppression and discrimination. Pastor Bylsma went on to explain three dangers that Christian’s can fall into in their response. The first danger is distraction from the full counsel of God. It is important that we don’t focus on one single issue like abortion or euthanasia. Our goal is to stay focused on the whole truth of God’s Word and to submit every area of our lives to His kingdom. Secondly, we should not think that moralism is faithfulness. Our only purpose is not to create laws and put an end to these issues. That would be a purely moral response. Instead, we need to bring people to the gospel and respond with grace and truth. If we are not giving grace and truth in our Christian response; it is not a Christian response. Finally, we cannot think the gospel removes the responsibility to speak up. As Christians we have a duty to speak up for the vulnerable and oppressed in society and be a voice for the voiceless. 

Our hope and prayer is that we would continue to stand for the vulnerable while bringing the gospel of Christ to our Canadian society.

Our meeting also included voting in the 2024 board, a recap of the past year's events and a financial report. Please see the attached document for the minutes of the December 7th AGM.

2023 Annual Fundraising Dinner

Thank you to everyone who came out and supported us at our annual spring fundraising event. Thanks to Henry and Jacqueline Scholten for again making a fantastic meal of spinach salad, beef brisket, chicken thighs, mashed potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and beets. Special thank you to MPP Sam Oosterhoff for joining us and speaking on the topic of “The Body Politic: Political Process and Reformed Participation”. Thank you also to all our generous sponsors and volunteers who made this evening possible! We couldn't do it without you!