ICS ENewsletter April 2025

Greetings Vidya!

Please join us this April in praying that the Gospel's message of renewal permeate ICS, Canada, and, ultimately, every aspect of creation. Your support, especially your prayer, allows ICS to reform, extend, and amplify the Reformational tradition, advocating for human flourishing in a world that so often diminishes human and creational life.

May God bless you and keep you.

“For freedom Christ has set us free.

Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”

— Galatians 5:1

Are you a progressive or a conservative?

I’m not a fan of this question—and the false distinction informing it. It conceals wide swaths of shared values, the very foundation upon which we could build the solidarity our polarized society so desperately needs.

And what a terrible choice it demands: To embrace progressivism you must understand the past as nothing more than a shackle to be cast off, naively assuming—despite mounting evidence to the contrary—that doing so will inevitably lead to progress. To embrace conservatism, you must reject the future—God’s new thing a-coming—and instead romanticize an image of the past that never truly existed, freezing both present and future in its rigid, nostalgic grip.

Are these our only choices? I certainly hope not, for I cannot align myself with either the modern myth of progress or an enervating conservatism that refuses to embrace the rich dynamism of God’s good creation. Surely there is a way to be faithful to Christ’s calling in our time that moves beyond these twin yokes of slavery!

Caught in a similar dilemma, Paul speaks of a freedom in Christ that exists for its own sake. He proclaims a grace that cannot be earned, a grace that yet liberates us from our anxious pursuit of our own security. And in that liberation, we are freed—by faith—to reach out to one another in love. Paul’s words are full of tension: he describes a freedom that, through love, paradoxically leads us to “become slaves to one another” (Galatians 5:13b).

What kind of freedom is this, where love binds us in service to each other? Again and again, the gospel insists that the path of selfless service is the path to true liberation—the way of shalom. If we set our hearts on this way, if we embrace our freedom to be faithful, then no law can stand against us (Galatians 5:23b). Or, as St. Augustine once preached in a sermon on the first epistle of John: “Love, and do what you will.”

You will be hearing us use the phrase “free to be faithful” often in the coming weeks and months. Under this banner, we hope to gather a diverse Christian community to discern what faithfulness demands in the present age. Each generation faces new challenges for which our inherited religious tradition provides no simple, pre-packaged answers. Yet, at its most vital, the reformational spiritual tradition the ICS community claims offers profound wisdom and inspiration for our shared task of seeking redemptive responses to life’s contemporary trials.

We want you to come alongside us as we embark on this effort. Your support and participation will help ICS become a vibrant gathering space for all sorts of Christians committed to exploring how their ancient faith can actively engage with the pressing issues of our time. Join us in embracing our freedom to be faithful!

Shalom friends,

Ron Kuipers

More information is available below on our May 3rd Free to Be Faithful hybrid event, a conversation in Grand Rapids with Kristin Du Mez and Nicholas Wolterstorff.

Read and interact with this reflection on Substack.

Monday, April 7 - Friday, April 11:

As we approach the end of the term, ICS students are wrapping up their coursework. Please pray that they may finish strong, with clarity and confidence in their learning.

This is also a season of discernment for many prospective students. MA and PhD applicants are making decisions about where to continue their studies. We ask for your prayers that those who are seeking a community of deep, faithful inquiry will find their way to ICS.

We also say goodbye to Brenna Wehrle, our Recruitment Coordinator and Assistant Registrar, as she moves on to pursue further studies in Film. We give thanks for her work and pray for her continued growth and joy in this next chapter. Please also pray for the hiring of her successor—someone with the gifts needed to carry this important work forward. The deadline for applications is April 9. View the job posting.

Monday, April 14 - Friday, April 18:

As Holy Week unfolds, we invite you to join us in prayer that students, faculty, and staff may find space to reflect on the death and resurrection of Christ—and how this mystery speaks into our present moment with a message of love, hope, and renewal.

This week, ICS’s program review committees are also meeting. Please pray for our program directors—Dr. Neal DeRoo (MA-PhD), Héctor Acero Ferrer (MWS), and Dr. Edith van der Boom (MA-EL)—as they seek wisdom and discernment in their work. May they be guided as they shape programs that form Christian leaders ready to embody the Gospel in a complex world.

Monday, April 21- Friday, April 25:

Please pray for Héctor Acero Ferrer and Dr. Ron Kuipers of the CPRSE as they ramp up preparations for this summer’s Our Whole Society conference. This biennial event brings together voices from across Canada to reflect on the role of hope in responding to the challenges of our time—challenges like climate change, political polarization, and social division.

The conference will take place June 15–17, 2025, at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg. Highlights include a keynote by international law expert Payam Akhavan, reflections on climate hope by researcher and author Elin Kelsey, and a presentation by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Lloyd Axworthy. Music by the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra will open the conference on June 15.

Please pray that this event fosters meaningful dialogue, shared vision, and lasting partnerships for the good of our communities. Much of the conference is available online. Follow this link to sign up and for more information.

Monday, April 28 - Friday, May 2:

Looking ahead, we invite you to join us on Saturday, May 3 at 7PM for a special online event: Free to Be Faithful.

This will be a personal and timely conversation between Nick Wolterstorff and Kristin Du Mez on the state of the Reformed tradition and the broader North American church—where we’ve been, where we are now, and where we might go from here.

Whether you find yourself in a place of deep connection, questioning, or transition, this event is an opportunity to reflect together on the role of faith in shaping a more just and hopeful future.

RSVP and learn more at: events.icscanada.edu/freetobefaithful

May this month bring renewed perspective, meaningful conversations, and enduring hope. Thank you for keeping ICS in your prayers!

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Please contact Vidya if you need help donating at 416-979-2331 x223 or email her at vwilliams@icscanada.edu.

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