CRC Chaplain Co-organizes Spiritual Care Conference

Alida van Dijk, an endorsed chaplain of the Christian Reformed Church and chair of the educational standards commission with the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care/Association canadienne de soins spirituels, co-chaired the association’s annual conference in 2024. The event, co-led by Dale Nikkel, took place April 14-16 in London, Ontario, drawing approximately 200 participants and 60 volunteers.

Van Dijk, a member of Good News Christian Reformed Church in London, founded the Community Counselling Centre of London five years ago. In 2007, during a sabbatical from her role as a ministry director, she became a student member of CASC/ACSS and completed her first Clinical Psychospiritual Education. This experience introduced her to the concept of psychospiritual therapy, a practice that integrates psychology and spiritual methods to support individuals.

Now a certified psychospiritual therapist with CASC/ACSS, Van Dijk also supervises units of Psychospiritual Therapy Education, one of the training streams offered by the association. The 2024 conference theme was “Making Space,” featuring keynote speakers Shad, a Canadian rapper and presenter, and Carrie Doering, a U.S.-based professor of pastoral care and counseling.

Femke Visser-Elenbaas, a hospital chaplain with Hamilton (Ont.) Health Sciences and a member of Immanuel CRC in Hamilton, attended the conference for the third time in 2024. She described the event as a valuable opportunity to reconnect with colleagues, share experiences, and learn together. “We all work as chaplains, but each of our contexts is unique,” Visser-Elenbaas said, noting that the conference serves as a “home base for chaplains” where they can foster community and purpose.

During the conference, Visser-Elenbaas participated in a workshop titled “Enhancing your Skills with a Community of Practice and Palliative and Bereavement Care Advanced Certification.” She emphasized the benefits of connecting with fellow chaplains in person, stating it was “very beneficial and encouraging” to exchange resources and support within a shared professional context.

Tim DeJonge, who works at Kingston (Ont.) General Hospital, and Jolene Veenstra, who serves at Mountainview CRC in Grimsby, Ontario, are additional Canadian chaplains with the CRCNA who attended the London conference.

Kristen Parker, a freelance news correspondent for The Banner since 2019, became the communications coordinator for Canada with Christian Reformed Church Communications in 2025. She and her husband, Chris, enjoy running and thrift shopping and attend Stratford CRC in Stratford, Ontario.

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