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Whatever Happened to Family/Household Visits?

Posted in Elders | May 10, 2012, 2:53 pm | 4 comments

Article 65 of the Church Order went through an interesting editing process in recent years. The article addresses the age old custom of “Family Visiting” in the Christian Reformed Church. It formerly read, “The minister of the Word and elders shall conduct annual home visitation”. Presently it reads, “whenever possible..." Read more »

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	Has There Ever Been A Moment Like This? Posted in Classis \| May 16, 2012, 4:15 pm We need to talk! Talk as never before, talk as family, bound together across our differences by His blood and Spirit and love. We need to relearn to speak the truth in love, to engage each other with patience, with good listening, with thoughtful discernment, with humor, with... Read more »
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	What Do Your Members Know About the CRC? Posted in Elders \| May 16, 2012, 6:11 pm So what is Church Membership All About? Read more »
	Has There Ever Been A Moment Like This? Posted in Classis \| May 16, 2012, 4:15 pm We need to talk! Talk as never before, talk as family, bound together across our differences by His blood and Spirit and love. We need to relearn to speak the truth in love, to engage each other with patience, with good listening, with thoughtful discernment, with humor, with... Read more »
	How Do We Get Youth Interested in Our Denominations? Posted in Youth \| May 15, 2012, 1:43 pm \| 2 comments Maybe the question should be “Is it important to get youth interested in our denominations?” I believe it is, indeed, important and the blessing and missional impact of denominations like the CRCNA should be shared with youth. Maybe you disagree. Read more »
	Share What You Know With Others Posted in Church Administration \| May 15, 2012, 8:56 am Church Administration is a gift that takes a mix of science (procedures, processes, and techniques) and art (sensitivity to people gifts, needs, situations, and timing). If you have the gift or passion for administration please consider volunteering as a guide, regular contributor, or guest blogger. Read more »
	Salaam Project Equips Churches to Share Faith with Muslims Posted in Global Mission \| May 15, 2012, 8:00 am How can we be good neighbors to the Muslims who live next door? Should we be afraid of Islam? Do Muslims worship the same God we do? How can I share my faith with my Muslim co-worker? These are the kinds of questions a lot of us in North America are asking. We hear a lot of different answers and we often don’t know whose opinions to trust. Read more »
	Deacon Webinar Alert! Posted in Deacons \| May 15, 2012, 1:30 am TOMORROW (May 16th, noon) we have the opportunity to participate in a webinar geared specifically to the work of deacons. Join Bernita Tuinenga and Dave Ellens as they identify the main roles of the deacon, discuss how they can be more effective with benevolence needs, and learn how to encourage good stewardship... Read more »
	The Mercy Of Hospitality Posted in Deacons \| May 15, 2012, 1:05 am \| 1 comment Hospitality can take many different forms as it's expressed through different people and in a variety of situations. Lately I've been thinking about hospitality as an act of mercy. Mercy for the person who is alone. Mercy for the person who feels uncomfortable in a social setting. Mercy for the person who needs assistance. Read more »
	What Do You See? Posted in Worship \| May 15, 2012, 12:00 am What about your worship space? Is it inviting? Does it reflect your congregation’s meaning of worship? Or is it “just a space?” Read more »
	Becoming a Safe Place for Victims of Domestic Violence Posted in Safe Church \| May 14, 2012, 9:11 pm \| 1 comment To make churches safer places, leaders must begin by recognizing that some families in the congregation are experiencing violence. You can't tell from the outside which families are affected. Read more »
	Growing a Garden of Jesus Followers Posted in Small Groups \| May 14, 2012, 1:03 pm \| 2 comments A metaphor that has helped me understand and lead small group ministry is this: Growing a small group discipleship ministry is like growing a garden. Small group coordinators and leaders must ask gardening questions. How would you answer these questions about your small group ministry? Read more »
	A Surprising Path to Church Transformation Posted in Disability Concerns \| May 12, 2012, 2:31 pm \| 2 comments Transformation begins in a church family when there is enough interaction to make this authenticity contagious. It is liberating to throw off pretense, to admit insufficiencies, and to become completely dependent on God. Read more »
	Synod's Agenda in the Brussels Airport Posted in Synod \| May 10, 2012, 5:06 pm I sat in the Brussels Airport with dozens of different nationalities and more languages. Soon we all boarded one plane, made in Europe, run by an Indian company, and headed to Toronto. Among us we are all able to communicate basically. If we had spent a long time together, we’d have to learn to live together deeply. That's what this year's diverse Agenda begs us to do ... Read more »
	Feeding and Leading the Church Posted in Pastors \| May 10, 2012, 10:45 am Jack Hayford writes about leadership from the biblical perspective of a shepherd and sheep. He affirms that pastors must lead like a shepherd. What does this mean? A shepherd feeds, protects, and cares for his sheep. If he does not do these basic tasks, he is a bad shepherd, a mere hired hand... Read more »
	Our Confessional Crisis Posted in Classis \| May 9, 2012, 3:00 pm \| 11 comments We needed to pay more attention to our confessional identity if we want to have a voice in our missional future. Is our tiny classical liturgy of binary subscription to our Forms of Unity sufficient? Read more »
	El Potrero, Fort Wayne, and the Power of Prayer Posted in Global Mission \| May 9, 2012, 9:38 am “What do you think you can possibly do to encourage the people in El Potrero? You do not know the language, the culture, the environment! You are from a middle class suburb trying to help some poor farmers in a small community in Honduras! How can you, of all people, encourage them?” Read more »