Congregation
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Posted on November 22, 2011, 1:09 am
Topics: Community, Congregation
We are entering the Christmas season and, as deacons, there are a lot of different initatives that we can undertake to help spread the hope and joy of this time. As we engage in these converations among our teams it can be helpful to brainstorm and share best practices from other congregations, so, let's do just that!
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Posted on November 15, 2011, 2:58 am | 5 comments
"You Add, God Multiplies" is more than a catchy phrase, it's the reality of what happens when, as churches, we pool our resources to accomplish more ministry than we could do each on our own. Unfortunately there is a lot of confusion about what Ministry Shares are and what they do...
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Posted on October 11, 2011, 10:59 am | 1 comment
Topics: Community, Congregation
As we head into the holiday season, we need to be aware that need doesn't stop. It also doesn't increase exponentially. How can we inspire our congregations to engage with those in need in a meaningful way? And why has Stephen Colbert called Christians out on this?
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Posted on September 6, 2011, 12:22 am
Topics: Congregation, Denomination
To date Diakonia Remixed has received 300 responses to the survey that was created to help them evaluate the state of diaconal ministry in North America. Have you filled it out yet? If you haven't, you have less than a month to add your voice to this important discussion. So what are you waiting for? We need you! (And I'm not only talking to deacons here!)
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Posted on August 22, 2011, 9:15 pm | 5 comments
Topics: Congregation, Stewardship
We know that giving of our offerings is an act of worship, yet with the advent of electronic giving methods one might begin to wonder how meaningful this part of our service is. How do we as deacons continue to create the space for people to enter into worship through their giving, even if it's done on a regular banking day?
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Posted on July 18, 2011, 10:50 am | 1 comment
Topics: Congregation, Spiritual Health
I know our journey to wholeness in Christ is a refining process; being purified in thought, word, deed and heart. But what if we find ourselves spinning our wheels in the mud of sin, not able to move forward? There are many people who are in this very situation. People who lay their burdens down, only to
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Posted on August 9, 2010, 3:54 pm | 4 comments
Topics: Congregation
What a picture of the organization THAT is! The denominational bureaucracy suddenly looked like a living body, eyeballs connected to kneecaps in ways that were meaningful, and affirming, and exciting. I saw “organic” instead of hierarchical. It looked sweet.
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Posted on May 24, 2010, 11:11 am | 1 comment
Topics: Congregation
How a small congregation in Nova Scotia incorporates diaconal work into worship.
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Posted on April 20, 2010, 10:11 am
Topics: Congregation
This question haunts me. I hardly dare to raise it. But so much depends on the answer. I'm afraid to raise it - afraid of the issues and feelings it might call forth. In a nutshell, I am hopeful, but cautiously hopeful. Deacons DO lead, lots of them. But where there is...
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Posted on March 29, 2010, 4:39 pm | 1 comment
Topics: Congregation, Roles
They all filed in together at the last minute - just before the Minister himself appeared. They were all in dark suits, white shirts, and ties. Black shoes with lots of eyelets. Or was that just one especially old consistory member? Elders and deacons...
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Posted on January 26, 2010, 1:22 pm | 2 comments
Topics: Community, Congregation
A mission-focused church is always looking for ways to reach beyond its own needs and spread the Good News wherever God gives the opportunity. Mission-focused ministry flourishes in a church culture that says, “We are here to serve.” That sounds simple, but it becomes more complex in situations where the needs of the church conflict with the needs of those outside your church.
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Posted on January 26, 2010, 1:19 pm
Topics: Congregation, Roles
Understanding your particular giftedness will allow you to focus your primary energy on using the gifts you have in effective ministry while permitting yourself—without guilt!—to say no to other opportunities that may take you away from deploying your gifts. The key to determining whether you are using your spiritual gifts effectively is to assess if you are being fruitful and feeling fulfilled in your ministry.
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Posted on January 22, 2010, 5:05 pm
Topics: Congregation, Getting Started
Volunteers to help you! Yes, you need to think about how to identify and harness the gifts of the congregation to help the deacons do their work. This is very important both for the deacons (who will need help!), AND for the members of the congregation who need to use their gifts in ministry as we’ll discover in this excerpt from the Deacon’s Handbook.
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Posted on January 12, 2010, 2:06 pm
Topics: Congregation
A group settles into a meeting room at Fleetwood Christian Reformed Church on a Tuesday evening. They greet each other warmly. They are the Stephen Ministers of Fleetwood CRC in Surrey, British Columbia.
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