Resource Browser Page
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| June 27, 2011 |
Pastoral Care, Homosexuality and the ElderPastoral Care The elders care within the congregation is first and foremost the practice of being the presence of Christ. As representatives of Christ every strategy begins with an attitude that says “I am with you and for you.” This attitude is present long before any conversation takes place. There are at least two elements: unconditional love and |
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| January 5, 2011 |
The Home Visit: Preparation & GuidelinesSpiritual Formation Home visitation is a traditional strategy for ministry. At its best, it is a tool that allows the office bearer to encourage spiritual development among members of the congregation. I prepared the following materials for the elders of my previous congregation to use as a guideline in making home visits. |
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| December 14, 2010 |
Ministry to those with Economic ProblemsPastoral Care These people struggle with loss, fear, depression, and the pain of rejection. There is no single way to minister to them. The officebearers must become aware of such people and devise forms of ministry in keeping with their needs. |
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| November 17, 2010 |
Pastoral Evaluations and the ElderLeadership Recently, I have been asked about pastoral evaluations. It is an interesting moment in the life of the pastor. Most often when I have experienced evaluations the elders are also scrambling. The only evaluation they have done is over the coffee table. Never written. Never formal. The first question is usually: how do we do this and what is available to help me do this? |
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| November 2, 2010 |
Wise to Elephants in the RoomLeadership I like to think that there are many times we can develop health within the congregation – not by addressing the particular problems- but by maintaining health. Much like good nutrition can help our physical bodies fight disease and increase joy so by insisting on healthy organizational dynamics and godly practices of respect and honor the elders can fight dysfunction within the congregation. |
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| October 19, 2010 |
Death by SuicidePastoral Care At approximately 2:00 p.m. on November 2, 1993, my husband took his own life. That event brought me and our four children face-to-face with a death we did not understand—indeed, did not want to understand. My husband’s suicide brought us pain that was and is immeasurable. Initially, and for some time after Bill’s death, I questioned what I could have done differently. I also experienced some regrets about things said or unsaid during the last few days of his life... |
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| September 7, 2010 |
Encouraging Faith Nurture in Our HomesSpiritual Formation Families are God’s idea. We see this as He created Adam, Eve and children. Later He told the children to leave and cleave and form a new close unit. It is within the bonds and commitment of marriage where we grow in intimacy with each other that we learn to bring each other, our thoughts and needs before our heavenly Father, seek His way for our lives and live as He directs. This living in community requires ... |
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| August 2, 2010 |
Leadership, Respecting People, MotivationLeadership You don’t have to be a Christian in order to notice that there are practices which motivate and practices that hinder motivation in people. Daniel Pink suggests that autonomy, mastery and purpose are critical components for enduring motivation. It’s not about money. Bakke, in Joy at Work, makes similar conclusions. “When given the opportunity to use our ability to reason, make decisions, and take responsibility for our actions, we experience joy at work.” |
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| June 29, 2010 |
Giving Support in Times of DepressionPastoral Care Trying to fix things or make them go away seldom works. But perhaps if we are willing for a moment to see the possibility of new life after the days of hardship, perhaps if we are willing to imagine that even this darkness is not too dark for God, perhaps if we can visualize that Christ can take this misery and redeem, then through all the darkness of depression there remains hope for renewal. |
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| June 7, 2010 |
I Don’t Believe in “Waiting Till Marriage”: A Brief Reflection on Sexuality and SpiritualityPastoral Care Sometimes in our attempts to address one concern we end up communicating the wrong message. So what does “wait till marriage” mean? The intention is noble: sexual intercourse has its proper place in marriage and should be reserved for this relationship. And yet the message has unintended consequence. Among other things... |
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| May 31, 2010 |
When Jesus Guides: TogetherSpiritual Formation For many, the word "church" evokes negative images. As an institution it is seen to be cumbersome rather than nimble. After all the sex scandals in the news, church is perceived as harbouring potentially dangerous people. Many would say, church (Sunday worship) is boring and mundane. Of course these are not the only images: others think of particular people who embrace them with love, a sense of home, or a deep sense of comfort. The word "church" is layered with our experience for good and ill. Interestingly, the first thought doesn’t turn to the guidance that Christ provides. Yet Christ has chosen to continue the work out salvation in this world in and through the community called church. |
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| May 17, 2010 |
When Jesus Guides: CalledSpiritual Formation If we believe that Jesus guides us, then we also need to listen for the call of Christ in our life. |
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| May 12, 2010 |
When Jesus Guides: ConformingSpiritual Formation Conformity is not a popular word or image. In our imagination, conformity means to be shaped by what is socially and acceptable and expected of the group to which we belong. It is a loss of individuality. Becoming ourselves means finding our own identity and way in the world. So to speak about conformity will never be particularly engaging. Yet the Christian life is an invitation to conform. |
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| April 23, 2010 |
Leadership, Covenant and Holiness: Reflections as I Read Moses PavaLeadership We often look around for material on leadership that might inspire us our imagination. Reading Moses Pava helped me, in part because he used two words hardly ever used at the same time as the word leadership, namely, covenant and holiness. |
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| April 12, 2010 |
On Process: Finding Ways to Make Progress as a CommunityLeadership Every process has its opportunity and its limitations. Choosing an appropriate process is one of the tasks of leadership. The way we do things is important. So often all of us fall into our default approach without considering alternatives. Yet we can accomplish much more by deliberately considering the way we seek to work ... |
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| March 29, 2010 |
Caring for Someone in a Nursing HomePastoral Care Among the vulnerable in any congregation are people who through loss of health have diminished capabilities. Many times their limitations confine them to home or a nursing home. To care for them requires discerning ears and gentle words. In this article, Karen Mulder and Ginger Jurries share helpful pointers in our journey of care. |
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| March 12, 2010 |
Pastoral Care for Those 'Living Together'Pastoral Care Many times in my ministry, the topic of a couple “living together” without a proper wedding is placed on the agenda of elder’s meeting. How do we provide pastoral care? What should we say? What do we think? While most agree that what is best is a deep commitment blessed by their respective families, celebrated in community, blessed by God and firmly established in law, having a couple do less raises questions. In simple terms, we wonder “How do we bring good news”? |
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| February 25, 2010 |
Responsibilities According to the Charge to EldersChurch Order I charge you, elders, to "guard yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood" (Acts 20:28). |
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| January 28, 2010 |
Elders and Spiritual FormationSpiritual Formation In our tradition, the elders are encouraged (required by article 65 of the church order) to make an annual home visit. The purpose of these visits have varied over time: providing pastoral care, applying the preaching to the life of the members, supervising of the Lord’s Supper, ensuring that the church programs were effective. Each of these had a different slant on the way to conduct the home visit.
At its root the concern was similar. |
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| January 25, 2010 |
Record Keeping: Elder's VisitAdministration We keep records to be accountable and to remember. The question is what needs to be recorded and for what purpose.
Not so long ago, a clerk of council had to go through the records of the church to find out some information about a decision made a long time ago. Along the way, he read many more minutes than anyone would wish...
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| May 16, 2012 |
What Do Your Members Know About the CRC?Pastoral Care To belong to a specific denomination means more education as to the specific church one joins. One is being a member of the body of Christ; the other is being part of a specific denomination of that larger body. I confess that I believe I did have a “handle” of what it meant to profess ones’ faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, but besides having ... |
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| May 10, 2012 |
Whatever Happened to Family/Household Visits?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..." |
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| May 7, 2012 |
Introducing Your New Elder GuideElders The Christian Reformed Church during my ministry has gone through many changes in how it worships, functions, and reaches out to the community. Change is a good thing... |
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| May 1, 2012 |
A Grateful GoodbyeToday, I retire from writing this blog. The regular writing and posting has been demanding. And yet the simple exercise of writing a few words has forced me to give attention to passing thoughts and deepen my reflections. For this I am grateful. That some took time to read these thoughts humbles me. |
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| April 16, 2012 |
Habits in a Disruptive CultureSpiritual Formation Good daily habits are harder to maintain in a disruptive culture. The daily habit of Prayer and scripture reading at the table ... The weekly habit of church attendance ...Yet good habits are essential for the good Kingdom orientated life. |
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| April 2, 2012 |
The Foolishness of GodSpiritual Formation When looking for solutions to problems, the cross and the resurrection aren’t the pragmatic solutions we are looking for. It does not put food on our table, get our loved ones out of the hospital, pay our bills or get us to work on time... And yet, God sent Jesus into the world to the cross |
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| March 27, 2012 |
Children and the Lord's Supper [WEBINAR]Nurturing Faith, Spiritual Formation If your congregation is like many we’re in conversation with, you’re seriously considering Synod 2010’s decision to welcome baptized children to participate in the sacrament of communion. But with change comes challenge—along with the need to replace old processes and practices with new ones. That’s the challenge we’d like to address |
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| March 19, 2012 |
The Practice of Forgiveness and RepentanceSpiritual Formation Two words commonly used among God’s people are forgiveness and repentance.... Yet in my pastoral work, it seems to me that these are two practices that people often acknowledge are most difficult. |
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| March 16, 2012 |
Prayer Summit - Each Church Send OneOn April 16-18, a first-ever Prayer Summit for our denomination will take place in Los Angeles, Calif. By way of the “Each Church Send One!” campaign, I am inviting — and strongly encouraging — your congregation to send at least one person to this event. |
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| March 11, 2012 |
The Journey of Three Lands and Two RiversSpiritual Formation There is a journey of renewed identity that some churches experience. They remember fondly the fruitfulness in their land of the past. Then they cross the first holy river into the desert where, through prayer and holy conversation, they climb the jagged mountains to discover renewed vision. They cross deep valleys |
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| February 27, 2012 |
The Elder as Community DeveloperLeadership You won’t find Community Developer in the ordination form. Yet as I listen to cultural critics, spiritual directors and numerous other thoughtful people about personal growth there is a persistent reference to role of community. |
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| February 24, 2012 |
Consider Faith Alive FirstI’m writing to ask for your help with an issue that affects all Christian Reformed churches. Faith Alive, as you know, is the publishing ministry of the CRC. But like many denominational publishers, Faith Alive is facing significant financial headwinds in today’s tough economic times. |
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| February 13, 2012 |
Discipleship and Circles of SupportSpiritual Formation Recently I read about Circles of Support and Accountability that helped many sexual offenders as they transitioned out of prison and into our neighbourhoods. It got me thinking not just about this particular engagement as a way of serving Christ in the neighbourhood, but more generally about discipleship. |
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| January 30, 2012 |
Psalms, Elders and Pastoral CarePastoral Care It occurred to me that perhaps one way of training elders (and pastors) in the work of pastoral care is to encourage the memorizations of the psalms. And then I wondered: if we had a program of training for elders, which psalms should be memorized? |
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| January 3, 2012 |
A Covenant EngagementLeadership Family and friendship ties may help us keep somewhat informed about life in other congregations, but these informal relationships are inadequate. The quality and depth of the relationships require deeper conversation and shared life. This happens by taking seriously the |
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| December 6, 2011 |
Elders and AccountabilitySpiritual Formation How many visits have we made? Have we prioritized our efforts well? Are there particular issues that we need to address? What are some key issues for the spiritual formation of our members that we ought to highlight? How can we help each other fulfill our responsibilities? |
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| November 22, 2011 |
Christmas, Occupy Wall Street, and Christian FormationSpiritual Formation Spiritual formation never happens in a vacuum. It always happens when the call of the gospel challenges our habits of thinking and our way of living. Tension alerts us and invites us to pay attention. Amid the tension we can speak words that encourage new faithfulness. |
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| November 8, 2011 |
Who Do You Say That I Am?Spiritual Formation If a person is trustworthy, we give trust easily. If a person is unreliable, we learn not to count on that person. If a person is vindictive, we become wary. So it ought not be a surprise that our understanding of God – the attributes and images we carry around in our head – make a difference in ... |
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| October 31, 2011 |
Grace Among the WeedsPastoral Care It is hard to imagine that weeds are a sign of grace, yet that’s what the Parable of the Weeds and Wheat is suggesting (Matthew 13). Everyday I drive by fields (now harvested) of various grains. The farmers I know prefer fields without weeds. Jesus words are striking... |
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| October 19, 2011 |
Getting Rid of a MinisterNetwork Buzz, Church Order, Leadership, Leadership The title may seem a bit crass -- and actually it is -- but that is precisely the question that I am asked most often as a stated clerk by elders: "How do we get rid of our minister?" I vividly recall the conversation from the chair of council who actually began our phone conversation with that question. I quickly learned that he was the one having difficulty with his pastor and he simply wanted him 'gone'. |
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| November 2, 2010 |
Introducing Our Church (PowerPoint)Leadership This is the PowerPoint presentation we use in our "Woody Nook 101" class that introduces new people to our church. You can use it as a sample for building your own. |
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| January 28, 2010 |
Conversations for Listening GroupsSpiritual Formation Listening Groups have one purpose: to listen to God. The people may change, the questions may change, and the circumstances may differ but as we gather together one thing remains the same: we know that the Word and Spirit will guide us to follow Christ and bring glory to God, our Father. |
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| January 26, 2010 |
Member Involvement LetterAdministration This sample letter can be used by an elder to assess the gifts of church members and their willingness for participation and involvement in caring for other members within their district |
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| January 26, 2010 |
Elder Visitation Record Page 2Administration Sample form for record keeping of elder's visits to church members. This is designed to be used as subsequent pages after Elder Visitation Record. Use with appropriate caution and discernment regarding confidentiality and privacy laws. |
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| January 26, 2010 |
Elder Visitation RecordAdministration Sample form for record keeping of elder's visits to church members. This is designed ot be used as the first page of an elder's visitation log of visits to a church member. For subsequent pages, use the Elder Visitation Record page 2. Use with appropriate caution and discernment regarding confidentiality and privacy laws. |
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| January 9, 2010 |
Guiding the Faith Journey: A Map for Spiritual LeadersSpiritual Formation I've written this book to help church leaders guide others on their spiritual journey. The 19 brief chapters can be used for devotions at council meetings, where participants can examine their own spiritual growth and explore how to discuss topics with others. |
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| January 9, 2010 |
Alban InstituteLeadership I have often found very helpful articles and books on this site. They have provided leadership as church consultants. |
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| January 9, 2010 |
Building Church LeadersLeadership Christianity Today has developed this site with many helpful resources. Browse away. |
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| January 9, 2010 |
Elder's Institute (PCC)Leadership The Presbyterian Church of Canada provides their elders with training. THis site gives you a window into their training and provides a number of very useful resources. Take a look. |
