I was recently asked what The Network offers for elder orientation and training. It turns out there is quite a lot!

• A recorded webinar called New Elders: Key Understanding and Practices by Neil de Koning
• A recorded webinar called How to Do The Work of an Elder by Paul Hansen
• A recorded webinar called Elder Visits in the 21st Century by Bill Van Der Heide
• A recorded webinar called Called to be an Elder, Now What? by Andrew Beunk
• ​The Elder's Handbook, an instructional handbook to the office of Elder by Louis Tamminga, is listed as a resource recommended on the Network
• The Elder, part one of a series that was just recommended by a CRC church planter, Cary Holbert regarding elder training.

The webinars are designed for streaming, so they can be viewed at home by elders and then discussed in a follow up meeting. Or, a congregation with internet access could steam a webinar video to watch it together at a meeting. The content could also be used to help shape a fresh presentation.

Along with the webinars there are also helpful articles on the network on all aspects of the role of elders. It would be ideal if each new elder subscribe to the elder section of the network (this can be done by clicking the "subscribe" link shown in the header at the upper left side of the screen) to receive updates on what is being posted on that network.

The Elder’s Network has a guide, which means that there is someone taking the lead on posting helpful content for elders. Lou Tamminga, author of The Elder's Handbook is currently the Elder’s Network guide. He is very faithful in blogging weekly to provide inspiration, direction, and encouragement to elders. But it's also a two way conversation. As an elder, you can post post a question, a reflection, or a resource that's been helpful in order to get advice and answers or to strengthen others. Key word searches and using the filters on the right hand side of the screen to look for a certain topic or type of resource can also be very helpful for finding articles, Q&A's, and discussion threads that relate to a particular concern.

Whether you’re a new or experienced elder, check out this what this Network has to offer and how you can engage to encourage others!