Whether you're a new or experienced elder, let's use this place to compare notes, share experiences, and ask questions about being an elder in the CRC.
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Benjamin
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Keith
We’ve curated a list of excellent reopening resources for churches to help you navigate both the practical and theological aspects of beginning to gather in person again.
As regions across the US and Canada begin reopening, what leadership challenges are pastors and councils engaging?
How do you provide spiritual leadership in an environment in which you can't meet with people face to face? Here are some suggestions.
Does your church council talk regularly about the spiritual health of your congregation? Here is a set of twelve devotionals that will lead your elders and deacons to focus on your church's flourishing.
Pornography is a pervasive yet largely unaddressed problem in today’s world, including the church. But, there's help! Check out these resources for leaders addressing pornography.
The ideal is that our young people will feel that they are known, loved and deeply cared for. Allow me ask a few questions about the young people of your congregation...
Increasingly, church communities are seeking new ways of living in community with countless people for whom the role “heterosexual, married with children” does not apply. How do we talk about the pain, the struggle and the violence (physical and verbal) that has accompanied the journey of many among us?
Home visitation 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.
Economic life has become more unpredictable than ever. Some of the unfortunate people may sit next to you in church on Sunday, and their number may well increase in the coming years.
There is no doubt that the process of evaluation can be helpful in the growth of a pastor and in the mutual ministry of pastors and elders. Yet, it may get tricky for a whole lot of reasons. Let me pick up on two aspects of the dilemma.
No elder will ever get through a period in office without facing the dynamics of family dysfunctions. Understanding these dysfunctions help us gain relational wisdom in congregational life. It essentially comes down to a few questions.
My husband’s suicide brought us pain that was and is immeasurable ... I hesitate to use the word “acceptance,” for how do we “accept” what is totally unacceptable?
What do we mean by family devotions? How do devotions nurture out faith? What can these devotions look like? Read this article to find some great tips.
Leaders need to be aware of our tendency to let fear and control undermine God’s intention to liberate and restore our humanity including such things as participation, taking responsibility, creativity, and the freedom to explore. How can we do this?
What we need to know about depression? How can elders help? Here are a few of learnings I believe are helpful.
The phrase “wait till marriage” has a noble meaning. Yet, the message has unintended consequence: it communicates that in marriage sexual intercourse is an entitlement.
Our best identity is not found in exploration of self independent from others, but self in relationship to others. Here are at least four ways in which Jesus guidance will lead to us to live more deeply as and with community.
How does Jesus call us into service? In my mind there are at least three ways.
The basic guidance that Jesus as Lord gives through his Word and Spirit to us as a community include 1) the call to conformity, 2) the call to service, and 3) the call to community. In this article I will focus on the first.
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.
I believe that the work of the elders can be enhanced by deliberately using different processes in our meetings. Let me mention a few and I encourage others to add to the list.
Wisdom for caregivers from nursing home residents.
How do we provide pastoral care? What should we say? What do we think?
Will we ever know Scripture well enough, pray faithfully enough, be wise enough? So how do we hear these words as a calling and an encouragement?
Listening Groups have one purpose: to listen to God. In this document I present three conversations worth having. These conversations are about character, calling and community.