Being a deacon involves a lot more than passing the offering plate. Let's discuss all aspects of being a deacon.
Diaconal Ministries
Jodi
Wendy
Mark
Andrew
Christian Reformed Church congregations across North America deal with challenges in different ways. A recent e-mail poll of congregations in the CRC found a couple that reported they are barely hanging on, but they remain focused on ministry.
How to identify and harness the gifts of the congregation to help the deacons do their work? How to recruit volunteers?
Provide new deacons with clarity about structure, roles, and responsibilities. Be sure to look for gifts of service and administration as the following excerpt from the Deacon’s Handbook explains.
As a fellowship of believers, we can’t just leave such disasters up to the marketplace or the government to “fix.” Our congregations need to rise to the challenge of coming alongside our sisters and brothers who fall victim to the economic slump.
We’re not there to cure or fix. We give a listening ear, a presence, a support, safety.
The office of deacon is a unique and divine calling within the church. Although serving as a deacon has often wrongly been viewed as a stepping-stone to becoming an elder, each office has its own set of special leadership roles and responsibilities and requires specific gifts.
How to be a mission-focused church?
If you were asked to name your spiritual gifts, what would you say? The Bible identifies at least twenty spiritual gifts that are distributed by the Spirit throughout the Christian community to enable God’s work to be accomplished.
As stewards, we are in charge of everything God has given to us—our money, our time, our talents, our homes, our families—everything!
Suppose that a task force was created and had the potential to revolutionize the office of the DEACON in the CRC. What might that look like?
To help you recharge your spiritual batteries regularly, we’ll look at the importance of prayer and Bible study as you strive to manage your time, seek wisdom, and deal with feelings of inadequacy. Staying in shape spiritually prevents burnout!
You got roped in. Or maybe you are now a deacon as a result of a prayer you’ve been praying for years. Are you feeling just a bit uncertain? Doubtful? Skeptical?
So, what do I do first? Go to meetings; make a plan; schedule offerings. The Deacon’s Handbook will show you the big picture in clear and practical steps.
Could the CRC experience a transformed deaconate? This year? I’m praying for that. Will you join me?
How to handle money, not just efficiently, but also responsibly? What to record? How to ensure accuracy? How to ensure accountability? You’ll find clear and simple procedures in this excerpt from the Deacon’s Handbook.
When we think about money, we tend to think about our money or my money. Yes, we know that it’s actually God’s money and that we’re stewards of that money. But it’s still easy to keep thinking about money as mine, or as God’s and mine. What’s missing in such thinking is the church. What does the church have to do with my money?
What connection exists between leadership and deacons? Deacons are called to lead as they represent Jesus in the church and in the community, so here are a few examples from His ministry to remind us how serving and leading go hand in hand.
Deacons as agents of transformation in church and society! This overture to Synod continues an excellent dialog! The overture from Classis Grandville is asking Synod to create a task force to look hard at the ways the office of deacon could be made stronger and more strategic for...
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...
Pouncers squash ideas. Have you ever been the squasher? the squashee? A young person expresses an opinion, idea, or wish that's a little edgy or goofy or scary. An adult pounces on it to make sure it gets "fixed" before it goes too far. A spouse...
Oh my aching comfort zone! This morning my file folder ripped and a bunch of stuff filed out onto the floor. There was an article by Plantinga on how do we know if we are REALLY -- I mean REALLY -- real followers of Jesus. What it comes down to is whether I'm willing to pay the COST. Do my "good deeds" COST me something?
Could this be the moment? I get a little uneasy when I hear people talking so glibly about "kairos moments". So I hesitate to even suggest one may be upon us, BUT....Consider this cluster of stuff that has sort of congealed in my consciousness recently: there's the employment and foreclosure crisis as background to remind us of...
I am not used to thinking of Amos and Micah when I think of deacons! But there's that phrase right in the CRCNA form that "charges" the deacons: "Be prophetic critics of the waste, injustice, and selfishness in our society...." AND, "be sensitive counselors to the victims of such evils..." "Let your lives be above reproach." An amazing echo of...
Jeff Brower's post, "Deacons - Priests or Kings?" is a gem. Wish I had written it. It stimulates us to think about deacons and their authority, their relationship to the Kingly dimension of Jesus' identity. But it also reminds us of a 43 year old report to Synod - where the "unfullfilled" nature of the deacons' role is acknowledged! What's happened since?
Would it be possible for two deacons to agree to meet regularly for prayer, for study of diaconal Bible themes, and for mutual encouragement? I wonder what God would do