Have you at all become frustrated with the traditional model of church governance and are wondering if there is a better way within our polity to make a Consistory and Council more effective? With many churches going to a staff driven model, others hanging on to the past model of elder driven care and decision-making and plenty of combinations in between it is becoming harder and harder to decide what is most effective. We are in the midst of thinking about what will work best for our church - a church of about 1000 and healthy in many ways but desirous of releasing people into ministry and...

I know there's a calendar on the CRC website for all the offerings ( http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=crcna.org_dklgus71pu6qkgltfut41j4j74%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America/Los_Angeles ) but even so it seems like every week our church gets a letter about an upcoming special Sunday with bulletin covers or other worship helps, and a request for an offering. They're all great causes and I've shared the calendar with our deacons but it still seems like we can't keep up. When I get a letter I look at our offering schedule (our deacons set it up at the beginning of the church year...

Maybe this needs to go under a different forum (moderators, feel free to move if necessary), but thought I would start here... Our members are asking questions again this time of year on what is deductible and what is not. I am not a tax pro by any means, just trying to do what is legal/right for everyone. I have read through many of the resources concerning this, but getting mixed signals. Any advice on the following is appreciated : - if a person donates an item, for example a flat screen monitor to the church youth room or miscellaneous supplies to the nursery, what responsibility does the...

All - After months of looking for some examples, I ended up writing my own. Please take a look and hopefully this will be of help for you. I'd love to get some additional perspective so please send me your comments! http://docs.google.com/View?id=dh2g7s9_0cvwps9f2

WARNING TO ALL CRC MINISTERS: I have received word that ministers serving USA churches are officiating at weddings in Canadian provinces without first obtaining a licence to do so. Please note that all Canadian provinces, unlike some states in the USA, require advance licensing. Not arranging for such, perhaps through Stated Clerks of the Classis in which the church is located, could lead to a marriage not being legal.

Is there any consensus or agreement among the readers/church leaders concerning the casting of lots in the election of church officers. Scripture certainly notes the casting of lots many times in the life of Christ and in the early church. Some commenters to a post in the "Church Administration" network describe the use of it in there church in a very edifying manner but are we "OK" as far as church order goes? I am not a student of the Church Order and sometimes while reading it reads like a legal document subject to much interpretation. Any thoughts or comments out there?

Okay, I just heard something about article 7. What happened there, and how many people knew about it, and how did that slip through the radar?

In the CRC Church Order, Article 4 seems to make clear that the calling of Elders and Deacons is entirely the responsibility of the Council and clearly spells the process out. Article 35a seems to give a little wiggle room where the Consistory can say it determines the qualities of who is eligible because 35a states the Council "Approves" the nominations as one of the example of its tasks. Throughout the Church order, it takes great pains to describe the tasks of each of the 3 offices and what they do. It goes to the extreme in 35b & c and states in those articles (paraphrased here,) that...

This perhaps is a question for Henry DeMoor, but I would assume there are others who might like to give an opinion. Prior to the Church Order revision in '65, there was an article that required "mutual censure" at Classis meetings- Art. 43: At the close of the Classical, and other major assemblies, censure shall be exercised over those, who in the meeting have done something worthy of punishment, or who have scorned the admonition of the minor assemblies. VanDellen and Monsma explain in their commentary this censure is done by the assembly and not the president or consistories as two other...

Do any classes have personnel committees? I've noticed that a classis and its committees may employ several part and full time persons (stated clerk, treasurer, campus minister, church planter, ministry developer), and because each person reports to a different classical committee, there may be little coordination of expectations, salary reviews, or evaluations.

Hi: Being a first term Clerk of Council, my understanding of the position is probably pretty limited. Essentially, I've been keeping minutes and passing on correspondence. Anybody with more experience want to take a stab at a good job description? Or know of a resource with a better description? Thanks in advance, Brad