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In January 2016, the leadership of the CRCNA posted an announcement to all the CRC churches in the US. The announcement drew attention to the changes Synod 2015 made in the Church Order.
Here's a PowerPoint presentation about the changes in church order made by Synod 2015. It explores how these changes can enhance the role of deacons at all levels of the church — local, regional, and beyond.
Big news for deacons! The Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA) and the Reformed Church in America (RCA) have teamed up to produce an ongoing newsletter for deacons.
Effective benevolence requires good communication and relational skills. Here are some resources that have been used well by deacons.
The April issue of For Deacons provides resources to churches, especially deacons, on how to develop an effective policy for meeting benevolence requests, whether from church members or through community relationships.
Jedd Medefind from the organization, Christian Alliance For Orphans, interviews Dr. Ron Sider on how to integrate justice into the Christian life and church.
This issue of For Deacons is full of resources as your diaconate helps your members connect meaningfully with the community.
This issue of For Deacons takes a look at how we can take a systems approach to managing vision and mission. It looks at the local church scene as well as the regional scene at a Classis level.
This article takes a look at the mandate that both the CRCNA and the RCA have for the office of Deacon and extrapolates a suggested approach to setting the Deacon's agenda from these mandates.
Here is a sample of goals set by one church after their planning process was completed.
Councils are accountable for the implementation of the strategies and programs that achieve the vision they have as a church. This is one well tested model for accomplishing this key task of governance.
This issue of For Deacons focuses on how the local diaconate can ensure that its agenda flows effectively from its context of church and community.
Here are five principles adapted from The Lupton Center (Toxic Charity author) that can guide your church's engagement with its context.
This reflection is taken from the 2015 CRCNA Synod Taskforce report called Diakonia Remixed. It is inspirational and deserves to be highlighted again!
Is your church struggling through the orientation for new deacons, or wondering how to sustain good leadership practices? This short article is full of links and ideas to help your church do this well.
Deacons often are looking for ways to organize the functions of their mandate. This post looks at how to organize the functions and provides helpful links to additional resources.
Whether you are a deacon looking for ways to connect with community or a team commissioned to do the same, these resources will help you through the planning and programming.
This is a seven-lesson series designed to help participants deepen their biblical understanding of Christian mission and community development.
Few churches would say they aren’t interested in sharing God’s heart for their community. This workbook provides those tools and resources that will help you imagine your community the way God sees it.
This book will help you discover the difference between relief and development ministries, and assess your church’s programs.
When is a case management program appropriate? This book will help you assess the needs, gifts, calling, and hopes of the participant; develop a Development Covenant between mentor and participant; and follow up and evaluate the process.
This book will help you determine whether your church programs adequately recognize and utilize the gifts that God has already placed in the people you serve.
This workbook will help you understand the role of the church in strengthening community, discover what your church’s reputation is in the neighborhood, and more.
How does a church organize neighbors to work together toward their common goals? That is the focus of this workbook.
This book will help you learn what your church can do to tackle injustice in your community.