I read a hint somewhere many years ago that has helped me immensely. I make it a habit to be one of the last two or three people to leave the building after church each Sunday. That allows those who may be less forward to linger and know they will have a chance to talk with me. Like Daniel Brown I have my calendar with me so I can schedule follow up contact if needed. But I have found it saves a lot of work over the following week. Often people have questions that can be quickly answered, and there is nothing further that needs to be done.
Shawn, I may be proven wrong, but I doubt that a comprehensive database of pastors open to receiving a call will ever br available. Why? Because as soon as it becomes known in the church they are currently serving, their ability to lead effectively would largely end.
Advertise the position at The Network and in The Banner, and solicit names from the Ministerial Information Service. It's not perfect, but it can be productive.
Hi, Gil. Remember teaching in Moscow together. Good times.
I offered everything I had to Gary Vander Scaaf at Credo Books: https://www.facebook.com/Credo-Books-Books-for-Believers-Since-1983-150508595024920/
He gave a fair price for what he could use (not as much as I'd like, but fair) and in my case hauled the rest away to donate or recycle. Not sure how that would work in St. Louis. Maybe you can send digital pictures of your library and get a quote on what he can use, and ship them via media mail.
P.S. I'm not quite retired yet. Got a year to go. Bit I did this when i was moving from Michigan to Alaska four years ago. Too much weight to ship that far. Besides, almost everything is available digitally today.
While the Church Order may not address this, it is probable that either your congregation's by-laws or state or provincial non-profit by-laws do. It is common to require that the council (or non-profit board) have certain officers who must be members. That said, there is nothing to prevent the treasurer having a bookkeeper who does the actual financial entries or the clerk having a scribe to assist with the minutes.
Henry's article basically gives my answer. Deacon can be clerk of council, though that raises the question of who will be clerk of the consistory (elders). A non-council member may serve as minute taker, and and be asked to take a vow of confidentiality.
Refpstr, the only question that is basically the same is the first one in the child baptism format. The "children born in sin" and "commitment to teach the children" questions are quite different. Here is what we did a while back. Forgive the formatting. The copy and paste messed xome things up.
DECLARING OUR FAITH AND THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM
Public Declaration of Faith of Gary & Cassie Boone, Richard & Judi Brown, and David & April VanHaitsma
The Vows
Gary, Cassie, Richard, Judi, David and April, will you stand now, and in the presence of
God and his people respond to the following questions:
1. Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God sent to redeem the world, do you love and trust him as the one who saves you from your sin, and do you with repentance and joy embrace him as Lord of your life?
Answer: I do.
2. Do you believe that the Bible is the Word of God revealing Christ and his redemption,
and that the confessions of this church faithfully reflect this revelation?
Answer: I do.
3a. Gary and Judi, do you accept the gracious promises of God sealed to you in your
baptism and do you affirm your union with Christ and his church, which your baptism
signifies?
Answer: I do.
3b. Cassie, Richard, David and April, do you now wish to be baptized in the name of the
triune God, and will you receive your baptism as a sign and seal that God accepts you
in Christ, forgives all your sins, and incorporates you into his church?
Answer: I do, with all my heart.
4. Do you promise to do all you can, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to strengthen your love
and commitment to Christ by sharing faithfully in the life of the church, honoring and
submitting to its authority; and do you join with the people of God in doing the work of the
Lord everywhere?
Answer: I do.
The Baptism of Cassie Rose Boone The Baptism of Richard Edward Brown The Baptism of David Alan VanHaitsma The Baptism of April Elaine VanHaitsma
*The Reception(congregation stands)
Minister: Cassie, Richard, David, April, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ I now
welcome you to all the privileges of full communion. I welcome you to full
participation in the life of the church. I welcome you to its responsibilities, its joys,
and its sufferings. "May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal
covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the
sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us
what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and
ever. Amen" (Heb. 13:20-21).
Congregation: Thanks be to God! We promise you our love, encouragement, and prayers.
*Declaration of Faith by the Congregation
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth
And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
born of the virgin Mary.
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;
he descended into hell;
the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty;
from there he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
believe a holy catholic* church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
( * that is, the true Christian church of all times and all places)
SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM
The Vows
Gary and Cassie, since you have presented Alyssa for holy baptism, you are asked to answer the following questions before God and his people:
First,do you confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, accept the promises of God, and affirm the truth of the Christian faith which is proclaimed in the Bible and confessed in this church of Christ?
Second,do you believe that Alyssa, though sinful by nature, is received by God in Christ as a member of his covenant, and therefore ought to be baptized?
Third,do you promise, in reliance on the Holy Spirit and with the help of the Christian community, to do all in your power to instruct Alyssa in the Christian faith and to lead her by your example to be Christ's disciple?
Response: We do, God helping me.
Do you, the people of the Lord, promise to receive Alyssa in love, pray for him, help instruct him in the faith, and encourage and sustain her in the fellowship of believers?
Richard, perhaps developing a detailed list of questions isn't the best approach. I would suggest asking a couple of open ended questions and listening. Such as:
What areas in the ministry of Second Church do you see as strengths we can build on?
Do you have any suggestions on things that Second Church should consider adding or doing differently?
And, perhaps, what are the primary considerations that led you to decide to leave Second Church?
When I am a guest in another church, I very much appreciate knowing what is coming next. I suspect that is true of guests in our churches as well. I can't think of any good way to communicate that other than a printed bulletin
I was considering writing a note about why AOC might not have been the best person to use to make your point. But then I read:
"I can't complete this reflection without saying something about white male power in our culture, and all that goes along with it, including incivility and the disrespectful, abusive language represented here. It is so common, a normalized part of the earned privilege of white men."
Sounds like any comment I might make would be rejected because of my color and gender. Because I'm a white male I am presumed to be uncivil and disrespectful and abusive.
Nothing I said suggests that I would ever approve of such words, regardless of their target, and it's a bit insulting to suggest that I might.
Maybe I'm feeling a little chippy today, but this was the third article I read today from denominational personnel using the concepts of Critical Race Theory as if that theory has validity. It's foundations are profoundly at odds with Christianity
Eric, it is certainly not my intent to impugn the Christian character of any of the authors. But I remain very concerned by the apparent embrace of Critical Theory by many of the CRC's leaders. Critical Theory is rooted in the search for power and views all all human relationships through the lens of power. It creates a framework in which people are either oppressors or victims.
The paragraph I objected to adds nothing constructive to Bonnie's essay other than to introduce that formula. White men have power and are oppressors. Therefore women are victims. It divides us into the categories of oppressors and victims. I accept that wasn't Bonnie's intention. Unfortunately, the heart of Critical Theory is to deliberately create such division.
Without that paragraph I would have had nothing but praise for this article. What Rep. Yoho said was reprehensible and worthy of censure.
Posted in: Pastor Connections on Sunday
I read a hint somewhere many years ago that has helped me immensely. I make it a habit to be one of the last two or three people to leave the building after church each Sunday. That allows those who may be less forward to linger and know they will have a chance to talk with me. Like Daniel Brown I have my calendar with me so I can schedule follow up contact if needed. But I have found it saves a lot of work over the following week. Often people have questions that can be quickly answered, and there is nothing further that needs to be done.
Posted in: Database of Pastors?
Shawn, I may be proven wrong, but I doubt that a comprehensive database of pastors open to receiving a call will ever br available. Why? Because as soon as it becomes known in the church they are currently serving, their ability to lead effectively would largely end.
Advertise the position at The Network and in The Banner, and solicit names from the Ministerial Information Service. It's not perfect, but it can be productive.
Posted in: What Do You Retired Pastors Do With All Your Books?
Hi, Gil. Remember teaching in Moscow together. Good times.
I offered everything I had to Gary Vander Scaaf at Credo Books: https://www.facebook.com/Credo-Books-Books-for-Believers-Since-1983-150508595024920/
He gave a fair price for what he could use (not as much as I'd like, but fair) and in my case hauled the rest away to donate or recycle. Not sure how that would work in St. Louis. Maybe you can send digital pictures of your library and get a quote on what he can use, and ship them via media mail.
P.S. I'm not quite retired yet. Got a year to go. Bit I did this when i was moving from Michigan to Alaska four years ago. Too much weight to ship that far. Besides, almost everything is available digitally today.
Posted in: Does the Clerk of Council Have to Be an Elected Elder or Deacon?
While the Church Order may not address this, it is probable that either your congregation's by-laws or state or provincial non-profit by-laws do. It is common to require that the council (or non-profit board) have certain officers who must be members. That said, there is nothing to prevent the treasurer having a bookkeeper who does the actual financial entries or the clerk having a scribe to assist with the minutes.
Posted in: Does the Clerk of Council Have to Be an Elected Elder or Deacon?
Henry's article basically gives my answer. Deacon can be clerk of council, though that raises the question of who will be clerk of the consistory (elders). A non-council member may serve as minute taker, and and be asked to take a vow of confidentiality.
Posted in: How have you combined profession of faith with baptism?
Refpstr, the only question that is basically the same is the first one in the child baptism format. The "children born in sin" and "commitment to teach the children" questions are quite different. Here is what we did a while back. Forgive the formatting. The copy and paste messed xome things up.
DECLARING OUR FAITH AND THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM
Public Declaration of Faith of Gary & Cassie Boone, Richard & Judi Brown, and David & April VanHaitsma
The Vows
Gary, Cassie, Richard, Judi, David and April, will you stand now, and in the presence of
God and his people respond to the following questions:
1. Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God sent to redeem the world, do you love and trust him as the one who saves you from your sin, and do you with repentance and joy embrace him as Lord of your life?
Answer: I do.
2. Do you believe that the Bible is the Word of God revealing Christ and his redemption,
and that the confessions of this church faithfully reflect this revelation?
Answer: I do.
3a. Gary and Judi, do you accept the gracious promises of God sealed to you in your
baptism and do you affirm your union with Christ and his church, which your baptism
signifies?
Answer: I do.
3b. Cassie, Richard, David and April, do you now wish to be baptized in the name of the
triune God, and will you receive your baptism as a sign and seal that God accepts you
in Christ, forgives all your sins, and incorporates you into his church?
Answer: I do, with all my heart.
4. Do you promise to do all you can, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to strengthen your love
and commitment to Christ by sharing faithfully in the life of the church, honoring and
submitting to its authority; and do you join with the people of God in doing the work of the
Lord everywhere?
Answer: I do.
The Baptism of Cassie Rose Boone The Baptism of Richard Edward Brown The Baptism of David Alan VanHaitsma The Baptism of April Elaine VanHaitsma
*The Reception(congregation stands)
Minister: Cassie, Richard, David, April, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ I now
welcome you to all the privileges of full communion. I welcome you to full
participation in the life of the church. I welcome you to its responsibilities, its joys,
and its sufferings. "May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal
covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the
sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us
what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and
ever. Amen" (Heb. 13:20-21).
Congregation: Thanks be to God! We promise you our love, encouragement, and prayers.
*Declaration of Faith by the Congregation
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth
And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
born of the virgin Mary.
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;
he descended into hell;
the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty;
from there he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
believe a holy catholic* church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
( * that is, the true Christian church of all times and all places)
SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM
The Vows
Gary and Cassie, since you have presented Alyssa for holy baptism, you are asked to answer the following questions before God and his people:
First,do you confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, accept the promises of God, and affirm the truth of the Christian faith which is proclaimed in the Bible and confessed in this church of Christ?
Second,do you believe that Alyssa, though sinful by nature, is received by God in Christ as a member of his covenant, and therefore ought to be baptized?
Third,do you promise, in reliance on the Holy Spirit and with the help of the Christian community, to do all in your power to instruct Alyssa in the Christian faith and to lead her by your example to be Christ's disciple?
Response: We do, God helping me.
Do you, the people of the Lord, promise to receive Alyssa in love, pray for him, help instruct him in the faith, and encourage and sustain her in the fellowship of believers?
Response: We do, God helping us.
The Baptism of Alyssa Rose Boone
Posted in: Does anyone have a list of questions for an exit interview for departing members?
Richard, perhaps developing a detailed list of questions isn't the best approach. I would suggest asking a couple of open ended questions and listening. Such as:
What areas in the ministry of Second Church do you see as strengths we can build on?
Do you have any suggestions on things that Second Church should consider adding or doing differently?
And, perhaps, what are the primary considerations that led you to decide to leave Second Church?
Posted in: How has the Article 7 change affected those seeking to become Ministers of the Word?
John, there is no reference in the Church Order itself to the Ministers Pension Fund.
Posted in: Should Churches Print Bulletins?
When I am a guest in another church, I very much appreciate knowing what is coming next. I suspect that is true of guests in our churches as well. I can't think of any good way to communicate that other than a printed bulletin
Posted in: A Reflection: Is This OK?
I was considering writing a note about why AOC might not have been the best person to use to make your point. But then I read:
"I can't complete this reflection without saying something about white male power in our culture, and all that goes along with it, including incivility and the disrespectful, abusive language represented here. It is so common, a normalized part of the earned privilege of white men."
Sounds like any comment I might make would be rejected because of my color and gender. Because I'm a white male I am presumed to be uncivil and disrespectful and abusive.
So I'll pass on offering any thoughts
Posted in: A Reflection: Is This OK?
Nothing I said suggests that I would ever approve of such words, regardless of their target, and it's a bit insulting to suggest that I might.
Maybe I'm feeling a little chippy today, but this was the third article I read today from denominational personnel using the concepts of Critical Race Theory as if that theory has validity. It's foundations are profoundly at odds with Christianity
Posted in: A Reflection: Is This OK?
Eric, it is certainly not my intent to impugn the Christian character of any of the authors. But I remain very concerned by the apparent embrace of Critical Theory by many of the CRC's leaders. Critical Theory is rooted in the search for power and views all all human relationships through the lens of power. It creates a framework in which people are either oppressors or victims.
The paragraph I objected to adds nothing constructive to Bonnie's essay other than to introduce that formula. White men have power and are oppressors. Therefore women are victims. It divides us into the categories of oppressors and victims. I accept that wasn't Bonnie's intention. Unfortunately, the heart of Critical Theory is to deliberately create such division.
Without that paragraph I would have had nothing but praise for this article. What Rep. Yoho said was reprehensible and worthy of censure.