Is it possible to get the story symbols in black and white so that they can be colored by the students? When I print them in black and white the center of each symbol is too dark too be colored in.
The pastor and his wife become foster parents. They get a call to take in a newborn from the hospital. Within an hour they must be ready with all the necessary items that is required to care for this child. Does it matter that the child is not officially part of their family? How should the council respond? Would it be different if the foster child was 13 years old?
I understand what you are saying. It is hard when ministry shares is impersonal and often hard to put specifics on it. Yet, I think that we too often find the blame in the system or shovel it off to those on the "top". Really, the problem is all of us. We don't care as much as we used to about our communal offering. We look at it more as an economic transaction and so we expect to get a bang for our buck. Unfortunately, we don't always see that but this is not an excuse for the poor giving of so many churches, mine included. I get angry when we withhold our money because we don't trust each other or we have a problem with one person or one part of the denomination so we use money as a weapon. What if we stopped blaming others and looked at our own desire or lack of desire to give? What if we gave with the expectation that we won't know the wonderful and amazing ways in which God will use it? What if we gave so joyfully that we gave to the point of hurting? What if we stopped being so "me-centered" and too focused on our own impact and started realizing how God has stretched our little denomination around the world and allowed each one of us to be a part of that by our ministry shares? These, in my humble opinion, are the more important questions.
Let me share with you what is happening in our congregation. And from talking with others we are far from the only congregations dealing with this. We have begun giving to less organizations and more of our offerings are now for the local budget. Nearly every week we have an offering for the local budget. Our budget hasn't even increased at the rate of inflation. Yet, we are not receiving as much in offerings as we have in the past. This means that we barely give anything to our denomination. For some it is because they disagree with something at Calvin College or another part of the ministry shares. For others, I'm not sure.
Right now the hot word is economy. We blame it for the lack of giving. Yet, our community hasn't really felt the pinch. As a matter of fact, those I've talked to, including accountants and financial planners, agree that the incomes of our families have not been hurt.
What I feel, although I have no actual proof, is that we are not as interested and concerned about our communal involvement in the world. If we can't see it and it doesn't impact us then we are less interested in participating in it. Many from our community haven't been outside of the community so for them the world is within a short drive.
There was a time, not so long ago when we gave 100% to denomination, classis, and the local budget. Now, with less organizations we are giving a measly 15% to the denomination. I don't see how the way in which ministry shares are promoted or the information that we receive leads us to giving less. It seems to me that the reason is ourselves and not the system or the information.
We are struggling with this issue in our church and have had many conversations within council. No one really has an answer to why we have this problem. Is it because we aren't willing to sacrifice as much as our ancestors? Is it because we no longer feel a connection to the rest of the denomination? Is it because we are concerned about our local community at the expense of the wider ministry? Is it because we have become more selfish? These are hard if not impossible questions to answer when you are dealing with a whole congregation but they are questions that need to be asked.
So far I haven't preached a message on this because I'm still trying to figure it out. May God give us all grace, wisdom, and gratitude so that we are cheerful and abundant givers!
I have done this by simply asking the non-professing parent if they support this decision. I also explain that as parents both of them have a role in raising this child. Obviously, this is something that needs to be discussed ahead of time with both parents. If either one has an issue with it then you should talk about it before the baptism. So far every time I have done this it has worked well. I don't have specific wording for this question because I have never written it down but I think that you have the words in your request.
Good to see a familiar name here. I was wondering what book you are talking about for council health or leadership. I would love to read that and get some help from it.
Thanks to both of you. It seems that I didn't explain the situation well enough but you have helped me with your outlines. I was struggling because the mom wants to be baptized, which I think would be first. She wants to publicly profess her faith and also (along with her husband who has made profession of faith) baptize their children. I was trying not to duplicate if possible with the baptisms and even though the questions are not all the same in the profession of faith and baptism forms I have heard of ways to combine the two but I wasn't sure how to do that. It's a great problem to have and our Easter service is going to be blessed so much because of it. If you have any other suggestions I'd love to hear them. Otherwise thanks for your help.
I certainly am able to answer everything that you are talking about, partly because I'm not getting what your main idea is. I do have one question and one answer though.
My question is what do you mean by secular knowledge? I'm afraid that you are forming a false dichotomy. Is there knowledge that is secular and knowledge that is unsecular? All knowledge comes from God.
To answer your last question we have to go back to Genesis. God created us with perfect vision. It was our sin that brought about all these physical problems. By God's grace we are able to improve our vision through glasses, surgery, etc. God could have left us with the results of our sin and never helped us. Instead, He graciously gives us help.
I know I haven't hit the meat of your discussion. Hopefully others can.
Speaking to point 2 about Bev Sterk's overture it should be noted that the council and classis did not reject the overture. They were in the process of working out details on it with the hope of bringing it to synod in the near future. That is why the synodical committee asked that any further action be done in connection with Bev's classis, council, and any others who were currently working in that area. This is just a point of clarification, not a rejection of your point.
This topic has become a big discussion for our congregation. It seems that most people are unaware of what happens in our denomination and so they have a bad impression, since as we all know, bad news often spreads further than good news. We have found that people don't tend to read written material whether it be in the bulletin, in their church mailboxes, or in the Banner. So, we are attempting to find other way to share this information. In my opinion the greatest impact is face-to-face, which we all know is difficult, at least the further you get away from Grand Rapids. Next we have found that videos during the church services make an impact over time. It needs to be in front of them multiple times. That being said it would be nice to have more information passed on by way of videos. It has been hard to find them. Maybe they are being produced but we aren't receiving them. A few years back a great video was made explaining ministry shares, but it would be nice to have consecutive weeks where specific ministries or agencies are highlighted in the CRCNA.
I'm sure that this will be included somewhere in this mix but it needs to be talked about specifically, that It's All About Relationships! We are so good at developing programs, ministries, and even strategies but it all comes down to relationships. What should be a natural and expected aspect of life has been thrown by the wayside. The older generation no longer knows the children and vice-versa. We skitter around from one practice, one meeting, one game, etc. We send out emails, texts, Facebook messages and consider that our social interaction. Meanwhile I hear complaints about how church used to be our family and how we used to invite people over but not any more. I don't care what you are talking about (evangelism, worship, Bible studies, outreach, etc.) it is all about developing and growing relationships and we need to stop for a moment and talk about how we can nurture that. When I look at my life it was relationships that grew my faith the most and when I hear from those who don't attend church anymore the repeated response is that they don't feel connected. It doesn't have to do with style of worship, lack of ministries, or anything else. It is simply because we don't take time to build relationships. Like I said, I expect and hope that this will be included is some of what has been listed but it can't be a little spice that we throw into the mix. It is the whole recipe.
What does it mean that we are a denomination in a time when we are becoming more separated. What does unity look like when we disagree about theological discussions? How do we grow relationships when we idolize full calendars and busy schedules? When congregations no longer care about or respect denominational authority how can we work as one? How can individuals experience the great work of our denomination when they only want a 30 second sound byte?
Posted in: This Might Be the Best Jesse Tree Set Ever
Is it possible to get the story symbols in black and white so that they can be colored by the students? When I print them in black and white the center of each symbol is too dark too be colored in.
Posted in: Suggestions for Individuals and Churches to Consider for Family Leave
Story #5
The pastor and his wife become foster parents. They get a call to take in a newborn from the hospital. Within an hour they must be ready with all the necessary items that is required to care for this child. Does it matter that the child is not officially part of their family? How should the council respond? Would it be different if the foster child was 13 years old?
Posted in: Six Dollars a Week [Video]
John,
I understand what you are saying. It is hard when ministry shares is impersonal and often hard to put specifics on it. Yet, I think that we too often find the blame in the system or shovel it off to those on the "top". Really, the problem is all of us. We don't care as much as we used to about our communal offering. We look at it more as an economic transaction and so we expect to get a bang for our buck. Unfortunately, we don't always see that but this is not an excuse for the poor giving of so many churches, mine included. I get angry when we withhold our money because we don't trust each other or we have a problem with one person or one part of the denomination so we use money as a weapon. What if we stopped blaming others and looked at our own desire or lack of desire to give? What if we gave with the expectation that we won't know the wonderful and amazing ways in which God will use it? What if we gave so joyfully that we gave to the point of hurting? What if we stopped being so "me-centered" and too focused on our own impact and started realizing how God has stretched our little denomination around the world and allowed each one of us to be a part of that by our ministry shares? These, in my humble opinion, are the more important questions.
Posted in: Six Dollars a Week [Video]
Let me share with you what is happening in our congregation. And from talking with others we are far from the only congregations dealing with this. We have begun giving to less organizations and more of our offerings are now for the local budget. Nearly every week we have an offering for the local budget. Our budget hasn't even increased at the rate of inflation. Yet, we are not receiving as much in offerings as we have in the past. This means that we barely give anything to our denomination. For some it is because they disagree with something at Calvin College or another part of the ministry shares. For others, I'm not sure.
Right now the hot word is economy. We blame it for the lack of giving. Yet, our community hasn't really felt the pinch. As a matter of fact, those I've talked to, including accountants and financial planners, agree that the incomes of our families have not been hurt.
What I feel, although I have no actual proof, is that we are not as interested and concerned about our communal involvement in the world. If we can't see it and it doesn't impact us then we are less interested in participating in it. Many from our community haven't been outside of the community so for them the world is within a short drive.
There was a time, not so long ago when we gave 100% to denomination, classis, and the local budget. Now, with less organizations we are giving a measly 15% to the denomination. I don't see how the way in which ministry shares are promoted or the information that we receive leads us to giving less. It seems to me that the reason is ourselves and not the system or the information.
We are struggling with this issue in our church and have had many conversations within council. No one really has an answer to why we have this problem. Is it because we aren't willing to sacrifice as much as our ancestors? Is it because we no longer feel a connection to the rest of the denomination? Is it because we are concerned about our local community at the expense of the wider ministry? Is it because we have become more selfish? These are hard if not impossible questions to answer when you are dealing with a whole congregation but they are questions that need to be asked.
So far I haven't preached a message on this because I'm still trying to figure it out. May God give us all grace, wisdom, and gratitude so that we are cheerful and abundant givers!
Posted in: Suggestions Needed for a Baptism Service Where One Parent is Professing Member and One is Not
I have done this by simply asking the non-professing parent if they support this decision. I also explain that as parents both of them have a role in raising this child. Obviously, this is something that needs to be discussed ahead of time with both parents. If either one has an issue with it then you should talk about it before the baptism. So far every time I have done this it has worked well. I don't have specific wording for this question because I have never written it down but I think that you have the words in your request.
Posted in: Does anyone have a council spiritual retreat program that we could borrow?
Hey Meg,
Good to see a familiar name here. I was wondering what book you are talking about for council health or leadership. I would love to read that and get some help from it.
Shalom,
Craig Van Hill
Posted in: How have you combined profession of faith with baptism?
Thanks to both of you. It seems that I didn't explain the situation well enough but you have helped me with your outlines. I was struggling because the mom wants to be baptized, which I think would be first. She wants to publicly profess her faith and also (along with her husband who has made profession of faith) baptize their children. I was trying not to duplicate if possible with the baptisms and even though the questions are not all the same in the profession of faith and baptism forms I have heard of ways to combine the two but I wasn't sure how to do that. It's a great problem to have and our Easter service is going to be blessed so much because of it. If you have any other suggestions I'd love to hear them. Otherwise thanks for your help.
Posted in: What Is the Relationship Between Secular Knowledge, Morality, and Eschatology or Purpose in the Context of the CRCNA?
I certainly am able to answer everything that you are talking about, partly because I'm not getting what your main idea is. I do have one question and one answer though.
My question is what do you mean by secular knowledge? I'm afraid that you are forming a false dichotomy. Is there knowledge that is secular and knowledge that is unsecular? All knowledge comes from God.
To answer your last question we have to go back to Genesis. God created us with perfect vision. It was our sin that brought about all these physical problems. By God's grace we are able to improve our vision through glasses, surgery, etc. God could have left us with the results of our sin and never helped us. Instead, He graciously gives us help.
I know I haven't hit the meat of your discussion. Hopefully others can.
Posted in: ‘Palestine’ and Overture 6: Ten Questions to Consider
Speaking to point 2 about Bev Sterk's overture it should be noted that the council and classis did not reject the overture. They were in the process of working out details on it with the hope of bringing it to synod in the near future. That is why the synodical committee asked that any further action be done in connection with Bev's classis, council, and any others who were currently working in that area. This is just a point of clarification, not a rejection of your point.
Posted in: Your Input Needed: How Should We Talk About Our Shared Ministry?
This topic has become a big discussion for our congregation. It seems that most people are unaware of what happens in our denomination and so they have a bad impression, since as we all know, bad news often spreads further than good news. We have found that people don't tend to read written material whether it be in the bulletin, in their church mailboxes, or in the Banner. So, we are attempting to find other way to share this information. In my opinion the greatest impact is face-to-face, which we all know is difficult, at least the further you get away from Grand Rapids. Next we have found that videos during the church services make an impact over time. It needs to be in front of them multiple times. That being said it would be nice to have more information passed on by way of videos. It has been hard to find them. Maybe they are being produced but we aren't receiving them. A few years back a great video was made explaining ministry shares, but it would be nice to have consecutive weeks where specific ministries or agencies are highlighted in the CRCNA.
Posted in: Inspire 2017 Updates: Your Feedback Needed
I'm sure that this will be included somewhere in this mix but it needs to be talked about specifically, that It's All About Relationships! We are so good at developing programs, ministries, and even strategies but it all comes down to relationships. What should be a natural and expected aspect of life has been thrown by the wayside. The older generation no longer knows the children and vice-versa. We skitter around from one practice, one meeting, one game, etc. We send out emails, texts, Facebook messages and consider that our social interaction. Meanwhile I hear complaints about how church used to be our family and how we used to invite people over but not any more. I don't care what you are talking about (evangelism, worship, Bible studies, outreach, etc.) it is all about developing and growing relationships and we need to stop for a moment and talk about how we can nurture that. When I look at my life it was relationships that grew my faith the most and when I hear from those who don't attend church anymore the repeated response is that they don't feel connected. It doesn't have to do with style of worship, lack of ministries, or anything else. It is simply because we don't take time to build relationships. Like I said, I expect and hope that this will be included is some of what has been listed but it can't be a little spice that we throw into the mix. It is the whole recipe.
Posted in: Let’s Play “Banner Editor for a Day”
What does it mean that we are a denomination in a time when we are becoming more separated. What does unity look like when we disagree about theological discussions? How do we grow relationships when we idolize full calendars and busy schedules? When congregations no longer care about or respect denominational authority how can we work as one? How can individuals experience the great work of our denomination when they only want a 30 second sound byte?