Thanks for the helpful article! In the toolkit that Faith Alive is preparing, I hope we can help direct churches to other Reformed publishing houses. The linked chart of 50 curriculums appears to be heavily drawn from non-Reformed, mainline denominations (Episcopal, ELCA, UCC, UMC, etc.). There are some other great options out there that are deeply Reformed and didn't make the list - such as Great Commission Publications (https://www.gcp.org/) from the PCA/OPC. We've found their Sunday School curriculum to be very solid in our context.
My congregation enrolled last year and have a number of staff contributing to a 403(b). A few notes (offered by someone who is not a financial planner, so 'grain of salt'):
1) There is some set-up time required. The treasurer at our church works at a bank and was helpful with set-up.
2) Compared to setting up your own 403(b), the upfront and maintenance costs are very low with Envoy. Our local bank could not match the minimalist fees.
3) Investment selections are more narrow than some, but include a few Vanguard, Schwab and faith-based investment options, including managed portfolios or some basic large/mid/small cap domestic and international allocations, fixed-interest, etc.
4) The user interface is intuitive, helpful, and comes with some good tools.
5) Participants can also schedule personal Zoom conversations with financial advisors which is a good benefit.
6) Contributions can be made to either a Roth or Traditional 403(b) - so staff can chose from pre or post tax retirement planning.
7) This is a 403(b)(9) which I understand allows clergy to take eventual disbursements for tax-free housing expenses in retirement. For ordained staff that can be a significant benefit over some other retirement vehicles.
Overall, our experience has been positive and we would recommend Envoy.
I've assembled several commissioning liturgies for a non-ordained youth pastor/youth director. If interested, send me an e-mail ([email protected]) and I'll attach them as Word documents.
Ditto for the context in which I currently minister. In rural, Midwestern America, the missional edge is much more with what Barna calls the "prodigals/nomads/exiles" - rather than than the formally "unconverted". It is with the "dechurched" not the "unchurched". To quote a Barna 6-3-13 article:
"Over half of Millennials with a Christian background (59%) have, at some point, dropped out of going to church after having gone regularly, and half have been significantly frustrated by their faith. Additionally, more than 50% of 18-29 year olds with a Christian background say they are less active in church compared to when they were 15."
I just had a conversation with two such individuals a half hour ago who are dealing with a lot of past pain and hurt. When they come back into a church community and find healing and a new start - they don't show up in a CVI - but I would suggest they still reflect a sign of vital kingdom ministry for which we should give thanks.
This is a great story – but the conclusions drawn from in in the second-to-last paragraph lost me. There seems to be a theologically (and logically) invalid jump from "We don't own Jesus" directly into "we don't proclaim Jesus" (cf:"it is not our job to offer Jesus to others.") . I’m preaching on Colossians 1:24-2:5 on Sunday where Paul’s point is “We proclaim him [Jesus], admonishing and teaching everyone…to this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me” (Colossians 1:28-29).
I was hoping I was misunderstanding, but that same summary paragraph goes on to suggest that somehow God’s general revelation makes proclamation of His special revelation unnecessary. Specifically, the article moves from God’s work in general revelation (“…revealing himself in and through the world he created”) to the author being called merely to be "reflecting the love and mercy and grace of Jesus in the place where God has planted me" as opposed to naming the source of that grace and mercy and calling for belief in him (cf. "It is not and has never been God’s will that I 'save' [those] who don’t follow Jesus.").
Herman Bavink affirmed general revelation, but he did not do so in opposition to clearly and robustly calling for faith in Jesus.
To put the above in denominational context, I wonder if concerns with the argument put forth by this article were reflected at Synod by those who felt that bald calls to social justice (cf: “reflecting the love and mercy of Jesus”) was indeed being offered as a substitute for Gospel proclamation (cf: “its not our job to offer Jesus to others”). Personally, I think we need both – and our language honors the Gospel best when we scrupulously avoid suggesting a choice must be made between them.
Thanks for an insightful and incredibly practical set of guidelines. This is something I've innately tried to do, but never have put words to it nor have I ever seen it distilled into a principle like this. We really appreciate the work you at the church renewal lab are doing!
Posted in: Every Pastor in the CRC Should Hear This
Thanks for the helpful article! In the toolkit that Faith Alive is preparing, I hope we can help direct churches to other Reformed publishing houses. The linked chart of 50 curriculums appears to be heavily drawn from non-Reformed, mainline denominations (Episcopal, ELCA, UCC, UMC, etc.). There are some other great options out there that are deeply Reformed and didn't make the list - such as Great Commission Publications (https://www.gcp.org/) from the PCA/OPC. We've found their Sunday School curriculum to be very solid in our context.
Posted in: Feedback on CRCNA 403b-9 Retirement Plan?
My congregation enrolled last year and have a number of staff contributing to a 403(b). A few notes (offered by someone who is not a financial planner, so 'grain of salt'):
1) There is some set-up time required. The treasurer at our church works at a bank and was helpful with set-up.
2) Compared to setting up your own 403(b), the upfront and maintenance costs are very low with Envoy. Our local bank could not match the minimalist fees.
3) Investment selections are more narrow than some, but include a few Vanguard, Schwab and faith-based investment options, including managed portfolios or some basic large/mid/small cap domestic and international allocations, fixed-interest, etc.
4) The user interface is intuitive, helpful, and comes with some good tools.
5) Participants can also schedule personal Zoom conversations with financial advisors which is a good benefit.
6) Contributions can be made to either a Roth or Traditional 403(b) - so staff can chose from pre or post tax retirement planning.
7) This is a 403(b)(9) which I understand allows clergy to take eventual disbursements for tax-free housing expenses in retirement. For ordained staff that can be a significant benefit over some other retirement vehicles.
Overall, our experience has been positive and we would recommend Envoy.
Posted in: Does anyone have a resource available for commissioning a youth director?
Hi Simon,
I've assembled several commissioning liturgies for a non-ordained youth pastor/youth director. If interested, send me an e-mail ([email protected]) and I'll attach them as Word documents.
In Christ,
John Lee
Posted in: Keeping An Eye On Your CVI
Ditto for the context in which I currently minister. In rural, Midwestern America, the missional edge is much more with what Barna calls the "prodigals/nomads/exiles" - rather than than the formally "unconverted". It is with the "dechurched" not the "unchurched". To quote a Barna 6-3-13 article:
"Over half of Millennials with a Christian background (59%) have, at some point, dropped out of going to church after having gone regularly, and half have been significantly frustrated by their faith. Additionally, more than 50% of 18-29 year olds with a Christian background say they are less active in church compared to when they were 15."
I just had a conversation with two such individuals a half hour ago who are dealing with a lot of past pain and hurt. When they come back into a church community and find healing and a new start - they don't show up in a CVI - but I would suggest they still reflect a sign of vital kingdom ministry for which we should give thanks.
Posted in: We Don't Own Jesus
This is a great story – but the conclusions drawn from in in the second-to-last paragraph lost me. There seems to be a theologically (and logically) invalid jump from "We don't own Jesus" directly into "we don't proclaim Jesus" (cf:"it is not our job to offer Jesus to others.") . I’m preaching on Colossians 1:24-2:5 on Sunday where Paul’s point is “We proclaim him [Jesus], admonishing and teaching everyone…to this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me” (Colossians 1:28-29).
I was hoping I was misunderstanding, but that same summary paragraph goes on to suggest that somehow God’s general revelation makes proclamation of His special revelation unnecessary. Specifically, the article moves from God’s work in general revelation (“…revealing himself in and through the world he created”) to the author being called merely to be "reflecting the love and mercy and grace of Jesus in the place where God has planted me" as opposed to naming the source of that grace and mercy and calling for belief in him (cf. "It is not and has never been God’s will that I 'save' [those] who don’t follow Jesus.").
Herman Bavink affirmed general revelation, but he did not do so in opposition to clearly and robustly calling for faith in Jesus.
To put the above in denominational context, I wonder if concerns with the argument put forth by this article were reflected at Synod by those who felt that bald calls to social justice (cf: “reflecting the love and mercy of Jesus”) was indeed being offered as a substitute for Gospel proclamation (cf: “its not our job to offer Jesus to others”). Personally, I think we need both – and our language honors the Gospel best when we scrupulously avoid suggesting a choice must be made between them.
Posted in: The Importance of Preaching the Announcements
Thanks for an insightful and incredibly practical set of guidelines. This is something I've innately tried to do, but never have put words to it nor have I ever seen it distilled into a principle like this. We really appreciate the work you at the church renewal lab are doing!