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Newsletter

This Classis Renewal newsletter is a quarterly publication of the Classis Renewal Ministry Team, a denominational ministry serving classes led by Christian Reformed Home Missions and the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee. The team supports classis vision leaders with needed resources, builds on the current experiences and practices in our renewing classes, partners with classes to share success stories and key learnings, sponsors meetings between classis leaders for mutual learning, and creates opportunities for prayer support within and between classes. 

NEWSLETTER - FALL 2006

This is the time of year when we prepare for the new season, in our churches and as classes. We set goals and make plans. Our prayer is that God blesses those plans.

Renewal Survey
CRMT, in conjunction with the Calvin College research Dept., has prepared a survey to help assess (in measurable terms) the results and progress of renewal at the classis level. We're asking for a few minutes of your time to complete the survey at: www.calvin.edu/go/crmtsurvey/.
Your information will assist all leaders in highlighting where the changes are happening. 

Conference Recap
What is God doing? What does God want to do? Those were the two questions that Craig asked us and we took into the conference last May
1-3 in Clarkston, Mich. My overall impression and reflection of the conference is that the Spirit of God moved in an intentional and meaningful way during and since our time together. The worship by Han Bit, the prayers, the pre-conference prayer gathering, the conversations, the willingness of leaders to share their/our journeys, the stories of the history of CRMT, the morning devotions by Jerry Dykstra, John Rozeboom, Thea Leunk, Melvin Jackson, and Socheth Na, and closing by Ben Vandezande all combined to make the conference meaningful. The feedback has been positive and there is a level of activity and discussions in classes that have not yet had that level of activity and discussion. The results of the GROW exercise reflect the level of commitment to activity and provide fodder for a number of my future conversations with classes leaders. (To receive a copy by email, let Frank know at crmt@crcna.org ).

Ben VZ closed with seven movements for us to consider:
1)    Move from I to WE.
2)    Several kinds of change that begins with pastors connecting with
the HS, in discipleship and prayer. Revision * Renewing, Improvement or Adjustment.
3)    Move from volunteer to staff: a) Serve the mission and vision,
b) Help effectiveness, c) equip churches, d) Get ministry done in context.
4)    Hoped for impact: Jerusalem   Judea   Samaria   the ends of the
Earth.
5)    Move from a classis meeting to a community of spiritual
discernment
6)    Move from mono-cultural to inter-cultural (not an option!), from
suburban to urban (cities matter). We need to make space and widen the circle.
7)    Move to partnerships of churches * classes * agencies. 

A number of current resources are available to expand the conversation.
Rev. David Snapper wrote in Christian Courier about church clusters for church growth. He opens with these words: "How can a strong church with a clear vision from God expand its ministry boundaries without weakening itself? They need help from their neighboring churches. Most Christian Reformed Church (CRC) congregations are located within a 20 mile drive of another CRC congregation. Similarly, most CRC individuals worship in a church that is near another CRC. These two facts are so "self-evident"
that their significance may escape our attention"
 Click here to view the article.
 
New Workbook On Denominational Leadership
Bill Easum and Tom Bandy are well known to many of us for their work in church consulting and authoring books on change, etc. They have published a workbook entitled "Denominational Leaders can be a Blessing to Ministry in the 21st Century."
The book is a distillation of much of their work over the last several years, and I'm sure will be interesting reading and will probably challenge the current thinking of how we do things. Bill writes, "The attitude of denominational (classical) officials is changing rapidly:
1)    Twenty years ago, no one would listen to me when I said we were
in trouble.
2)    Today, most denominational officials realize the effectiveness
of denominational leaders is declining.
3)    The future belongs to those who can change the fastest and
easiest for the purpose of making disciples who make disciples."
To receive a copy by email, send a request to crmt@crcna.org and I'll be happy to send it to you.

Thoughts On My First Six Months
What have I learned in the first six months as Classis Coach?
1)    I've learned that a few classes are doing intentional ministry
as a group.
2)    I've learned that the Holy Spirit is moving in a powerful way in
the churches.
3)    I've learned that with a little encouragement and some help, a
lot more classes would be intentional about their ministry.
4)    I've learned that for some of our classes form follows function,
for most of them function follows form. Change the form = change the function.
5)    I've learned that the difference between activity and results is
intentionality.
6)    I've learned that focused specific sustained prayer is the
foundation of renewal.
7)    I've learned that bold, prophetic preaching can move a
congregation to prayer.
8)    I've learned that our history has a greater influence on our
practice than I ever thought, but that we can influence the future.
9)    I've learned that there are a lot of people smarter than I am
when it comes to how our churches and classes function, and I still have a lot to learn.

There is more, of course, and I'm still adding to the list.

-END OF NEWSLETTER-


Contact us with your questions and share what's happening in your classis at: crmt@crcna.org.

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