Canadian CRC Office Hosts New Ministry Leaders
Rev. Darren Roorda speaks to new Canadian ministry leaders.
Anita Brinkman
More than a dozen Christian Reformed Church pastors and ministry leaders are gathering at the CRC office in Burlington, Ontario, this week to learn about ministry in the Canadian context.
The event is designed for church leaders who are new to the ministry and/or new to Canada, said Rev. Darren Roorda, the CRC’s Canadian Ministries director.
“We were shooting for ministry leaders who had come into ministry in Canada within the last 18 months or so,” Roorda said.
“The hope was for them to have some experience under their belt, and that way it would make the conversation and teaching and learning that much more valuable.”
During the two-day event, ministry leaders will meet for discussions, presentations, meals, and worship, learning about ministry in Canada both regionally and nationally.
Participants will hear presentations from the agencies and ministries that exist in the CRC in Canada, giving them an idea of the work done by each one. After each session, they will have the opportunity to interact with ministries that catch their interest.
Ministries will include specifically Canadian ministries such as the Centre for Public Dialogue and the Aboriginal Ministry, as well as denomination-wide agencies and ministries like Home Missions, World Renew, and Faith Formation.
The idea for the gathering springs from a similar gathering last year, when stated clerks from Canadian classes gathered in Burlington to discuss ministry in a Canadian context. It was decided to host meetings each year, alternating between stated clerks and leaders new to ministry in Canada.
“Since this is the first of its kind, we’re going to learn from it and improve it for two years from now,” said Roorda.
The event coincides with a meeting of Youth Ministry champions from across Canada, with about 15 coming for each meeting. Youth Ministry champions work in classes across the Canadian CRC to assist youth leaders serve in their churches.
The hope with these gatherings is to build, said Roorda, “contextualized local ministry in church bodies across Canada that is appropriate for their place; matches the Canadian context; and is integrated with denominational resources, tools, and people.
“That’s the goal – to marry all those things together for effective ministry so that the kingdom of God is built up and people understand what it means to be in relationship with Jesus Christ in their local church in Canada.”
