Young Adults Sought to Serve at Synod

The Christian Reformed Church in North America is still looking for a few young people willing to be  considered for appointment as young adult representatives to Synod 2020.

Young adults who have served in that role say they are glad they accepted the nomination from their churches to attend synod, the annual policy and business meeting of the CRCNA — and they encourage other young adults, ages 18-26, to consider taking up the task.

“Absolutely, I’d encourage young people to consider this. For me, it was the opportunity of a lifetime to learn from a lot of wise, dedicated Christians,” said Ben VanderWindt, who served at Synods 2018 and 2019.

Before Anthony Elenbaas, his pastor at Immanuel CRC in Hamilton, Ont., asked him to consider going to synod, VanderWindt had been active in the church but had had little interest in the wider workings of the denomination, he said.

“People of my generation don’t often think about a denomination and how important it might be in making policy to serve congregations,” said VanderWindt. At synod “it was awesome to meet so many people who were trying to find the right way forward for the church,” he said.

Also valuable was meeting “youth from all over North America who are passionate about the church and about Christ and who could encourage one another in their walk [of faith],” said VanderWindt, a Calvin University senior who plans to go to law school.

Kristy Bootsma, now a Calvin Theological Seminary student, recalls being surprised when her pastor told her he thought she should be recommended to serve as a young adult representative at synod. She wasn’t sure what to think, but she was intrigued, she said.

“I am so grateful that my curiosity got the best of me,” said Bootsma. “As someone who was discerning a call to ministry, figuring out my place in the CRC, and feeling the pains of how broken the body of Christ can be, I didn’t know how much I needed this experience.”

Bootsma said her experiences at Synods 2017 and 2018 played an important role in helping her discern a call to ministry and led her to enroll at Calvin Seminary.

“[At synod] I established relationships with pastors, professors, denominational staff, and other young people who I will be in relationship with for the rest of my life in ministry,” she said.

Besides attending the two synods, Bootsma was a denominational staff intern at Synod 2019.

The Synodical Services Office has sent out a letter, and subsequently a message, to church council clerks and pastors, seeking nominations of young adults to serve at Synod 2020, which will meet June 12-18 on the campus of Calvin University.

“These young adult representatives—the ‘future of the church’—bring a valuable perspective to the work of the advisory committees and have the privilege of the floor
during plenary sessions to offer input into synod’s deliberations,” said Dee Recker, director of synodical services.

“Delegates to synod have expressed sincere appreciation for the passion and commitment of these young adults. . . . Young people need to know how much their voices deserve to be heard in their church and the efforts this denomination puts in to do so,” said Recker.

Joelle Wilhelm also served as a young adult representative at Synod 2017.

“I've never had a week quite like I did at synod,” she said. “It was interesting to see the mechanics behind the CRCNA and how decisions are made.”

One particular lesson she learned, she said, is how necessary it is to rely on God to help guide the CRCNA to make decisions.

“The answer that we want is not always where God will bring us, and it was interesting watching how God led us on that journey as decisions were made,” said Wilhelm, a third-year student at the University of Waterloo in Ontario. She is studying speech communication and is earning a double minor in theatre and political science.

“Another part of synod that jumped out at me was the connections that I was able to make among all the representatives,” she said.

“As a youth representative, I was able to jump in and provide my opinion and question decisions — I really valued being a part of [that].”

Everyone at synod, she added, “was so eager to become friends and discuss faith topics, some of which were tough conversations to have.”

Synod 2010 decided that seven young adults should be appointed to serve in an advisory role to synod every year. The synodical guidelines adopted regarding young adult representatives are posted at crcna.org/SynodResources (see right column) and are also found in the Rules for Synodical Procedure, pp. 5-8.

The Synodical Services letter to council clerks and pastors urges, “Make potential nominees aware that all expenses for travel, meals, and lodging for young adult reps are covered by the Synodical Services Office.”

In addition, said the letter, “The persons you recommend will need to be able to attend the full week [of synod].”

Nominations are due to the Synodical Services Office ([email protected]) by January 15, 2020. Appointments of young adult representatives to synod will be made by the Council of Delegates (COD) in February 2020; correspondence will be sent to all nominees following the COD meeting.