Regional Synod News November 14, 2016

     NEWS

The Regional Synod of Mid-America’s Synod Assembly formed the New Thing Classis at it’s special session on November 10, 2016.  The New Thing Classis will be a classis focused on multiplying and reproducing new churches.  This new classis will begin with three anchor churches including Calvary Reformed Church, Orland Park, Illinois; Faith Reformed Church, Dyer Indiana; and Living Springs Community Church, Glenwood, Illinois. The synod assembly blessed the formation of this new classis with a unanimous vote.

Church Excel – On Demand Tools & Training to Excel at Stewardship
Many of the resource opportunities these days require you to travel to events and/or pay large fees to participate.  This new inexpensive stewardship resource available from the RCA is not only inexpensive ($50 for a year’s subscription), it also contains videos, interactive seminars, ebooks, assessment tools, and a complete toolbox to help your church get healthier in its stewardship.  It’s all available online and can be done with your consistory, leaders, or congregation.

One pastor said: “Their materials and webinars on church finance, clergy taxes, compensation, board leadership and governance, to name a few, are excellent and practical resources that help us build God’s kingdom with integrity and effectiveness.”

To learn more, click HERE to view the brochure.  If you would like more information or to sign up for a year’s subscription, contact keriks@rca.org.

A Youth Corresponding Delegate to General Synod is also needed for this year’s RCA General Synod taking place in Holland, MI at Hope College from June 8-13, 2017.  This non-voting delegate is one who is somewhere around traditional college age.  In addition to participating in the regular business of the General Synod, the youth corresponding delegates meet and do things together.  It is anticipated that the youth delegates have given some thought about the possibility that God may be calling him or her into ministry, but that does not necessarily mean that a decision has been made.  It is an intention of the participation in General Synod as a youth delegate to help that person discern hearing the Holy Spirit’s voice.  Do you know of someone who might be a candidate for this youth delegate?  Please contact Chad.

The RSMA annually gives out Urban Ministry Grants.  In 2017 we will be supporting ministries such as: a Director of Multi-Cultural Worship, a Violence Prevention ministry in the inner-city, and other ministries that seek to reach out to people who are typically thought of as “the least of these.”  These ministries seek to missionally impact urban areas within our region.  Your church can help support these ministries by giving to our Urban Ministry Fund.  This “asking” is $4 per church member and $2 per Sunday School participant.  Any amount given is used completely to fund these ministries.  For more information, contact Chad.

A new website and a new tool to help your church find help for its mission and ministries is available from the RCA’s Transformed and Transforming staff.  The updated Transformed and Transforming website can be found by clicking HERE.  To connect with RCA leaders and resources to help your church, simply go to this quiz.

News from Camp Manitoqua
Have a BLAST this winter break – Registration begins October 3rd for our WinterBlast day camp program, a break from school, not from fun, at Camp Manitoqua and Retreat Center.  Held during winter break for grades 1-6; featuring classic camp activities, winter snow games, hot lunches, and more.  Additional information (including downloadable brochure) available at www.manitoqua.org/winterblast, or call our office at 815-469-2319.

Enjoy a taste of fall at the Red Oak Luncheon, a pleasant occasion for seniors, at Camp Manitoqua & Retreat Center on Wednesday, December 7th.  Coffee & Rolls will be served at 10:30am.  Our program will begin at 11:00am with lunch to follow at 12:00pm.  Tours of the grounds will be available after lunch.  Cost for the event is $10.00.  Please make reservations at 815-469-2319 by November 23.

Camp Manitoqua & Retreat Center’s fall retreat season has begun.  At this time, we are offering groups a 15% discount on any retreat booked for December 2016 or January 2017. Please contact Nathan at 815.469.2319, or at retreat@manitoqua.org for availability.

Summer Staff: Have you considered spending a summer in ministry? Applications for 2017 summer staff at Camp Manitoqua & Retreat Center are available online at www.manitoqua.org/jobs and are being accepted starting in November.

5 Simple Steps to Recruit Volunteers In a Small Church – It’s hard to disciple people when you can’t even find volunteers. This simple process can help small churches do both better.

Traditioned Innovation – In businesses and other organizations, including Christian ones, the traditionalists are so stuck in their ways that they drive reasonable people toward change for its own sake. People obsessed with change create such chaos that reasonable people long for some form of stability. And so the pendulum swings between traditionalist strategies and innovative ones, causing organizations and leaders, people and cultures, to suffer.  It is a return to Christian thinking that offers the best way forward.

Nadia Bolz-Weber: Entering the Stream of the Faithful – Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber likes to have both tradition and innovation happening at the same time her church.  They follow the ancient liturgy of the church, yet during Easter Vigil, for example, members are asked to tell the resurrection story creatively and in teams.

Is Evangelical Worship Headed for a Huge Crash? – This is not a criticism of any particular individual, or group.  The trend of worship today is leading people to just watching, rather than participating.