Retiring Diaconal Coach Shares her Top 10 Moments

Written by: Rachel Vroege, Regional Ministry Developer, Western Canada

Pictured above: Lucinda (centre) showing her gift and passion to include food, pie, and love as part of her service to and with others! Photo provided by: Jesse Edgington

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Lucinda Klapwyk served the Edmonton area churches of Classis AB North as a Diaconal Coach for twelve (12) years. Lucinda “retired” from her position as a Coach this June 2022. 

At a recent farewell dinner for Lucinda, she shared with us her many memories and reflections. Here are her Top 10 moments as a Diaconal Coach:

1. Monthly Thursday morning coffee. For several years Lucinda hosted a monthly coffee hour for deacons at the Carrot Café in support of Edmonton church plant The Avenue. After the Fort MacMurray fire in 2016, this meeting for deacons became the hub of CRC connection for providing support for those affected by the fires. [Read more about these coffee chats here!]
2. Participating in a refugee workshop and panel discussion at the Edmonton Day of Encouragement in 2019 celebrating 40 years of refugee sponsorship and hospitality. 
3. Receiving a call from a St. Albert deacon one Saturday afternoon confirmed Lucinda’s many years of making herself available and visible as a local coach.
4. Providing the new Deacons workshop regularly and seeing people get excited and connected to their leadership calling.
5. Our annual DMC coaches gathering in January – fun, fellowship, games nights, learning, eating together – a yearly highlight for Lucinda!
6. Being asked by a deacon team to research a specific ministry idea or issue. Eg. Bethel Community CRC’s meal ministry
7. Working with different churches and seeing the different “flavours” of the deacon’s mandate and how each church lives out this calling. Over time, Lucinda has seen a significant shift from deacon teams working “reactively” to the more current trend of working proactively to connect in their community.
8. Providing opportunities for refugee committee members from different CRC churches in Edmonton to get together and share their experiences and best practices. (Lucinda is an amazing facilitator!!)
9. After facilitating a “Circle of Chairs” gathering for Deacon Chairs, one said: “This was fantastic – I got some great ideas!”
10. NADC (Northern Alberta Diaconal Conference) meetings – Diaconal Ministries Canada and NADC have a supportive working relationship. Lucinda regularly attended these meetings and particularly enjoyed the caring and sharing time. “In some ways, this is where my interest and passion for deacon’s ministry all started” Lucinda shared.
11. Gathering and connecting at Classis meetings. In March 2019, Lucinda and Rachel Vroege led a workshop for the Alberta North Classis delegates called “Churches as Good Neighbours”. This was well received and a great reflection of the collaborative work Lucinda has done with deacons in Edmonton and the surrounding area.

This list of significant moments in diaconal ministry show the depth of training and guidance that Lucinda was able to offer the Edmonton area churches during her years of work as a coach. She will be missed greatly! 

Thank you, Lucinda, for your years of service at Diaconal Ministries Canada! God’s blessings to you and Mike as you continue to serve in God’s kingdom with all your hearts. 

Find YOUR Diaconal Coach

Diaconal Ministries Canada has approximately 1 Diaconal Coach per Classis across Canada. Through their experience in diaconal work and their love for God and His people, they are making a difference in countless ways as they encourage and equip deacons and churches. Find out more HERE.