When a Church Comes Knocking

Diaconal Ministries Canada offers dozens of resources to help deacons live out their mandate and calling. But sometimes we wonder, do deacons and churches in Canada even know what we have to offer them?!

And then along comes a church that asks for it all!

Back in February, Regional Ministry Developer Mark Vanderwees attended the Classis Toronto winter meeting and was on the agenda to give a short presentation. During most classis meetings, Mark will typically try to meet with the deacons over the lunch hour. During the lunch, three deacons from the same CRC church sat in. They began sharing about some of the challenges their diaconate was facing – most of which related to a workshop offered by Diaconal Ministries!

The following morning, Mark sent an email to their Chair of Deacons and shared more about the workshops he could come and lead for their entire team of deacons.

“I had a very pointed response back in 15 minutes!” Mark shared. “They wanted it all!” By noon that day, Mark and the chair had nailed down a 3-month plan. 

They started with a Deacon 101 Workshop in March, which is primarily for new Deacons to learn about their role, yet experienced Deacons can also be reminded and refreshed and share their insights with those who are new. Deacons take time to look more closely at the Charge to the Deacons (ie. the Deacons Mandate) which is read to them when they are installed and then dig into how that is worked out in their church and local community.

This was followed by the “Helping without Harming in Church Benevolence Workshop” in April. Many churches struggle when faced with requests for financial help. Deacons aim to appropriately respond and react so that they are not only meeting the ‘immediate’ need(s). In some cases, short-term relief is the answer; but in other situations, this neglects to address the underlying root causes and could contribute to greater dependency. This workshop helps deacons be better prepared to walk alongside individuals, bringing positive and long-lasting changes to their lives and ultimately contributing to them being restored to all that God intends them as image-bearers. 

In between these two workshops, their deacons also participated in a webinar called “Rewriting the Financial Story”, offered by Diaconal Coach-at-large, Anja Attema. In their benevolence work, deacons can sometimes feel like they’re stuck in a cycle of supplying cash for the latest crisis. To break this cycle, Anja believes it is crucial to move beyond looking at only the immediate situation. Anja offers Financial Life Coaching (FLC) as a resource for deacons to utilize, particularly when one individual or family keeps returning for assistance. FLC opens the door to long-term stability by focusing on a person’s bigger financial picture so that they can break the cycle of poverty and get rid of their debt for good. 

On top of doing this learning, the Deacon Chair was part of a virtual “Deacon Chair Conversation” that dealt with the topic of how to onboard new deacons. (You can read more about it here!)

By May, the deacons were ready to write their own benevolence policy after taking the “Developing Benevolence Guidelines Workshop” with Mark. One deacon shared that this workshop was presented in a simple, yet thought-provoking manner. “This workshop included realistic scenarios and through these scenarios, it gave us specific items to put in our benevolence plan – including those that we had not previously considered. I left feeling confident in our ability to start a clear, documented plan that is consistent and fair, enabling our diaconate to be more efficient and responsible to all involved.”

Another deacon realized that she had a lot to learn as a brand new deacon, particularly about benevolence work. “Benevolence is far more complicated that I had realized. Mark stressed the need for a church to have a well-written, comprehensive Benevolence Policy. With the limited funds available to us, it is very important to disperse them responsibly, with an eye towards where they will do the most good. Having a policy in place will help us to do that!” 

She also learned about the importance of creating relationships with other community organizations and becoming more aware of their services so that the church can better assist people who may need a little extra help. Places like Salvation Army and local food banks and events like local job fairs. 

“Thank you, Diaconal Ministries Canada, for this presentation and the other workshops you did to help our deacons be the hands and feet of Christ and become more effective stewards with what God has given us!”

Mark recalls how rewarding it was to come alongside this “culturally diverse group of eight deacons.” “I look forward to following up with them this fall to see how they are implementing their learnings!

Does your team of deacons need support or training?

This is what we are here for! On top of these tailored workshops, we are here to answer any and all of your questions and help you find solutions to what is challenging your diaconate right now.

Reach out to your local Diaconal Coach or one of our Regional Ministry Developers. Or you can email our office at dmc@crcna.org. We are here to serve!