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“The Open Door Project”: an Operation Manna partner
It’s late on a sunny Thursday afternoon, and I am in a narrow office overlooking Edmonton’s river valley. The office is part of Grierson Institution, a small prison in downtown Edmonton where federal inmates serve time before being released to the community. On this particular afternoon, I am chatting with a man named Kevin. Kevin…
Read MoreOttawa Day of Encouragement
The Ottawa Day of Encouragement will be held on April 2, 2016 at Calvin CRC in Ottawa. The theme of the day is “Reconciliation” and the brochure is available here, with information on workshops and registration.
Read MoreResources for Deacons: “Guidelines for Benevolence”
In the charge to the deacons, it states that “benevolence is a quality of our life in Christ, and not merely a matter of financial assistance.” Benevolence involves a lifestyle of love, respect and compassion. To that end, Diaconal Ministries Canada (DMC) has developed “Guidelines for Benevolence” to help address attitudes and behaviors that deacons…
Read MoreToo Young?
Deacons are normally known to be older and more experienced people in life. You won’t think of, nor even associate a 22 year old journalism student who is still trying to figure out what to do in life with the position of a deacon. I was asked to think about taking the position earlier this…
Read MoreThe Freedom Climb: Getting Uncomfortable for God’s Precious Children
In July 2014 I had the privilege of travelling to Colorado from my home province of Saskatchewan. There I joined about 70 other women, from 6 different countries, for “The Freedom Climb”! We summited 7 mountains, each of them over 14,000 feet elevation, in 4 days. We were dizzy from the altitude, with aching muscles…
Read MoreResponding to God’s Call to “Do Justice”
“I was listening to the Lord and to my heart.” This is how the Safe Room along the Highway of Tears came about. A simple tugging on the heart and, as Bart Plugboer would testify, when you listen, God will use that to do good. Bart Plugboer is the Diaconal Coach (formerly called Diaconal Ministry…
Read MoreReverse Mentoring: A New Learning Curve
“The church needs young blood in its veins. Our strength for holding the faith may lie in experienced saints but our zeal for propagating it must be found in the young.” Charles Spurgeon These words by British preacher Charles Spurgeon were written over 150 years ago but communicate a clear vision for young and old…
Read MoreThe Refugee Crisis and the CRC Response
The following was sent out by the CRCNA Communications: With the refugee crisis on many people’s minds, questions have come in to various agency and ministry staff about what the CRC is doing to help. A number of communication items have recently gone out from our office to address the refugee crisis and how churches…
Read MoreMeet DMC’s new Justice Mobilizer!
I’m Dan Galenkamp, the new Justice Mobilizer for DMC. As a recent graduate of Redeemer University College in Ancaster, Ontario, I’ve been eager on finding work that incorporates my faith and my enthusiasm for helping others. I have a real passion for justice and reconciliation. From the humble beginnings of a high school law class—where…
Read MoreSynod 2015 and diaconal ministry
Dear Deacons: This is a significant year for deacons in the Christian Reformed Church. The 2015 Task Force report approved some important principles for diaconal ministry in the 21st century. The report addressed the role of deacons in congregations and communities as well as the role of elders. And, Synod approved deacon delegation at Classis…
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