Posts by Marcia Mantel
Walking with Deacons: Rachel Brouwer, DMD
“Meet Brad, Phil, Bob, James and Margriet (at left) – the diaconal team from Fellowship CRC in St. Thomas, ON! This is a team that is passionate about understanding what it means to be a compassionate follower of Jesus to those who need assistance. They also recognize that those who need assistance aren’t always just…
Read MoreTips for Deacons: Starting Well in September
September marks a new season and a new start for your church. Maybe it seems as though your diaconate is starting all over. Maybe you have new deacons and are making new plans together. Wherever you are at, September always brings transition of one kind or another. Here are some suggestions to ease the transition for…
Read MoreSaying “Good-bye”
Hans asks me how I’m doing as he walks in to the office where I am working, casually dressed, with an easy, relaxed smile on his face. This is usually the way Diaconal Ministries Canada (DMC) staff interact with Hans. And on this day, it’s almost like we are about to start talking about what…
Read MoreA Step Towards Reconciliation
“When you hear about all the assimilation policies one after the other, you sit back and think ‘whoa,’” says Shannon Perez. Shannon has experienced and led the Blanket Exercise, an interactive workshop developed by KAIROS that walks participants through the history of Canada from the perspective of Indigenous peoples, dozens of times. As a Sayisi…
Read MoreDMC Walks Alongside New Deacons
I have been a first time deacon for just over a year. Having my name drawn was scary but exciting. I did not know what I was in for, yet I was eager to see what God had in store for me. Over the past year I have attended the Day of Encouragement (DOE) in…
Read MoreDiaconal Ministry Coast to Coast
There are around 250 Christian Reformed Churches in Canada -from Houston, BC to Saskatoon, SK., Montreal, QC to Charlottetown, PEI, and everything in between. There are urban churches, suburban churches, rural churches and small town churches. And most of those churches have diaconates. But those diaconates do not look the same. Some have 12 deacons…
Read More3 Ways a Partnership with Operation Manna can help your church in local ministry.
How might a partnership with Operation Manna help your church in local ministry? Do you and your fellow church members have a desire to walk with your neighbours? Did you know that Operation Manna has been helping churches establish important and impactful local ministries for more than 45 years? In 2016 alone, Diaconal Ministries Canada worked with…
Read MoreCaring
Every diaconate wants to demonstrate that they know how to care for those who are going through difficult times. Caring for persons who are traveling through some difficult times is an important part of the deacons’ calling -for those who are within their church family and also those outside of their church community. Every diaconate…
Read More“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.
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