Equipping Deacons
Listening to Our Communities
As mentioned in our previous blog post, New Month… Same Theme!, we’ll continue looking at listening this month, and in particular, listening to our COMMUNITIES. But perhaps we need to first name what we envision when we hear those words. What does listening to our community LOOK like? Sitting in the mall food court and…
Read MoreNew Month… Same Theme!
For the month of April, we will be continuing our theme of LISTENING! Last month we looked at some of the benefits of listening, the how-to’s of listening and how deacons can listen better to each other and to their congregants. As leaders in the church, most of what you do is listening and many…
Read MoreThe Art of Listening – Part 1
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. James 1:19 | NIV This month we’ve spent some time on looking at LISTENING. As deacons, I think you’ll agree that most of what you are required to do is LISTEN! You…
Read MoreWalking with the God Who Talks
Photo by Biegun Wschodni on Unsplash In our last blog post, we introduced you to the 3 areas deacons must practice the art of listening as they minister to God’s church and beyond: God, Each Other and Your Communities. This week we want to look first and foremost at listening to GOD. For all…
Read MoreHey Deacons… LISTEN UP!
Deacons serve by leading and equipping the church to minister to its members and the world in a rich diversity of ministries, awakening compassion, demonstrating mercy, seeking justice, and collaborating with God’s Spirit for the transformation of persons and communities. In imitation of Christ’s mercy, deacons teach us to love God, our neighbors, and the…
Read More“Oh When the …DEACONS(?!)… Come Marching In!”
I love marching bands!!! Don’t you?! It’s one of the biggest reasons I attend parades, much to the chagrin of my lovely husband. Sometime I wonder if he had some horrible childhood experience or something because c’mon; who hates parades?! Am I right? It’s like hating fireworks. How is that even possible?! But back to…
Read MoreHelp with Recruitment Strategies is here!
We hope last week’s post on the Top 10 Ways to Recruit New Council Members struck a chord with y’all. We believe many of you will agree with us when we say that this process is a BIG deal and it deserves your utmost attention! Councils need to MAKE a plan and then STICK to…
Read MoreJanuary 2018: Let’s Focus on RECRUITMENT!
It’s a brand new year! A season of fresh starts! A time when we strive to be the best we can be moving forward. Of letting go of our past mistakes and bad experiences and grabbing hold of new and exciting opportunities to learn and grow! Right?! Are ya with me?!! In the world of…
Read MoreClassis Learning Event Proves Worthwhile
On Saturday, November 18th, churches from across Classis Chatham gathered to answer one burning question: Was it time to retire or revitalize their Diaconal Conference. The learning event was titled “The Deacon’s Role: Moving from Standard Version to Revised Standard Version”. A group of about 60 participants gathered at Grace CRC in Chatham to listen,…
Read MoreDoes #GivingTuesday bring #GivingFatigue?!
Truth be told, this article actually began back in late September. While listening to talk radio as I drove into work, the topic of discussion was Disaster Fatigue. The talk show host was asking his listeners if they had ever heard of this and/or if they had ever ‘suffered’ from this. What he was referring to…
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