Spiritual Health
The Call to Listen
Throughout Hilke Wierenga’s life of service, the one thing he believed God showed him was the highest calling of a deacon is to listen well.
Read MoreHamilton Church Plant Offers Unique Internship Opportunity
Are you looking to serve and learn alongside lifelong urban ministry leaders working out their faith in urban Hamilton?
New Hope, an emerging Christian Reformed Church in East Hamilton, Ontario, is hosting a unique internship for Classis Hamilton and surrounding churches which will launch this fall.
Overcoming Spiritual Roadblocks; Devotion #11 – Eyes On Jesus
We fix our eyes upon Jesus because he is the author and the finisher of our faith. Jesus is our Redeemer, Saviour and Lord. As our attention is focused upon him, he will give us the guidance and direction we need to run the race well, and he sends the Holy Spirit to empower us to do what he calls us to do.
Read MoreOvercoming Spiritual Roadblocks; Devotion #10 – The Enemy’s Camouflage
The apostle Paul often found himself contending with the enemy throughout his ministry. The devil established strongholds, which are human systems compromised by the enemy. These strongholds attempted to hinder Paul from preaching about Jesus. They blocked Paul’s efforts and even tried to take his life. God empowered Paul to see beyond the physical reality of the human systems to the spiritual forces at work, as it were, behind the scenes.
While Paul was able to discern what was happening, most of the people around him were unaware. The enemy blinded them, so they could not see the truth of what was happening or what the enemy was planning. It was as if the enemy had…
Read MoreOvercoming Spiritual Roadblocks; Devotion #9 – Mindsets, Worldviews & Strongholds
Close your eyes and imagine a piece of pizza with all of the best toppings on it.
So, did you see pineapple on your pizza? For some people, pineapple goes on pizza, and for others it does NOT belong there. People have different mindsets when it comes to pineapple and pizza.
Together, a series of mindsets form a worldview, which influences how we see and react to our surroundings. Most of the time, we are not conscious of the mindsets that make up our worldview. Just as we don’t go through life constantly aware of whether we believe it’s appropriate to have pineapple on pizza – until confronted with the issue.
Overcoming Spiritual Roadblocks – Devotion #8; The Dynamic Duo in Ministry
There is a vital relationship between prayer and action, which is essential for any kind of ministry that advances the Kingdom of God. Prayer needs to be a foundational component of the work that is done, and it needs to be ongoing to sustain the ministry work.
The story of the battle at Rephidim (Exodus 17) is a beautiful illustration of how prayer and action work together to advance God’s kingdom…
Read MoreOvercoming Spiritual Roadblocks; Devotion #7 – Dancing with the Holy Spirit
Ballroom dancing is an excellent picture of how we cooperate with the Holy Spirit to do ministry. The Holy Spirit leads and guides us, and as we cooperate with him, he moves us effectively in ministry. He shows us step-by-step how to fulfill God’s plans and purposes in a given situation. In his sovereignty, God has chosen to partner with us in building his kingdom.
Read MoreApart, Yet A Part of God’s Kingdom Work
One of the key components of a NewGround partnership is how it supports its partners with learning and networking opportunities; the main one being the annual Ministry Networking Day!
For the first time ever, the annual Ministry Networking Day was held entirely virtually. And while participants were apart and were unable to gather in the same room due to provincial restrictions, one theme resounded during the afternoon spent together: while we remain apart, we are still a part of God’s great Kingdom, serving in a variety of spaces and places in His name!
Read MoreArtistic Expressions of Diakonia
The Greek word ‘diakonia’ means service among others. This is where the word Deacon comes from.
One aspect of my identity relates to being a deacon and doing diaconal ministry. It gives me life and is an expression of my faith and worship. For many deacons, that expression is the hands-on work of mercy and service with others in the church or community. It is the practical experience of caring for others, working with others and working towards transformation when tackling issues of injustice.
In the last year, I have done more silent reflection, journaling, writing and especially poetry writing. I would suspect that many of you have been doing things differently too, and finding ways to connect and express Christ in you.
Read MoreOvercoming Spiritual Roadblocks; Devotion #6 – Resistance
Read: Acts 17:1-9 Often when we start a new ministry project, we find that we run into resistance. Sometimes, resistance happens as minor irritations, like communication challenges with people missing emails or text messages. Misunderstandings can occur within the organizing team. Sometimes it seems that there is challenge after challenge which has to be overcome,…
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