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ENGAGING WITH YOUR COMMUNITY, Part 1 – Why Bacon & Monorails May Not Be Working
Before any church can truly begin to engage with their surrounding community, it’s important to take time to listen and get to know who they are! While this may sound like a no-brainer, I think if we’re honest we can all tell a story from our own personal lives of a time when we didn’t…
Read MoreLearning to Live Out Reconciliation – A DOE Story
(Pictured above: Mike Hogeterp (left) and Jonathan Maracle exchanging gifts and greetings in the indigenous tradition) Anita Hogeveen was one of the participants of “The Dance of Reconciliation” workshop led by Mike Hogeterp (Director of the Centre for Public Dialogue) and Jonathan Maracle at the Day of Encouragement (DOE) held on April 7, 2018, in Brockville, ON.…
Read MoreEquipping Leaders through Encouragement and Learning
(Pictured above: A panel discussing the day’s theme, left to right: Aaron Helleman, on the future in technology; Jonathan Maracle, on reconciliation between indigenous people and the church; Sid Ypma, on the future of the church.) A Day of Encouragement (DOE) is an event held in many regions across Canada. Participants worship together, share ministry stories…
Read MoreListening 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 MoreOM Partner Highlight – West Yellowhead Pregnancy Care Centre
This story was adapted from Pastor Ken Douma’s presentation at the Day of Encouragement in Edmonton, AB on Saturday, November 4, 2017. Pastor Ken is the lead pastor at Edson Peers CRC*, in Edson, AB. A couple of years ago, Pastor Ken got a phone call from Natalie Walker, Director of the West Yellowhead Pregnancy…
Read MoreLeading with… LOVE
If we’re being honest, sometimes leadership means… doing things you don’t want to do. What do I mean, you ask? Well, think about it this way. As a parent, probably 50% of what I do are things I don’t necessarily WANT to do, but HAVE to do. When we are raising children, they are looking…
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