Are you looking for creative ways to educate your congregation about diaconal ministry—and recruit new deacons at the same time?
Many churches struggle with recruiting office-bearers. Often it’s not because people are unwilling to serve, but because they don’t fully understand what the role involves. If someone’s only experience of deacons is seeing them make offering announcements or pass the collection basket on Sundays, it can be hard to imagine what the broader calling might look like.
Last year, the staff and deacons at ClearView CRC in Oakville, Ontario, tried a creative approach. They hosted a Deacon 101 workshop, one of Diaconal Ministries Canada’s core training resources. The workshop walks through the biblical and practical foundations of diaconal ministry, including the Charge to Deacons that is read during installation, and explores how the role can take shape in a local church and community.
ClearView invited their current deacons to attend—but they also extended the invitation to members of the congregation who wanted to “check out” the ministry before letting their name stand for nomination.
The results were encouraging.
Why a Deacon 101 Workshop?
“Our church had participated in Deacon 101 workshops before,” shared Heather Maat, Community Engagement Specialist at ClearView, “sometimes joining larger regional events and other times hosting one specifically for their team. Because of this, several deacons were already familiar with the format.”
At the same time, Heather shared, the church had begun discussing the need to recruit new office-bearers. During those conversations, a key issue emerged: many people in the congregation didn’t really know what deacons do.
Yes, they had a general sense. They knew deacons were connected to offerings or benevolence. But the fuller picture of diaconal ministry—community engagement, justice work, stewardship, and care for people in their church and local community—was largely unknown.
Hosting a Deacon 101 workshop seemed like a natural solution.
By offering the workshop to the congregation, ClearView hoped to create a space where people could learn about diaconal ministry outside the context of Sunday worship and ask questions in a relaxed, interactive environment.
“We also intentionally invited people to attend the workshop who we thought would make good deacons. We wanted these people to learn about all the ways deacons serve. And it was our hope that if they learned about the deacon’s role before they were asked to be a deacon, they could prayerfully consider with a fuller understanding of the role.”
This approach allowed people to prayerfully consider the calling with a clearer understanding of what it involves.
Learning about the broader scope of the role helped [one participant] begin to prayerfully consider serving as a deacon.
Engaging Current Deacons
For those already serving as deacons, the workshop proved valuable as well.
Each time ClearView’s deacons participate in Deacon 101, they find themselves deeply engaged in the conversation. The interactive format encourages discussion, reflection, and new ideas about how diaconal ministry can take shape in their church.
“Deacons often leave the workshop energized and eager to continue as a deacon,” Heather noted.
It reminds them that their work is part of a larger biblical calling—to lead the church in showing compassion, pursuing justice, and stewarding resources well.
Engaging Potential Deacons
One of the most meaningful outcomes of the workshop was seeing how it shaped the perspective of those who had never considered serving as a deacon before.
After the event, several attendees shared that they could now see themselves in the role.
One participant in particular had previously assumed that being a deacon was mainly about finances. Because she didn’t feel gifted in that area, she had never considered it as a possibility.
But during the workshop she discovered that diaconal ministry also includes community engagement, justice, and caring for people—areas that closely matched her passions and gifts. Learning about the broader scope of the role helped her begin to prayerfully consider serving as a deacon.
A New Approach to Recruitment
The workshop also had a practical impact on ClearView’s recruitment process.
By the time nominations opened, many people in the congregation already had a much clearer understanding of what deacons do. They had heard stories, asked questions, and explored the calling in a supportive environment.
As a result, the church saw an increase in the number of people willing to put their names forward to serve as deacons.
Interestingly, other leaders in the church began asking how the deacons managed to recruit so many new ones. The answer was simple: people knew exactly what they were volunteering for.
Providing education and inspiration before asking for commitment made all the difference.
Making Use of Available Resources
ClearView’s experience also highlights the value of connecting with the resources and support available through Diaconal Ministries Canada.
“Diaconal Ministries has many resources and workshops that can be of great benefit to congregations,” Heather shared. “I would encourage churches not only to use the resources, but also to connect with their diaconal coach. [Ours] has been a great resource and source of wisdom. We are very thankful for the work he does to help churches and deacons thrive.”
A Simple Idea with Big Impact
ClearView’s experience shows that creative recruitment doesn’t always require complicated strategies. Sometimes it simply means creating opportunities for people to learn, ask questions, and imagine themselves serving in new ways.
By hosting a Deacon 101 workshop, the church not only equipped its current deacons but also inspired others in the congregation to step forward and explore the calling.
For churches struggling to recruit office-bearers, this approach may be worth considering.
Sometimes the first step toward saying yes to a calling is simply understanding what that calling truly is.
How Does YOUR Church Tackle Recruitment?
Share your ideas with us! Email dmc@crcna.org.
Or, if you are looking for more help, visit our Leadership Development page for various resources.
