AGENDA Classis Central California’s 132nd Session October 6, 2015 - 9:00 AM Escalon CRC, 2203 California St., Escalon, CA 95320 (209)838-7223 NOTES: 1. The agenda and reports are below. They can also be viewed and downloaded at our website (www.classiscentralca.org). Please print and bring your own copy to the meeting. 2. The Classical Credential is on Pages 4-5 of this document. Please have it filled out by your council prior to the meeting. This is the first meeting with minister, elder and deacon delegates. 3. Credentials of Ministry Associates should be included with their calling church’s credentials. 4. Coffee is served at 8:30 AM. Classis convenes at 9:00 AM. 5. Pick up your name tag upon arrival at the meeting. 6. New to attending a classis meeting? See our Quick Guide for Delegates to Classis and our Short Guide to Effective Classical Discussions on Pages 20-21. 7. Reports and updated versions of previously submitted reports not received by the Stated Clerk via email by September 5 are the responsibility of the reporters. Bring copies for distribution to the delegates. 8. Today’s meet communication site has been established for the meeting, the link is https://todaysmeet.com/CCC. 9. Today’s session will be recorded by the Stated Clerk in order to insure accuracy in our meeting’s minutes. No Executive Session will be recorded. Questions? Contact the State Clerk, Larry Fryling, at [email protected]

OPENING 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Devotions Rev. Paul Vander Klay, CMB Chairman, calls the assembly to order Presentation of Classical Credentials Rev. Zeke Nelson, President of the day, takes over. Classis is declared constituted. First-time delegates sign the Covenant for Officebearers Welcome to delegates, guests and new ministers Schedule of the day, appointment of committees a. Credentials and Article 41 items b. Minutes of the Mach 3, 2015 Classis meeting have been reviewed and approved by the Classical Ministry Board (CMB). c. Advisory committees on Overtures, etc., if necessary

DOCTRINAL CONVERSATION (COLLOQUIM DOCTUM) FOR KING FAI CHOI (Golden Gate, San Francisco ), JOHN KIM (Lord’s Grace, Tracy), AND KYUNG LOK JANG (Church Of God’s Love, San Jose); Church Order, Article 8 Pastors that have been ordained in another denomination can become ordained in the CRC by working with the CRC’s Candidacy Committee and sustaining an examination called a “Colloquim Doctum.”

1. The Candidacy Committee of the CRC has approved Classis to proceed with a Colloquim Doctum. 2. Introduction of the candidates: Ken Boonstra and Peter Oh 3. Examination in: Soundness of Doctrine, Sanctity of Life & Knowledge of Christian Reformed practice and usage. – Brad Smith 4. Procedure for admitting into the ministry.

THE PROPOSED JOB DESCRIPTION FOR NOEL DE LUNA IN PREPARATION FOR EXAMINATION IN MARCH 2016 TO BECOME A COMMISSIONED PASTOR – River Rock Church, Folsom [See Pages 9-11] REPORTS BY CLASSICAL FUNCTIONARIES 1. Classical Ministry Board, Paul Vander Klay 2. Stated Clerk, Larry M. Fryling 3. Information Office, Fernando del Rosario

[See Pages 6-8] [See page 17] [See Pages 17-18]

REPORTS OF CLASSICAL MINISTRY TEAMS 1. Finance Team: Glenn Gerdes, Treasurer Gordon Begeman, 2016 Budget Proposal [See Page 1216 – team requests included, as previously requested by classis] 2. Established Church Development (ECD)Team – Brad Smith [See Pages 30-33] 3. New Church Development Team (NCD) - Zeke Nelson Church Multiplication Leaders [See Pages 28-29] 4. Micah 6:8 Team – Monika Grasley 5. Classical Ministry Leadership Team (CMLT) – Ken Boonstra RENEWAL OF CLASSICAL LICENSURE TO EXHORT The classis can examine gifted individuals to preach in the churches of classis, granting them a license to preach/exhort. This license is for one year and can be renewed at our fall meeting.

Each of the following has officially requested that their License to Exhort be extended for another year: 1. Mark Hewitt [email protected]; (707) 548-6479 2. Graham Seel [email protected]; (925) 672-0968 3. Mark Hofland [email protected]; (707) 685-3307 OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR AND AFFIRM OUR CHURCHES Note: At the October 2014 meeting of Classis, Classis approved a recommendation by the Hospitality Committee that we would begin a new practice of having the ECD and the NCD each select 2 churches to report to the Classis. These reports would replace the previous practice of hearing only from the NCD churches.

1. Established Churches a. Palo Alto CRC: Matthew Burns b. Christ’s Community Church, Hayward: Larry Fryling 2. New Churches a. Christ Church, Davis: Erik Dirksen b. Los Altos: James Chiang REPORTS OF DENOMINATIONAL FUNCTIONARIES *signifies that no one has requested to address classis 1. Banner Representative* 2. Board of Trustees – CRCNA* 3. Calvin College Board of Trustees* 4. Calvin Theological Seminary Board of Trustees* 5. Christian Reformed Home Missions* 6. Christian Reformed World Missions* 7. Faith Alive* Classis Central California – Agenda – October 6, 2015

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8. Office of Race Relations: Esteban Lugo – He is also interested in meeting during lunch with those who are interested in discussing ministry context as it relates to race relations. 9. Safe Church Ministry* 10. Disability Concerns* 11. World Renew* REPORT FROM DORDT COLLEGE: Brandon Huisman DENOMINATIONAL BOARDS 1. In the Back to God Ministries International Mrs. Alison Libolt Renkema is completing her first three-year term and is eligible for reelection. If no reservations are raised re this nominee, her name will be submitted to Synod 2016 for reappointment. 2. In the Christian Reformed Unified Missions Board Rev. Elmer Tandayu is completing his first three-year term and is eligible for reelection. If no reservations are raised re this nominee, his name will be submitted to Synod 2016 for reappointment. 3. Due to health reasons Rev. Dan Hutt has resigned on September 2, 2015 as a board delegate of World Renew. In an earlier email we requested nominations from our churches and our Micah 6:8 Team. Are there any for us to approve and forward to World Renew? [See Pages 22-27 for job description and nomination form.] OTHER REPORTS - MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS 1. Report of Credentials Committee 2. Report of Regional Pastors a. Bay Area: Larry Fryling b. Central Valley: Vacant c. North Valley: Paul Vander Klay 3. Report of Church Counselor: Almond Valley CRC – Ken Boonstra 4. Report of Delegate to Synod 2015: Paul Vander Klay

[See Pages 19]

CONCLUDING MATTERS 1. Expression of thanks to host church 2. Closing remarks and prayer by President of the day 3. Next meeting of Classis planned for March 1, 2016

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CHRISTIAN

REFORMED

CHURCH

IN

NORTH

AMERICA

CLASSICAL CREDENTIALS For ministers, elders, and deacons

To Classis Central California To convene October 6, 2015 at Escalon, California The council of ________________________________________ Christian Reformed Church of __________________________________________ has appointed __________________________________________, __________________________________________, and __________________________________________ (deacon delegate, cf. Church Order Article 40-a and its Supplement) as delegates to the meeting of the classis referred to above. The alternate delegates are __________________________________________, __________________________________________, and __________________________________________.

We instruct and authorize them to take part in all deliberations and transactions of classis regarding all matters legally coming before the assembly and transacted in agreement with the Word of God according to the conception of it embodied in the doctrinal standards of the Christian Reformed Church, as well as in harmony with our Church Order.

We testify that our council faithfully adheres to the doctrinal standards of the Christian Reformed Church and diligently and effectively attends to ministry within our congregation, community, classis, denomination, and the broader kingdom of God.

Questions Under Church Order Article 41

Church Order Article 41 calls classis to assist its member churches in the following way: In order to assist the churches, the classis shall allocate sufficient time at its meetings to respond to requests for advice or help from the churches, and at a minimum of one meeting annually shall allocate sufficient time to discuss at least one ministry issue that the classis considers to be especially important.

1. In what aspect of your ministry would you like the assistance of classis?

2. What aspect of ministry would you like to discuss at classis?

By order of the council, ______________________________________________________, president _________________________________________________________, clerk __________________________________________________________, date

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Classical Credentials, Page 2 Items of Information and Requests for Advice or Help of Classis

Additional comments:

By order of the council, _____________________________________________, president _____________________________________________, clerk ______________________________________________ date

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Minutes of the Classical Ministry Board (CMB) Tuesday, September 1, 2015 Present: Paul Vander Klay (chair), Larry Fryling (clerk), Ken Boonstra (CMLT), Dave Buurma (ECD), Monika Grasley (Mic 6:8), Zeke Nelson (NCD), Jerry Brouwer (Finance), 1. We went around the circle hearing how each of us is doing. 2. Paul opened with prayer 3. New Church Development (NCD) Report: Zeke reported that the church planters continue to meet monthly, there is the formation of a church planters network, and that members of the team have met with their RCA counterparts and conversations about collaboration are ongoing. The team has put together information about beginning a ministry covering issues about incorporation, bank accounts and so on. Kevin, Marc and Zeke continue to stay in touch with church planters informally or in coaching situations. The team has approved a request from Kyle Brooks for $40,000. The team will discuss the facility needs of the Lord’s Grace CRC in Tracy and its pastor John Kim. There is concern about how our Korean and new church members and churches understand what it means to be CRC and relate to how the CRC operates as churches and as classis. Zeke will convene an ad hoc team to plan some sort of training, meeting and discussion for churches and their leadership to address these issues. 4. Established Church Development (ECD): Church visitation will again begin in the fall. The ongoing discussion is regarding the role of a classical interim specialist with ideas ranging to classical coaches that would work with church planters and new pastors. A full report should be available by the meeting of classis. 5. Classical Ministry Leadership Team (CMLT): In the upcoming classis meeting we’ll have three Article 8 ordination examinations: King Choi, John Kim, Kyung-Lok Jang. At the same meeting classis will be asked, along with the Synodical Deputies, to approve the proposed job description for Noel de Luna of the River Rock Church. The plan is that he will be examined at the classis meeting in March 2016 as a commissioned pastor. Classis is currently supporting five students: Darren Kornelis at Calvin Seminary, Chad Meeuwse, Kyu Hahn at Newbigin, James Bullock at Fuller, and Patrick Anthony (Youth pastor at Escalon) at Calvin EPMC. Tim Keep at Calvin didn't need support this year but may next year. 6. Finance Team Report: We reviewed the finances for the first half of this year. A proposed 2016 budget will be sent to classis. 7. Micah 6:8: The team is currently sending out a regular newsletter to the churches of classis with the goal of teaching and training opportunities given. As members of Evangelical Immigration Reform Table the team is provided training. The 2016 focus will be to send a number of people from classis attending the CCDA (Christian Community Development Association) meeting in LA. 8. Pastors in Transition (PITs)  Frank Guter: Larry has been in contact with Frank. He has accepted the position of chaplain at the Holland Home in Grand Rapids. Hilary is being considered by two churches for a

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worship leader position. By classis’ March meeting the final details of the call and Frank’s ministerial credentials should be resolved. Doug Bouws: Doug is currently in west Michigan and has been interviewed in various churches in the Midwest.

9. Classical Staff Evaluations: Due to the number of part-time staff members of classis the CMB believes it to be their responsibility to insure that there is an evaluation appropriate to the job requirements and compensation. The goal is to provide an evaluation for the following position prior to our March 2016 classis meeting: a. Stated Clerk b. Treasurer c. Communications officer d. Classical Missions Specialist (NCD) e. Classical Transitions Specialist (ECD) To do this we will: a. a. Name a small team to do an annual review and evaluation for each position b. Make an appropriate report to classis annually Evaluation team a. To evaluate the Stated Clerk (Larry): CMB Chair, CMLT Chair and a third member of classis b. To evaluate the Information Officer (Fernando): CMB Chair, Stated Clerk, a third member of classis c. Treasurer: Member of the ECD team, Member of the NCD team, Member of the Finance Team d. Classical Mission Specialist: NCD team should evaluate and report to CMB/Classis e. Classical Transition Specialist: ECD team should evaluate and report to CMB/Classis 10. Larry reported on his work as Stated Clerk. The agenda for the October 1 meeting was reviewed. 11. The minutes of the March 3, 2015 classis meeting were approved. 12. Tim Van Zalen: The motion was made and passed to continue Tim Van Zalen’s eligibility for call until classis’ March 2016 meeting. Background: In October 2012 classis declared Tim to be eligible for call after leaving the Gateway Church in Merced. Under normal circumstances this eligibility would be for two years. However, the two-year anniversary went unnoticed by classis. In speaking with Tim we discovered that one church has his profile and another interviewed him and said there would be a second interview. To give these churches and Tim needed time, the decision was made to wait until the March meeting to address this matter. 13. Our next meeting will be October 27 at 11:00 AM 14. Paul closed with prayer.

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Classis Central California’s Teams Classical Ministry Board Paul Vander Klay (chair) Dave Buurma, Zeke Nelson Monika Grasley Jerry Brouwer Ken Boonstra Larry Fryling: Stated Clerk Established Church Development Team Al Schaap (chair) Brad Smith Bret Lamsma Titus Davis Tom Dykstra Dave Buurma Dave Vander Meulen New Church Development Nick Blystra Joel Renkema Eric Dirksen Kevin Adams Marc Holland Zeke Nelson Micah 6:8 Monika Grasley (chair) Sue Kuipers Dave Lindner Jerry Brouwer Dirk Hoek Finance Ministry Team Glenn Gerdes (chair) Gordon Begeman - classical treasurer Randy Engel – alternate classical treasurer Jerry Brouwer Classical Ministry Leadership Team Ken Boonstra (chair) Sue Kuipers Tom Van Gronigen

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THE PROPOSED JOB DESCRIPTION FOR NOEL DE LUNA IN PREPARATION FOR EXAMINATION IN MARCH 2016 TO BECOME A COMMISSIONED PASTOR Pastor of Youth Spiritual Formation Role & Responsibilities This office of overseer will have an emphasis of youth spiritual formation and will be entrusted to a person with a strong commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ and His Church. This should be evidenced by their character, gifts and work ethic. They should be committed to the Reformed Faith and the Christian Reformed Church. Further they should be knowledgeable and conversant in the Doctrines of Faith in the Reformed Tradition. Specifically the person should be able to articulate these things within River Rock's Vision, Mission, Affirmations and Life Signs of Passion, Connecting and Renewal. Their story should be consistent with a strong and passionate commitment to the faith formation of youth and to the vitality and health of the Church of Jesus Christ. Paul's description of the office of the overseer aptly applies here: 1 Timothy 3:1–7 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. River Rock's vision is to see many people becoming fully alive in vital union with Jesus. She accomplishes this through her mission of making more and better disciples of Jesus, who are in missional community for the renewal of the world. The pastor of youth spiritual formation will assist in this by attending to the following roles and responsibilities with joy and delight in dependence on the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. A. Roles & Responsibilities 1. Promote and nurture and defend a God-centered, Bible-based, gospel focused, and doctrinally sound ministry for the youth that is both inwardly and outwardly directed a. Youth Faith Formation & Training - R5/SIPS (Spiritual Fitness) b. Emphasize the Biblical Story (Biblical theology) c. Emphasize foundational doctrines (Systematic theology) Classis Central California – Agenda – October 6, 2015

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d. Teach moral instruction (Ethical theology) e. Apologetics - defending the veracity of the historic Christian faith f.

Age appropriate, engaging, depth, practical

g. Engage with Powerhouse and Providence World Ministries in age appropriate ways - encourage youth and family to serve with these two ministries or with others aligned with their passions and experience h. Be first point of contact for all youth issues that require pastoral intervention. 2. Encourage and equip parents, as the primary faith formers of their children in skillfully bringing and applying God’s word in their family life a. Coming alongside parents in the faith formation of their children by developing relationships, teaching, training and being an example b. Gospel-centered parenting classes c. Working with the lead pastor on a “unified faith formation philosophy of ministry” for our youth, the focus of which will be making more and better disciples of Jesus, in missional community for the renewal of the world d. Promote and nurture the Life Signs of Passion, Connecting and Renewal in youth g. Regular prayer time for River Rock families, especially the youth 3. Develop and nurture the leadership of youth from nursery to High School a. Identify, invite and train leaders of youth so that the ministries are not just managed but led toward River Rock's vision and goals b. Oversee, nurture and support leaders c. Oversee the implementation of and adherence to the Child Abuse Policy adopted by the elders in 2010 d. Help facilitate utilization of River Rock's website and software capabilities 4. Lead in the acceptance and inclusion of youth in corporate worship Classis Central California – Agenda – October 6, 2015

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a. Reinforce the biblical view of the church to parents and children b. Help parents train children to listen to a sermon for formation and not just information c. Teach the significance of the sacraments (baptism, communion) d. Work with ministry leaders and lead pastor to identify opportunities to serve in Sunday school and/or in the service 5. Work with, encourage, and protect the lead pastor as he will also the pastor for youth spiritual formation. a. Regularly meet with the lead pastor to review the Sunday service, plan for future services, discuss pastoral concerns, and spend time in prayer. b. Assist the lead pastor in the creation and management of the preaching calendar c. Preach and lead in the sacraments roughly 1x a month or as needed B. Supervision and Accountability 1. Meet at least once a week with the lead pastor for ministerial and personal accountability. The weekly agenda will vary but generally covers: a. b. c. d. e. f.

Ministerial report on the youth group meetings Ministry direction alignment Review youth ministry future events Review youth ministry curriculum Discuss pastoral concerns related to youth Personal accountability –share personal issues that will impact ability to carry out ministerial responsibilities, get encouragement, and support g. Prayer time with the lead pastor 2. Leadership accountability a. The pastor for youth spiritual formation is also an elder of River Rock and attends the monthly leadership meeting. b. Update the leadership team every quarter on the youth ministry accomplishments, concerns, and direction c. Job review and feedback from the leadership team every six months.

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New Church Development (NCD) Budget Request

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REPORT OF THE STATED CLERK: Larry M. Fryling In the last six months I’ve begun to get a feel for this new role that I’ve taken on. In many ways it is the position in classis that continues to function daily in between meetings of classis and the Classical Ministry Board. My goal was to be faithful in communicating the work of the classis with you. When we hear nothing, it is as if classis ceased to exist and the distance between our churches becomes greater. While you may not have read every email or every report, they were there letting you know that we here and working together. Here are some of the things I’ve done:  Answered many questions about the Church Order, passed on needed forms and answered questions.  Updated the denominational records regarding ministers and their status  Initiated communication with Tim Van Zalen, Golden Gate CRC regarding Randall Young’s status, and Frank Guter.  Put together a list of who is on what classis team.  Wrote a letter to the churches in South Korea on behalf of Boosik Kong telling of his work in our classis and his honorable release from the CRC.  At the request of the Almond Valley CRC I put together a schedule for pastors in our classis to preach in their church. In doing so, I did not receive a single complaint. Thank you.  Attended the CMB meetings and passed the minutes on to you.  Organized today’s agenda with its many moving parts and details and to get it to the churches so it can be discussed at their September council meetings. This has been my greatest challenge. If I do it right, it saves all of us time and stress. If I make a mistake, remember we are people of grace, lots of grace. Larry M. Fryling

REPORT FROM CLASSIS INFORMATION ADMINISTRATOR: Fernando del Rosario   

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I have received a few inquiries/announcements from within our classis and from CRCNA. Promptly forwarded them to the appropriate classis teams. Been coordinating with our Stated Clerk in sending out eFriday messages to classis. Classis' Google Nonprofit (enterprise) account has been created. Subscription is free. This is a resource that any classical ministry team or church can use. Let me know if you have a need for it. For now, I'm the account administrator. But this role can be easily transferred to whoever would take my position later. Website design/structure is all set for updating with information from classis and churches' ministries. To do this, send all kinds of information (e.g., reports, event announcements, ministry stories, ministry tips/tools/resources as well as photos/videos for sharing to classis and the rest of the world to Fernando. Our website hosting service is through Wix.com. For our first year subscription on the Premium package, we paid a 50% discounted fee at $74.50. This will be renewed on Feb 2016. Our domain (classiscentralca.org) is registered for 3 years also through

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Wix.com at $55.60. Will renew Feb 2018. I purchased an app (called Compare Ninja) for our site's spreadsheet table at $2.99 per month. The webpage with a functional table for Classis meeting reports for the period 20102019 is complete. If you need to look at reports from 1962-2009, those will be next in line. One project that needs to be completed before year end: update and post on the website all churches' key contact info. I will use both the current Yearbook and our classis page on the CRCNA website and ask each church if there are recent changes.

Finally,  Attn. Classis Ministry Teams - Send to me your updated ministry purpose, vision, goal/s, plans and activities. What’s on the website now is simply what is stated on our Rules of Classis dating back to 2011. Also, send me preferred email address for each of your team members.  Attn. Churches - Send to me key church events, ministry stories, and programs/activities you want to share. Important: tell me WHO (with email address please) in your church I can contact to follow up on info you want shared on the classis website.  Send info to - [email protected]

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REPORT FROM DELEGATES TO SYNOD: Paul Vander Klay Classis Central California sent four delegates to Synod: myself, Bruce Persenaire, Maurice Roos and Warren Wissink. Bruce did us the favor of relieving table crowding by getting himself elected as President of Synod. It took him about a day help Synod find its pace but after that he led the proceedings very well. His concluding remarks to Synod were a highlight entitled “Confessions of a Synod Loudmouth”. You can watch his speech on YouTube, it’s well worth watching. (https://youtu.be/2p_tPfubXqM?t=2h14m31s) He did your classis proud. The denomination has dutifully provided a short summary of the Acts of Synod 2015 which you can read here. http://www.crcna.org/sites/default/files/summary_of_synod_2015_to_churches.pdf. I won’t duplicate their efforts but rather mention a few of the more consequential decisions. Deacons at Broader Assemblies Synod ratified a decision it made two years ago to seat deacons as regular delegates to the broader assemblies of Classis and Synod. Synod mandated that churches now send one pastor, one elder and one deacon to Classis and that each Classis send 4 office bearers, including one pastor, elder and deacon to Synod 2016. While Synod didn’t enlarge its own assembly it enlarged each classis by one third. Some classes have been practicing this for a number of years now while others, like ours, will have to grapple with the implications of this change. The End of Agency Boards and the Beginning of the Council of Delegates: Synod has been wrestling with governance of its agencies for over 30 years. It approved a three year transition from its current model of a “Board of Trustees” alongside agency boards (Home Missions, World Missions, Back to God Ministries) to a unified “Council of Delegates” which will be composed of a delegate from each classis plus some at large delegates who bring specific expertise. The hope is that this will increase classical ownership of denominational agencies, something that was lost in the change to the previous structure. The current Executive Director will have three years to work this transition. The Union of Home Missions and World Missions: Synod allowed Home Missions and World Missions to become one global mission agency. In some ways this one new agency will be three: the parts that work in North America, the parts that overseas, and the areas of collaboration. It is hard to know exactly how this will shake out when combined with the “Council of Delegates” change. On the whole the Synod experience for your delegates was very positive and we were honored to represent our classis. Paul Vander Klay

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Being a World Renew Board Delegate World Renew is a ministry that is possible only because constituents in North America join with staff of World Renew and partner agencies as well as with members of disadvantaged communities. Together, we mutually learn and grow and share gifts of time, talent and treasure for the purpose of making God’s Kingdom more real in the lives of all. The classical delegate is integral in that purpose.

General Summary of Responsibilities: 1. The primary role of the Board of Delegates, whether classical delegates or Members At Large, is “constituency engagement”. This includes advocating for World Renew and its ministries at the local, regional and national levels; channeling constituent feedback, interests and concerns to the Board of Directors; and facilitating education of constituents. The primary sphere of interaction is at the classical level. That’s the big picture. 2. Pray for World Renew, its work and its staff. 3. Attend the World Renew Annual General Board of Delegates Meeting held in May. Members of the World Renew Board of Directors, the governing board of the organization, are elected by the Board of Delegates. 4. Help recruit an “Ambassador”, for every congregation in your classis. Work regularly with these Ambassadors. They can be your hands and feet in the churches in your classis. 5. Report progress regularly, using the INTERACTION FORM. (www.worldrenew.net/reportingform). All of this should take at most 10 hours per month. (The prayer is ongoing!)

Timeline: Here are some thoughts on a specific timeline that may be helpful to you in your work as a delegate:

Ongoing 

Strengthen the Ambassador network in your classis: o Find out who the Ambassadors are in each church in your classis, AND/OR: o Recruit an Ambassador for every Christian Reformed Church (CRC) in your classis. You may wish to recruit in this way:  Contact the pastor or the chair of deacons (or some other wellconnected person) of the church, and ask for a couple of names of people who would be suitable for such a task.  Approach them to be an Ambassador. Have at the ready, the “Become an Ambassador” document (Please contact the World Renew office if you need a copy).

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o Once that person has agreed to become an Ambassador, make sure the World Renew office has their name and contact information. o Communicate regularly with Ambassadors to promote World Renew at the congregational level (for example: send a monthly email asking them how it’s going and/or meet with each Ambassador twice a year). o Organize an annual gathering of Ambassadors in your classis for mutual learning and encouragement (consider inviting office staff). Learn more about the foundations, theology and ideas that underlie World Renew. One very good way to do that is to read Corbett and Fikkert (2014), When Helping Hurts, expanded version, Moody Publishers, Chicago and take part in an online discussion of the book within your first year of being a delegate. Also: go to www.chalmers.org. Attend and report at Classis meetings. These meetings usually happen in the fall and in the spring, and sometimes in January. It is important that you contact the Classical Stated clerk to ensure that you get on the agenda. If you need to know who that person is or when the dates are, please check the CRCNA website (www.crcna.org/classisresources). Go to “List of Stated Clerks” (top right). In the body of the text, find the link “see them all and link to their websites”, which will allow you to connect with your classis’ website. Alternatively, you are welcome to contact the World Renew office, and we’ll send that information to you. World Renew staff will also ensure that you receive “talking points” or a report so that you can make an appropriate and important report at all of those meetings. If you do not feel comfortable making the presentation, or if you do not have the information that you need, please contact us. (If you are unable to attend the Classis meeting, please let Wendy Hammond know.) The Classical Presentation: o The Classis attendees will have received a written report from World Renew (by way of the Quarterly Report), but since it was submitted up to three months prior it is often out of date and doesn’t include what people are most interested in; which is, namely, what disasters is World Renew is working on. We will ensure that you have received a more recent report directly from this office as well. Sometimes you might get enough time to show a DVD, but usually you get five minutes in between Calvin Seminary and World Missions, just before lunch when people just want to eat. So, you need to keep your message short and try to pique people’s interest so you can meet with them longer over lunch. Sample outline:  Hello, I’m ____________ with World Renew. First of all, I want to thank you for your support. As you probably know, World Renew does not receive ministry shares and relies on the offerings from churches and individuals in order to carry out ministry.  You may have heard about (HIV/latest disaster/etc.) in the news; World Renew is responding by _____. You’ll be receiving information at your church soon, or you can visit the website at worldrenew.net for updates. (You could also promote an upcoming offering here).

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In conclusion, I would like to encourage you to participate in (insert upcoming offering here). I’ll be happy to talk to you over lunch if you’d like to learn more. o Over lunch or during breaks, you’ll want to listen for people who are interested in World Renew or who might be convinced to be interested in World Renew. Some ice breaker questions I’ve found helpful:  Have any of you ever been on a work team with World Renew or DRS?  What mission efforts seem to get the most reception in your churches?  In what ways does your church support World Renew?  What challenges are facing your church? Meet with diaconates and attend Diaconal Conferences as needed to communicate the programs and goals of World Renew; encourage them to take at least four offerings per year for World Renew (as per Synodical recommendation), reminding them that World Renew does not receive ministry share support. In collaboration with the Ambassador, make contact with each of the churches in the classis, preferably by a visit. In collaboration with the Ambassador, communicate with churches, pastors and diaconates; assist them in using World Renew materials effectively. Read all materials sent from World Renew offices and use the information to help promote World Renew’s mission. Understand the ministry goals, policies and programs of World Renew. Regularly pray for the ministry and staff of World Renew. Prepare for and attend all the Board of Delegate meetings (once per year), and the workshops that may accompany them. If you need any information or documents, please contact the World Renew staff.

Seasonal – How this Plays Out Through the Year Summer:



Time to read, reflect, and ramp up for the fall.

Fall:

  

This is a busy time for World Renew. There will be a classis meeting in September or October. Synod has designated the following dates as World Renew offering dates in the fall. It would be great if you are able to encourage the deacons to designate these Sundays for offerings, at the very minimum. World Hunger Sunday is a perfect opportunity to ask to speak to the congregation, or to show a video during the offering. o Canadian Thanksgiving (October) o World Hunger Sunday (first Sunday of November) o American Thanksgiving (November) o Christmas Day

Winter:

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

There may be a classis meeting in January.

Spring:

 

There will be a classis meeting (March or May) to which you can invite yourself, and share some good stories and/or videos about World Renew. The office will have sent materials to you. Synod has designated these dates as World Renew offering dates in the spring: o Canada: CFGB Sunday; US: DRS Sunday (March) • Canada: Refugee Sunday (April) • Embrace AIDS Sunday (May); this may change to another health-related issue.

Once in a Great While      

Present World Renew to church groups or Christian schools in the Classis; facilitate presentations by field staff on home service. (You may wish to) Serve on the local Diaconal Conference board. Act as a sounding board for local Diaconal Conference staff. Encourage World Renew staff through periodic communication. Call on donors, in cooperation with the Constituency Relations (CORE) Team. It would be wonderful if you would be able to make at least one field visit to view any one of the dozens of World Renew ministries in action. The objective of such a visit is that you would acquire a deeper understanding of how World Renew works collaboratively with communities and partner organizations to bring disaster response and long-lasting solutions to situations of poverty and injustice. That can result in increasing your passion to advocate for the poor.

How will the World Renew Office Support You?     

Through regular email contact, especially before the classis meetings, Through print materials: Through the Dust (semi-annually) Numerous resources available on the World Renew website. Check this out for PowerPoint presentations, videos, etc. Occasional webinar offerings by a World Renew staff person. We are also available by phone or email to answer any questions you might have.

United States Wendy Hammond Church Relations Manager – 1-800-552-7972 ext. 5892 or [email protected] Renate Smits Administrative Associate – 1-800-552-7972 ext. 4309 or [email protected] Rose Koopman Church Relations Associate – 586-859-8466 or [email protected] (January 16, 2015)

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Information Sheet for Classis Nominee World Renew Board of Delegates Dear friend: Your name is being submitted for consideration by your Classis and World Renew-U.S. for the position of World Renew Board Delegate. Because synod requested that the agencies of the CRCNA be intentional in representing the diversity** of the denomination on their boards, we ask that you provide (all) the information requested below. ( ** Please note that World Renew understands diversity in terms of gender, ethnicity, age, context, experience, life skills and anything else that gives individuals unique perspectives or gifts.) Thank you! Please complete and return this form to Bonnie Talsma VanderMeiden at [email protected]

(Please type or print)

1) Full Name: ______________________________________________________________________________ e.g., Mr., Ms., Rev.) (First) (M.I.) (Last)

(Title:

If married, name of spouse: __________________ Address: ______________________________________________________________________________________ (Street) _______________________________________________________________________________ _______ (City) (State/Province) (Zip/Postal Code) Phone/Home: (______)________________ Cell: (______)________________

2) Gender:

Work: (______)____________________ Email (required): ____________________

Birth date (MM/DD/YYYY): ________________

3) Ethnicity: Caucasian/White

4) Local Church Membership: ________________________ CRC in __________________________________________

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5) What is your current or former occupation?

6) What are your areas of interest, gifts, and skills and what do you hope to bring to the World Renew Board as a classis delegate?

7) Please list all previous World Renew (CRWRC) experiences:

8) Please list your church and other ministry experiences:

9) Please share why you want to serve on the board of World Renew:

For the Classis Nominee sheet in a Word document, email [email protected]

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Church Multiplication Leaders Team Report: Classis, October 2015 Friends, three of us including myself, Zeke Nelson and Marc Holland share the “Church Multiplication Leader” role in Classis Central California. Below you will find a report with highlights from each of us. Our work is a combination of joint efforts, for example, we’ve begun regular meetings of all the Central California church planters in classis (see below) and also specific work, for instance I work directly with Home Missions personnel, Zeke works with both local Hispanic leaders and what we’re calling “Franciscan leaders” who work in areas of high economic challenge, and Marc works to build coaching and fund raising systems. In addition each of us have a “case load” and work directly with specific planters. Marc works in the Northern parts of Classis, Zeke in south and central parts. Kevin Adams: Team Leader A key part of our team’s work has been to established and host a bi-monthly church planter (and future church planter) event. Besides meeting together for support and prayer and hearing from veteran planters, we explore key areas that enable planters and churches to flourish: evangelism, and networking, logistics/administration, our most recent event was on discipleship. In November we hosted a church planter/spouse event with veteran church planters David and Jayne George to provide practical and helpful ways to help our marriages flourish in ministry. These meetings are also a kind of “on ramp” to church planting ministry. Participants have included potential church planters exploring associating with the CRC and local seminary students and graduates exploring church planting. In connection with these meetings we have developed a corporate “rule of life” to enable church planters and church plants to flourish spiritually and emotionally. At each regular bi-monthly meeting we, as Marc says, “review/check-in around this “Rule of Life”— through which we covenant with each other certain life-giving gospel habits that keep us connected to The Vine while we engaging in NCD work.” Part of my specific role is to work with National, Regional and Partners like the other CML leaders from the West Coast Classes. As such I’ve attended on behalf of classis “Together LA” where we met with RCA area church planting leaders, and Charles Kim, the new Korean ministries leader of the CRC. Recently we met with Amy Schenkel and Adrian Van Giessen who are re-designing CRC church planting structures on behalf of Home Missions, which we hope will provide positive and concrete help for church planters around the continent (including California!). Later this month the team will meet with denominational leaders who are looking at our West Coast structure as a model for other regions and classes. In addition, I have oneon-one conversations with people like Amy Schenkel, the new HM director of church planting, to enhance assessment centers and support for new church planters and established churches looking to revision too (at the end of this joint report see some practical help Amy offered to a local pastor looking to help lead an established congregation looking for renewal. Classis Central California – Agenda – October 6, 2015

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Marc Holland: Event organizing: I’ve been able to provide key leadership and logistical support in organizing the church/planter spouse weekend, as well as other bi-monthly events Regional Shepherding: includes touching base with my regional planters and planters-tobe to keep an on-going sense of their “vitals” and their needs. Coaching: I coach church planters and potential planters in our network and have completed a first round of training from Developing Coaching Excellence in partnership with the RCA and Gary Reineke. Supporting Church Plant Spouses: I led the design for a new fund for planter spouses. We launched the new fund two months ago, ensuring that attention that the NCD not just to caring for our church planters, but their spouses also. Tami Resch, the director of the PCA’s ministry to church planter’s spouses, called Parekaleo, puts it this way: “the church planting couple expend a great deal of energy pouring into the lives of their leaders and the congregation. It’s a time of great giving out and little putting in or restoring.” We see this fund as a wise way to shepherd the journeys of planter couples, encouraging life-giving practices that promote spiritual growth, maturity, and longevity in ministry. We have already had spouses apply to the NCD team for this assistance in order to help cover the cost of seeing a spiritual director (in one case) and a counselor (in another). Zeke Nelson Developing relationally driven systems to support church planters and spouses. I drafted “rule of life” document. (I would be happy to share this with anyone interested). Developed a document outlining the initial organizational steps for new churches (incorporation, 501c3 status, bank accounts, etc), which has been in demand among new and potential church planters. (Again, let me know if you would like a copy). Convened a team to help incorporate and support emerging Korean churches that have recently joined Classis Central CA. And met with RCA counterparts to discuss areas to collaborate. Encourage, assess, and coach church planters in the San Joaquin Valley (Stockton to Bakersfield) and, for the time being, part of the Bay Area that includes monthly coaching for church planters and resource, parent churches, and host churches. Catalyze Hispanic church planting: Meet regularly with the RCA’s Reformed Hispanic Church Planting Movement team, discussing issues related to Hispanic church plants. Team Notes: Thanks for your prayers and interest in starting and strengthening new churches. Each of us would welcome a chance to talk more with you about any of this. ECD info: Ridder- this has taken hold in TX and Ontario (and some of Western Canada) this has been a big renewal initiative. CTS Renewal Lab. Healthy Church/Congregational Coaching- Stan Koster has done congregational coaching. It RCA- Fresh Start- the RCA has Fresh Start material, which gives churches that are dying 7 options (ways to restart, rebirth, close well, etc.) to choose. Classis Central California – Agenda – October 6, 2015

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ECD Coaching Grant Proposal Brief History: In 2009, our former Classical Interim Pastor (CIP), Al Helder, accepted a call from Modesto CRC to be their Senior Pastor, thus vacating the position. Al’s decision to move on from the position that he had served in, with such excellence, created a void in our Classis that has been hard to fill. Since that time, numerous conversations have been discussed concerning a Classical employee that would do similar work. Many of those conversations have revolved around how we would pay for such a position and how we could re-imagine such a position so as to offer greater support to our Classis, beyond interim work. Some of these conversations lead to the development of sub-committees and even proposals on the floor of Classis. However, often because of concerns over funding or lack of clarity in a job description, none of those proposals have been approved. At the March 2015 meeting of Classis, the Established Church Development Team (ECD) once again asked for the support of Classis to continue exploring the hire of a “Classical Transition Specialist.” A proposal with various suggestions as to the type of work we would expect from such a position, was brought to the floor of Classis and discussed. At the meeting a motion “to approve the concept of the Classical Transition Specialist and to ask ECDT to move forward in developing a job description, budget, etc.” was approved. The following is the result of our attempt to fulfill that mandate. The Committee’s Work: The Committee discussed the needs of our Classis and the responses and suggestions that we have heard from its members at the March 2015 meeting and prior. We reflected upon some of the concerns that we heard.  Many have worried about being able to financially support another employee, especially during times when there were no vacancies to Classis Central California – Agenda – October 6, 2015

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be filled in our Classis (something that had been an issue for the CIP from time to time).  Many spoke of a great appreciation for the “additional” work our CIP had done (especially under Al Helder) in the areas of mentoring, coaching and broader Classical support. We heard a desire for a new position to be much more than just an Interim Pastor, but one who would be available for coaching pastors, coordinating church visitors, training teams, aiding our ethnic churches and working with churches through all kinds of transitions. This second point was especially discussed by the committee. We certainly heard a strong call for someone that would be available to the established church pastors as a mentor and a resource. In reviewing these conversations and reflecting on the input we have heard, many concerns began to surface:  Could we develop a strategy to guarantee the financial viability of this position?  As broad as our job description was becoming, was it conceivable to find one person that would be able to handle all of these responsibilities with competence and skill?  As diverse as our Classis has become, was it conceivable that we would be able to find an adequate fit for all vacancies and all coaching scenarios in one person?  If we were looking for someone to coach, mentor and support our pastors, how many pastors and churches could one person be reasonably expected to coach and mentor, knowing the kind of attention each relationship would require? In addition to these concerns, we also noted some changes that have taken place since the last time we hired a CIP:  The denomination has increased its work in providing Certified Interim Specialists that are available. A vacant church in our Classis might prefer to choose one of the many Specialists that are now an option, rather than have one pre-selected by the Classis.  Regionally, there are many trained and skilled coaches. Again, allowing for pastors to select a coach or mentor of their own choosing could be a preferable option. Classis Central California – Agenda – October 6, 2015

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Our Recommendation: Through the course of our discussion of the above material, we began to shift course and came up with a new proposal. Rather than looking for and hiring one individual who would be expected to be competent in such a wide variety of areas as well as within a great diversity of contexts, what if we encouraged churches to make use of the trained specialists within our Denomination and made funds available for pastors to use in order to establish a coaching relationship of their choosing? Admittedly, this solution would not address everything that has been discussed and hoped for. However, we feel like it meets one of the greatest needs we heard expressed: individualized support for the pastor. Too often ministry is a lonely endeavor. The pastor works with other leaders in the congregation throughout the week but often it is the pastor alone who feels the pressure of ministry. That routine and that weekly pressure can lead pastors to focus so much on “today” that they never develop and implement a vision for their ministry. But effective ministry leadership requires not simply working hard, but working with a plan in mind… (Where there is no vision the people parish – Pr. 29:18). With so much to do before Sunday, it can be very easy for pastors to lose sight of their long-term priorities and objectives. But a regular coaching partnership can provide an opportunity for the pastor to: 

reflect on the trajectory of ministry and what God seems to be doing – often 3 party observers have a more accurate assessment of what really is and is not happening. identify specific objectives and strategies for following the movement of the Holy Spirit – God is at work, but where is he going? A coach can help a pastor discern the direction God is taking his ministry. And maintain a source of objective real-world feedback for the daily and weekly implementation of those strategies. rd





In other words, a coaching relationship can better help a leader recognize what God may be doing in and around his ministry and develop his skills to lead his congregation accordingly. And just as importantly, the coach provides an encouragement and accountability partner for the pastor. Classis Central California – Agenda – October 6, 2015

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As a committee, our hope would be to assist at least 10 pastors in our Classis in finding, funding and establishing a relationship with a coach. Toward that goal, we would make available $15,000 in grant money. Assuming a cost of around $130/ month, this would almost fully fund all 10 pastors. Most of those funds would come from a reduction in our Missional Project Fund and Committee expenses, ultimately representing only a $4,000 increase in our committee budget. Rationale:  The thought of being able to find one person who would be able to expertly handle all of the things we were looking for, seemed very daunting, if not impossible.  Churches and Pastors will be able to create relationships of their choosing, rather than feeling compelled to work with one particular individual.  The cost of providing funds for the establishment of coaching relationships would be a significant savings over hiring a full-time employee.  Several pastors have already established these kind of relationships, with encouraging results. The encouragement from the ECD as well as the available funds would increase this number, bringing a benefit to our pastors, our churches and the Classis. Motions: That Classis approve the budget of the ECD as proposed, reflecting the changes that have been mentioned. (This could be handled under the Finance Report). That the ECD be asked to work toward the goal of helping at least 10 pastors establish a coaching relationship over the next year and provide funding for those relationships. That Classis recognizes this work of the ECD as having fulfilled its mandate to address this issue. - Your ECD Team

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