RESOURCES

Classis Interim Committee (CIC)

About: The Classis Interim Committee does all things entrusted to it by Classis, and those things which require the actions of Classis prior to its next meeting. In essence, it functions as the executive committee of Classis. To do its work, it meets immediately prior to each meeting of classis, as well as in August to finalize the budget, along with other meetings as needed.

Contact: Marg Reckman, Chair

Email: pastor@bethehemcrc.ca

Finance Committee

About: This committee is made up of the CIC, two non-ministerial members, and the Classis Treasurer. They receive and submit to Classis all requests for financial support. They may recommend to Classis a report different from the requested amount, provided the rationale is financial and the original request is submitted along with the Finance Committees’ final proposal. They must receive requests for financial support by July 15 (for the Sept meeting of Classis) and December 15 (for the March meeting).

Contact: Kristi Santema

Email: kksantema@gmail.com
Mail: 3698 150th Ave
Princeton, MN 55371

Home Missions Committees

About: In our Classis there is a Home Missions Committee for Canadian region, and another for the United States.

The Committees are mandated by classis to:

  • Keep Classis and the denominational Resonate Global Missions informed concerning possible new fields within the bounds of Classis.

  • Review and process applications for the Classical Church Revitalization Fund and the Classical Church Planting Fund.

  • Furnish advice to Resonate Global Misssions concerning the work of missionaries in the fields of Classis.

  • Cooperate with the denominational Resonate in promoting and opening of new fields and strengthening of existing fields within the bounds of Classis. They shall advise Classis on requests from emerging churches for aid from the Church Loan Fund, Inc. and other denominational sources.

  • Promote and give guidance to the evangelistic activity of the various churches of Classis.

USA Chair: Pastor David Zigterman

Email: davidzigterman029@gmail.com

Canada Chair: Pastor Ben Verkerk

Email: bverkerk@covenantcrc.ca

Classical Ministerial Leadership Team

The Classical Ministerial Leadership Team seeks to identify, encourage and support men and women who feel God’s call to ministry.

Contact: Rev. Dan DeGraaf

Email: degraff.d@gmail.com

Safe Church Team

The Safe Church Team exists to serve consistories of the churches of Classis with education about abuse prevention, assistance in dealing with allegations of abuse within the local church, and support for all those involved. These services will be provided solely upon the request of and for the benefit of the consistory and may be terminated at anytime by either the consistory or the Safe Church Team members assigned to that church. These services are educational and supportive, and carry no authority to act independently of what the consistory asks it to do.

Contact: Chair — currently vacant. Contact CIC chair, Brian Bolkema Email: brianbolkema@gmail.com

Youth Champion

The next generation is not only the future of our church, they are the church. The Christian Reformed Church has always emphasized youth as valued members of our covenant community. To be intentional about youth ministry in our region, the Youth Champion connects and collaborates with the youth groups and youth leaders in our classis. Below is an example of that collaboration - Twin Cities Serve is a mission trip of worship, work, and relationships hosted by Calvary Christian Reformed Church and Faith Christian Reformed Church. In this photo, Pastor Eli is teaching about the Fruit of the Spirit.

Travis Deur - travisd@faithcrcmn.org

Classis Counselors

Counselors are persons assigned by Classis to help churches navigate through the calling process when they are without a pastor. They can also be a resource for other opportunities available, such as use of Specialized Transitional Ministers , who could be helpful for your church. To arrange for a Church Counselor, please contact the Classis Clerk at henry.gunnink@gmail.com. Once your church has a counselor assigned, you will be in contact with that person directly.

Classical Preaching Appointments

If you’re a church without a pastor, let us take care of arranging some of your pulpit supply–about one Sunday per month. Your church’s obligation is simply to cover the pastor’s mileage at the classis-set rate, and give a set honorarium to the church that sent the pastor so they can pass it along to whomever they get to fill the pulpit in their pastor’s absence. (If the preacher is not a pastor at a church, the honorarium goes directly to the person.)

Make note that based on each church’s unique situation, the clerk will not automatically start making Classical Preaching Assignments. It is your church’s responsibility to request and initiate this.

Contact: The Classis Clerk is in charge of arranging this.

People Licensed to Exhort

These are people who are not ordained ministers, but have nonetheless been examined by Classis and are approved & available to preach in your church. You can contact them directly about possible preaching opportunities.

Those licensed are listed here.

CRC Reading Sermons Archive

These are sermons that have been prepared by CRC pastors and are made available for churches to use.

CRC Pastor-Church Relations

This is not specific to our classis, but you should be aware of the Pastor-Church Relations office of our denomination. They provide a lot of helpful resources to churches that are without a pastor.

Their website is: http://www.crcna.org/pcr/churches

Church Visitors

Church visitors are tasked with ensuring that ministry is happening in a healthy way, such that there is mutual accountability and oversight. The guideline for our Classis is that church visitors should come at least once per year. If you have not been contacted by church visitors, you are welcome to reach out to them and invite them to come. Church visitors can be especially helpful when without a pastor or seeking to call another pastor. To see what church visiting is all about , see “Church Visiting.”To find out who the church visitor is for your region, please contact the Classis clerk.

Regional Pastors

These are, in a sense, the pastors of the pastors. They provide support, encouragement, and a level of accountability for the pastors in our classis.

Contact:

Mentoring for New Pastors

The CRC has a mentoring program in place for newly ordained pastors. The mentoring is designed to happen over a 5 year period (but certainly doesn’t have to end after that!). The Regional Pastor facilitates making sure that this mentoring relationship is established.

The booklet “Towards Effective Pastoral Mentoring” can be downloaded directly at this link: DOWNLOAD.

Contact: Your Regional Pastor (see above).

CRC Pastor-Church Relations

While Pastor-Church Relations is not a direct ministry of Classis, it is part of our denomination. There is a wealth of resources available, and the staff are always ready to talk. If there is any difficulty that you are experiencing as a pastor, or if you’d just like to strengthen your ministry, don’t hesitate to access this resource.

Website: http://www.crcna.org/pcr