Churches returning to Buildings - best practices

---

Who to call?

Rev. Steven Miller is our Classis Minister

(908) 705-0145 (cell)

---

---

Update Classis Directory

Go HERE to update

required info for Classis

(delegates, addresses, etc.)

---

Background Screening

The Classis requires a background screening of our ministers, students, and officers prior to the commencement of their service or employment.

Go here to find out more or to initiate your screening.

---

Specialized Ministers (Annual update)

Specialized Ministers, please fill out the form below and return to the Pastoral Care Committee annually by March 1st describing your current ministry position.  Download Fillable Form

---

Classis Congregation Prayer Schedules
To help us hold each other in prayer throughout the year, we have a schedule for every congregation to pray for every other congregation as the year progresses. Find out more...

---

Delegates to Synods

Info and rosters for delegates to the General Synod and the Regional Synod of the Mid-Atlantics.

We believe….that God has revealed himself as the one who wishes to bring about justice and true peace among people...that the church must therefore stand by people in any form of suffering and need, which implies, among other things, that the church must witness against and strive against any form of injustice, so that justice may roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream...that the church as the possession of God must stand where the Lord stands, namely against injustice and with the wronged that in following Christ the church must witness against all the powerful and privileged who selfishly seek their own interests and thus control and harm others.    (from The Belhar Confession)

To bear witness to the gospel of Christ is why we exist as a church. We have been reminded over these last months that the church is not a building but rather the people of God set apart by the Holy Spirit through our Lord Jesus Christ. As our country is embroiled in a fight for its very soul, we are reminded that our mission will not be found in the buildings to which we are returning.  Our Reformed tradition has had to reckon with its own complicity in supporting racial injustice in South Africa, so I believe we are doubly obligated to work for racial justice in our own country and time.  Below are some online resources and we encourage you to share these with your congregations.

In Christ,

Rev. Bill Borror

President of Classis

From the Reformed Church in America...

https://www.rca.org/responding-to-racism-and-listening-to-the-african-american-and-black-community/  

Anti-racism Resources for White People...

http://bit.ly/ANTIRACISMRESOURCES

More Anti-racism Resources...

https://nationalcouncilofchurches.us/resources/

From the Christian Reformed Church...

https://www.crcna.org/race/resources

You are invited to help our classis and churches improve the ability of our organizations to listen to people from different generations, races, nations, and cultures by joining monthly discussions, via phone, or Zoom link. Contact Us to Join in.

Invite friends and neighbors who wish to engage in respectful dialog. Committee members (Fred Mueller, Alex Arthurs, Marisol Ferrer-Malloy, and Liz Estes) will moderate the calls, communicate guidelines and support respectful discussion.

Except for the first meeting on July 12, we ask participants to prepare in advance by reading, watching or listening ON THEIR OWN to the resource we will discuss online.

JULY 12 at 7 p.m., Listen together via Zoom to Episode 3 of the podcast “1619” which tells the story of the roots of American music in African American heritage and then discuss what we heard. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/06/podcasts/1619-black-american-music-appropriation.html.

AUGUST 2 at 7 p.m., Please watch in advance the movie, Just Mercy, now streaming free on Netflix. If the movie is not available to you, you can watch the 60-Minutes segment about the same case: https://youtu.be/1VFtzfnbmvs.

AUGUST 23 at 7 p.m., Please read in advance Erin Blakemore’s article, “How the GI Bill's Promise Was Denied to a Million Black WWII Veterans”

How to Serve on General Synod Commissions, Agencies, and Boards

All confessing members of the RCA are eligible to serve on the General Synod's commissions, boards and agencies. 

See brief descriptions here.

Members who wish to be considered for service may complete a profile form and submit it to the Commission on Nominations. www.rca.org/profile