Oct 2017 HCTF Report to Classis 163

Church Visiting: The Way Forward for Classis Alberta North

October 26, 2017: from the Healthy Church Task Force, To Churches of Classis A.N.

At its October 2017 meeting, Classis adopted the report and recommendations of the HCTF re thoughts and proposals on church visiting. This writing is about implementing that.

The next 3 paragraphs summarize the discussion on the floor of Classis:

The HCTF, which oversees the ministry of church visiting on behalf of Classis, explained that this important ministry is in decline and that it needs to be revitalized and re-imagined. As Classis, we began to re-imagine church visiting at our March 2017 meeting.

HCTF believes renewal will happen when local church councils own this ministry and visit their neighbouring CRC Council(s) in accordance with Article 42 of the Church Order. The themes that we articulate formally as a Classis are: that Classis is a group of neighbouring churches; that office bearers are equal in dignity and honor; and that together we foster congregational health, healthy pastor- church relationships, and effective ministry. These themes are to shape the way we relate to office bearers of a neighbouring CRC, and/or how we visit with the council of a neighbouring CRC.

Neighbours assist, support, encourage, challenge and pray for each other. As neighbours we do not lord it over each other but are deeply interested in each other’s life and ministry so that we may learn from each other, and also hold each other accountable. We pray for each other’s health and vitality. We assist each other in being faithful, in building up the congregation, in extending God’s kingdom, in being sound in doctrine, and in practicing Reformed church government.

In order to foster church visiting that is owned and practiced by the congregations, Classis adopted three proposals:

That the churches of Classis form either geographically based clusters of 3 – 4 churches, or a sister church relationship, for the purpose of visiting and working together.
That HCTF be prepared to offer workshops to churches that seek help in being good neighbours to other congregations.
That at the meetings of Classis churches report on “visiting” together and discuss trends, best practices and mutual concerns with the support of the HCTF.

HCTF suggests the following geographically based clusters and sister churches:

La Glace and Fairview Faith Fellowship: sister churches
Edson-Peers, Hope Stony Plain, Barrhead, and Neerlandia: cluster
Evergreen Fort McMurray, St. Albert, Ed. Centrepoint and Ed. Bethel: cluster
Ed. Trinity, Ed. First and Ed. Maranatha: cluster
Ed. Covenant, Ed. Inglewood and Ed. West End: cluster
Ed. Fellowship, Ed. The River and Ed. mosaic House: cluster
Ebenezer Leduc, Sonrise Ponoka and Rimbey: cluster
Lacombe Woodynook, Lacombe Bethel and Lacombe Wolf Creek: cluster
Red Deer First, Red Deer New Life, Rocky Mt House First and Rocky Covenant: cluster

More churches may wish to form a sister relationship. If so, kindly inform the coordinator of church visiting in the next couple of months.

We ask each church council to appoint a wise and experienced serving or retired office bearer, who is knowledgeable about Christian Reformed church governance, to be their church visitor. The visitor will be the contact person for the HCTF and together with the other visitors in the cluster assure that church visiting happens in the churches of their cluster.

The following persons serve as church visitors in Classis at this time: Gary Bomhof, Siebe Brouwer, Nick Wolmarans, Art Verboon, Corjan Buma, Wally Mulder, Harry Cook, Trudy Snaterse, John Taekema, Jacob Boer, Ken Douma, and Bert van Niejenhuis. John Pasma and Melle Pool, as members of the HCTF, take on this task as needed. Since these persons have been appointed by Classis, we suggest that their councils appoint them to be their church visitor(s).

Church Visiting can be done in different ways in keeping with the intent of Art. 41 and 42 of the Church Order:

Clusters can choose to visit according to the model that is in place, namely, two visitors visiting a church council. That means that in most situations, no church visitor will make more than two visits per year.
Another way is for the executives of the councils in a cluster to meet and to “church visit” together. At the meeting of Classis, Pastor Pete Vander Beek explained that Edmonton Trinity, Maranatha and First CRC are looking at this.
Church clusters may wish to bring all council members together for an event that is designed for sharing, learning, challenging and praying. Perhaps the visits will lead to joint action in ministry projects since many churches are geographically in close proximity. The new model is designed to bring CRC churches together.
We take time to “church visit” at Classis meetings, for example, by discussing an area of congregational ministry and sharing together our best practices and our challenges, or by discussing a ministry issue seen as vital for the life and ministry of the congregations.

Records of church visits need to be kept, copies are to be sent to the churches in a cluster and to the HCTF, and the visit is to be reported on at Classis.

The HCTF is prepared to offer workshops to churches that seek help in being a good neighbour. At this time the HCTF has persons who are able to help in situations where conflict exists, where mediation is required, where counselling is sought, where organizational development is requested and where group facilitation is asked for. Churches may also seek help from the HCTF in having conversations that are productive and spiritually edifying.

The HCTF has requested Classis to set aside plenty of time at each meeting of Classis to hear and discuss visits, and/or to take time to discuss trends, best ministry practices and mutual concerns, to assure that Classis meetings are occasions for fostering congregational health and for equipping and encouraging church councils to be effective and faithful in ministry.

Melle Pool, Coordinator for Church Visiting on behalf of the HCTF