We are family

The latest news from the Ministerial Formation Certification Agency.

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News Feed - March 2018

We Are Family

It struck me, as I was collecting the announcements for this news feed, that life is a cycle, even for an agency such as ours. From birth to obituary announcements, places of ministry departed and new chapters begun, our candidates continue to serve the denomination as part of that intricate journey on the continuum of the life cycles. In a sense, the MFCA represents a family of sorts with individuals nurtured in our process and sent out to serve and represent the greater family.

Each candidate exhibits a different personality and set of gifts. From a brilliant artist who has left her mark on the walls of a seminary and recently given birth to a son, to a faithful educator who wanted to return to his roots and serve a congregation in Canada only to have his time cut short by a battle with cancer. These are members of the MFCA family and each person leaves their mark on me, as well as impacting the Reformed Church in America (RCA). Each individual has their own unique story to tell and yet is tethered to a network of relationships and deep traditions.

When I started as director of the agency twenty-seven years ago, the General Secretary at the time, Ed Mulder, came to visit me to welcome me personally to the larger family of the RCA. Ed preferred to think of the RCA as a family, and I always appreciated that image of who we are. The letter sent out by the regional synod executives (Council of Synod Executives, COSE) on February 27th feels like a familial communication. It recognizes the tensions in our midst and calls us to reside together in our differences, as family. I wish to take these words by the synod executives seriously. I believe that as Reformed Christians, we can hang together as family, and in doing so, have available to us the intimacy of family times such as a shared meal. The meal I especially want to highlight is the meal to which we are invited by Christ himself; one that we are challenged to prepare for through repentance and one that unites us to each other and to the Triune God.

The richness of our family tradition is found in the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. Todd Billings, in the conclusion of his new book writes:

“We need to return to the source of our life – Jesus Christ, made known to us through Scripture – to faithful proclamation, and to the sign-actions of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. For embodied creatures who often live “in our heads,” assuming that our thinking always drives our action, it can be easy to domesticate the good news of Jesus Christ into a set of propositions to be thought, or simply a set of ethical maxims to follow. But the sacraments, and the Lord’s Supper in a particular way, can move us from a myopic glimpse to a fulsome encounter, from a one-dimensional “gospel” (such as forgiveness) to a three-dimensional one (justification and new life received in union with Christ). We cannot assume that with rightly ordered doctrine and practice all is well in our Christian life. For the supper exposes our hunger and draws us by the Spirit to Christ, our food and nourishment. In the Supper, the heart of the Christian life is expressed, enacted, and nourished by the Spirit. It leads us to taste, delight, and dwell in the Lord’s presence, longing for his sweetness and the reconciled fellowship of the church.”

J. Todd Billings, Remembrance, Communion, and Hope: Rediscovering the Gospel at the Lord’s Table, 201.

I believe that the MFCA, as a part of the larger extended family of the RCA can contribute to closer and deeper relationships and that through our sacramental observance, we can authenticate our fellowship with each other and Jesus Christ.

Cor

Opportunities and Placement

The First Reformed Church of Ireton, a small, rural church in Northwest Iowa, will be transitioning into a very unique phase of ministry, following the retirement of their 25 yearlong pastor at the end of April. First Reformed will be engaging in a search to call a pastor, and/or may be interested in an interim pastor to fill in, which may offer an opportunity for someone who might want some practice in front of a congregation.

Please contact the MFCA office if you have an interest in learning more about this opportunity in Ireton, Iowa.

Chandler Reformed Church in Chandler, Minnesota is seeking a qualified individual to lead and oversee their church. They are located in a small, rural Minnesota town and are excited to see God’s plan unfold in the next chapter.

Please contact the MFCA office if you have an interest in learning more about this opportunity in Chandler, Minnesota or contact the Search Committee Chairperson, Elishia Christians @ elishis_christians@hotmail.com.

The First Reformed Church of Mitchell, South Dakota is seeking a full time pastor. First Reformed Church exists to bring glory to God through worship that Exalts His name, teaching that Equips us for everyday life, fellowship that Encourages us in faith, and service that Empowers us to bear witness to God’s love so that our lives provide a winsome expression of our relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We are seeking a full‐time, ordained (Master of Divinity) senior pastor who can help lead our congregation in the aforementioned areas.

First Reformed Church is located in Mitchell, SD where approximately 200 people worship each Sunday. There are two services offered each Sunday – a traditional service and a contemporary service. We are in the process of a $1.3 million building project that will be completed in the spring of 2018. This building project will bless us with a new fellowship hall, kitchen, lobby, and church offices.

Resumes and/or pastoral profiles may be directed to Mona Hento, our administrative assistant, at mona@mitchelltelecom.net. You can also mail me and/or pastoral profile to Mona Hento at 516 West 14th Avenue, Mitchell, SD 57301. Profiles/Resumes will be received until the position is filled. For additional information, please visit our website www.firstreformed.com/ and click on the “Pastor Search” link.

Courses & Events

Registration material for RCA Standards and RCA Worship, Summer Intensives, which will commence on May 29 and end on June 8, has gone out to individual emails. If you did not receive the registration material and you are interested in the courses, please contact Kelly Talsma @ ktalsma@rca.org.

RCA Standards May 28 – June 2
Holland, MI
Instructor: Dr. Wayne Brouwer

RCA Worship June 4 – 8
Holland, MI
Co-instructors: Dr. Timothy Brown & Dr. Gregg Mast

General Synod June 7 – 12
Grand Rapids, MI

RCSC Certification Committee June 12 – 14
Holland, MI

Registration information for lodging during the Seminar for Pastoral Formation week long intensive is available to each student engaged in the course. Please find it on Canvas Learning Management System in the module named May 21-25 Residential Intensive – Geneva Shores. If you have questions concerning the course or this lodging option please contact Kelly Talsma @ ktalsma@rca.org.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Congratulations to Rev. Bette Dickinson on the birth of Winston Asher Dickinson, born February 21, 2018, weighing 8 lbs. 13 oz. and 20.5 inches. The Dickinson family resides in Kalamazoo, MI

Rev. Paul Heidebrecht, age 67, a resident of West Chicago, IL, passed away suddenly at home, on Tuesday, January 2, 2018. He was born May 30, 1950 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada to Henry and Mary Heidebrecht. Paul served Calgary Community Reformed Church (2012 – 2015) and returned to the Chicago area where he received treatment for cancer. We extend our sympathy to his wife Priscilla and his children.

Congratulations to Rev. Mike Lamson. He has accepted the call to be Lead Pastor of New Ground Church in Caledonia, MI (www.newgroundchurch.org). He will commence his service on May 1st.

Rev. Jared Van Noord is saying farewell to Ellsworth, MI and Belltower Reformed Church where he served for 6 ½ years. He has accepted a call in Green Bay, WI to minister alongside the people of New Hope Presbyterian Church.

Kirk Korver, 27 year-old son of Rev. Kevin and Laine Korver suddenly passed away on March 20 from illness. Our deepest felt condolences go out to the Korver family.

Director's Travel Schedule

March 20 – 23          New Jersey/Philadelphia
April 17 – 19            Des Moines, Iowa
May 20 – 21              Holland, Michigan
May 27 – June 17    Holland, Michigan