"Random" Strangers

by Amy Schenkel

My five-year-old niece started Kindergarten this year. On the evening of her first day of school, I asked her, “What was your favorite part of school today?” Her sweet reply made me laugh: “I made two friends. One is from my soccer team. The other is some random girl!”

Most of our churches are starting the school year with programs or events that they hope will help them reach the community. How will you evaluate if these initiatives are accomplishing what you want? How will you know if they are useful in reaching your community?

Our default is to judge these programs or events by a clearly defined set of outcomes that show numerical growth. How many people attended? How many new visitors did we have in church the following Sunday? If we can prove numerical growth, then we will feel like we have succeeded. The problem is that, in our post-Christian context, it is increasingly hard to obtain these types of outcomes that we are counting. Read More

Celebrate our new church plant

Comunidad Cristiana Internacional

Celebrate with us the newest church plant in the Great Lakes region, Comunidad Cristiana Internacional! This Hispanic church plant is parented by Community CRC in Wyoming, MI and pastored by Robert Garcia. We pray that the Spirit will work through this partnership to reach the Wyoming community with the love and grace of Jesus Christ!

Resource Spotlight

A FOUR WEEK DISCIPLESHIP SERIES ON LUKE 10:1-24

Starting in October, various churches in Classis Grand Rapids South will begin a Sunday teaching series. We have also created a daily devotional by members of our churches that are available for you to use during the week to assist you with dwelling on the Luke 10 passage. Sign up to receive the daily devotional.
WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN IN!

Are you looking for Pulpit Supply?

Our office has a list of persons that may be available to help you.
Please email rhiemstra@ crcna.org if interested

Cohort Detroit

Resonate's Cohort Detroit experience is a 10-month commitment that encourages learning, cultivates faith formation, and develops cross-cultural skills. Starting from the perspective of serving with local residents, your time in Cohort will give you a greater perspective of God's work in the city as well as God's call for your life. Resonate is committed to walking alongside you, providing you with mentors, partners, and a community of young adults.

Cohort begins by placing you in a position with a local partner organization, according to your strengths and experience. The positions include work in community development, education, music, medicine, ministry support, communications, and more. You'll work side by side with another Cohort participant: each local participant is paired with someone from outside the community. We are accepting applications for a fall and winter start. Explore more program details and placement options here.

Resonate Partners with these Upcoming Events

Congregational Cross-Cultural Conversations

Beginning September 18 (3rd Wednesdays September through April. No meeting in December) from 12-1:15 pm lunch included RSVP HERE Location to be determined.

Please consider this opportunity to engage with others that are doing cross-cultural work with their congregations.

We will be covering the “Seven Core Commitments of a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church,” as first described by Mark DeYmaz in Building a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church. These are:

Embrace Dependence
Take Intentional Steps
Empower Diverse Leaders
Develop Cross-Cultural Relationships
Pursue Cross-Cultural Competence
Promote a Spirit of Inclusion
Mobilize for Impact

These monthly conversations will help you incorporate the important ingredients that create a healthy multi-ethnic culture in your church.

Growing the Church in the Power of the Holy Spirit

November 4-7 @ Maranatha Bible and Conference Center

This conference will help church leaders explore how the Spirit of God can lead our churches.

We especially invite pastors to attend this conference and suggest they recruit a team of leaders from their church to participate with them for maximum impact and benefit.

Below are links for the video, brochure, and registration.

GTC WEST MI PROMO VIDEO
We emphasize that the story shared on this video, beautiful as it is, isn’t the main point. The main point is the approach to cooperating with the Holy Spirit, which provides the foundation for stories like this one to happen.

GTC WEST MI BROCHURE

GTC WEST MI REGISTRATION