Coming Events

Regional Synod of Canada Inc., RCA Volume 2, Issue 3 September 2004

The 198th meeting of the General Synod

News from the General Synod

1

Relationship of RCA Assemblies

1

Coming Events 1

Quotes from

Delegates to GSC

2

Website 2

One in Mission One in Prayer

2

Inside this issue:

The 198th meeting of the General Synod of the Reformed Church in America met from June 3-9th in Wheaton Illinois. But what difference does that make to your church? Below is a picture showing how RCA Assemblies, Institutions, and Agencies relate to one another. • can you identify where your church is in the picture? • do you know the name of the Classis to which your church belongs? • which Regional Synod is your Classis a part of? • how many other Classes are part of your Synod? • how many church members are in your Classis and Synod? • does a member of your church serve on either the Classis or the Synod? • and how do all of these part of the body of Christ fit together and function? Answering these questions may be helpful for two reasons. It may help you to have reason-able expectations of others and it may also help you to know how the skills and talents God has given

939 Churches / Consistories

46 Classes

8 Regional Synods

General Synod 259 Voting Delegates and 76 Corresponding Delegates

Permanent Commissions

Christian Action

Christian Education and Discipleship

Judicial Business

Nominations

Christian Unity

Race and

Ethnicity

RCA Colleges

Hope Central

Northwestern

Christian Worship

Church Order

History

Theology

Women

General Synod Institutions and Agencies

BOBS Church Herald GSC

RCAFOUND

RCABEF

NBTS

WTS REDI

Racial/

Ethnic

Councils MFCA RC PRESS

BOBS Board of Benefit Services

GSC General Synod Council

REDI Reformed Economic Development International Inc.

RCABEF RCA Building and Extension Fund, Inc.

RC PRESS Reformed Church Press

MFCA Ministerial Formation Coordinating Agency

NBTS New Brunswick Theological Seminary

WTS Western Theological Seminary

Key to abbreviations

RCAFOUND RCA Foundation

NO Dutch Day in Ontario this fall.

The next Dutch Day will be

Wednesday, May 11, 2005

For more information contact:

Bill Vandenberg 905-938-3528

Look for your Executive

Secretary at the Fall Classis Meetings

Classis British Columbia

October 11 Classis Ontario

October 23 Classis Canadian

Prairies October 30

Have news? Let us know

We will print it or post it on the

Website!

At the 2004 meeting of the General Synod held at Wheaton College, Illinois, from Thursday June 3rd - Wednesday June 9th, were the following delegates from Canada:

From British Columbia Rev. Jim Moerman Rev. Murray Moerman Phillip Johnston, Elder Jerry Feenstra, Elder Rev. Les Clark (Regional Synod President)

From the Canadian Prairies Rev. Robert Derrick Rev. Walter Opmeer William Plomp, Elder Larry Zornes, Elder Ken Labbe, Pastor Intern Mr. Fred Algera and his wife Fem, (Executive Secretary of Regional Synod) Leanne Prins (Youth Correspondent) Ruth Webb (Committee of Reference) Ted Dykstra (Committee of Reference)

From Ontario Rev. Carson Culp Rev. Art Vanslageren Clarence Alkema, Elder Walter Tinholt and his wife Henny (Elder)

Volume 2, Issue 3

Page 2

One in Mission One in Prayer

Each Classis has been informed how to conduct one in mission– one in prayer events. Each church is invited to include prayer events during the introduction period of the RCA 10 year Goal. Resources are available, please contact Barb Laidlaw. Each church is requested to solicit two prayer warriors to pray for God’s guidance in reaching the 10 Year Goal on a weekly basis. Please submit names to Barb Laidlaw and Fred Algera will organize a ne twork or Prayer Warriors and supply them with resources and prayer requests from time to time.

Have you visited the Regional Synod Of Canada Website lately? R.R.#4, 1985 Beke Road, Cambridge, Ontario, CANADA N1R 5S5

Telephone: (519) 622-1777 Fax: (519) 622-1993 Website: www.reformed-church.com Contact: Fred Algera, Executive Secretary E-mail: RSCAlgera@aol.com falgera1@mts.net Barb Laidlaw, Administration Manager E-mail: RSCLaidlaw@aol.com

This annual meeting of the General Synod is important because the General Synod is the highest assembly and judicatory of the Reformed Church in America. (BCO, Part IV)

Looking Back in Order to Move Ahead!

Those who attended the General Synod were asked to take a look in the review mirror and share some of what stands out in their mind from this years gathering. Here are some excerpts:

“...the long sessions of discussing and voting on various issues in the church was brought back again and again to the excitement of our call to mission. I now better appreciate the vision and planning on revitalizing our churches and planting new ones over the next 10 years in our denomination”. Walter Opmeer (AB) “Our small group of youth delegates bonded very quickly. We had the common ground of standing out in the crowd due to our age (and hair colour - or hair period!), of being clueless about Synodical protocol, but most importantly of a love for and interest in the

church of Jesus Christ.” Leanne Prins (among the first Classis Youth Reps to ever attend GS) (AB)

“..recognized that we (at Monarch) are not alone, but we are part of the whole RCA.”. Bill Plomp (AB)

“I like ‘our call’ confirmed in the ten year goal to follow Christ in mission. I feel sure that blessings will come from it”. Clarence Alkema (ON) “...the stories of how God is working in our churches, denomination and the world...Our dinner together and meeting as Canadian delegates on Sunday evening was also appreciated”. Jerry Feenstra (BC) “I am encouraged by the RCA evangelical fervour to be faithful to Christ, to be pro-active in church health, and to be about the business of multiplying new churches”. Jim Moerman (BC) “I was blessed from top to bottom by my car pool buddies, the fellowship of our Canadian team, the humour of my roommate, getting reacquainted with some American friends, meeting some terrific new people, but mostly with the decision to honour Jesus by showing the kind of respect for people with disabilities that he demonstrated”. Carson Culp

Quotes from Delegates ...

you may be best put to work for His Glory. To begin with, this newsletter is from the Regional Synod of Canada. There is only one Regional Synod in our country and it is made up of three (3) different Classis. The Classis of British Columbia, the Classis of the Canadian Prai-ries, and the Classis of Ontario. Now locate the body called the General Synod in the diagram. There is a General Secretary who serves the General Synod. His name is Wesley Granberg-Michaelson. He is not the boss who tells us what to do, only Christ himself is the “Head of His Church” says the Holy Bible (Ephesians 4:15). Rather, the General Secretary’s job is to articulate as best he can a vision for the church including recommendations for the future.

This year he began his message to the more than three hundred people at the General Synod meeting by asking an IMPORTANT QUESTION. It’s a question that each of us in Canada need to ask ourselves:

“If our congregation didn’t exist, what difference would it make to the community in which we live?”

The fact is, when we look outward beyond the doors of our church building there are a great many opportunities to serve others in the name of our Lord and to make a difference in the world. Which act of grace has God uniquely positioned your church to bring to your community? Our thanks to everyone who attended the 198th meeting of the General Synod, investing their time and talents for God’s Glory alone. Be sure to let your consistory know that you too are willing to put your time and talents to good use for your Lord Jesus Christ.

Classis British Columbia 11 Churches, 546 Members

Classis Canadian Prairies 6 Churches, 465 Members

Classis Ontario 26 Churches, 2801 Members

Current Statistics