NEWS

New Coordinator for Discipleship in the RCA is Jeff Allen.  Jeff is a pastor in Colorado and the RSMA did a learning community on his book Small Church on a Big Mission.  Jeff was gracious and joined us on one of our Zoom meetings and his passion and strategical thinking are contagious.  We encourage you to watch this video and contact Jeff to find out more at jallen@rca.org.

RCA Flourishing Churches Grants – Grants of up to $50,000 can be issued to six congregations for building expansion or improvement to serve missional ministry. Eligible churches must be RCA congregations that have been organized for at least three years, who own their building, demonstrate financial need, and have a flourishing ministry. Successful grant applications will be able to draw direct connections between the building project and ministry with the local community. More material on the qualifications for the grant can be found here, and here is a video from Eliza Cortes Bast, coordinator for local missional engagement, on the missional intent of the grant and guidance on how to best communicate your vision for the grant on your applicationWe will be receiving grant applications from June 1-August 1. Your applications can be emailed to rvelazquez@rca.org.

Journeying into Friendships Online Event – Having real relationships is one way to start breaking down walls between people with different skin colors, different cultures, different experiences—and these real relationships enrich our lives. They also create fertile soil for sharing about our faith and learning from each other. Journeying into Friendships is hosting an online conference for anyone interested in building relationships with refugees, immigrants, and people of other faiths. Sign up for the June 22-23 event to learn from one another, share resources, hear stories, and get support. Sponsored by Resonate Global Mission, this is intended for CRC and RCA folks but open to anyone who’s interested

RCA Dismantling Racism in America Webinar – Monday, June 22, 2020; 1-2:30pm Eastern Time.  Join Rev. Liz Testa for this follow up virtual gathering to the June 8th session with Dr. Denise Kingdom Grier and Rev. Kelvin Spooner, which is part of an ongoing forum for dialogue, story and resource sharing, encouragement and support as we lead bravely and intentionally in this season and into the future.  Note: June 8th attendance is not a pre-requisite to attending this one. Those who register for this session will be sent the previous session’s materials to provide a frame of reference as we engage together.  Register HERE.

You can find all of the RCA’s COVID-19 resources HERE.

The RCA is offering free Spiritual Direction during the Pandemic – to learn more, and find a spiritual director, click HERE.

New Leaf Resources has established a special webpage for managing stress and other mental health resources in the time of COVID-19.  You can check these our HERE.

Free Christian Counseling for Pastors and Church Employees – The RCA’s Board of Benefits Services Employee Assistance Program provides free, confidential Christian counseling either at at an outpatient clinic in your area or via an online telehealth session.  Up to 3 sessions per issue are provided at no cost to any employee of an RCA church.  Some common issues addressed are depression, anxiety, work-related problems, marital issues, family issues, substance abuse, and others.  The 24 hour hotline number is (833) 244-2490.  For more information click HERE. 

NEWS FROM CAMP MANITOQUA
Camp Manitoqua will be having Day Camp this summer.  To get the most up to date information, please check out their updates HERE.

The New Normal – from Reggie McNeal – This article from Reggie McNeal helps us examine what COVID-19 has taught us about church going forward.  He says, “God is not caught off guard by COVID-19 outbreak nor the digital age revolution. He is not struggling to catch up. But he is waiting on the church to do just that. These critical shifts by church leaders will help us get there. The post-pandemic church in America has a chance to thrive if it realigns with God’s mission in the world—expanding his kingdom. The pursuit of the kingdom alone will position the church to be both relevant and robust in our unfolding world.”

Moving the Needle of Racial Justice is Exhausting, Vital, Ongoing Work – Five years after losing friends and neighbors in the murders at Mother Emanuel, Kylon Middleton, an AME pastor, writes about the impact on him, Charleston and the nation.

Please Don’t Make ‘How Many Watched Online?’ Our New Ministry Metric –  Online views can be one ministry metric, but Karl Vaters examines what is good about online viewership and what the metric by which the church needs to continue to be driven.

The Original 2020 is History.  7 New Disruptive Church Trends Every Church Leader Should Watch – Disruption is hard because disruption is inconvenient. It’s far easier to keep doing what you’re doing, hoping for better results, or going back to normal as quickly as possible to regain what you’ve lost.  Carey Nieuwhof examines polls and trends that are emerging from the pandemic.