Holland Deacons' Conference

It’s Not Too Late to Donate!!!

If you haven’t already done so, please consider supporting the ministries of the Holland Deacons’ Conference with a year-end contribution. Your contribution and continued financial support are more important than ever in light of certain challenges we have experienced in recent years (see earlier post for more info).

By making an online contributionto the Holland Deacons’ Conference today, your…

Recently* our daughter Nicole, who is 21, spent a few days in the hospital. Because she has several impairments that resulted from her extremely premature birth, she cannot speak for herself. So my wife or I remained with her nearly every hour of her stay.

Even with excellent staff, hospitals can leave you feeling powerless and frustrated. As the days dragged by, I wondered, “If I feel…

Two years ago at this time HDC was dealing with—and still reeling from—the sudden closing of Kandu Industries as well as substantial and nearly simultaneous reductions to programming and services for the men and women living at My Brother’s and Sister’s Houses (MB/SH). As a result of these sudden and unexpected changes, most of the 30 residents of MB/SH would be home 2-3 days a week while several…

What About Inclusion In Church?

The following post was written by David Morstad and originally appeared on his blog/website, Larger Table: Reflections at the Crossroads of Faith and Disability 

When it comes to people with developmental disabilities, integration into typical environments is always the best option.  Or is it?

One look at where people with developmental disabilities have lived over the past few decades…

What Deacons Are Called To Do … You Might Be Surprised!

“The church does not simply have deacons but is by its very nature and calling a diaconate—that is, a community created by the triune God to be a servant people in the world.”  (Diakonia Remixed report to Synod 2013)

Deacons in today’s CRCs are responsible for much more than collecting offerings and overseeing the benevolence fund (see new 2016 Form for Ordination). Changes made to Church Order…

What Going On With Justice @ Churches?

Our Call to Stand With Refugees

World Refugee Day is on June 20, and from June 12 to 16, let’s join together to call our lawmakers and send a powerful message: We welcome refugees. World Relief, the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals, has developed a very simple and user-friendly way for you to share this message with your elected representatives at http://www.standwithrefugees.us The…

How Is Your Church Connecting With Community?

HDC would like to know what, how, and to what extent local churches are engaging with their community. You can help by taking our brief 10 question Church & Community Survey. The information we gain from this survey about your church will only be shared with (more…)

Open House & Dedication

  New Home of HDC & Classis Holland Offices

The Holland Deacons’ Conference (HDC) and Classis Holland of the Christian Reformed Church are hosting an Open House and Dedication for their new shared ministry center on Sunday, May 7 from 1 – 3 pm. A brief dedication service will begin at 1:30 and will be held outside, weather permitting.

The new ministry center is located at 224 W 30th Street in…

Supporting Today’s Deacons

Role & Responsibilities of Today’s Deacons

Deacons in today’s CRCs are responsible for much more than collecting offerings and overseeing the benevolence fund. Changes made to Church Order at Synod 2015 include, among other things, an an emphasis on preparing and equipping members of the local congregation to engage in deaconing or diaconal ministry (“diakonia” translated “service” in Eph. 4:12–…

Still Needed: A Paradigm Shift for CRC Deacons

It’s been more than a year and a half now since CRC Synod 2015 rolled out some rather significant changes related to the Office of Deacon in the CRC. Ever since then, I (Jack Kooyman) have been observing and carefully listening to what deacons, pastors, and others in positions of church leadership have been saying–or not saying–about this decision. Much of what I have heard and observed appears…

What Does Inclusion In The Church Look Like?

The following post is by David Morstad and originally appeared on his blog, A Larger Table. David is a widely published writer, speaker, and advocate in the disability field. He has served in numerous roles at Bethesda Lutheran Communities, most recently as the Executive Director of the Bethesda Institute.  In 2010 was the recipient of the AAIDD Religion and Spirituality Division’s Henri J.M.…

Church & Community Engagement Survey

Please take a few minutes to complete this Church & Community Engagement Survey about your church. The information gained from this survey will only be shared with your church’s leadership and the leadership of the Holland Deacons’ Conference. Thank you in advance for your time and feedback!

Create your own user feedback survey

Survey Results & More Re: Christians and Refugees

HDC’s recent Survey Monkey poll regarding Christians and Refugees had a total of 85 respondents. We left the poll open for one week and posted it on HDC’s website, Facebook page (facebook.com/hdccrc) and provided a link to it on our Twitter account (twitter.com/HDCCRC). The diagrams that follow provide a summary of the responses to each question from HDC’s poll.

Following the results of HDC’s…

My Name is Not, “Those People”

Julia Dinsmore has known poverty all of her life and is no stranger to homelessness. Her childhood was marked by frequent moves, chaos and episodes of violence — her mother struggled with mental illness, her father with alcoholism. As an adult, she has struggled to support herself and her three sons through insurmountable medical needs and expenses. “My dream is to earn enough money so I can get…

Christians & Refugees Poll

If you are a Christian and are part of a local church or fellowship, please take a moment to take our anonymous poll on Christians and refugees. You can access the poll right now at this link. Once you complete this poll you can see a compilation of responses from others who have also responded. We will keep this poll open until March 31, 2017.

Thank you!

CRC Statement on Quebec Shootings & U.S. Immigration*

January 30, 2017

From Steven Timmermans, Executive Director of the Christian Reformed Church in North America

On January 29, a gunman opened fire during evening prayers at a mosque in Quebec City, killing six people and injuring several more. This hate crime came two days after an executive order by US President Donald Trump that barred Syrian refugees from entering the United States,…