Church guide

"To what extent do we look to God for guidance in the decisions we are making? To what extent do we simply rely on our own knowledge and understanding? To what degree do we expect guidance from God, and how does this guidance come?"

Each one of us has a piece of God's story to share with the world. And there are a million different ways to share your part, whether you're introverted, extroverted, or somewhere in the middle.

We were already excited about Mission 2020, but reading about these awesome workshops has us even more pumped up about the future of Global Mission (RCA). Check them out and join us in praising God for the ways he's transforming hearts and lives around the globe.

#tbt to celebrating Joann Koning last week with brunch, prayer, and memories of her many years on RCA staff. Wishing her a wonderful retirement!

Will you join us in prayer? An RCA pastor, David Poppen, was involved in a serious accident on Sunday. We thank God that David has been more responsive today and is recognizing family, but he and his family could still use your prayers.

"I prayed. I read my Bible. But once I put those fear-tinted glasses on, it was like they were permanently adhered to my face." This could've been the story of how one millennial abandoned the church. But it isn't. It's the story of how she clung to God by the skin of her teeth, and God carried her through.

One of our missionaries, Nancy Smith-Mather, shared this encouraging story in a recent letter to her supporters. Nancy usually listens more than she speaks when visiting the rural communities in South Sudan. In speaking, she fears she'll be misunderstood or accidentally cause hurt because of the cultural differences. But the way God worked through her words on a recent trip to Pochalla is a beautiful reminder that no cultural difference or geographical separation is too great for God to bridge.

Eddy and Jill are responding to common questions about the future of the RCA.

We desperately want to be one in Christ. Yet the screws that bind our many parts together often feel loose and rusty. As we discern where God is pointing our little finger of the church body next, how do we prepare ourselves so that we are ready to follow? We pray for hands willing to repair what's worn and broken, for the tools to make the repairs, and for eyes to recognize when it's time to replace a part or build something new. We sincerely ask God, what does it mean for us to be one in Christ today? What role is each of us called to play during this season of discernment? Eddy Alemán and Jill Ver Steeg will be sharing some of their thoughts on Facebook Live tomorrow afternoon. Tune in if you can!

Eddy Aleman and Jill Ver Steeg will be live on our Facebook page Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. ET discussing some of the questions they get asked most about the direction of the RCA, synod, and where they see God at work. We know many of you care deeply about where the RCA is headed. And especially in this season of change and discernment, we hope to create more spaces for us to connect and reconnect as the body of Christ. We pray this will be one of them.

"All the accommodations we make so people can enter a physical space make no difference if we can’t make accommodations in our hearts so that they can enter into conversations, relationships, and genuine friendships."

"[Lord], keep your spring of salvation flowing, and I will haul from it every day. When I have poured out all the bucketfuls my feeble arms can carry, and have no sooner seen them disappear into dry land, grant me the faith to return to your spigot and fill my bucket anew."

"Why have you forsaken me?" Jesus cried out to God on the cross. He felt abandoned. But feeling forsaken is not the same as being forsaken. God did not forsake Jesus, and God will not forsake us.

Will you join our church multiplication team on the frontlines of starting new churches? We're looking for an operations manager to guide church plants through the process of starting an RCA church. We encourage anyone who is organized and passionate about growing the church to apply below.

"God has important messages for this generation and he wants to use you to deliver them. The question is, will you say yes?"

Jesus’s mandate is to go and make disciples. These church planters are doing just that, even when it means uncovering new territory and getting creative. One described introducing people to Jesus and seeing their lives change as "Christian Red Bull."

It's tempting to think we can help ourselves, and sometimes it feels like we can. But the truth is that only God can give us the strength, comfort, and guidance we need. God, we're sorry we often turn to ourselves for help before we reach out to you. We pray that our reliance on you will grow with each day we walk by your side.

Our faith might be simple, but many of the choices faith asks us to make are not.

Discipleship isn't just a church buzzword. It's a calling straight out of God's Word. And yet sometimes it feels more like a lofty ideal than an actual part of everyday life. Here are some specific things we can do to make discipleship a central part of how we live.

Eddy and Jill are responding to common questions about the future of the RCA.

This video provides an overview of the three scenarios for the future of the RCA that the Vision 2020 team has been exploring since being formed by General Synod last year. While the Vision 2020 team won't make any recommendations to General Synod until 2020, delegates this year will be discussing and offering their feedback on the Vision 2020 team's work. We encourage you to take the time to watch this video and to continue to keep the Vision 2020 team and the General Synod in prayer during this process.

Many pastors experience financial need at some point in their ministry, and it's not typically because they're chartering a private jet to church or investing in a designer wardrobe. If finances are making it hard for you or a pastor you know to thrive in ministry, we want to help! Learn more at www.rca.org/clergygrants.

Meet Kyle, one of the RCA's disability advocates. Advocates help churches to welcome, disciple, learn from, and watch people who have disabilities lead. Learn more here: www.rca.org/disability-awareness/why-have-disability-advocate

Did you know that Silent Night turns 200 years old this Christmas? Here’s a little clip of our staff’s rendition from our Christmas lunch earlier today 😊.

A gift of $50 feeds a child in Nicaragua for a whole year. If you give today, a generous donor will match your gift. That means two kids will have the food they need this year! Feed a child at giftofhope.rca.org/NIfood. #GivingTuesday

It's amazing to see how God works through RCA chaplains to reach people who might never walk through the doors of a church! This powerful thanksgiving message from one of our chaplains is a great example (video produced by Peter Taylor for the Marine Corps).

We're excited to share that RCA Gift of Hope donations will be matched on #GivingTuesday again this year. That means double the changed lives! Your generosity on #GivingTuesday has made a huge difference in the past, and we can't wait to see how God shows up this year. Mark your calendar for November 27 to participate, and see all the ways you can change lives through Gift of Hope here: giftofhope.rca.org.

It's JP Sundararajan's first day as director of Global Mission! When we took his staff picture earlier today, we asked if he would film a little tutorial on how to say his last name, too. (Thanks to JP for humoring us. The first day on staff can be a little like the first day of school, especially on fall days like today.) Watch the video to learn the proper pronunciation of Sundararajan and join us in welcoming JP to the team!

We give thanks to God for the life and faithful service of Luella Mulder, who passed away yesterday. In this video, recorded just a few months ago, Luella reflected on how God called her to serve the church beginning when she was just a little girl playing the accordian at church functions. #sheiscalled