AGENDA FOR THE MEETING OF CLASSIS LAKE SUPERIOR

Transcription

1 FOR THE MEETING OF Camp Lake Geneva, Alexandria MN September 15-16, 2014

2 Schedule for the Meeting of Classis Lake Superior Camp Lake Geneva, Alexandria MN September 15-16, 2014 Summary of Schedule for Monday, September 15, 2014 Registration at 12:30pm Pre-Classis Seminar: 1:00pm Convening Session: 4:30pm Dinner at Camp: 5:30pm New Delegate Orientation: 6:00pm Worship: 6:45pm Summary of Schedule for Tuesday, September 16, 2014 Breakfast at Camp: Worship: 8:00am Convening Session: 8:30am Lunch at Camp: 12:00pm Convening Session: 12:45pm Adjournment: 5:00pm D.V.

3 Schedule for the Meeting of Classis Lake Superior SUNDAY, September 14, 2013 EARLY BIRD ARRIVAL: Lodging for delegates and guests will be provided free of charge for Sunday evening if you choose this option. MONDAY, September 15, 2014 ARRIVAL TIME: Plan to arrive at Camp Lake Geneva, Alexandria MN, no later than 12:30 P.M. in order to register prior to the Pre-Classis Conference which starts at 1:00 P.M. Monday lunch will not be available at the Camp. LODGING: Send your lodging requests to the Stated Clerk, Additional cost for single occupancy is $20.00 per room per night. (If you request single occupancy, please deduct the cost of $20.00 per night per room from your expense submissions). REGISTRATION: When you register, please Turn in your credentials, expense sheets, and classical expense checks at the stated clerk s table. (Classical Expense Assessment is set at $7.25 per member.) Put on a name tag. If you have late reports to distribute, please turn these in at registration. PRE-CLASSIS CONFERENCE ~ 1:00pm Our Pre-Classis Conference will be led by Rev. Mark Stephenson, Director Disability Concerns CRCNA, Grand Rapids, MI, and Shellie Powers, Hope Centre Ministries, Winnipeg MB. They will lead the afternoon sessions on the topic, Welcoming and Engaging Everyone. First Session: 1:00 pm Break: 3:00 pm Second Session: 3:20 pm

4 CONVENING OF CLASSIS 4:30 PM Welcome by President, Al Postma, and Roll Call 5:30 PM Dinner at the Camp 6:15 PM Break or NEW DELEGATE ORIENTATION 7:00 PM Worship: Hancock CRC will lead our worship. Sharing of Highlights by the churches of the North Region. This includes: Brandon, Covenant, Good News Fellowship, Transcona, Emo, Bethlehem, Hope, First Thunder Bay and Redeeming Love Community CRC. Please share: What has God done in your church in the 24 plus months since the last time your church reported? Report on things that can help all the delegates at Classis celebrate God's work among us. How can Classis better help your local congregation pursue the vision God has given you? Missionary Reports (Hope Ministries Centre, TBCCC, Starfish, New Life Lao, North Central Lao) TUESDAY, September 16, 2014 NB. Breakfast will be at camp. 8:00 AM Worship 8:30 AM Roll Call led by Stated Clerk 8:45 AM Ministry Agenda 10:30 AM Break 10:45 AM Ministry Agenda 12:00 noon Lunch at Camp 12:45 PM Worship 1:00 PM Ministry Agenda 3:00 PM Break 3:15 PM Ministry Agenda 5:00 PM Closing Reflections, Prayer, and Adjournment!

5 Agenda for the Meeting of Classis Lake Superior To convene at Camp Lake Geneva, Alexandria MN September 15-16, 2014 Art. 1 Officers President: Rev. Al Postma Vice-President: Rev. Donald Draayer Stated Clerk: Rev. Harold de Jong Art. 2 Opening and Organization 2.1 Roll Call and Review of Time Schedule 2.2 MOTION to seat Deacon Delegates (if necessary) 2.3 First time delegates sign the Covenant for Officebearers 2.4 Welcome to all delegates, home missionaries, agency representatives, and visitors 2.5 Appointment of Committees Credentials: Overtures/Deliberative Matters: Appeals: Balloting: Classical Expense Committee: Art. 3 Correspondence of the Secretary of Classis 3.1 Correspondence received from CRCNA (See Secretary s Report) 3.2 Other correspondence (See Secretary s Report) Art. 4 Reports 4.1 Standing Committees and Functionaries Classical Interim Committee (printed report) Secretary of Classis (printed report) Classical Finance Committee & Treasurer's Report (printed) Wayne Tobak Classical Home Missions (US) (printed report) Starfish Ministries (printed) Bonnie Smith presenting New Life Church North Central Lao Prayer Coordinator US Leadership Development Network Classical Home Missions (CAN) (printed report) Thunder Bay Christian Community Centre (printed report)yvonne Schenk

6 4.2 Classical Delegates 4.3 Agencies Hope Centre Ministries, Winnipeg (printed report) Shellie Power Prayer Coordinators CAN (printed report) John and Linda Parsons Home Missionary Reports Church Counselor Reports Church Visitor Reports (printed reports for Bethel, Pease, First TBay, and Hope) Regional Pastors Reports Tony Schweitzer and Henry Gunnink reporting Classical Ministerial Leadership Team (Student Fund) Safe Church Team (printed report) Board of Trustees CRCNA Board of Trustees: Calvin College (printed report) Board of Trustees: Calvin Theological Seminary (printed report) Back to God Ministries International Gary Zonnefeld presenting Board of Home Missions Christian Reformed World Missions World Renew (CRWRC) (printed report) Don Miedema presenting Synodical Delegates (delegates presenting) Sustaining Pastoral Excellence Aboriginal Ministries Canada (printed report) Indian Family Centre, Winnipeg Abuse Prevention Chaplaincy Ministries Committee on Disability Concerns Mark Stephenson reporting Loan Fund Office of Social Justice and Hunger Action Ministry of Race Relations Minister's Pension Fund Pastor Church Relations Service Link Diaconal Ministries Canada CRC Family Conference Committee Hope Haven New Life Treatment Center Dordt College Brian Huisman, Director of Development presenting Institute for Christian Studies International Association for the Promotion of Christian Higher Education (IAPCHE) King's College Redeemer College Trinity Christian College Youth Unlimited, Calvinist Cadet Corp, GEMS Girls' Club Director of Canadian Ministries Darren Roorda presenting CRHM Regional Team Leaders (printed report) Peter Kelder presenting

7 Art. 5 Deliberative Matters 5.1 Examinations 5.2 Ministerial Matters Request from Rev. Norm Prenger for an extension of his disability status Retirement of Rev. Craig Van Gelder, Bridgewood CRC, Savage MN 5.3 Credentials 5.4 Overtures 5.5 Deliberative Matters 5.6 Appeals 5.7 Study Committee Reports 5.8 Elections CIC Nominations for Officers of Classis, March 2015: The one with the highest number of votes to be President, and the one with the second highest to be Vice President Nominations for Agency Boards and Committees of the CRCNA Region 2 (Canadian congregations only) CRHM Rev. Bruce Gritter is completing his second term. Nominations of clergy and non-clergy persons are requested for this position Region 8 (US congregations only) Calvin Theological Seminary Rev. Timothy Ouwinga is completing his first term and is recommended for a second term Christian Reformed World Missions Ms. Dee Kramer is completing her first term and does not wish to stand for a second term. Nominations of non-clergy persons or women are requested for this position Stated Clerk

8 5.10 Licensure to Exhort within Classis (renewals at Fall Classis) Note: Those requiring renewal of licensure are: Mr. Marlin Breems Dr. Rodger Dalman Mr. Doug Shank Mr. Jim Stein Mr. Jerry Van Someren Ms Carol Veldman Rudie Art. 6 Varia 6.1 Devotion Schedule 6.2 Other Art. 7 Closing Exercises 7.1 Next Meeting: Date: March 2-3, 2015 Venue: Calvary CRC, Edina MN 7.2 Thanks to the Host Facility 7.3 Thanks to the Host Church 7.4 Closing Remarks by the President and Vice-President 7.5 Closing Prayer 7.6 Adjournment of Classis

9 Report of CIC To Classis Lake Superior At Camp Lake Geneva, Alexandria MN September 15-16, 2014 CIC met via SKYPE on March 11, April 4, May 6 and July 8, 2014, and at Calvary CRC, Edina MN, on August 20, The following items are presented for information or action: Information 1. In response to the directives found in the decisions of the March meeting of Classis, CIC took the following actions: 1.1 Re New Hope CRC, Ogilvie MN: Arranged for pulpit supply till September meeting of Classis Appointed the Council of Pease CRC to provide oversight to the New Hope steering committee Established a procedure to assess the viability of New Hope CRC Established a procedure by which New Hope CRC, with the approval of the oversight Council, could receive limited assistance from Classis Treasurer Approved pulpit supply for Pease CRC once per two months, if needed to allow Rev. Ten Haken to assist New Hope CRC. 1.2 Appointed the following Counselors: Rev. Michael Ten Haken for New Hope CRC, Ogilvie MN Rev. Jack Van Marion for Grace CRC, Inver Grove Heights MN Rev. Steve Zwart for Bethel CRC, Princeton MN 1.3 Researched the history of the Land Fund in the Minutes of Classis and CIC, and established a committee to review and present recommendations (See below). 2. CIC appointed Rev. Joseph Kim as Church Visitor Alternate for Central Region since the Alternate had become the Church Visitor. 3. CIC appointed Rev. Steve Zwart as Counselor for Bunde CRC. 4. CIC requested the Stated Clerk to include in his report to Classis that the Minutes Review Team had approved the minutes of the previous meeting of Classis before they were sent out. 5. CIC received notice from Disability Concerns that Diana Hamilton has been appointed as Regional Disabilities Advocate for the Ontario churches in Classis and Carol Vande Kraats for the Manitoba churches in Classis. 6. CIC approved the retirement of Rev. Craig Van Gelder as of June 30, 2014, due to age, as requested by Rev. Van Gelder and Bridgewood CRC, Savage MN. 7. CIC invited Dr. Steve Timmermans, the Executive Director of CRCNA, to address Classis on Monday afternoon before dinner, Darren Roorda, Canadian Ministries Director, on Monday evening, and others for Tuesday. 8. CIC has invited Rev. Karen Wilk to present at the Pre-Classis Conference March 2015 on the topic of evangelism. CHMC-CAN is arranging the conference with her. 9. CIC processed ministerial credentials as follows: 9.1 The credentials of Rev. Jeff Fisher were received from Unity CRC, Prinsburg MN, and forwarded to Classis Grand Rapids East where he has accepted the call of Madison Square CRC to serve at Kuyper College. 9.2 The credentials of Rev. Brian Bolkema were received from Classis Hackensack, Unity CRC, Prospect Park NJ, and forwarded to Transcona CRC, Winnipeg MB.

10 9.3 The credentials of Rev. Herm Van Niejenhuis were received from Classis Iakota and Covenant CRC Sioux Center IA, and forwarded to Willmar CRC, Willmar MN, where he has taken up residence as a retired minister. 10. Noted that Donald Draayer has been appointed to the Board of Trustees CRCNA by Synod Prepared nominations for officers and functionaries of Classis as found on the ballot. Recommendations 1. CIC recommends the March 2015 meeting of Classis be held at Calvary CRC, Edina MN, and the September 2015 meeting of Classis be held at Camp Lake Geneva, Alexandria MN. 2. CIC recommends that Classis adopt the proposed regulations for the composition and use of the present Land Fund as presented in appendix A. 3. CIC recommends that Classis appoint an additional Church Visitor Alternate, North Region, to facilitate arranging visits and reduce travel requirements. 4. CIC recommends that Community Fellowship CRC, East Grand Forks, MN, be moved from the North Region to the Central Region to facilitate church visitor meetings. 5. CIC recommends that the start date for new member terms on CIC be changed from September 1 to after the September meeting of Classis in order to facilitate CIC s preparation for Classis. 6. CIC recommends that Classis approve the continuation of the disability status of Rev. Norm Prenger. 7. CIC received a request from Bethel CRC, Princeton MN, that the job description for Rob Braun, Commissioned Pastor, be enlarged to enable him to perform baptisms and to serve congregations in Classis beyond Bethel CRC. CIC recommends the following: a) That Classis accede to the request that Rob Braun, in his role as Commissioned Pastor at Bethel CRC, be permitted to perform baptisms. Grounds: Officiating in both sacraments is within the generally approved job description of a Commissioned Pastor. b) That Classis not accede to the request to approve Rob Braun s service as Commissioned Pastor beyond Bethel CRC. Grounds: The need has not been established. 8. CIC received a Final Report re New Hope CRC from the ad hoc committee (See Appendix B): In light of the report, CIC recommends the following to Classis: a) that Classis affirm that New Hope CRC is no longer a viable ministry, b) that Classis continue to provide pulpit supply through October 31, 2014, c) that Classis not accede to recommendation 2 recommending financial assistance for a 100 th Anniversary celebration, d) that Classis declare that all memberships of New Hope CRC, upon the closure of New Hope CRC, be transferred to Pease CRC, e) that Classis Lake Superior help facilitate the sale of real property and any other assets owned by the congregation and work with the Steering Team to appropriately disburse any proceeds realized from the sale of property and assets owned by the congregation, and f) that Classis Lake Superior advise New Hope CRC to hold, with the assistance of the Pease Council, a congregational meeting according to Church Order Art. 32d and Supplement to approve the disbanding of the congregation of New Hope CRC and all that it entails.

11 Appendix A Recommendations to Classis re the Classis Land Fund Recommendations: 1. That Classis Lake Superior rename the present Land Fund as the CHURCH PLANTING FUND (Leaving 50% of its present balance in this fund). Mandate: The Church Planting Fund is to be used for one-time grants or, in special circumstances, interest-free loans to be used by a new church plant for purchasing land and/or an existing building. The requests shall be facilitated and brought to the floor of Classis by the respective Home Missions Committees in consultation with denominational Home Missions. Rationale: The designation of CHURCH PLANTING FUND with its mandate clearly states the Classical intent for the use of the monies allocated in this fund. 2. That Classis Lake Superior establish a CHURCH REVITALIZATION FUND (Assuming the remaining 50% of the present balance in the Land Fund). Mandate: The Church Revitalization Fund is to be distributed as one-time grants or, in special circumstances, interest-free loans for specific projects directed at encouraging revitalization within established churches in classis. The requests shall be facilitated and brought to the floor of classis by the respective Home Missions Committees in consultation with denominational Home Missions. Rationale: The designation of CHURCH REVITALIZATION FUND with its mandate clearly states the Classical intent for the use of the monies allocated in this fund. 3) That Classis Lake Superior do away with the present New Church Development Fund and place its current balance of $ 37,463 in the CHURCH PLANTING FUND Rationale: The mandate for the CHURCH PLANTING FUND includes or covers the purpose of the present New Church Development Fund, namely to assist in the expenses with starting a new church. 4) That Classis Lake Superior do away with the present Mission Development Fund and place its current balance of $ 15,810 into the CHURCH REVITALIZATION FUND Rationale: The mandate for the CHURCH REVITALIZATION FUND includes or covers the purpose of the present Missions Development Fund, namely to cover expenses regarding investigating starting something new in classis, such as, for example, doing feasibility studies. 5) That, as of September 2014, any monies realized as repayment of loans received from the former Land Fund be apportioned equally to the Church Planting Fund and the Church Revitalization Fund.

12 Appendix B Final Report & Recommendation Regarding New Hope Christian Reformed Church August 1, 2014 The CIC received our initial June 1 st report with gratitude. Their comments were encouraging, and they indicated that they would eagerly await our recommendations. Since that initial report the following has occurred: 1. A congregational meeting was held on Sunday, June 1 st, 2014 following the morning worship service. In addition to being attended by about a dozen members of the congregation, church counselor Michael Ten Haken and Church Visitor Anson Veenstra were also in attendance along with two elders from the Pease CRC. The purpose of the meeting was primarily informational as the steering team along with Pastor Michael presented their work of the last several months. They also shared with the congregation the three options regarding the future of New Hope CRC in Ogilvie as presented in the initial report. Although no vote was taken, an open and frank discussion was held about the three options and how the congregation felt about them. The consensus of the group was that the option of disaffiliating with the CRC was not viable. All parties were and continue to remain in agreement there. The tenor of the meeting was such that while no one wanted to see the church close, they also recognized the challenge of staying viable into the future. While the core membership is committed, commitment alone is not enough for sustainability. Pastor Michael and Pastor Anson encouraged the membership to talk with each other and express their comments, concerns, questions, or ideas to the steering team. It was also suggested that the steering team solicit feedback from the congregation to help inform them about how best to move forward with final recommendations. Pastor Anson mentioned the possibility of ending ministry and having it be a celebration in conjunction with the 100 th Anniversary of the congregation which will be on May 19, Pastor Michael met with the Steering Team on July 8, about one month since the congregational meeting. Since that meeting there had been very little conversation about long term plans for the congregation. The meeting did little if anything to stir the motivations of the membership to anything beyond the status quo. There may be a slight uptick in giving but even that is hard to say with certainty. Pastor Michael reiterated that we would be needing to present concrete recommendations to the CIC by August 1 st. He then asked the steering team where they felt the Lord leading them. They suggested that since little has happened beyond the status quo in the past several months that it might be time to seriously consider ending ministry. After some continued discussion, the church counselor concurred. The team really gravitated toward the idea of ending ministry with a 100 th anniversary celebration in May of Recommendation In light of those conversations the Steering Team of New Hope Christian Reformed Church in Ogilvie, MN with the assistance and concurrence of their church counselor, Michael Ten Haken, and their Church Visitors, Anson Veenstra and Dave Huizenga, make the following recommendation:

13 That New Hope Christian Reformed Church in Ogilvie, MN, with the assistance of Classis Lake Superior and the CRCNA, make preparations and facilitate the process of ending ministry as an organized congregation on May 17, 2015, to coincide with the 100 th Anniversary of their ministry. In an effort to facilitate that recommendation we request the following: 1. That Classis Lake Superior continue to provide assistance for Pulpit Supply including help with a search for and funding of an interim pastor that would lead worship and guide the congregation toward a healthy and meaningful closure. 2. That Classis Lake Superior and the CRCNA provide assistance and financial support to help facilitate the planning of a 100 th Anniversary Celebration in conjunction with the Steering Team and the Oversight Council at the Christian Reformed Church of Pease. 3. That the Christian Reformed Church of Pease work with the members of New Hope CRC and Classis Lake Superior to accept the memberships of all who wish to transfer to their congregation or some other congregation. 4. That Classis Lake Superior and the CRCNA facilitate the sale of real property and any other assets owned by the congregation and work with the Steering Team to appropriately disburse any proceeds realized from the sale of property and assets owned by the congregation. 5. That Classis Lake Superior provide guidance to Steering Team and the Oversight Council at Pease concerning what constitutes a voting member of the New Hope congregation. There are several members who have their paperwork with New Hope but have not attended in several years and there is some concern about their role in this process. This recommendation, if approved by Classis Lake Superior, is subject to the approval of the voting members of New Hope CRC. Respectfully and humbly submitted in service to Jesus Christ, Lord of the Church, The Steering Team New Hope CRC Joe Corrow, Russell Palmer, and Michelle Perry Rev. Michael Ten Haken, Church Counselor Rev. Anson Veenstra and Rev. Dave Huizenga, Church Visitors

14 Secretary s Report to Classis September Communications Forwarded to Councils and Ministers/Ministry Associates 1.1 From CRCNA Denominational Offices, Boards, Agencies, Committees and Task Forces: Highlights of the Board of Trustees meetings of February and May Ministry Reports for Spring 2014 and for Summer A letter from Diaconal Ministries Canada to the Canadian churches in Classis A report from the outgoing Interim Canadian Ministries Director, Ben Vandezande An annual report from ServiceLink was sent to the churches in ON And MB. 1.2 From Other Sources: An announcement re a SERVE site at Thunder Bay ON. 2. Communications Received 2.1 From CRCNA: Highlights of Synod 2014 for Stated Clerks of Classes A list of regional and classical Delegates to Denominational Boards with notice of vacancies and request for nominations A Synodical Deputy and Stated Clerks letter with updated Manual for Synodical Deputies A list of Ministers and Commissioned Pastors in Classis Documents re the Role of Classis-Appointed Counselors and Guide for Conducting Church Visits An updated list of items churches have sent to the Calvin Archives, and a list of those churches that are not up to date in submitting records A letter from CRWM Canada concerning changes in the operation of CRWM Canada, and another update on activities and personnel. I think all Canadian churches have also received these letters A letter from David Koll, Director of Candidacy, re the changes in requirements for Commissioned Pastors who are to serve as solo pastors. I forwarded this to CMLT. 2.2 From Other Sources: Request from Rev. Norm Prenger for approval of continuation of his disability status, and a supporting letter from his physician Many s with information needed for this meeting of Classis. 3. Actions Taken 3.1 Forwarded the Ministerial Credentials for Rev. Jeff Fisher to Classis Grand Rapids East, for Rev. Brian Bolkema to Transcona CRC, Winnipeg MB, and for Rev. Herm Van Niejenhuis (retired) from Classis Iakota to Willmar CRC. 3.2 Informed the Denominational Services Office of actions taken by Classis regarding ministers in Classis. 3.3 Sent contact info on Church Visitors to the persons charged with reviewing how the denomination and classes can assist pastors and councils.

15 3.4 Sent a letter, as required by the Office of the Registrar General of Ontario, to Rev. Bob Vance and Rev. W. H. Kooinga that they are no longer certified to perform marriages in Ontario since they no longer reside in the province, and updated the list of those ministers living in Classis Lake Superior and who are certified to perform marriages in Ontario. 3.5 Informed the Vital Statistics Agency in Winnipeg that CIC has designated Rev. Donald Draayer as the CRC contact for CRC pastors in Manitoba. 3.6 In response to a request from the Yearbook Office re identifying supervising councils for emerging churches, I consulted with the Indigenous Family Centre, Hope Ministries Centre, and Thunder Bay Christian Community Centre, and with their approval, agreed that these should be listed as ministries rather than as emerging churches. For the other churches listed as emerging, the record shows Faith CRC as the supervising Council for New Life South East Asian and for North Center Lao, there is no supervising council listed. 3.7 Arranged for the September meeting of Classis. 3.8 Responded to s and telephone calls from councils and individuals in Classis.

16 Finance Committee of Classis Lake Superior August 19, 2014 CIC Chairman Rev. Jack Van Marion called the meeting of the Finance Committee of Classis Lake Superior to order at Calvary Christian Reformed Church of Edina, Minnesota, and opened with prayer. Those attending in addition to Van Marion were Rev. Donald Draayer, Rev. Harold De Jong, Rev. Henry Gunnink, Rev. Harrison Newhouse, Rev. Archie Vander Hart, Tim Hubers, Wayne Tobak and Jerry Van Someren. After welcoming the committee members, Van Marion turned the floor over to Classical Treasurer, Wayne Tobak, who conducted the financial portion of the meeting. Tobak began by pointing out that the amount of the 2015 Classical Ministry Share Budget is less than it was in The requests to satisfy the 2015 budget are $147,570, while the amount approved for last year (2014) was $155,050. He also noted that to date, $57,283 has been received, leaving a balance of $97,767 to still be collected. The percentage not yet collected is in line with the same amount not collected to date in other years. Received as information. Article 1 Consideration of Submitted Materials Classical Treasurer Tobak directed the attention of the Committee to the Denominational Ministries Financial Report. It and the per member amount come to us recommended by Synod The numbers are as follows Back to God Hour (includes CRC TV) $ $ Calvin College $ 7.70 $ 8.61 Calvin Seminary $ $ CR World Missions $ $ CR Home Missions $ $ Faith Alive Christian Resources $ $ Denominational Services $ $ Specialized Ministries $ $ Synodical Administrative Services Consisting of : $ General Administration Synodical Services Board of Trustees Faith Formation & Church Support Ministries Consisting of : $ The Banner Chaplaincy & Care Ministries Disability Concerns Government Contact Committee Pastor Church Relations Race Relations Safe Church Ministry Service Link Social Justice / Hunger Action Aboriginal Ministries Special Assistance Fund $.36 $ 3.69 Total Denominational Quotas per member $ $313.13

17 The above amounts represent an increase of $4.24 (approximately 1.35%) per member over 2014 s request, and do not include contributions to the Ministers Pension Fund which is assessed for each church and is billed directly. The Committee concurred with the request from Synod that the churches of Classis Lake Superior support their area colleges with the amount of $57.93 per member (a decrease of 59 per member). A motion was made and supported to approve the Denomination s request for Ministry Shares and College support funding. Motion carried. Treasurer Tobak reported the cash balances in the funds listed below as of July 31, 2014 Classis Land Fund $536, New Church Development $ 37, Seminary Scholarship $ 7, New Life Church $ Safe Church $ 9, Prayer Mobilizers Canada $ 5, Missions Development $ 15, Classis Expense Fund $ 9, Prayer Mobilizers United States $ 9, Leadership Development United States $ 10, Leadership Coaching $ 1, Missional Leadership Development $ 6, Ogilvie Pastors Leading Services - $ 1, TOTAL all funds July 31, 2014 $647, Tobak reminded the Committee that as the church contributions are received and expenses paid, the amount in these funds will change. Treasurer Tobak included the following Classical Expense/Forecast /Budget Report al. on Hand 01/01/2014 $ Bal. on Hand 01/01/15 $ Receipts: Classical Assessments $48, $52, Interest on Savings $ 0.00 $ 0.00 Miscellaneous $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $48, $52, Disbursements: Classical Meetings $27, $27, Classis Renew/Speaker $ $ Treasurer s Supplies & Misc. $ 1, $ 2, Stated Clerk s Supplies $ $ Committee Meetings $ 5, $ 5, Church Visiting $ 1, $ 1, Postage $ $ Treasurer s Salary $ 2, $ 2, Clerk s Salary $ 3, $ 3, Telephone $ $ Insurance $ 1, $ 1, Pulpit Supply

18 Meeting of Synod $ 0.00 $ 0.00 Regional Pastors $ 4, $ 4, Certified Audit $ 0.00 $ 3, Miscellaneous $ 1, $ 1, Canada Conference $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $49, $52, Balance on Hand Dec. 31, 2014 (projected) $ Estimated Ending Balance - Dec. 31, 2015 $ Received as information. Tobak informed the Committee that the books were last audited in 2013, so another audit is due in Our insurance carrier requires a Certified Audit be conducted biennially. A motion was made and approved to adopt this portion of the Classical Budget. Motion carried. Prior to considering requests for the financial support of Classis Lake Superior, the number of professing members in Classis Lake Superior needed to be established. Based on trends of the last four years, Tobak recommended using the number 3,200. A discussion followed about how Tobak arrived at the declining number of members. Tobak explained that he uses two criteria: 1. The number of professing members over 18 years of age from the Year Book 2. The trends from within the Classis Satisfied with his explanation, a motion was made and seconded to use 3,200 as the number of professing members for the 2015 budget. Motion carried. As the Committee prepared to review the requests for financial support during 2015, Tobak noted that the largest requested increase came from Christian Community Center because of needed building improvements and that there is a decrease in requested funding for the Seminary Scholarship Fund. He also informed the Committee that the loan from the Classis Land Fund to the Seminary Scholarship Fund should be completely repaid by the end of With that information, the Committee reviewed the following requests for financial funding (numbers have been rounded so they may not calculate exactly) Requested Requested Per Member Classis Total** Seminary Scholarship Funds Request for $5.65 per member. Money will be $ 5.65 $ 18, used to maintain a $20, balance in the Lake Superior Seminary Scholarship Fund (managed by Calvin Theological Seminary) as well as provide funding for students enrolled at other seminaries. $5,000 will go towards repaying the loan from the Land Fund The students requesting funding for 2015 are - Perrin Werner in the amount of $4,000.00, Jason Ruis in the amount of $6, The Scholarship Committee requests a Ministry Share contribution for $18,000 in anticipation of two Calvin Seminary applications during the 2015 calendar year. There was some discussion about granting Jason Ruis the additional $2,950 and about how and why the decision was made. Tobak explained that it appears there will be fewer requests for support in 2015, extra money could be given to Jason. It was decided that the CIC will meet with the Scholarship Committee to draw up guidelines for them to follow in the future.

19 A motion was made and seconded to approve the requests of the Scholarship Committee. Motion carried. Other Requested Funding - Requested Requested *FC Rec. *FC Rec. Per Member Total Per Member Total Safe Church Team Requests 65 per Member to cover expenses $.65 $ 2, $.65 $ 2, Classical Home Missions United States Request from U.S. Home Missions for the following ministries New Life Church $12.50 $ 40, $12.50 $ 40, Leadership Development (U.S.) $ 4.00 $ 12, $ 4.00 $ 12, Prayer Mobilizers (U.S.) $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00 TOTAL - U.S. $16.50 $ 52, $16.50 $ 52, Starfish Ministries Request from Starfish Ministries for $8.20 per member $ 8.20 $ 26, $ 8.20 $ 26, Requested Requested *FC Rec. *FC Rec. Per Member Total Per Member Total Classical Home Missions Canada Request from Canadian Home Missions for the following ministries Hope Centre Church $ 5.85 $ 18, $ 5.85 $ 18, Christian Community Centre $ 6.25 $ 20, $ 6.25 $ 20, Prayer Mobilizers - Canada $ 2.50 $ 8, $ 2.50 $ 8, Leadership Development - Canada $.65 $ 2, $ 0.65 $ 2, TOTAL - Canada $15.25 $ 48, $15.25 $ 48, GRAND TOTAL Classical Ministry Shares - $46.25 $148, $46.25 $148, Classical Expense per member $16.00 $ 51, $16.00 $ 51, Area College Support $57.93 $185, $57.93 $185, TOTAL (numbers have been rounded $ $384, $ $384, so they may not calculate exactly) *Finance Committee Recommends **Classis Totals based on 3,200 members Article 2 Remuneration for Stated Clerk and Treasurer A motion was made and seconded to increase the wages of the Stated Clerk to $3,500 per year and the wages of the Treasurer to $3050 per year. Motion carried. Article 3 Annual Salary Adjustment for Stated Clerk and Treasurer - Because the paid positions of Classis Lake Superior (Stated Clerk & Treasurer) are often overlooked (it has been three years since an adjustment was considered), a motion was made and seconded to make a yearly adjustment equal to the

20 COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) taken from the U.S. Government s Social Security Administration web site. Motion carried. Article 4 Recommendation to Classis regarding the Classis Land Fund from the CIC Van Marian passed around the following recommendation from the CIC regarding the use of the monies that presently reside in the Classis Land Fund: Recommendations: 1. That Classis Lake Superior rename the present Land Fund as the CHURCH PLANTING FUND (Leaving 50% of its present balance in this fund). Mandate: The Church Planting Fund is to be used for one-time grants or, in special circumstances, interest-free loans to be used by a new church plant for purchasing land and/or an existing building. The requests shall be facilitated and brought to the floor of Classis by the respective Home Missions Committees in consultation with denominational Home Missions. Rationale: The designation of CHURCH PLANTING FUND with its mandate clearly states the Classical intent for the use of the monies allocated in this fund. 2. That Classis Lake Superior establishes a CHURCH REVITALIZATION FUND (Assuming the remaining 50% of the present balance in the Land Fund). Mandate: The Church Revitalization Fund is to be distributed as one-time grants or, in special circumstances, interest-free loans for specific projects directed at encouraging revitalization within established churches in classis. The requests shall be facilitated and brought to the floor of classis by the respective Home Missions Committees in consultation with denominational Home Missions. Rationale: The designation of CHURCH REVITALIZATION FUND with its mandate clearly states the Classical intent for the use of the monies allocated in this fund. 3. That Classis Lake Superior do away with the present New Church Development Fund and place its current balance of $37,463 in the CHURCH PLANTING FUND Rationale: The mandate for the CHURCH PLANTING FUND includes or covers the purpose of the present New Church Development Fund, namely to assist in the expenses with starting a new church. 4. That Classis Lake Superior do away with the present Mission Development Fund and place its current balance of $15,810 into the CHURCH REVITALIZATION FUND Rationale: The mandate for the CHURCH REVITALIZATION FUND includes or covers the purpose of the present Missions Development Fund, namely to cover expenses regarding investigating starting something new in classis, such as, for example, doing feasibility studies. 5. That, as of September 2014, any monies realized as repayment of loans received from the former Land Fund be apportioned equally to the Church Planting Fund and the Church Revitalization Fund. Received as information. Article 5 - Setting mileage rate for 2015:

21 A motion was made and seconded to set the mileage reimbursement rate for 2015 at 45.2 per mile. This amount is the same number that was used during Motion carried Article 6 Repayment of Loan Tobak informed the Committee that Bridgewood Church has paid $10,000 towards their loan from the Classis Land Fund, leaving a balance of $85,000. Received as information. Article 7 New Hope Church, Ogilvie The CIC reported that they have authorized the Classical Treasurer to continue paying for pulpit supply for New Hope Church through October, Received as information. Article 8 - Adjourning the meeting - There being no additional financial business to conduct, the Classis Finance Committee stands adjourned. Rev. Donald Draayer closed with prayer. Respectfully submitted, Jerry Van Someren Secretary

22 Classical Home Missions Committee - US CHMC has a small measure of supervision over several of the ministries of Classis. Most of them also have their own boards or supervisory committees. But here are some observations we make on the basis of our contacts with these ministries. New Life Church. CHMC recently had the opportunity to visit with several leaders from New Life, as well as observe the youth group during their fundraiser. There seems to be a good spirit, and the ministry is well served by Pastor Phon Sinbondit. The challenge for the future has to do with pastoral leadership. Pastor Phon is past retirement age, and his daughter in Michigan and her family have special needs that are known to you. Should he decide to retire soon and move to Michigan, it would be very difficult to replace him, both as to the uniqueness of his gifts and the sheer amount of work he accomplishes. A matter for prayer. North Center Lao Church seems to be gone from our Classis. A committee to work with the NCL leadership has been unable to schedule any contact with them for many months, despite efforts they have made. At the present time, NCL is not receiving any funds from Classis. Leadership Development Network (LDN) has had a good season, but now has graduated another batch of participants, and the numbers for next year are small. Some recruitment needs to be done, and we are working on that, especially in the west central area. LDN leaders (Rodger Dalman and Arlan Koppendrayer) believe the ministry should be relocated to the west central area, as most new participants will likely come from there. If that is the case, the cost for mileage for the leaders will increase, and that should be reflected in the proposed budget. Our Prayer Coordinator, Roseanne Van Marion, is working on a set of prayer conferences later this fall, to be led by Rev. Doug Kamstra. One will be held in the Twin Cities, the other in Prinsburg. Please pray for a good attendance and a good outcome to these meetings. The Prayer Coordinator is not requesting additional funding, as there is sufficient money in the account, but perhaps we should keep a small ministry share in place so we don t lose it as a line item. Starfish Ministries will be entering a transition period with the announced retirement of director Bonnie Smith, which will be effective in about a year. The whole ministry will be reevaluated, and we will have to wait and see what the future of it will be. Leadership Coaching. Money designated for ministry services to be provided by Mark Brouwer is sitting in the treasury. The CHMC is in discussion with Mark, and will be making a recommendation to Classis regarding the use of this money.

23 th Street East Inver Grove Heights, MN (651) Report to Classis Lake Superior January to June 2014 Starfish Ministries is facing a milestone next year. Bonnie Smith will be formally retiring in November Since its inception, Starfish Ministries has remained committed to working through the churches rather than doing ministry on its own. We have had varying degrees of success. Deacons go in and out of office regularly, have their own local involvement and priorities, and have limited time. This makes it a challenge to keep diaconates aware that Starfish Ministries was begun as a collaboration by deacons in this area (a history of Starfish Ministries is available at Classis if anyone would like to have a copy). As a result, the diaconal ownership of Starfish Ministries has weakened somewhat over the years more in some churches than in others. This is not an isolated phenomenon many of the diaconal conferences which began in the 1990s have closed or have become disconnected from the churches. The Board of Starfish Ministries decided to approach the Twin Cities diaconates to determine their desires about our future. In order to do that, we asked the diaconates to invite a Board member to their meeting and to determine which one(s) of the following options would be most attractive to them: 1. Identify new ministry direction(s), 2. Expand our current ministries, 3. Change the ministry coordinator role into one of consultant to the churches, and/or 4. Phase out Starfish Ministries beginning in Note: Options 1 and 2 would require the hiring of new staff and potentially a higher level of financial and volunteer involvement from the churches. Option 3 may lead to the hiring of new staff as activity demands. Option 4 would anticipate increasingly lower budgets as the ministries become independent of SM. This would allow funds currently dedicated to Starfish Ministries to be used on local ministries, i.e., the local Circles of Support or other ministry areas. As the Board discussed the results of these discussions, we settled on a combination of Options 3 and 4. We will not hire any new staff at this time. Bonnie will spend the time up to her retirement (and beyond) helping current Circles of Support move toward independent leadership. She will remain involved with the Community Support Centers. In addition, she will offer her services as a consultant to the diaconates to assist them in determining how to increase their local diaconal ministry. This may include encouraging them to bring on part-time staff as Faith CRC has done. After her retirement, Bonnie hopes to continue to be involved with the Circles of Support, the Community Support Centers and as consultant to the diaconates either as a part-time employee of Starfish Ministries or as a volunteer. Finances: We have asked the finance committee to keep our Classical support at the same level even though our projected expenses are lower for As we communicate the above changes to the ministries and churches, we may see a drop in individual and church support and, therefore, need the additional help of Classis. We have offered to give a financial report to the March Classis so they could assess where we are financially at that point and make an adjustment, if needed. Bonnie Smith Ministry Coordinator

24 Classis Home Missions Committee Canada Report to Classis, September Membership: CHMC has a full roster: Mr. Andrew Vanbenthem (Good News Fellowship-Winnipeg), Rev. Joe Hamilton (First-Thunder Bay), Ms. Henrietta Hielema (Covenant-Winnipeg), Mr. Jim Honeyford (Covenant-Winnipeg; secretary), Rev. Al Postma (Bethlehem-Thunder Bay; chair). 2. Meetings: We meet face-to-face once per year (usually January), and twice (spring/fall) via electronic means. Our most recent meeting was in June Items of interest from our June meeting: a. Budget Request 2015: We assembled a budget request, and sent it to the Finance Committee as a separate document. b. Salaam Project: We decided not recommend that Classis support this ministry directly at this time. While we think this is an important ministry, there may not be a significant enough Muslim population in our overall region to warrant support. We will, however, encourage individual congregations to support the Salaam Project as is fitting for their local contexts. We will also gather more information to determine if we should propose that the entire classis fund the Salaam Project in If you would like more information, please visit c. Missional Leadership Grant: We continue to encourage Canadian churches in classis to take advantage of this fund. If your church is interested, see or talk to a member of the CHMC. d. Disabilities Advocate: We agreed, by consensus, to take ownership of disability advocacy in the Canadian side of classis, and to oversee the development of an active advocacy. 4. Request to Classis: Should there be a regional disabilities advocate appointed (see 3.d above), we are unsure if this person s reasonable travel expenses will be reimbursed in a similar fashion as other functionaries of classis (church visitors, expenses for committee meetings, etc.). We request clarity from the classis regarding how this funding may work. Respectfully submitted, Al Postma Chair

25 Thunder Bay Christian Community Centre September, 2014 The vision of the Thunder Bay Christian Community Centre is to help individuals establish a relationship with Jesus Christ. We seek to do that by modeling Jesus in offering nourishment for body and soul. We offer nourishment for the body by weekly handing out food to those in need. Each Tuesday, community volunteers arrive to sort through donated food. This food is divided into food hampers which are distributed to approximately people. Emergency hampers, made up from food donated from the CR churches in Thunder Bay as well as other donating organizations in the city are available once every four months. We also offer free clothing each week. Nourishment for the soul comes through in a variety of ways. While community volunteers are putting together the food hampers, their pre-school children are attending little lambs, a Christ-centred children's program with educational components worked into it. On Wednesdays, a group of women from the community come in for Coffee Break Bible study - a time of singing, prayer and Bible study. While the women are meeting, their pre-school children are attending the little lambs program. On Wednesday afternoon, a time of one-to-one tutoring takes place. This involves teaching and practicing math concepts as well as literacy development using a Bible study and other reading material to build vocabulary and reading comprehension. Thursday mornings see caregivers and their pre-school children engage in our school readiness programs - educational programs with Christian components. There are three different segments in this: reading readiness, math readiness and resilience. Once a month, Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) - along with Sonya, assistant coordinator of TBCCC - offer the Slingshot ministry for school-age children. CEF is also at the Centre to run Vacation Bible School during the summer. These are the programs designed and implemented to nourish the soul, but a lot of "soul nourishment" comes through casual conversations that the staff have with different people who come through our doors. We intentionally make sure that we are not so program-heavy that we don't have time to sit, listen and pray with anyone who is in need. We want to be about relationships - between staff, volunteers and participants and between Jesus Christ and all of us. This year we have continued to struggle with our building and space requirements. We received word this year that in order to continue to receive food from the local food distribution agency we would need to change our process of food distribution. The process will need to include the receiving and inputting of data from each participant, each time they come to receive food. For our Tuesday morning crowd of people, this will require some working out how and where we will have the time and the space to do this. We need to begin doing this regularly by September. Our vision for the Centre is somewhat limited due to our space issues, but we look forward to connecting more strongly with our supporting churches. If we move into a new building (and we have found one that would meet our needs) we look forward to exploring new ways to work with the CR members - such as offering Alpha, having Men's groups meet in our building occasionally, offer new programs run by church volunteers instead of staff. We look forward to meeting regularly with the Thunder Bay CRC pastors and building our relationships and ties. Thank you for your prayers and your support - especially through the Classical Home Missions Committee. Your encouragement is so appreciated by all of us. Helping Individuals establish a relationship with Jesus Christ.

26 Hope Centre Ministries We ALL have gifts, they differ! Report to Classis September, 2014 Hope Centre Ministries exists to celebrate the gifts and uniqueness of individuals who live with disabilities and support them in their walk with God and their faith community. Thank you to Classis Lake Superior for the financial and prayerful support granted towards the on-going work of Hope Centre Ministries. We continue to provide spiritual care for individuals who live with disabilities as well as support and resources for churches who want to better include and enfold members who live with disabilities. We have begun to categorize the support and programming we offer into 3 main categories. Below are some of the items we are celebrating from 2014 as well as some of our prayer requests. Support for Individuals Support for Families Support for Churches Weekly worship group Bi-weekly bible study/fellowship group Bi-weekly youth group/fellowship group Weekly drop in/ volunteer group Annual weekend retreat Participation in Winnipeg SERVE through CCRC Future hopes/prayers: Summer day program for youth A SERVE type experience for individuals who have aged out of SERVE On behalf of Hope Centre Ministries, Shellie Power Director of Spiritual Care Hope Centre Ministries Monthly meeting for fellowship, prayer and resource sharing Monthly men s breakfast specifically for Dads of children with disabilities Future hopes/prayers: Family Retreat Respite program Hosted IN 2014 a conference that highlighted inclusion of individuals with disabilities in faith communities. (12 denominations and 29 churches represented) Provide workshops and learning opportunities for churches. Future hopes/prayers Speakers bureau for churches Transition and Hiring Hope Centre Ministries is sad to announce that Lynell Bergen, our Associate of Spiritual Care has left her position as of August 31. We have been blessed by her 8 years of service and wish her God s blessings as she continues in her calling of Pastoral Ministry. Please pray for HCM as we begin the process of hiring. We have interim staff in place and plan to hire in January.