Pastors Posts

Starting this October, you may notice a few changes to our Sunday evening
activities. These changes come out of the discussions that we had as elders, as a
council and as a congregation this past spring. The changes attempt to honor
the stated desires of those who value the evening service by keeping a weekly
activity that combines both worship and preaching or teaching. However, the changes also attempt
to honestly deal with the real problems associated with the evening service by reducing
some of the work put into it. The elders approved these changes at our August meeting on a
temporary, trial basis. For now, the changes can be broken down into six parts:

• Extend the decision to suspend evening services for the summer
The evening summer schedule would match the morning summer schedule (Father’s
Day to Labor Day). This change would eliminate some of the services that are most poorly
attended, such as the two dates mentioned and the 4th of July weekend. It will give the pastor
a bit of a seasonal break and should make it easier to find guest pastors. Plus, we’re already
used to having a separate summer schedule for the morning.

• Reduce Vespers (our traditional contemplative service) to one per month
It was clear that many members value the Vespers service as is, so we didn’t want to
eliminate it completely. In order to make it easy to remember, we will hold Vespers services
on the first Sunday of the month. However, I foresee a September exception because
of Labor Day so that we start the new church year with a Vespers service.

• Continue Evensong (our contemporary youth service) on a bi-monthly basis
This is the same schedule that we’ve had for the past couple of years. The monthly
schedule proved to be too much for the youth groups but the bi-monthly schedule worked
well. Evensong takes place on the third Sunday of the month in October, November, January,
March and May. This avoids December and April, when many of the students are involved
in the Christmas Program or Flower City Work Camp.

• Continue to participate in combined services when available
This honors our cherished traditions and our ecumenical ties. We would continue to
participate in the Reformation Day service. And we would accept other opportunities for
joint worship. This past September, we participated in a joint 9-11 memorial service with
the Penfield Ecumenical Alliance of Churches and in a service at East Palmyra CRC after a
shared picnic. Serendipitously, those services gave us more time to work on a plan for our
evening activities.

• Expand the policy of cancelling evening services on holiday weekends
We already do this to some degree. We canceled the Easter evening service for several
years because our members attended the Good Friday service instead. We occasionally cancel
an evening service when Christmas or New Year’s Eve is near the weekend. This expands
that policy to include the Sunday after Thanksgiving. The idea is to eliminate some
of the lower-attended services. We would only do this on weekends when two services are
already offered. It wouldn’t apply to weekends without special services such as Winter
Break or Memorial Day.

• Schedule a teaching service for the remaining Sunday evenings
The teaching service is something new for us at Rochester CRC and it may take a little
bit of time to figure out exactly how it will work. The basic idea is that the worship time
would be planned by volunteers. For example, the scheduled pianist would be at liberty to
pick a few favorite songs for the congregation to sing. After a short time of worship
(approximately ten minutes), we would then transition to a teaching time.
The teaching time would still be predominantly pastor led. However, this would be different
than a sermon in that there will be room for questions and discussion. The teaching
time will focus on topics of the day- such as Children at Communion or the Belhar Confession-
rather than a specific passage from the Bible. This will reduce the pastor’s responsibilities
to a lesson plan instead of a full sermon and worship service.
This will also give us greater flexibility for guest speakers. For example, this past
spring, we could have handed the teaching time over to Joel De Jager for his presentation on
relief work in Japan.
We still have to work out a few pieces, such as what room to meet in and whether we’ll
need microphones. We may likely close with a communal prayer time as some people commented
that they appreciated the congregational requests that were often shared during the
evening service. But we’ll give it a try and see how it goes.

As noted, this is a temporary, trial proposal. It is currently approved through the end of the
year. Council had previously made the decision to form a task force to review the evening service.
However, that task force wasn’t constituted in time to make recommendations for this fall.
We will still likely put a task force together to review these changes. And I would assume that
any permanent changes will eventually be brought to the congregation for approval.
~Pastor Chris

The sanctuary is quiet, except for the tranquil sounds of the organ and the
occasional shuffling of someone in their seat. The congregants are respectful as
they receive the trays of little cups from the elders and pass them down the
rows. A mother takes the tray from the person sitting next to her, carefully
picks out a cup the size of the thimble for herself and passes the tray past her children to the
family on the other side. Her child innocently asks a little too loud, “Why can’t I have some?”
That question came to Synod—our annual bi-national assembly—in 2006. Why can’t children
take communion? After a conscientious inquiry, Synod of 2006 replied that there is no
Biblical, confessional or doctrinal reason why children should be barred from taking communion.
It was a surprising decision. It introduced a major change in thought and practice. And it
wasn’t an issue that we had been discussing broadly as a denomination.
The decision required changes to our church order, which meant that it had to be ratified by
Synod the following year. Synod 2007 decided to slow things down. The prior decision wasn’t
ratified and the official position of the denomination didn’t change. However, neither did Synod
simply say “no” to the question of children at communion. They appointed a study committee
on Faith Formation. They instructed the committee to take a more detailed look at the issue
from Biblical, theological, historical and pastoral angles. The committee was given a 5-year
mandate and asked to report back to Synod every year.
In the meantime, the elders of our congregation decided to take up the question. We discussed
the issues surrounding children at communion at various meetings throughout 2008. We
provided materials to the congregation that discussed the question in depth, including material
made available by Calvin Seminary, The Banner and the denomination. We contacted pastors
from Christian Reformed churches which already permitted children at communion in Michigan,
Nova Scotia, Ontario and New York State. After the elders had thoroughly debated the
subject, we talked about the issue at a couple of council meetings. Finally, we led a congregational
discussion on children at communion at our annual meeting in November.
Based on the discussion at the congregational meeting, the elders determined that there was
neither widespread support nor significant objection to including children at communion. Without
widespread support, the elders decided that it was unwise to allow children at communion
before it was permitted by the denomination. Yet the elders also decided that we would be willing
to go along with the denomination should it change our official stance on children at communion.
The Faith Formation committee reported back to Synod as required. In 2010, Synod approved
the initial work of the committee including the recommendation to open communion to
covenant children. That paved the way for Synod of 2011 to ratify the decision and make the
necessary changes to the church order. Currently, the denomination’s official position is that
there is no Biblical or doctrinal reason why covenant children should be barred from communion.
It should be noted that the decision permits children at communion, but it does not mandate
it. Individual congregations still determine how best to implement this decision in their own
context. Furthermore, consistories (elders) and families are encouraged to consider whether or
not a child displays faith that is appropriate to their age and ability before allowing them to take
communion. As one elder said on the floor of Synod, “my 5 year old has different faith than my
15 year old. I wouldn’t expect my 5 year old to display 15 year old faith and I wouldn’t expect
my 15 year old to display 5 year old faith.”
A few congregations already permit infants to take communion; as soon as they’re able to
eat solid food, they’re allowed to take bread. However, there is a broader consensus that suggests
children should be allowed to take communion after completing Children in Worship. The
Children in Worship program introduces young girls and boys to the concept of Feast as part of
worship. It also builds a strong base of Biblical knowledge upon which faith can flourish. Plus,
it’s a natural milestone in the life of a child. It’s the point at which they stay for the entire service.
And, for many, it’s the point at which they begin to ask the question, “Why can’t I have
some?”
The elders have lain out a plan for considering the question of children at communion.
First, they asked me to preach on the subject and I agreed to do so. I plan to address children at
communion from the Biblical perspective of 1 Corinthians 11 when we take communion as a
congregation on October 2nd.
Second, the elders suggested that we have a couple of classes or discussion nights so that we
can be engaged as a congregation. This will give us the opportunity to ask questions and talk
about the issues with each other. I plan to lead discussion on this topic as part of the evening
teaching service on Sunday, October 9 and 23. We may also take time during the Sunday
School hour but that has yet to be determined.
Finally, we will most likely ask the congregation to vote on the issue at our annual fall meeting.
Of course, we always have the option of over-turning our prior decision. However, in the
time since we initially took up this issue, more and more members of the congregation have
come forward to voice their support and some of those who initially resisted the idea have become
accustomed to it. It is, admittedly, a significant change in how we think and practice communion.
Yet, as the study committee demonstrated, it is a change that is consistent with the Bible,
our Reformed confessions and now, our church order.
~Pastor Chris
Don’t sit there watching the wind. Do your own work.
Don’t stare at the clouds. Get on with your life.
(The Message Bible: Ecclesiastes 11:4)

This was my first time as a delegate to Synod- the annual assembly of our denomination.
I’ve been to Synod before as a visitor and a candidate, but being a
delegate is a lot different than watching for a couple of hours one afternoon or being
officially approved for ministry. You’re involved in meetings all day, every day for
the better part of a week.
Synod can be exciting and invigorating. It can be boring and frustrating. It can be inspiring and
uplifting. You see the church at work and hear stories of its successes within the kingdom of God.
You also see the church at its worst in the forms of petty arguments and politics. But then again, you
see the church at its best in worship, in celebration and yes, in thoughtful deliberation and respectful
discussion.
The agenda for Synod, sent out a couple of months before the meeting, was 695 pages long. A
48 page supplement arrived shortly before the meeting itself. There’s no way you can be adequately
informed about every issue in a 750 page agenda. Happily, you’re not expected to be. The delegates
are divided into 9 groups, called advisory committees. These committees each focus on a specific
area of the church- finance, policy, mission, faith formation and so on.
You’re assigned to a committee based on your skills and preferences though, as an alternate, I
was placed in a committee based on someone else’s area of interest. Fortunately, I was on the advisory
committee responsible for Faith Formation, which includes children at the communion table and
related issues- the committee I would have picked anyway if I had the choice.
For the first couple of days, you spend most of your time in committee work. This was a highlight
for me. I really enjoyed the discussion time. I appreciated the opportunity to deal with these
issues in depth- to talk about our baptismal identity and the importance of profession of faith; to discuss
children at communion from Biblical, doctrinal and pastoral perspectives; and, when necessary,
to go through the proposal line by line.
It was an interesting committee to be on. Of the approximately 20 members, only 6 had previous
Synod experience. 1 was chair, 1 was clerk and 3 were advisers so the bulk of the conversation
was carried by first time delegates. That doesn’t mean we were devoid of expertise or experience as
some of us had led discussions in our congregations or at Classis. In the end, we approved the entire
report with a few, minor editorial changes that promoted consistency of wording.
Synod took a break from business on Sunday. We worshipped at Madison Square CRC, one of
the churches I remember from my college days. It was an incredibly uplifting experience. I enjoyed
the praise band and the liturgical dances. I appreciated the powerful message that reinforced the simple
theme that Jesus loves us. And, since it was Pentecost, I cherished the opportunity to be blessed
by anointing oil. It was also a pleasure to be able to worship with friends and peers and former
strangers.
That reminds me of one of the secondary highlights of Synod. As a pastor, it was great to spend
time with old friends who are also in ministry- friends from seminary like Mike Koot, friends from
college like Dan Hutt, and my best friend from grade school, Dan Zylstra. I was also able to network
with other pastors, peers and professors. I made some new friends. And, for our brothers and sisters
from Webster, I shared a couple of meals and conversations with Chuck Gerber, Ed’s dad and an
elder delegate from British Columbia.
On Monday, it was back to work. Synod is a mixture of necessary formalities, significant celebrations
and challenging debates. We formally approved Rev. Moses Chung as the new director of
Home Missions and Rev. Joel Boot as the interim executive director of the denomination. Rev.
Chung gave an inspiring speech in which he trumpeted the importance of prayer and, in response, we
gathered in a large circle to pray for him. Rev. Boot spoke with great humility and humor about his
lack of preparedness for the big task in front of him and his trust in God. I appreciated the way that
Rev. Boot’s self-effacing remarks built a foundation for his final declaration of confidence in the
church.
We heard addresses from fraternal delegates- the representatives of sister denominations in Africa
and Europe. We approved a slate of new candidates for ministry, the recent graduates from Calvin
Seminary including Tony Westrate who was one of my students back in my youth leader days.
And we concluded Synod in a joint session with the Reformed Church of America. This historic
occasion was more a celebration of our joint ministries than a time of business. However, in earlier
sessions, we approved a common certificate of baptism and a mutual translation of the Reformed
confessions.
Of course, we also dealt with many difficult and challenging issues. There were overtures asking
Synod to make new statements on homosexuality and creation & science. Despite the potential
divisiveness of these topics, the debate was very respectful. Those who wanted a new statement on
homosexuality noted that our present position was written in 1973 (which is before I was born, for
those keeping track). The desire wasn’t for change as much as it was for something current. The
opposition was mostly centered on the pastoral concern that our congregations aren’t ready to deal
with yet another contentious topic. The creation & science issue arose primarily out of events at Calvin
College. However, representatives of the seminary noted that the issue was already being dealt
with by the college and argued against making a rushed- and potentially ill-conceived- statement on
creation & science. In the end, Synod decided not to make any new statements on either topic.
We wrestled with questions about finances and leadership as well. After an increase in benefits
a decade ago and the financial collapse a couple of years back, the denomination’s pension fund is
now in dire straits. The situation is exacerbated by a recent Canadian law which limits how long a
fund can be underfunded. Though nobody was ecstatic about it, we made some hard decisions including
raising the retirement age for pastors and immediately increasing congregational contributions
in both countries.
One of the more contentious reports regarded hiring practices for denominational positions, also
known as diversity in leadership. I thought that the advisory committee-including their reporter,
Rev. Al Gelder of Binghamton, NY- handled the report extremely well. Rather than approving or
disapproving the report in its entirety, they picked through the recommendations to distinguish what
could be passed now and what needed to be sent back for further revision. Synod did approve a target
for minority hiring, but despite some reports this is not a quota. It’s a goal we would like to meet
as a denomination but, in grace, there is no penalty for falling short of the goal.
I don’t want you to think that Synod was always dealing with difficult subjects. The big debates
were scattered around the celebrations I mentioned earlier. Plus, the executive kept the mood light
whenever they could with light-hearted votes about whether the president should wear a tie (the dress
code is business casual), ongoing jokes about the Stanley Cup Finals (the Vancouver supporters
vastly outnumbered the few Boston supporters from our Classis) and a music video titled “Why Is
Synod Spelled with a ‘Y’” (http://network.crcna.org/content/synod/sunrisevideo).
Some of the longest debates dealt with questions about our Reformed heritage. We approved a
revised translation of our Reformed confessions. The new revision is now consistent with the Reformed
Church of America and the Presbyterian Church USA. The revision reduces, but doesn’t
eliminate, the number of male pronouns used for God. I might have nit-picked a few changes for
poetic reasons, but most of the changes come from the New Revised Standard Version which we use
as our pew Bibles in Rochester CRC.
However, we did not approve the new form of subscription. On the floor of Synod, I spoke in
favor of the proposed form as I have some qualms about the current version and the committee had
addressed the reservations I had about an earlier draft. However, representatives of Calvin College
and Calvin Seminary argued against the adoption of the new form. The issue was referred back to
the committee with the hope that a third draft might appease our educational institutions while meeting
the needs of our congregations.
In addition, we approved the report from the Faith Formation Committee, as recommended by
my advisory committee. This included a statement on baptismal identity, which I happily adopted
for a recent baptism in our congregation. This included an affirmation in principle for a statement
about infant dedication (we should be pastorally sensitive to those who desire dedication yet still
clear that we are a denomination that believes in and practices infant baptism). And this included the
approval of children at communion.
The acceptance of children at communion was first approved by Synod in 2006, though the decision
was not ratified the following year. The Faith Formation committee has been working on the
issue and related subjects ever since. Their work received preliminary approval last year and final
approval this year. The report promotes communion as a covenantal ritual. It notes that there is
nothing in the Bible or our confessions that requires a public profession of faith as a precursor to
communion. And it encourages the participation of children in communion. However, while the
decision permits congregations to allow children at communion, it does not mandate it. Congregations
must still individually and pastorally determine when and how to implement this decision.
Finally, one of the big issues before Synod was the surprising resignation of Rev. Jerry Dykstra
as our denomination’s executive director at the request of the Board of Trustees. The issue was
largely dealt with during the advisory committee sessions due to matters of confidentiality. However,
in public session, a member of the advisory committee led us in a prayer of lamentation in
which we expressed regret for broken relationships, miscommunications and other matters. Another
member of the committee led us in a prayer of appreciation, thanking God for Jerry’s years of service
and for the diligent service of the Board. Although we won’t be informed of the specific reasons
behind the resignation, we did learn that the Board of Trustees had requested an independent
review last fall and that it was the results of this approximately 6-month review that led to their resignation
request. We also had the opportunity to thank Jerry directly as he attended the special retirement
dinner at which we gave him a standing ovation. This was an especially meaningful moment
for me as Jerry was my mentor during my internship. Plus, there was the welcome reminder
that many other delegates were friends with Jerry as well.
And that’s my first Synod.
~Pastor Chris

This summer, I plan to preach a short sermon series on the Song of Solomon.
Some of you might wonder “Why?” The full answer to that question goes back
almost a decade.
I first thought about preaching from the Song of Solomon while I was in
seminary. One of our Old Testament professors, Carl Bosma, told us that he had a Song of Solomon
sermon that he had been preaching around western Michigan. I was intrigued by the idea. I
have a penchant for preaching on neglected books and passages of the Bible, like the Minor
Prophets or the single chapter epistles. I find them fascinating as I enjoy exploring relatively unknown
territory. Even so, the idea of preaching on the Song of Solomon was only a seed.
I thought about it again while I was serving my first parish. I preached a series on the book of
Ecclesiastes. I enjoyed it immensely, and it went over well with both older and newer members.
Older members of the congregation expressed appreciation for exposure to something new, commenting
that they had never heard a sermon on many of those passages or topics before. Newer
members thanked me for guiding them into unfamiliar sections of the Bible and helping them
grow in depth and maturity. After that, I made a note to myself to some day preach on books
from the same section of Scripture—books like Lamentations and the Song of Solomon.
I next thought about the Song of Solomon a couple of summers ago when I was helping William
Orr and Saskia Lindenhovius prepare for their wedding. We were discussing possible wedding
texts and Saskia suggested a verse from the Song of Solomon that she had spotted in a book.
I liked the idea. I don’t mind preaching from the familiar wedding passages such as Ecclesiastes 4
(“two are better than one”) and 1 Corinthians 13, but I was eager to try something new. I had a lot
of fun researching the book, exploring the text and preparing the message. After the wedding, I
decided to preach from the Song of Solomon. I simply needed to find the right time.
So why now? What makes this the right time?
I seriously considered the Song of Solomon throughout the winter. I typically plan my
preaching schedule four to six months in advance. That means I’m mulling over potential summer
series in the heart of winter and vice versa. I already knew that my summer would be interrupted
by family vacations, education leave and weddings. That would make it difficult to preach
a long or involved sermon series. Plus, after a couple of summers in the Psalms, several elders
had asked me to take a break from that book and provide a little more variety for the congregation.
The Song of Solomon simply seemed to fit. It spoke to my interest in studying and preaching
obscure books of the Bible. It would provide variety for the congregation, contrasting nicely with
the New Testament passages of the Easter season and the different tone of the Ten Commandments.
And, since there would be a fair amount of overlap in the topics, it would probably benefit
from being broken up by my scheduled absences.
I sat down with the Song of Solomon at the end of January. I read through the book several
times. I realized that it would be unwise to preach the book from beginning to end, as I had done
with Ecclesiastes and most of the Minor Prophets. As a love poem, the Song of Solomon intentionally
circles back and repeats itself. But a sermon series that does the same thing would
quickly become boring. I chose instead to focus on the themes that occur and reoccur throughout
the book.
I broke the book into five different themes for preaching topics. The first is the joy of love.
As is shown to us in the Song of Solomon, we should enjoy and take delight in love as one of
God’s good gifts to us. The next three topics target different groups within the congregation. The
second topic is advice for young lovers. The Song of Solomon provides sensible instructions for
those who fall in love in passages such as 2:7. The third topic addresses those who are married or
in committed relationships, as we explore what love approved by God should look like. The
fourth topic focuses on those who are widowed, divorced or single as we discuss the pain of absent
love based on Song of Solomon 5:6. Although these topics target specific groups within the
congregation, they should be beneficial to all of us. As the family of Christ, we are often put in
the position of advising or encouraging others and it is helpful to base that advice and encouragement
on the Bible. Finally, we will look at the climactic declaration of Song of Solomon 8:6: “set
me as a seal upon your heart… for love is as strong as death.” This verse teaches us about the
power of our own human love and even more about God’s great love for us.
I should note that since I planned a sermon series for July and August in January, I didn’t
have any particular couple in mind. I knew that there would be engagements and weddings and
anniversaries as there are every summer. I prayed that there wouldn’t be break-ups and separations
and bereavements, but I prepared for that possibility anyway.
I’m looking forward to this summer and Solomon’s Song of Songs. I hope that after hearing
my reasons for being interested in this book and my goals for the congregation, you are looking
forward to it too.
~Pastor Chris

For the third year in a row, I offered to be an overnight leader for Flower
City Work Camp. Basically, I sleep in one of Browncroft Community Church’s
classrooms and keep an eye on our student volunteers. Every year, parents and
other people at church thank me and tell me how brave I am. I’m not one to
turn down compliments, but I honestly don’t mind doing it.
I enjoy spending time with the boys from church and getting to know them better. I find out
what they’re like at a time other than Sunday morning. I listen to their stories about what it
means to them to be part of the Work Camp. And I catch up with the girls from our church during
free time.
We typically share a room with boys from other congregations. Every year, I get to know of
couple of them as well. It’s good to encourage them. Plus, it’s nice when they recognize me
and say “hi” at the work site or much later during summer softball games.
I also get the chance to catch up with colleagues. Chris Arcadi, our former interim Youth
Director, is heavily involved in Flower City Work Camp. He led the praise band last year and
was one of the evening directors this year. I enjoy catching up with him and I think we encourage
each other in ministry. Additionally, I borrowed a couple of the songs from him last year
for our youth-focused Evensong services.
Of course, one of the reasons why I’m able to appreciate being an overnight leader is that I
enter the experience not expecting to sleep. I know that I’m there to watch the boys, so I consider
any shut-eye a bonus. Yet, truthfully, it was the big thunderstorm this year that kept me
awake, not boys whispering to each other after lights out. Even so, I know it isn’t something I
could do every night so I’m glad that Nate Brown is there to split the week.
For the fourth year in a row, I’ve also taken a day to drive around and visit as many worksites
as I can. The first time, I underestimated how long it would take and arrived at a couple of
sites after the work crews had left. But I’m getting better. I know the streets a little bit now and
I’m quicker getting from one site to the next. I also set out in the morning, having learned that
site leaders are happy to offer me lunch.
It’s great to see what the students are doing. At one house, they were building a handicap
accessible ramp. At another house, they were tearing down an old garage. At a third house,
they were installing drywall. That’s right—Sarah Cok, one of our junior high girls, was using
power tools to put up drywall. In previous years, I’ve seen students shingling roofs and powerwashing
porches. Of course, there’s always a lot of painting.
In addition to fixing up homes, Flower City also sends out teams of Sidewalk Clubs. These
clubs run a Vacation Bible School type program for neighborhood kids near the work site. In
other years, I’ve been able to visit a couple of clubs as well. I’ve seen our students lead children
in songs or Bible stories. And I’ve gotten to hang out and throw a football around with a few
five-year-olds myself. But, this year, my timing and the weather were both off. I found a couple
of the Sidewalk Club sites, but early in the day before the groups set up camp. By the afternoon,
heavy rain was interfering with any outdoor activity.
It’s always a fun day to cruise around town, drop in on over a dozen work sites, talk to the
homeowners and tell our students what a great job they’re doing. Even if I didn’t get a whole
lot sleep the night before.
~Pastor Chris

In this newsletter, you should find an article by Bethany Cok about our
team's experiences in Haiti. However, I was also asked to write something
about what it was like to be a pastor in Haiti and I would like to share those experiences
with all of you.
Pastors in Haiti are viewed a little differently than they are here in western New York. As
one of our missionaries, Howard Van Dam, said, "The Pastor is the CEO." He is the sole authority,
not only for the church but often for the community. There are reasons for this. Often
the pastor is the only person in the community with a higher education. He's gone to school
longer than anyone else; he's got a higher degree than anyone else. Most of his congregation
might not even be able to read. So the pastor is definitely in charge. This shouldn't be too surprising
for us as this was the case historically in our own tradition and is still the case in some
other parts of our country.
However, it does make for some interesting interactions. We didn't tell the Haitian work
crew that I was the pastor right away. That was partly because of the language and cultural barriers.
It took our team and the crew time to warm up to each other. However, we let the cat out
of the bag during lunch on the second day. This changed the way that the Haitians viewed
me. In some cases, the change was negative. A few of the Haitians didn't want me to do the
hard work of carrying rocks or concrete any more because, as a pastor, I shouldn't have to do
manual labor.
Yet that view wasn't shared by all of the Haitians, including the pastors. One pastor, Joseph,
took off his suit coat when he visited the work site and carried rocks right along with the rest of
us. We had a great conversation during a break about how the pastor is supposed to be a servant.
Another pastor, Mason, shared devotions about the benefit of hard work. Plus, he intentionally
shook people's dirty hands—including Emily's—as a way of showing that he approved
of hard work and wasn't afraid of dirt himself.
For most of the workers, the change was positive. They were impressed that a pastor would
share their work with them. They were pleased that they could teach me something—how to eat
sugar cane, how to speak Creole, and so on. And they appreciated joking around with me. The
younger workers sometimes got a little too friendly with me and the authority figures—such as
the engineer—warned them to still treat me with respect. But still, I think it was a positive thing
for them to interact with a pastor on their level. A few of them confided in me questions about
faith that they wouldn't have dared ask a Haitian pastor. One worker, Willis, asked me to pray
that God might call him to be saved.
I also had to be cautious about how I inhabited that role. I wasn't officially the leader of our
service team. Andy Elliot was. But once the Haitians found out I was the pastor, they looked to
me as the leader. They almost always asked me to pray. And they expected me to make decisions
for our group. Once or twice, I checked with Andy as team leader privately before communicating
a decision for the group. I also used my authority as pastor to appoint members of
our team to pray so that more of us could have that opportunity as we were accustomed. That's
not to say that I always acted as if I was in charge. I tried to blend their expectations with our
customs, so as not to alienate either side.
More than that, I had to be cautious with the Haitians. When I tell someone in our congregation
to do something, they generally regard it as advice to be taken or ignored at their own
pleasure. But when I told a Haitian to do something, he did it. On at least one occasion, I got
someone in trouble with the other Haitians when I told him to go ahead of me in the lunch
line. The other workers teased him and women who were serving the meal gave him dirty
looks.
That was something that we struggled with as a team. How do we teach equality without
breaking cultural norms? For us, it wasn't about teaching American values. It was about living
the gospel ideal of unity—we are all one in Christ, Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female,
Haitian and American, pastor and parishioner. In a way, that was more important that laying
the foundation for a school building. By working side by side with Haitians, we broke down
cultural barriers and we built the universal church of Christ.
~Pastor Chris

At the end of January, I took a short trip to Michigan to attend the Worship
Symposium at Calvin College. As a congregation, we like to send a group
whenever we can and this year I was joined by Jantina Cornelison and Kathy
Quinn. Elisabeth Bakker was in Grand Rapids as well for a meeting of the New Hymnal Committee
which was intentionally scheduled to overlap with the Symposium.
For me, the conference is like a multi-layered cake. Some elements are the cake, the reason
for going. Some elements are the fruit filling, holding everything together. Some elements are
the icing, the extra part that ends up being the best. The Symposium meets my tastes—my
needs and interests—on multiple levels.
First, it is a time to worship. Those who are involved in planning or leading worship will
tell you that it is often difficult for us to worship on a Sunday morning ourselves. We’re paying
attention to what is supposed to happen next or whether a particular element went as well as was
hoped. That’s not to say that we’re never able to worship God in a service we lead or plan. The
Spirit still moves us through songs we choose (and I often feel that I learn the most through the
sermons I prepare). But it is a relief to fully immerse in worship, to not worry about whether or
not someone else will remember when they’re supposed to come forward or whether the congregation
will pick up on a new song. The Symposium provides that opportunity. It’s not always
easy to worship there either as attendees are sometimes focused on learning or evaluating. Yet,
with multiple services every day, I’m eventually able to set my analytical mind aside and worship
God whole-heartedly.
Second, it is a time for Sabbath. It’s a break from the normal daily routine. It’s a break
from being in charge. It’s restful. At least, it can be restful if we allow it to be. The Symposium
schedule can be constant. It’s possible to sign up for so many events that you don’t even
carve out time for meals. Yet the Sabbath aspect of the Symposium was more important for me
this year. Perhaps that’s because I knew I was preaching a sermon on Sabbath-rest shortly after
I returned. I made sure to schedule some time for reflection. I made sure to take time to rest.
Third, it is a time to learn. Ostensibly, this is the reason why we send a team to the Symposium.
We’re supposed to learn about worship. This year, I attended a full-day seminar on faith
formation. It was fascinating to discuss the markers on the road to spiritual maturity. It was
illuminating to discuss how we as leaders can encourage and celebrate those markers. I attended
another session on leading a worship planning team. That was helpful, though a little rudimen2
tary after having led such teams for 8 years. My favorite session was one on art and beauty with
Bruce Herman. The focus wasn’t so much on beauty during worship though we did talk about
the use of art during worship services. Instead, we talked about the role of beauty in our lives
and recognizing the real beauty that comes from God which coexists with truth and goodness.
Fourth, as a pastor, it is a time to network. It’s a time to catch up with old classmates and
colleagues. And it’s a time to make new connections. I was able to spend time with Richard
Bodini, one of my peer group partners from western Canada. I briefly met Scott Hoezee, who
will be leading a seminar I’m attending this coming summer. Plus, several times during the
Symposium, I crossed paths with the mothers of my childhood friends.
Every layer adds something important to the Symposium. Some years, one aspect seems
more important than another. Yet every year, those various layers work together to make the
Symposium an appetizing event to attend.
~Pastor Chris

It’s the start of a new year and I thought it would be appropriate to look
ahead at what’s coming up.
One of the biggest events this year for the church and for me personally is the planned trip
to Haiti. We are sponsoring a team of ten members to work with World Wide Christian
Schools. We will travel to Haiti and build a school to replace one that was lost in the devastating
earthquake a year ago. We are scheduled to leave on February 19 and return on February
26. The congregation has been wonderfully supportive so far. As of Christmas, we only needed
to raise another $750 to meet our goal.
Several members of the congregation have expressed concern about the dangers in going to
Haiti. Team leaders and council members are keeping an eye on the situation. At the time of
this writing, our denominational agencies CRWRC and CRWM (Christian Reformed World Relief
Committee and World Missions) have not canceled their own planned mission trips in January
or February. However, as much as we want to show the love and mercy of God to people in
need, the safety of our people is a primary concern. Should the situation call for it, we would
reschedule the trip for another time or another country.
There are a couple of other events coming our way before then. In January, I will be starting
a new Inquirers Class. This class is intended for people who are interested in joining our
congregation. However, it is also open to those who simply want to learn more about our congregation.
That includes both new attendees who aren’t yet interested in membership and longtime
members who would like a refresher course. The class is scheduled for Wednesday evenings
in January and February (starting on January 12).
The Fellowship Committee is also planning a number of events for the New Year. First up,
there’s the now annual tradition of the Talent Show. This was a highly appreciated event the
past two years and there was a lot of demand to have it again. The children especially love being
able to show off their talents in music, dance, magic, comedy and more. However, the event
is not restricted to children. Adults are both invited and encouraged to share their talents as
well.
Looking a little further down the road, there are some significant events in March, too. The
Worship Committee is working on an Ash Wednesday service for March 9. Ash Wednesday
occasionally falls during our school’s winter break so it isn’t always feasible for us to have a
service. But, this year, the dates work out and so we are able to resume our bi-annual tradition.
The Youth Group is planning their Spaghetti Supper for Friday, March 25. This is always
one of the highlights of the year. The food is great and the dessert auction is a lot of fun. Plus,
we raise money in support of the Youth Group. This allows the Youth Committee to hold Fall
Retreats and sponsor students to go to Flower City Work Camp. You can see pictures of this
past year’s Senior High Retreat on the bulletin board at the end of the hallway.
That’s a little something for everybody. There’s a special trip, class or event from Outreach,
Education, Fellowship, Worship and Youth. And that’s only in the first quarter of the New
Year. There are still plans to be made for spring, summer, fall and winter. There will be church
retreats, combined worship services and Christmas programs even if we don’t know what shape
they will take.
Enjoy the New Year!
~Pastor Chris