From 1992 to 1996, a small group of Christian Reformed Church members, in partnership with the CRCNA executive director, established a Fellowship Fund. This fund supported uniquely denominational programs and needs. In 1996, Synod approved a Christian Reformed Church Foundation, and, in May 1998, it became a tax exempt 501(c)(3) organization with bylaws and a board of directors. In 2003, a Canadian Christian Reformed Church Foundation was officially registered in Canada as a tax exempt organization. Today there are both a binational and Canadian Christian Reformed Foundation, each with its own bylaws and boards of directors.
Since inception in 1998, the Christian Reformed Church Foundation has distributed funds received to various offices and agencies of the CRCNA or closely affiliated organizations. The Foundation received funds from the 2005 Sea to Sea across Canada ride and is distributing those funds, with guidance from Home Missions, to church growth projects across Canada. Similarly, the Foundation was given about $360,000 of the funds received through the 2008 Sea to Sea ride across the U.S. These funds were designated for distribution to organizations with poverty alleviation ministries. Examples of each fund use appear below.
2005 Sea to Sea
2005 marked the 100th anniversary of the Christian Reformed Church in Canada. To celebrate this momentous occasion, a group of cycling enthusiasts planned a bike trip across Canada. The ten-week, cross-country trip started in Vancouver, British Columbia, and ended in Halifax, Nova Scotia. One hundred sixty cyclists took part, raising just under $1 million to develop and expand churches. This event united the people of the Canadian Christian Reformed Churches in a way that had not happened before and forged a renewed commitment to bring Christ’s message to unreached places in Canada.
The funds raised were entrusted to the Canadian Christian Reformed Church Foundation, which worked closely with Home Missions to grant funds for new church plants and program expansion within local congregations. Currently 16 programs are being funded by the 2005 Sea to Sea funds, including six new churches.
2008 Sea to Sea
Building on the success of the 2005 tour, the Christian Reformed Church decided to do a second tour in 2008. This nine-week, binational event took place in the United States and southern Ontario with 220 cyclists and 30 support staff. They began in Seattle, Washington, and ended in Jersey City, New Jersey. Riders raised $1.5 million to end the cycle of poverty. Three partner organizations—Christian Reformed World Missions, Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, and Partners Worldwide—each received 25% of the funds to benefit poverty-alleviating programs. The remaining funds were given to the Christian Reformed Church Foundation to distribute to local congregations and organizations for their poverty- related programs.
The Foundation received more than 65 applications for programs and projects working to end the cycle of poverty. The Foundation granted gifts to 50 of these churches and congregations in the United States and Canada. You can read more about these grants on the Sea to Sea website, www.seatosea.org.
Examples of Recent Grants Awarded
The Timothy Institute
This pastoral training program was born out of a series of pastoral seminars in Kenya that focused on stewardship and community development. Several years later these Kenyan seminars became reorganized as "Project Africa," a program of lay leadership training. The focus shifted from continuing education to developing a curriculum to train evangelists and lay people who were already leading congregations. It then became a collaborative ministry of the Mission Institute of Calvin Theological Seminary, Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, Partners for Christian Development, the Anglican Church of Kenya, and the Reformed Churches of East Africa.
From this start, and with the financial support of the Christian Reformed Church Foundation, by 2011 the Timothy Institute plans to have active training in 36 countries, with 620 trainers identified, trained, and communicated with twice a year. We estimate that by 2011, about 6,000 congregations will be using the Timothy Institute training.
The Christian Reformed Church Foundation has awarded two three-year grants to the Timothy Institute: $60,000 in 2005 and $150,000 in 2008. For more information on the Timothy Institute, go to www.timothyleadershiptraining.org.
Partners Worldwide—Business as a Calling
Businesspeople are seeking to be engaged, searching for affirmation that God has called them to business. Many have not heard that God can use not only their financial resources but also their businesses, business skills, and business experiences to be kingdom builders. It is time to unleash the full power of businesspeople in the CRCNA to be stewards and transformational agents in this world.
Partners Worldwide has built a network of more than 2,000 business members, most of them also CRC members. More than 200 of these business leaders travel each year to engage directly in the fight against global poverty. They have direct relationships and long-term partnerships with entrepreneurs in poor areas. They often find their lives radically changed through these partnerships. Poverty and advocacy become personal. Spiritual warfare becomes physical. Faith is not taken for granted. They are transformed, not only with passion to transform the world, but also in their lives, businesses, churches, and communities.
The Christian Reformed Church Foundation granted $25,000 to provide training materials and tools for new businesspeople joining this important cause in 2006. For additional information on this program, visit www.partnersworldwide.org.
Korean Today
The Korean churches continue to be a large and growing part of the Christian Reformed denomination. Back to God Ministries International , in partnership with Korean leaders, looked at the possibility of producing media in the Korean language. The initial project was to translate the Today devotional, which would minister to current Korean members of the Christian Reformed Church and double as an outreach tool to Korean speakers around the world. The first phase was to translate Today and publish it on the website of The Good Shepherd Christian Reformed Church in Anaheim, California. Within two months, the site had more than a million visits.
The success of the online Korean-language Today inspired Back to God Ministries International to take another step. In a joint venture with the Korean Council of the Christian Reformed Church, it began printing and distributing Today as a bilingual Korean-English booklet. The project began in 2007, thanks to a two-year, $60,000 Foundation grant. To find out more about the Korean Today, go to thisistoday.net.
