CRC Agencies Breaking Barriers
Christian Reformed World Missions and Christian Reformed Home Missions have recently launched joint efforts to revitalize the work they do by working more closely together.
They also want to find ways to encourage congregations to get more involved in local and global ministries.
In meetings over the last three months, the two agencies have met to discuss programs in which they are already working together and to find other ways to do ministry together, says Al Karsten, World Missions’ North America director.
"This process is well underway," says Karsten. "What has been exciting is that this work toward collaboration has been driven by the agencies themselves and not imposed by the outside."
For years, the two mission agencies generally kept a focus on their own specific missions. World Missions worked overseas, while Home Missions kept its emphasis on North America. In the process, communication as well as the sharing of expertise and resources between the agencies was limited.
“Our mission is global and local. There is great benefit in partnering together in this mission because from the church’s point of view it is all one mission. As agencies we need to practice partnership in practical ways and then build on that,” said Ben Vandezande, interim director of Home Missions.
In the past year, the agencies have begun to send representatives to sit in on the major planning meetings of the other agency. In addition, the boards of each agency have been downsized over the last year and plans are for board members to start talking "to see what we can learn from each other," says Karsten.
"We also have agreed to share what each one of us uses as process/tools in reviewing and evaluating ministry and where appropriate intend to invite each other to such evaluations."
Areas in which they plan to work more closely are church planting, leadership development, and in helping one another to understand the cultural contexts in which each operates.
"We are imagining the future together that is bigger than each of our agencies," says Karsten. He said that Gary Bekker, director of World Missions, and Ben Vandezande will be discussing other collaborative efforts.
One such area is in ministry to Muslims. "Although this has not been a priority with Home Missions, the potential is there for it to become more so," says Karsten. Both Toronto, Ontario, and Dearborn, Mich., are home to substantial numbers of Muslims.
World Missions, which works in several Muslim countries, will take the lead on ministry to Muslims. In addition to Home Missions, they will invite the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC) and Back to God Ministries International to help plan joint ministries in this area.
The agencies also are talking about finding ways to join in ministry to Spanish-speaking people in North America and in Latin America. Part of the discussions have been about how the agencies can work together in providing and supporting higher education.
There also have been discussions on how to share the energy of this collaboration and the resources it develops with congregations who want to expand their ministries in North America and beyond.
Already in the works is a move to have a single staff person serve in the area resource development and donor relations in Canada for both agencies, a move that will bring the agencies closer together in the area of donations and resources.
"We are energized and excited about the progress that has been made and look forward to see these (programs and changes) as well as others come to fruition," says Karsten.
