CRC Yearbook Suspends Printing
“I’m watching the websites, waiting for the release of the Yearbook data,” said David Snapper, a retired pastor who lives in Silverdale, Wash. He has been studying growth patterns in the CRCNA since 1976, when he discovered a box of abandoned Jaarboekje (the Dutch name for Yearbook) dating back to 1901.
Snapper’s wait is almost over as CRCNA Yearbook staff anticipate releasing the latest collection of denominational data by the end of February. He won’t, however, be able to add a printed Yearbook to his growing collection. That’s because the denomination has decided to suspend the production of print copies.
“How people interact with data has shifted over the years,” explained Roberta Vriesema, director of partnership administration for the CRCNA. “People want up-to-date figures and want to be able to configure it in increasingly complex ways in order to explore their unique questions. An online database makes it easier for people to see and use the data in the ways they want.”
This decision is also stewardly as it reduces costs related to design, formatting, copy editing, printing, and mailing of a paper version. While the CRCNA has traditionally recouped some of these costs from sales of print books, it does not come close to covering all of the expenses.
The Yearbook provides an annual update on churches, classes, and ministers in the denomination. The book and website have also provided a statistical snapshot of memberships, baptisms, transfers, church beginnings, and church endings.
In September 2015, what was then known as the Board of Trustees of the CRCNA (now the Council of Delegates) approved a decision to move much of the Yearbook’s content online and to print a reduced and more cost-effective version of the Yearbook. This move not only saved costs but ensured that much of the content became available free of charge to anyone visiting the site.
In recent years, this online content has become increasingly interactive with church and minister profiles being updated in real time as information is received.
The one area of information that will be lost with the decision to no longer produce a printed Yearbook, however, is that the physical book has traditionally included the contact information of ministers of the Word, commissioned pastors, and non-CRC ministers serving the CRCNA. This information was deemed too private to post online.
With the decision to stop producing a print copy of the Yearbook, discussions are ongoing about how to make church leaders’ contact information available going forward. In the meantime, if someone needs to connect with a pastor or other leader, they are welcome to reach out to [email protected] to request the information. Concerns about the decision to no longer print the Yearbook should be addressed to Roberta Vriesema at [email protected].
Content for the Yearbook is gathered through an annual survey of Christian Reformed congregations. The survey collects up-to-date minister and church information that is then added to the online database.
Responding regularly to the annual questionnaire not only helps to provide accurate data for statistical purposes but also helps congregations themselves. In addition to being published at crcna.org/MyCRC, the latest information is utilized for the CRCNA Church Finder tool, making it available to visitors who are looking for a Christian Reformed church to attend. All CRC congregations are encouraged to complete the survey annually to keep their information up to date.
Anyone wishing to purchase a print copy of last year’s Yearbook can still do so through Faith Alive Christian Resources while supplies last. The book is available in regular paperback and PDF download editions.
