Toolkits for Pastoral Vitality, Preventing Abuse, Children’s Ministry, and Much More

Several offices and agencies of the Christian Reformed Church in North America are making available a growing list of free online resources designed to help congregations creatively meet ministry challenges.

With the help of these “toolkits,” churches are finding new ways to strengthen their faith formation efforts, love their neighbors, prevent abuse, and more.

Available on the Network, these resources are referred to as toolkits because they provide hands-on materials, with easy-to-understand suggestions and directions, that help users become familiar with ways to engage a topic. Ministry shares, along with other sources, have helped to make many of these resources available.

“Especially today, when the Internet is so prevalent, making these resources available online is a good way to reach people and show them how they can be involved in growing their faith and in doing ministry with others,” said Kristen deRoo VanderBerg, director of communications and marketing for the CRCNA.

Scanning through the range of resources can give people a look at the work being done and the assistance provided by the CRCNA offices and agencies.

“If you want to help others grow spiritually, become more familiar with including children at the Lord’s Supper, or find out how to use storytelling to gather people together in your church, it’s all here and available,” said deRoo VanderBerg.

One of the most recent toolkits to be posted online focuses on helping pastors recharge their own spiritual lives. A joint effort of Pastor Church Resources and Faith Formation Ministries, it’s called the Pastors’ Spiritual Vitality Toolkit.

“The goal is to help our pastors flourish spiritually. Ironically, pastors can neglect their own souls in the midst of ministry demands,” said Carol Muller, a spiritual director and ordained CRC minister who helped write and compile the resources for the toolkit.

Here is a list of some other toolkits available:

Children's Ministry Toolkit: This toolkit contains hundreds of tools for building a strong, vibrant children’s ministry in your church and addressing challenges that arise.

Faith Storytelling Toolkit: This toolkit provides sections on becoming a storytelling church, shaping your stories, and sharing your stories in many different areas of your church’s ministry.

Professing Our Faith Toolkit: This toolkit offers practical, creative resources for encouraging a culture of commitment in your church, preparing people to profess their faith, celebrating profession of faith in worship, and more.

The Building Blocks of Faith Toolkit: This toolkit answers a simple question: “What do people need in order to grow in their faith?” The Building Blocks are based on four themes of faith development for all ages.

Welcoming Children to the Lord's Supper Toolkit: Created with the help of congregational leaders, this online toolkit includes courses on communion for families and children, an intergenerational event for all ages to experience, worship ideas, information on the spiritual development of children, and more.

Intergenerational Church Toolkit: This toolkit encourages and equips congregations to cultivate a culture that nurtures faith in God and fosters relationships as all ages learn, grow, serve, and worship together.

Canadian Aboriginal Ministries (CAMC) Toolkit: In this toolkit you can find several resources to help you — using your head, heart, and hands — learn more about and take action toward Indigenous justice and restoration.

Responding to Abuse Toolkit Step #2: Understanding the Power Dynamic: This toolkit is being created by Safe Church Ministries, with input from many people, to offer an effective response to abuse by helping churches understand the dynamics and impacts of abuse, especially the power dynamic.

Keep an eye on the Network for other toolkits as they become available.