Classis Niagara of the Christian Reformed Church, October 18, 2006; page 1
CLASSIS NIAGARA OF THE CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH
Wednesday, October 18, 2006, 2:00 PM
Bethany Christian Reformed Church, Fenwick
A G E N D A
Chairman: Rev. Jim Dekker; Vice-chairman: Rev. Andrew Beunk; Stated Clerk: John TeBrake
PRIOR TO MEETING, Delegates:
- Please submit your Classical Credentials to the host church (Bethany)
- First-time delegates are asked to read and sign the Form of Subscription.
There will be a designated table for both the above
Note: we need to vote for a region 4 (Classes Hamilton, Huron, Chatham, Niagara) representative to the Back to God Hour. Rev. Jerry Hoytema is concluding his second three-year term; he is not eligible for reelection. Nominations for non-clergy persons are requested for this position. A summary of expectations of a Board member of the BTG is included in this agenda at page 20.
CalvinCollege: the current delegate for region 4 is Mr. Peter Schuurman; Ms. Nancy Booy is the alternate. Both Mr. Schuurman and Ms. Booy are concluding their first three-year terms and are eligible for reelection. If no serious reservations are raised re these nominees, this slate will be submitted to Synod 2007 for ratification.
Both Rev. Gerard Dykstra (the newly appointed Executive Director of the CRCNA) and Rev. Bruce Adema (newly appointed Director of Canadian Ministries) plan to be present at this meeting of Classis. Rev. Dykstra will make a presentation to Classis about various denominational matters, including any that Classis wishes to discuss with him. That presentation is being planned for the evening session of Classis.
- Welcome and opening devotions
- Constitution of Classis
2.1. Credentials/roll call presented by BethanyCRC
2.2. Acknowledgment of signing of first-time delegates
2.3. Declare Classis constituted
3. Time schedule: meeting will commence at 2:00 PM. A break is planned during both the afternoon and evening sessions as appropriate; Supper will be from 6:00 to approximately 7:15 PM. The following have asked to make a presentation to our Classis:
- Rick Jongejan on behalf of Family Outreach,
- James VanderLaan of Christian Stewardship Services
- Rev. Jim Dekker, on behalf of Sustaining Pastoral Excellence Project
- Rev. Derek Bouma re 150th anniversary celebrations of CRCNA
4. Committee appointments:
4.1 Credentials: Grace ( to chair) and Riverside
4.2 Advisory re overtures: Providence (to chair) and Bethel (there have been no overtures received)
5. Classical Administrative Committee Reports
5.1 Classical Interim Committee (page 3)
5.2 Stated Clerk / correspondence (pages 3,4)
5.3 Classical Finance Committee
5.4 Classical Student Fund Committee
5.5 Classical Nominating Committee
5.6 Classical Abuse Response Team
5.7 Church Counselor reports: Rev. Jim Dekker, re Rehoboth; Rev. Henry Eshuis, re Bethany
5.8 Regional Pastor’s report: Rev. Peter DeBruyne
5.9 Ad-hoc Christian Education Financial Support Committee(pages 4-8)
6. Classical Ministries Committee Report(pages 8-10)
7. BrockUniversity Chaplain’s Report (pages 11-12)
8. Shalom Manor Chaplain’s Report (page 12)
9. Church visitor reports:
Rev. Lloyd Burghart, Elder Lowell Witvoet – Smithville, Bethany, Fruitland, Bethel
Rev. Harry VanderWindt, Elder Cor VanSoelen – Jubilee Fellowship, Maranatha, Grace
Rev. Jim Dekker, Elder George DeRoo – Rehoboth, Mountainview, Trinity
Rev. John DeJong, Elder Rick Zantingh – Providence, Riverside, Covenant
10. Report of Credentials Committee
11. Report of Overture Advisory Committee – no overture has been received
12. Denominational and other Reports
12.1 Denominational reports: (pages 13-18)
12.2 RedeemerUniversityCollege(pages 19-20)
13. Next meetings:
Date: February 21, 2007
Agenda Deadline: January2, 2007
Location: TBA (any invitations?
Chairman: Rev. Harold Winter
Vice-chairman: Rev. Jim Dekker
Credentials: Providence (to chair) and Bethel
Overture Advisory: Bethany (to chair) and Fruitland
Following meeting: May 16, and October 17, 2007
14. Unfinished business
- Expressions of thanks and closing devotions
AGENDA ITEM 5.1: CLASSICAL INTERIM COMMITTEE
The CIC has not met as of the preparation of this Agenda. The Agenda and the following Pulpit Supply schedule were prepared in consultation with the CIC via e-mail.
PULPIT SUPPLY September 2006 to January 2007
Maranatha / RehobothSeptember 10 / Fluit / DeBoer
September 24 / Stieva / Dekker
October 1 / VanSmeerdyk / Fluit
October 22 / VanderLaan / Stieva
November 12 / Eshuis (AM only) / VanSmeerdyk
November 26 / VanderWindt / VanderLaan
December 3 / Winter / Burghart
December 17 / Beunk / VanderWindt
January 14 / Braam / Winter
January 28 / Bouma / Beunk
Any scheduling changes should be arranged and confirmed by the pastor and the council of the church involved
September 2006, rev 2a
AGENDA ITEM 5.2: STATED CLERK/CORRESPONDENCE
Summary of correspondence to September 1, 2006
Note: all items will be available at the meeting of Classis, or can be made available beforehand
From other Classes, for information:
Agendas and minutes from various neighbouring Classes
Correspondence:
Date / Item / ActionMay 19 / To Dr. Peter Borgdorff, then Executive Director, CRCNA, results of voting for Region 4 reps to CRC Publications, CRHM / RFI
May 22 / To Dr. Peter Borgdorff, that Ms. Alida van Dijk was examined and approved as Ministry Associate for Covenant CRC / RFI
June 9 / From Maranatha CRC, that its Pastor Rev. W. VanderWerf has been granted a medical leave; requesting his name be dropped from the Pulpit Supply Schedule, and Maranatha be added / Done on new schedule for Sept 2006 to Jan 2007 (see above, schedule also distributed to councils)
June 11 / From Dr. Peter Borgdorff, Summary of Synod / RFI
June 12 / From John H. Bolt, Director of Finance and Administration of the CRCNA, information re Ministry Shares, Ministers’ Compensation, and other Financial Information / RFI
July 31 / From Rev. Gerard (Jerry) Dykstra, requesting an opportunity to address Classis at an upcoming session / Rev. Dykstra has been provided time during the evening session of the October 18 meeting
Aug 4 / From Rev. Gerard Dykstra, annual update of information re Responsibilities of Stated Clerks of Classes / RFI
Aug 4 / From Rev. Duane Visser, Director of Pastor Church Relations, copy of mailing to Regional Pastors re new hand-book for Regional Pastors / RFI
Aug 7 / From Rev. Gerard Dykstra, requesting nominations for Region 4 for Back to God Hour; to inform that Mr. Peter Schuurman and Ms. Nancy Booy are being nominated to a second three-year term as delegate and alternate, respecitively, unless there are objections / On agenda
Aug 8 / From Greg Janke, Director of Admissions at CTS, with information for Student Fund Committees / Forwarded to Rev. Derek Bouma, chair of Classis Niagara SFC
Aug 11 / From Rev. Gerard Dykstra, request to complete annual Yearbook Questionnaire / Stated Clerk will complete and submit
Aug 25 / From Rev. Martin VanDonselaar, SC of Classis Iakota, that Charles DeRidder was deposed from the office of minister of the Word in the CRCNA / Forwarded to clerks of councils, cc to pastors
Aug 29 / From Classis Renewal Ministry Team Fall newsletter / RFI
Aug 30 / From Rev. Esteban Lugo, Director of Race Relations, informing us and asking that all churches be informed of the annual Multiethnic Conference of the CRC, and requesting names of potential invitees / RFI
AGENDA ITEM 5.9: ADHOC CHRISTIAN EDUCATION FINANCIAL SUPPORT COMMITTEE REPORT
Re: The financial relationship between the churches of Classis Niagara and the Christian day schools that operateout of a Reformed Worldview
SECTION I : BACKGROUND
In response to the recommendations from Synod 2003 (and later, Synod 2005), Classis Niagara was overtured to establish a committee to consider ways in which the churches of our Classis could most effectively implement the following recommendation of Synod 2003: “[that] ‘CRC church councils develop and promote plans for congregational financial support of Reformed Christian day school education.’ (Acts of Synod, 2003, p. 626)”. Classis Niagara accepted this challenge and established this committee in October 2005. In the report that follows, we have attempted to fulfill the following task:
“to provide advice to the churches of Classis Niagara regarding how they can best fulfill the Synodical recommendations about church support for Christian day schools that operate with a Reformed perspective, either as individual churches or collectively.”
In taking on this challenge, this committee has not sought to justify the idea that CRC churches ought to support Christian day schools that operate out of a Reformed perspective. Every officebearer in the CRC signs on to defend and promote Church Order Article 71 which reads:
“The council shall diligently encourage the members of the congregation toestablish and maintain good Christian schools in which the biblical,Reformed vision of Christ’s lordship over all creation is clearly taught. Thecouncil shall also urge parents to have their children educated in harmonywith this vision according to the demands of the covenant.”
Yet there are barriers to high levels of participation in Christian education for Classis Niagara families. Our survey found that the percentage of eligible children in our churches that were attending a Reformed Christian grade school was on average, 62%. This ranged from a low of 24% to a high of 91%. For Secondary schools, the average was 57%, with a range 26% to 84%. One of the barriers to improving these levels of participation is the financial aspect of sending children to these schools.
Given the extensive research completed by the Synodical committees that demonstrated how important the relationship of church and school is to both institutions, and more importantly how this relationship increases their effectiveness in promoting the Kingdom of God, this committee kept its scope narrow. We have not addressed “if” the churches of Classis Niagara should support these schools, but instead we asked “how” they might most effectively fulfill this long-standing commitment.
SECTION II : RECOMMENDATION
In keeping with the task assigned by Classis, our recommendation is that:
1)the churches of Classis Niagara work together to address this issue collectively rather than as individual congregations.
2)the churches of Classis Niagara introduce a quota amount directed towards a Classis Niagara Christian Education Fund. This quota will be in the amount of $130 per confessing member beginning in 2007.
3)the fund will make its first disbursements in December of 2007 on behalf of families that are members of a Classis Niagara CRC for the school year 2007-2008.
4)the deacons of each church make their parishioners aware of this new initiative and use it as a means of encouraging families to give serious consideration to Christian education for their children.
5)the fund be managed by the Foundation for Niagara Christian Schools and make gifts to the OACS schools in the area, or by special provision, to any other school that a local church council believes meets the criteria of being a “good Christian schools in which the biblical, Reformed vision of Christ’s lordship over all creation is clearly taught.” (Art.71) Each year the Foundation will submit a report to Classis on the Fund’s status and activities.
6)the gifts given to each school by the Foundation be determined by the number of CRC families attending that school multiplied by a factor of $1,000. If there are not sufficient monies in the fund for this level of support, the amount of each grant will be less. The grants for the first disbursement will not exceed $1,000. Any extra funds will be carried over to be applied to the following school year.
7)that Classis review the fund after five years.
SECTION III : RATIONALE FOR RECOMMENTATION
A) Theological/Philosophical Considerations:
1) This fund will be a mechanism by which congregations can say to their families, “We encourage you to make Christian education available to your children! Because the promises we made at their baptism are important to us as God’s covenantal people, we will provide a measure of financial assistance in support of that decision.” In other words, this fund will provide a tangible and meaningful way in which the churches of Classis Niagara can demonstrate their support for Christian education that grows out of a Reformed worldview, in keeping with the recommendations of Classis 2003 and 2005.
2) This arrangement does not “draw the church and school too closely together.” The church will continue to collect money from its members for the support of Reformed day school education. It does that now, but not in as structured or “dependable” a fashion as this recommendation suggests.
In doing this, the church will not gain any increased influence on the work of the school, nor the school on the church. Instead they continue to mutually support the work of the other in God’s Kingdom. The schools provide a deepened, Biblical understanding of God’s world and the place of God’s people in it, to members of the area CRC’s. The schools provide a broader pool of thoughtful Christian leaders for work in God’s kingdom. These leaders will work both through the institutional church and alongside it. The CRC’s will continue to provide a spiritual home for their members that sparks a desire to see God’s will at work in every area of life, and in this case, in the realm of formal education.
B) Specifically regarding part 1) of the recommendation:
1) Classis Niagara is in a great position to tackle this challenge collectively. The borders of the Classis, the Foundation for NiagaraChristianSchools, and the catchment areas for our churches and schools are basically identical.
2) Addressing this issue as a group of churches rather than as individual churches means that we won’t find ourselves in the unfortunate situation of having some churches pick up the recommendation and others decide not to. A likely consequence of that would be that families might be tempted to switch their memberships to churches more supportive of the situation they find themselves in. This could bring about negative feelings between churches and their members.
C) Specifically regarding part 4) of the recommendation:
1) This will be an important part of accomplishing several goals. Having the Deacons promote this initiative will ensure that any family that is part of the CRC and that desires Christian education will see that this is a goal shared by their church family, and that there are means generally available to make this desire attainable. The promotion of this will enable higher numbers of CRC families to participate in Christian education. This action by the Deacons will mean that the Council can with increased confidence confirm its support of Christian day schools when they fill out their Classical credentials. Finally, this program will not impede in any way a Diaconate’s ability to help out above and beyond the scope of this fund, for families that have unique circumstances.
SECTION IV : CONSIDERATIONS AND COMMENTS
A) Financial/Legal Considerations
1) In the past, whenever some type of more formal financial church support has been suggested, concerns about the different tax laws in Canada versus the United States, or concerns about the charitable status of our churches and schools have been raised as an impediment to trying this sort of solution. After exploring these in more detail, we see these as concerns that can be easily overcome, as detailed below.
B) First, in regards to part 1) of the Recommendation
1) A collective approach means that church bookkeepers and treasurers will not be unnecessarily duplicating efforts. If each church individually sets up a “fund”, the bookkeeper will need to process and issue grants to several different schools. If it is done collectively, they simply collect the quota, issue the tax receipts to their members on the basis of the gifts received (just as they do now), and send one cheque for the stipulated amount to the Foundation for NiagaraChristianSchools.
C) In regards to Recommendation, parts 2) and 3)
1) These amounts were chosen so that the exercise would be balanced, and yet of some substance. With tuition for a single school in the $10,000 range, a grant of $500 – while appreciated – is not likely to move a family from “unable to participate” to “able to participate”. A grant of $1,000, or $2,000 if you are in the challenging “double tuition years”, indicates that your church family genuinely wants to encourage your family’s participation in Christian education.
2) The amounts chosen are based on the most recent numbers available for Classis Niagara, with an eye to making the program viable.
3) Having a full calendar year for the collection of funds prior to their disbursement means that churches won’t be committed “ahead” of having the funds in place. First the funds are collected, then they are disbursed.
D) General Comments
1) With this recommendation in place, each school will still determine what the required tuition amount will be. This will be the same for every family. Each family (CRC or otherwise) will be responsible for arranging for the required funds. Some families will be helped by grandparents. For some families a portion will come through a Children First Grant. Others will receive some tuition assistance or a bursary through their local schools. Still others -who are members of the CRC - will have a portion paid through a grant from the Classis Niagara Christian Education Fund.
2) Because everyone who contributes to the church’s budget is contributing to its Classical Quotas, people are making these donations without specifically directing their funds. This helps ensure that the CRA’s (Canadian Revenue Agency) definition of a “charitable gift” is being met. The monies are collected from a general pool of people, and they are distributed according to fixed criteria that are applied equally to all candidates for a grant from the Fund. These criteria are: they are members of a CRC in Classis Niagara, and they have children enrolled in a local Reformed Christian school. There is no consideration of whether they have individually contributed to the fund, if they have contributed $50, or if they have contributed $3,000. The money is collected “blindly” and it is distributed “blindly”. This should meet any concern of the CRA.
3) Because people receive a full donation receipt for whatever they pay towards their church’s budget, the question of “receiving a benefit” needs to be kept in mind. Currently the schools can issue receipts for any amount over and above the CRA’s determined “cost-per-student”. For most OACS schools this “cost-per-student” is in the range of $2,500-$3,000 per child. This means that every family with fewer than four children in one school would be eligible for a donation receipt for the amount collected through this quota, whether it is a gift to the church or directly to the school. In other words, the question of “direct benefit” from a charitable gift is essentially non-operative.