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The Regional Synod of Canada
1985 Beke Road,
R.R. #4
Cambridge, Ontario,
Canada
N1R 5S5
Phone: 519-622-1777
Fax: 519-622-1993

Email:
John Kapteyn
Barb Laidlaw


The steering committee for the RCA's dialogue on homosexuality is launching an online survey to determine RCA members' perspectives on homosexuality and the church. This is the first step in a program designed to listen to the wider denomination and provide occasions for the denomination to engage in dialogue. It is important for all of us to share our perspective - Click here to complete the survey
  Ministry Highlights - Notes 
Open Arms Pictures

Welland - A Call for Help
  Events/Meetings
May 24 -Coaching Excellence Day western classes

June 1 Willowcreek Leadership Summit  details

June 2 Alpha Youth Training Day

June 7-12 General Synod

Nov. 11-14  Imagine 2007 Congress details
  Book Review
Book ReviewHouse Church: Essential Books for the Movement
The Present Future
Reggie McNeal


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What's New
 Read the Bible in One Year

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New Congregation Plan App.

New Congregation Grant  Gde

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 News Archives 
New Prayer Initiative Launched (05/01/07)

Finding God in the West  (040207)

Introducing our new Executive Secretary

Blessed in the Dominican

Prairie Fire

Sleepovers Offer Powerful Ministry to Teen Girls

Bethel Celebrates 50 Years

Church Multiplication

Bike for Bibles

Bouws Italy Bound

Forestview Dedicates Building

Prayer Requested for Executive-Secretary Search

Canadian Council LetterTo PM About HIV Aids

A Word About This Site

A Word of Welcome

Back Row: (left to right) Mr. Emile Schmid, Rev. Case Koolhaas, Mr. Bill Zwiep, Rev. Bart Keefer, Rev. Randy Opmeer, Mr. Cor Demeris
Front Row: (left to right) Mrs. Barb Laidlaw, Rev. Siebrand Wilts, Mrs. Laurie Heron, Rev. John Kapteyn, Rev. Carson Culp, Rev. Don Waterhouse, Mrs. Deborah Waterhouse 

The Regional Synod of Canada has just completed our Annual General Meeting.  We thank God for the spirit of mission and unity that prevailed at our meeting.  We are excited about the mission opportunities that lie ahead of God's church here in Canada.  We trust that a number of decisions will equip us better for the task which God has set before us.

We elected Case Koolhaas to be our new president and Bill Zwiep to be our new vice president.  We thank God for that gifts that each of these men will bring to their positions.

 

Left to Right: Rev. Case Koolhaas, President, Rev. John Kapteyn, Executive Secretary,
Mr. Bill Zwiep, Vice-President  

We spent considerable time determining how we can fulfill the mission.  We are in process of presenting a new mission statement which will reflect our call to mobilize the church in Canada toward its mission.  Our mission will be based on the Our Call of the RCA, and our initial focus will be on leadership development and discipleship.  We believe that change must occur within the people.  We should soon have our goals and action plans agreed upon in these areas and we hope to initiate a fund drive which will enable us to carry out our plans. More information on this will soon be sent to churches and classes. 

We decided to provide $500 scholarships to the members of the Synod and classes CP&D Executive committees to be 'One Thing' event next January in San Antonio with Reggie McNeal.  We will provide up to 40 grants and some may be made available to non-committee members.

We also decided to restructure our CP&D committee into 3 working teams- Leadership Development and Discipleship, Multiplication and Mission and Revitalization.  We will present this restructuring to the classes as it will require their participation within each team.

We increased the monies available for new church development grants from the Canadian Church Growth Fund, and extended the term of the grants by up to two optional years.  We continue to endorse the Commissioned Pastors program, Natural Church Development, Coaching, and Coached Facilitators Networking.  We will remind churches that grants are available for visioning and strategic planning.  We will establish a resource Library (online and in our office) for church planting.

We also plan to improve our communication by increasing the size of  Northern Lights and hope that the churches will be able to ,make copies at their locations to keep costs down.  We are asking for churches to advise us of potential point persons in each church to help with the flow of communication.  We are also seeking to communicate the good news of what God is doing in our churches more effectively on our website and through an e-mail newsletter .

We will also study the closing of the office at the Camp location, and determine to where our office should be moved.  This will be done by a the end of this year.

We also supported the Foundation Canada’s plans to begin a new campaign based on Our Call. 

Our budget was approved with an increase of $2.00 per member in assessment.  This is the first increase in assessment in many years.

We hope to finish the draft minutes of our meeting in the near future and will publish them on the website so that all the decisions can be read.

We are excited about the opportunities that God has placed before us and we believe we will be able to take advantage of these opportunities, only as we all work together as one team.  Our focus must be missional - in that the church does not exist for itself, but rather to bring God's truth into the world.

 

Report on 2007 Annual General Meeting
Book Review
The Present Future
by
Reggie McNeal
House Church: Essential Books for the Movement
Reviews
"This is the most courageous book I have ever read on church life. McNeal nails the problem on the head. Be prepared to be turned upside down and shaken loose of all your old notions of what church is and should be in today's world."
— George Cladis, senior pastor, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Oklahoma City and author, Leading the Team-Based Church

"With humor and rare honesty Reggie McNeal challenges church leaders to take authentic Christianity back into the real world. He's asking the right questions to help us get back on track."
— Tommy Coomes, contemporary Christian music pioneer and record producer, artist with Franklin Graham Ministries

"Reggie McNeal throws a lifeline to church leaders who are struggling with consumer-oriented congregations wanting church for themselves. The Present Future will recharge you passion."
— Rev. Robert R. Cushman, senior pastor, Princeton Alliance Church, Plainsboro, New Jersey

"Christian leaders will find great questions being answered in this compelling and motivating work that unwraps what he calls 'the realities of the present future' in the church today."
— Kelvin Gardiner, district superintendent, Christian and Missionary Alliance.

"The momentum of God that allows visionary ministries to experience exponential growth stalls for the lack of great management (having the right systems and people in place to move to the next level). This is a must read for the young entrepreneur at the beginning of ministry or the seasoned pioneer!"
— Mike Slaughter, senior pastor, Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church, Tipp City Ohio

"I would highly recommend this book to any person interested in the current state of the Church in North America and the future of that Church. It is time that we pay attention to the realities of our ministry context and like David's 'Men of Issachar' discern the right path into the future."
— Rick E. Morrow, pastoral care coordinator, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina

"This book is a rare find in which McNeal lovingly challenges the church with a spirit of adventure and rediscovery."
— The Rt. Rev. Charles Jenkins, Bishop, The Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana



Book Description
In this provocative book, author, consultant, and church leadership
developer Reggie McNeal debunks these and other old assumptions and provides an overall strategy to help church leaders move forward in an entirely different and much more effective way. In The Present Future, McNeal identifies the six most important realities that church leaders must address including: recapturing the spirit of Christianity and replacing "church growth" with a wider vision of kingdom growth; developing disciples instead of church members; prediction and planning to preparation for the challenges in an uncertain world. McNeal contends that by changing the questions church leaders ask themselves about their congregations and their plans, they can frame the core issues and approach the future with new eyes, new purpose, and new ideas.


Regional Synod of Canada