We exist to equip deacons and others to participate in God’s work of transforming lives and communities.

This resources page is one of the ways in which we fulfill that mission.

The information included here is specifically designed to give deacons and church members tangible ways to reach, include, empower, and transform lives and communities; lives and communities that advance and more closely reflect God’s reign of shalom in our world.

 

Benevolence

HDC Benevolence Ministry Handbook

Church Benevolence Resource Materials from Helping Without Hurting in Church Benevolence

Helping Without Hurting in Church Benevolence by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert

Community Development

Deacons

Biblical Perspective on Diakonia

by Dr. Mariano Avila (Calvin Theological Seminary)

Diakonia Remixed: Office of Deacon Task Force Report to CRC Synod 2013

THE Form for Ordination of CRC Elders & Deacons - 2016

HDC online Orientation - Updated 04/2023

Deacon Job Description Template

Updated 05/2019

Devotions for Deacons - FROM Diaconal Ministries Canada

CHOOSING WHICH MINISTRIES TO SUPPORT Resource from Diaconal Ministries Canada

Role of Deacons in Community Engagement - by Andy Ryskamp

Doing Justice

CRC & RCA

World Renew: Serving as the community development, disaster response, and justice arm of the Christian Reformed Church in North America.

Diaconal Ministries Canada: DMC provides excellent resources for CRC deacons. Be sure to visit their Deacon Resources page.

Mass Incarceration: Resources from the RCA that congregations might use to educate their members and engage in advocacy activities related to mass incarceration.

The Network: A CRC-wide conversation about doing ministry. Specific pages for various areas of ministry including resources, news, and information for Deacons.

Refugee Response Resources: The RCA provides practical resources to support those wanting to better understand, support, and respond to refugees.

 

Office of Social Justice: Educating CRC members and supporting their engagement in social justice issues. Occasionally involved in direct advocacy.

Disability Concerns: A CRC/RCA collaboration equipping people in churches, whether or not they have disabilities, to serve God together in ministry.

Criminal Justice Reform

Healing Trauma: Beyond Gangs and Prisons
A brief video by Brave New Films about sentencing reform and decriminalizing trauma. The video highlights the work of Homeboy Industries and its founder, Fr. Greg Boyle.

Pursuing Justice & Compassion Articles from Christianity Today for pastors and others in church leadership.


Other Community Development Organizations

Parish Collective: Identifies, connects, and resources followers of Jesus that desire to care for their neighborhood. It’s re-founding the local church and learning to join in with the restorative work God is already doing.

The Chalmers Center: A research and training organization that equips churches to empower the poor. By changing the way churches think about poverty and training them in practical poverty alleviation tools, the Chalmers Center supports local churches as they proclaim the gospel in both word and deed.

Christian Community Development Association (CCDA): CCDA is a network of Christians committed to seeing people and communities holistically restored.

Partners Worldwide: A dynamic global network of business professionals who bear witness to their faith in Jesus Christ so that rich and poor, individuals and groups, communities and nations are transformed to more completely reflect the kingdom of God.