Resources to Grow

Grow Resources

outreach love smYou don’t need special gifts, but you do need to care.  I don’t have the
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repotAs CRCA churches we are better together than we are alone. Considering a repotting strategy is not an easy choice to

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Externally focused crpExternally focused churches are internally strong, but are orientated

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Openhouse CRC in the Gold Coast area of Queenland is committed to reaching the lost for Christ.   An essential step in their strategy to reach their community with

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Below are questions you might like to reflect on together as Classis, church pastors/elders/deacons, and/or churches having watch the video In Times Like

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What's at  the core your church?  Attached below you will find a tool you can use to measuring your church on the fundamentals.   The first document is a simple one page questionnaire.   The second document has the

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We need new practices of church planting for the challenges of a post-Christian society. (David Fitch)

Maybe you are thinking, Why do we need to start new churches? Aren’t there enough churches already out there? Here I want
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A church needs to decide which process they plan to take to evaluate, communicate, and act on the results of their church's NCLS survey. The deeper a church's commitment to a culture of planning, the greater will be their need for a
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It is encouraging to know that 84% of CRCA congregational members would support the development of new initiatives in the ministry and mission of their local

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Before launching into the growth areas brought to light by your NCD Survey, it may be that what you or your leadership most need right now is some

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Moving Your Church Through Growth Barriers (5)

Christianity is not a spectator sport.    Australians know what it means to be a spectator.   And

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Moving Your Church Through Growth Barriers (4)

Balance in a church, just as it is in life, is a healthy condition!   You might know of situations in life when you are

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Moving Your Church Through Growth Barriers (3)

We all like to be in charge, in control of our lives and even our own destiny.   Desire for control is buried deep in the DNA

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Moving Your Church Through Growth Barriers (2)

We are creatures of habit and we all tend to gravitate to the comfortable pew in church.    At least this has been my

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Moving Your Church Through Growth Barriers (1)

You probably heard it said, “Starting the job is half done.”   Some might take issue with this maxim arguing that

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Moving Your Church through Growth Barriers – An Introduction

There are many times in life when we come to a fork in the road and we have to make a choice.   Do we turn to left or to

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Jack De Vries speaks to the Launceston church, Riverbank Christian Church, on how churches can move through growth barriers. He discusses five choice points churches will face and six steps to move through growth barriers.   Listen to the

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Combined NCD Survey CRCA January 2016

Combined NCD Story Guide CRCA January 2016

This four week guidebook is for pastors or mentors who are preparing young people or new converts to make public profession of faith. Through

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What does it mean to become a member of a church and get involved in a church's ministry?   Here is a booklet prepared by

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Does your church know its neighbours?   There are numerous sources of information available about your community – from demographic data to conversations with agency personnel, households, community members, and other church leaders.

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Read-Pray-Grow-nlcc-1Welcome to one-to-one discipleship!  In this handbook you’ll find

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welcome_to_our_churchAs I walked into the church lobby, the person who was walking with me

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Mail_AttachmentChrist’s final instructions to His disciples in Matthew 28:18-20 is commonly called The...
WitnessOne of the great privileges we have as God’s children is the authority and privilege to invite others to be...
PerthThe original Reformed church congregation in Perth is the Perth CRC, located in Victoria Park.   This...
ChristianityChristianity is most commonly acknowledged as having significant influence on people's lives...

togetherWhat does it look like when the whole church is focused on making disciples together?   In

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PlantingBrian Vaatstra shares the Kingston experience of Church Planting, outlining the five stages leading up to the

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City-to-CityI have returned to Mackay after a five week Church Planting Intensive journey throughout four

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catalyst_logoWith the close of Trowel & Sword at the end of 2009, people have found it harder to stay

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FloodBy the time you receive this report it will have been 500 days since the floods that struck South East

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YourStoryEvery person you encounter, every community you enter into, and every culture you engage has a dominant...

networkThe Christian Reformed Churches in Australia are committed to growing healthy churches.   As

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tic_tac_toeA simple tool is helping churches in Arvada, Colorado, know and love their

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people-matter-to-god2Consider your own Christian community. How can you capitalize on your

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connect

Presenting Christ and His  Compassion to our Community

PC3 is a young Church Plant

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stethoscopeHealthy churches are growing churches.  For this reason one of the ministry priorities in

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Make-DisciplesAs Christians we are called to be witnesses of Christ.   In common usage, what

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connect_photo1What is the power and what are the advantages of a group of Christians as a witnessing

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stethoscope-2Do we have a clear and common vision?  Does your worship glorify God? Is God’s Word the

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evaluationEvaluation promotes ministry change.   To get better at what we do as well as grow

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BrianBrian Vaatstra of Kingston CRC, Tasmania,  has overseen the planting of four churches in the

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PCCLogoPioneer Community Church is a new CRCA church plant in northern Queensland committed to extend its outreach...

David-LynchHans Kristensen interviews three church planters from varying backgrounds and states within

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stand_by_the_door“I stand by the door.  I neither go too far in, nor stay too far out.  The

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CommunityMore churches are pioneering a shift toward community service. Not only are they deploying their own

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ForrestdaleA Gospel Community Grows in Forrestdale

by Jack De Vries and Ollie

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Connecting_the_GenerationsHow do you bridge the gap between younger and older members of

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Total20Church1Many churches successfully preach the gospel message, but they have very little

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churchA city of churches is a name given to  various cities with many churches, including Adelaide in South

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cafe_1A good cup of coffee, some good food, and a relaxed atmosphere are all part of the strategy to reach the

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Goodna_floodThousands of people were forced to evacuate their properties as the Brisbane River in SE

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outreachPlanning a Christian outreach event is generally geared toward providing educational and recreation

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missionAfter interviews with 50 leading missional leaders engaged in global outreach the following nine trends

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children_heart2The Spiritual State of the World's Children research project was created to provide an

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Children20Bible20StudyA comprehensive look at what the Bible has to say about children, their

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childrenJAMA plan for a church service which highlights the importance of valuing children and those who work...

worldThe gospel is the Good News, the glorious news that God through Christ came to our

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CapetownThroughout the world today, pastors, mission leaders, and laymen are working towards the day when

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pegsIn the West for nearly 1,000 years, the relationship of (Anglo-European) Christian churches to the broader

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stethoscopeWe need an Apgar score for the church.  As Christians we care deeply about the health and

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pewOur purpose in gathering with God's people, be it on Sunday or some other day of the week, is not only to be

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missingpeopleHow did Jesus intend for all lost people, from every tribe, language, people and nation, to

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discipleshipWhat is discipleship?  How do we make disciples as Jesus commanded us to do in Matthew

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MackayThe CRCA is exploring with Queensland churches the opportunity to plant a new church in Mackay. ...

pix-ausBefore migrants are given their boarding pass, and take their seats in the plane, they are looking for a

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by Jack De Vries

MackayRecently there have been requests to begin a Reformed church in the Mackay area....

by CRCA Church Planting Taskforce

Margate_copyThere are opportunities all around us because most Australians know...

by Peter Kossens

AustralindIt was about 15 years ago that the Reformed Church of Brunswick Junction laid before the

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by Roy Pointer

whisperGod has given some Christians special gifts and abilities to share their faith and proclaim the Good...

church_multiplicationIssues Pastors Address when Leading a Church to Birth a

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cell_groupsMansfield CRC’s vision is to grow their church to the point of ‘multiplication’...
huonvilleA princess, cursed by a wicked fairy, falls into a hundred-year sleep on her...
by Jack De Vries

allpeopleIn December 2009 the Indonesian Reformed Church (IRC) began meeting in a new area of Sydney,...
by Jack De Vries

churchinhillsIt was not a new idea.  Planting a church in the Cherrybrook/Hills District on the...
by Geoff Van Schie
Source: Trowel and Sword December 2009

towardsharvestIt is not the year church planter Geoff...
by Paul Rees and Jack De Vries

streetministrySt Marys CRC in NSW took their ministry to the streets.   This...
by Joe Vermuelen, translated by Tiiu Crouch

newcountryTo immigrate takes guts.  You have got to be tough.  It...
by Dave Groenenboom

storyinstonesAt Redlands CRC (Queensland) recent 10th Anniversary celebration, three stones were...
A Low Key, Long Term, Relational Church Planting Strategy through Gospel Communities
by Jack De Vries, with Rod McWilliams.

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by Jim De Witte

shawlandsOver the past couple of years the Dandenong CRC had the opportunity to support a group of local...

by Lois Swagerty


costofmissionalLeading ones church in a missional direction may be easier said than done.

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by Dale S. Ryan

6ways
Every church wants to be known as a church that cares. And most congregations...

rallyingThe CRCA Synod will be meeting 10 - 16 May in Wonga Park, Victoria. Under God’s grace as a denomination we now have a

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prayercareshareThe Ministers and Wives Conference of the Christian Reformed Churches  held in August 2008 spawned a...
by Scott Thomas, ACTS 29
Used by permission

churchplanterMany churches do not have a vision for church planting...
by Johann Eloff

southafricansThe Afrikaners in Australia, attending CRCA churches, are undergoing change in almost...
tasmaniaVision 100 Resources is a network of church leaders working together to evangelise Tasmania, and sharing a conviction that the...
by Geoff Van Schie

ripeforharvestThere is an immense need out in the country regions of Australia, where the call of...
by Brian Vaatstra

multiplyingWhen the early Dutch migrant families came to Australia 50 years ago, they brought with...
reapplyingJason DeVries, a senior student at Calvin Seminary, reflects on the state of the Christian Reformed Church in North...
The church world is full of information. The challenge is to find regular, high quality information about the unique health issues your church is facing. The NCD Church Survey is designed to do just this. It has been developed from the most...

By Charles Ridley

(How to Select Church Planters, Fuller Evangelistic Association, 1988) Church planting is a unique and challenging ministry. Assessment interviews help church planter candidates clarify

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By Heidi Rolland Unruh & Phillip N. Olson (The General Council of Assemblies of God, Enrichment Journal, 2006)

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How do we become more involved in our community?  How can we impact our towns and cities with the hope of the gospel in Word and deed?   How is God calling your church to love your neighbours?  Two Christian Reformed ministers...

David-LynchHans Kristensen interviews three church planters from varying backgrounds and states within Australia, teasing out the differences in the models they've employed to plant churches. Includes Clayton Fopp (SA), Jai Wright (QLD) and David Lynch (TAS).  Here is Dave Lynch's description of the history and challenges facing Summerleas church, a Kingston CRC church plant.  These notes were provided to accompany Hans Kristensen's interview, A Range of Church Planting Models.

by David Lynch

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Sharing Good News Naturally
Sharing Good News Naturally

Organic Outreach

Most churches would agree that evangelism is a priority. The CRCA declares that reaching the lost is central to its calling as a church: we are a church reforming to reach the lost for Christ. But so few churches and Christians are bearing fruit. In fact, most churches are either maintaining the status quo or are in decline.

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Coaching for Healthy Churches and Leaders
Coaching for Healthy Churches and Leaders

Shift

Shift is all about movement – with the help of one another and the power of God to reach our broken places and move ever closer to living a life worthy of our callings as churches and leaders. Leadership development begins with acknowledging and trusting the process and the people God uses to grow us.

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