pray for Kenya

I really appreciated this thoughtful post by Holly, a CRWRC staff member, about the current turmoil in Kenya. 

This also gives me a chance to highlight this wonderful new online community for CRCNA Justice Seekers. From their homepage: “The CRC Justice Seekers community is a place for folks to discuss, inform, and share their thoughts on justice with others in the denomination.” Head on over and let your voice be heard!

Baptism and the CRCNA

I’ve been following an interesting conversation begun by Dave Gifford,  a CRWM missionary in Mexico. (and fellow ex-Roman Catholic!)

 We work in places all over the world where there are widely divergent views on “believer’s” versus infant baptism. (would it be fair to call that “covenant” baptism?) With that in mind, Dave explains why he is now an advocate for infant baptism. He has really thought a great deal about the topic, and I encourage you all to join in the conversation.

This has been a topic of discussion within our denomination as a whole, and I’m sure that we will continue to wrestle with this issue.

Thanks, Dave, for allowing us to take another look at this issue!

–Lorraine Woodward

“home” missions versus “world” missions–so what’s the difference?

I think it was in 1947 that the CRC first made a distinction between “home” missions and “world” missions. Some denominations, including our older “sibling”, don’t distinguish between “home” and “world”.

So what do you think? is the distinction an important one? Would it be worth it for us to begin a discussion on how things might change as we look ahead to the next 150 years?

 Read this article and then share your thoughts with us. We’d like to hear from you!

a sneak peek at “the move”

Some scenes from our Grand Rapids offices over the past week . . .  

good to think about

As someone who attends an “intentionally diverse” Christian Reformed Church, I have been pondering this wise gentleman’s question.

What are your thoughts on the matter? We’d like to hear from you!

what a mess!

We at the Grand Rapids office of Christian Reformed World Missions are in the midst of a remodeling project that will require all of us to be relocated to a makeshift set of workspaces in the cafeteria for three to four months. In the meantime, we are frantically cleaning out our spaces, as well as the random closets and files we’re each responsible for.

I’ll have more to say, and some pictures of the process, soon, but for now, here are a few of the fun things we’ve found:

1) a stuffed penguin (not a plush stuffed penguin–a TAXIDERMIED stuffed penguin. I tell my boss frequently that the penguin is “staring at me!” but she won’t take it down. seriously, wouldn’t you be afraid of this?)

2) several cassette players (a few that look like this and had everybody saying, “I had this exact cassette player when I was a kid!”)

3) more books than we know what to do with, including, “Management trends of the 80’s” and other fun titles

4) Binders, binders, binders

5) a Kodak “Disc” camera, circa 1984

We are praying that we will give each other much grace in the tense, chaotic weeks and months to come. We are reminded quite frequently to “keep smiling!”,  and we are trying to do so . . .

Have you done any spring cleaning lately?  

I’m quite embarrassed to admit that my desk looked like this
BEFORE we started “the move” . . .
                                                                                                              Lorraine Woodward