rsmat
Quick Notes Update for July 25, 2018

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Have you checked the synod calendar to see what's happening? For more information on the events below, click on the calendar link.  Don't see your church's event listed - be sure to include the synod on your email and mailing lists by sending information to rsmat@rca.org.

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The information and materials that appear in the email newsletter, facebook page or on the Website of the Regional Synod of the Mid-Atlantics of the Reformed Church in America ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE OPINION OF THE REGIONAL SYNOD OF THE MID-ATLANTICS OF THE REFORMED CHURCH IN AMERICA, NOR ARE SUCH NECESSARILY ENDORSED BY THE REGIONAL SYNOD.  THE ACCURACY AND VALIDITY OF THE INFORMATION IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PROVIDER OR AUTHOR.


After 24 years of service, the Rev. Kenneth Tenckinck will be retiring at the end of the year as Executive Director of the Warwick Conference Center & Camp Warwick, a subsidiary corporation and ministry of the Synod of the Mid-Atlantics and the Synod of New York. Given Rev. Tenckinck's impending retirement, the Board of Directors has begun the search for a new Executive Director. If you or someone you know is interested in the position, please click on the link at the bottom for the full posting, job description and qualifications, or to learn more about the conference center and the town of Warwick, NY. Please note the due date to submit a resume is July 31, 2018.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR POSITION OPENING - THE WARWICK CONFERENCE CENTER & CAMP WARWICK

JOB POSTING:
Executive Director for Non-profit, Christian Camp and Conference Center in Warwick, New York.

The Executive Director will: oversee the administration and programs of the organization and will work with the Board of Directors in visioning, developing, and executing the strategic plan.

The Executive Director will demonstrate servant leadership, integrity, and hospitality with guests, staff, and colleagues. Key duties include fundraising, marketing, community outreach, and daily operations.

Required qualifications: active, practicing Christian affiliated with a recognized church/denomination, excellent written and verbal communication skills, organization, and collaboration skills; proven experience in fundraising and building networks to sustain financial viability. Ability to work with a wide variety of individuals including Board of Directors, staff, colleagues, and guests.

5+ years non-profit and/or hospitality management experience and master's degree preferred.

Please submit resume electronically to execsearchwarwick@gmail.com by July 31, 2018 for consideration.

Full job description, camp and conference center information, and information about the Town of Warwick is available by clicking the link below:

CONGREGATIONS IN OUR REGION SEEKING PASTORS



RCA SEEKS DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL MISSION
 
SEASON OF CREATION OPPORTUNITY
AUGUST 13 ONLINE CONVERSATION







 

The 2018 Multicultural Conference, hosted by the Regional Synod of the Mid-Atlantics, will be held on Saturday, November 3rd in central New Jersey, venue to be determined.

UPDATE 6: MISSION WORK IN PUERTO RICO
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 Greetings everyone!

Ridder has a new look and a new name, Churches Learning Change. With a new name also comes a new logo, and it's quite fancy!



Click on the image above for complete information
PASTOR AND CHURCH FINANCES

The RCA has received a grant from the Lilly Endowment for financial challenges facing pastoral leaders. Ken Eriks is the project director and Irene Assink provides administrative support.

As part of that grant, the RCA has benefited from partnerships with such organizations as the Leadership Network, Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, and the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA). 

Most recently, the ECFA has developed a free resource (ChurchExcel) for pastors and churches, providing up-to-date information on tax laws; practical sample forms, policies, and procedures; as well as making available webinars on-demand, eBooks, podcasts, and interactive training courses. The subscriptions for this amazing free resource are by individual and there are no limits to the number of subscriptions per church.

When congregations are in the process of preparing their yearly budgets; reviewing pastor housing allowance requirements; studying the effects of tax reform on pastor's and churches; etc., the ChurchExcel resource could be helpful for them as well as pastors, church leaders, and finance teams.

Ken and Irene are excited about the resources that are being made available to the RCA through these partnerships. They have distributed the ChurchExcel information card through an RCA mailing but wanted to take the opportunity to share it with you as well. Attached please find a pdf of the Church Excel information card; along with this link to the RCA custom landing page: www.ChurchEXCEL.org/RCA. Feel free to attach to an email, website, electronic mailing, or whatever method you believe could be helpful to pastors and church leaders in your classis. Any questions should be directed to Ken (keneriks@rca.org) or Irene (irene@lyndenfrc.org).

Along with that, I'd like to wish you all the very best in this holiday season and in the new year to come,

Laura Kiel Tarbous
RCA Office of General Synod/Commission on Nominations
35 Seminary Pl
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
908-812-7897 mobile
ltarbous@rca.org
RIDDER RENEWAL PROJECTS 
ARE UNDERWAY IN OUR REGION

INTERESTED? CONTACT GREG TOWN

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a learning opportunity
click on the image below for a full brochure

Classis Delaware Raritan has a group going!



VISIT OUR REGIONAL SYNOD ONLINE CALENDAR!



Remember that the Synod Foundation has opportunities for loans and even some grants
...visit their  webpage on our website

Wise men and women in 1987 created an independent, not-for-profit corporation named the Synod Foundation:

To receive, hold, manage, invest, and re-invest the real estate and investment assets of PSMA [aka RSMAt], and to process and act upon loan requests and upon requests for grants from the churches and classes within the jurisdiction of PSMA from its commissions and subsidiary corporations, and from others within the scope of its concern and mission.

The Synod Foundation is governed by eight trustees appointed on an annual basis at RSMAt's annual meeting. The Trustees approve the loans and grants and manages the other investments. The Foundation currently has 20 active church and social responsibility loans totaling over $1.1 million. The balance of the funds, $1.8 million, are invested in a wide variety of short and long term securities.

Churches secure loans for new roofs, parsonage or church furnaces replacement or upgrades, repointing brick or stone, interior church and parsonage renovations, removing accessibility issues, purchasing a building, and hurricane cleanup and repairs. Recently, four churches have secured loans for solar systems as a witness to green stewardship and expecting to lower their future electrical energy costs even as the solar system loan is being paid. With the Federal and New Jersey government assistance, the expectation is for the loan to be paid in around 12 years with the life of the solar system good for another 15 or so years.

See the Foundation flyer for commonly asked questions or contact the Synod Office for more information.



FREE Online Learning Opportunities
Mediated Organizations: 
Technology for your church ministry

We are setting up online seminars for the Fall season. Please let us know which topics are of interest to you. Seminars are usually held online using Zoom or GoToMeeting on Thursday evenings. Other times are available on request.
Consider having a custom training for your own church team or board! On-sites are possible with enough notice.

Let us know what you are interested in or if you have questions!

  1. Using Facebook 
  2. Using Twitter 
  3. Using free and low cost websites
  4. Using higher end paid websites
  5. Using podcasts
  6. Using mind mapping for planning and meetings
  7. Using visual thinking for planning and meetings
  8. Using online collaborative platforms for teams and organizations: basecamp, slack and more
  9. Using projection in your church ministry
  10. Using email newsletters: constant contact and mailchimp
Courses are taught by The Rev. Dr. Philip Bakelaar, , rsmat communications coordinator, pastor at Ocean Community Church in Manahawkin and adjunct professor in the School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University. 

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