Quick Notes Update for August 9, 2022

Note our new email for the Synod Office:

This edition carries much over from the last. Many of our clergy are taking time for sabbaticals, vacations and renewal opportunities. Prayers for them and all of our congregations as we look towards the Fall season and ministry in this new normal time!

One major item is the Lay Recognition Dinner which is the first item below. Deb from the Synod Office sends us this note:

Dear Friends,

There is still time for you to name an honoree for this year's Lay Recognition Dinner. The deadline for submitting an honoree is August 19th to allow for planning.

The next deadline of September 16th is for the initial round of reservations, after which we will open up any remaining tables for those churches that have more than 20 people who wish to attend.  

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, and we hope to see you in October!

Blessings,
Deborah Petersen
Executive Assistant
Synod of the Mid-Atlantics
35 Seminary Place
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
848-237-1794
CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE FOR FULL REGISTRATION AND FLYER PDF. Consider nominating someone from your church!
NJIC3 is starting an Interfaith Cancer Support Group, to be held virtually once per week for about one hour. This group is open to anyone who has faced cancer and would like to be an in interfaith environment to provide mutual support through deep listening, sharing and contemplation. The group will be facilitated by a NJIC3 staff member in the spirit of a peer-led group. The weekly date and time of this group will be based on the availability of those interested. Please share this email with anyone you know who might be interested in participating in the group. 

If you'd like to join the group, please click the link below to let us know your availability:


If you have any questions, please contact Austin Morreale austin.njic3@improvingnj.org or Nobuko Hori at nobuko.njic3@improvingnj.org
She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. - Proverbs 31:14

INSIGHTS FOR CONGREGATIONAL LEADERS:
CHANGE, TRUST AND LEADERSHIP

I've been challenged this year to reach beyond our normal materials and find helpful insights from non-traditional sources. So here's a first try for us.

We are all struggling with change.
Some people are more open to consider change than others.
What might help congregational members be more open to change?

A research article found that openness to change depended on trust. That makes sense. If people trust you, they will take a risk with you. Change is a risk, a stepping into some unknown. So trust is important.

They found that (at least) two things would contribute to that trust: transformational leadership and transparent communication.

You can read the details in the research article, but here's a quick look at it.
  • Transformational leadership is "“relationship-oriented, interactive, visionary, passionate, caring, and empowering."
  • Transparent communication provides people with what they need to know and what they are asking to know, the good and the bad.

TAKEAWAY: YOU CAN'T FORCE CHANGE, YOU HAVE TO CULTIVATE THE TRUST THAT BRINGS OPENNESS TO CHANGE BY YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR COMMUNICATION.

Interested in talking more about this?
Send me a note and we can discuss it together.

Phil Bakelaar - rsmat communications
Greetings, dear siblings in Christ ~

We are excited to announce that registration is now open for all three of these opportunities: the She Is Called Holy Land trip, the She Is Called Women of the Bible online master class, and the CBE Conference. More details and registration links are included below.

We warmly invite you to join us and pass along these offerings to others in your faith community. Any questions? Do not hesitate to ask.

In Lavish Hope,
Liz and Lorraine
Women’s Transformation and Leadership
and Equity-Based Hospitality
CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING OPPORTUNITIES!

She is Called Women of the Bible online study, Vol. 2
Thursday Evenings, 7:00–8:30 p.m. Eastern
July 7–September 1, 2022

Christians for Biblical Equality 2022 Conference
August 5–7, 2022
Atlanta, Georgia

She is Called Holy Land Global Experience 2022
November 9–20, 2022
A SHARED RCA/CRC RESOURCE ENCOURAGING VIBRANT CONGREGATIONS
DID YOU MISS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CLINICAL PASTORAL EDUCATION IN YOUR SEMINARY YEARS? WOULD YOU LIKE TO RENEW YOUR SKILLS? CHECK THE NEW COLLABORATIVE CRC/RCA PROGRAM BELOW (Click on the link for the full brochure)
Full-time Lead Pastor for North Branch Reformed Church, a thriving congregation of 300 active members in beautiful Bridgewater, N.J. Must be an ordained minister/pastor and have prior experience. Compensation: Commensurate with experience, following the Classis of Delaware-Raritan guidelines. 
Visit https://www.nbrc.com/about/job-opportunities for complete job description and church information. Interested candidates are asked to email their resume to pastorsearch@nbrc.com.
Is God calling you to bi-vocational ministry?
The New Jersey Air National Guard is looking for clergy who meet these qualifications:
·       Be a United States citizen, dual citizenship is not accepted.
·       Possess baccalaureate degree with not less than 120 semester hours of undergraduate credit from an accredited college or university.
·       Possess Master's Degree in Theology or related subjects (not less than 72 semester hrs) from an accredited institution.
·       Be qualified spiritually, morally, intellectually and emotionally to serve Air Force personnel.
·       Be less than 40 years of age at the time of appointment. Age waivers are considered for prior military service and critical faith groups.
·       Pass the Air Force physical examination, and meet weight standards.
·       Pass a National Agency Check security background check and qualify for a security clearance.
·       Possess an ecclesiastical endorsement from a recognized denomination or faith. (The Reformed Church in America is a recognized denomination.)
·       Be available for the minimum required paid training.
·       Be available to attend the five-week paid Commissioned Officer Training (COT) and the six-week paid Basic Chaplain Course (BCC) within the first two years in the program.
·       Be sensitive to religious diversity and provide for the free exercise of religion by all military personnel, their dependents, and other authorized personnel the military services serves.
In the New Jersey Air National Guard, a Chaplain provides religious ministries of worship, religious education, pastoral care, counseling and visitation. Military Chaplains are non-combatants; as such, they are not allowed to handle weapons when in uniform. Pay is commensurate with officer rank and years in service.
Curios?
Contact: (908) 336-2869
Rev. Dr. David Kahler - Minister of Word and Sacrament, Delaware-Raritan Classis
Ch, Lt Col, David Kahler – Wing Chaplain, 108th Wing, New Jersey Air National Guard
ARE YOU INTERESTED IN IMPROVING YOUR TECHNOLOGY USE!

Would you like to:
Discuss church software for managing member information and online donations?
Learn to use email newsletters to keep members informed?
Rework your website to a more modern look?
Create online forms for people to register for events and provide feedback?
Create online visual databases like the livestream example above?
Take your livestream to the next level?
Develop a social media plan and a team to implement it?

REPLY TO THIS EMAIL AS WE FORM LEARNING GROUPS!
CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE FOR THE COMPLETE UPDATE LETTER

Trustees Needed for the Warwick Conference Center
 
The Warwick Conference Center is a subsidiary corporation of the Regional Synods of the Mid-Atlantics and New York. The Board of Trustees for Warwick is made up of laypersons and clergy from both synods.  We are currently looking for 5 people who are willing to serve on the Board of Trustees from the Synod of the Mid-Atlantics, especially persons with gifts in the following areas:
·      Property (maintenance, sales, leasing)
·      Legal (familiarity with NY law would be helpful)
·      Finance and investments
·      Human Resources
·      Publicity and/or fundraising 
If you are interested in serving, know of someone who might be, or if you have questions about what service on the board entails, please contact Rev. Jill Fenske (President of the Board of Trustees) at jcfenske@optimum.net or the synod office at rsmatoffice@gmail.com


THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING CHURCHES FOR ADDING THEIR LIVESTREAM INFORMATION TO OUR ARCHIVES PAGE
Wyckoff Reformed
Three Bridges Reformed
Ocean Community, Mahahawkin
Parkside Community
RSMAT churches are livestreaming and maintaining recorded service archives. This presents us with a unique opportunity to learn from each other and celebrate the amazing gifts in our community! Please use this webform to provide us with your church livestream link and a link to your recorded services archive. We will make a single page view available of all of this information so that you can visit around and get inspired!
Are you using a VR headset and exploring how virtual reality might be used in ministry? Let's have a conversation!
MURAL and other online whiteboards provide a way to add more interaction to zoom meetings. Let me know if you want to explore this further.
GATHER TOWN is a fun way to add some social involvment to your online options.
DO YOU HAVE AN EXAMPLE OF ADAPTING AND INNOVATING TO SHARE FOR INSPIRATION AND ENCOURAGEMENT? SEND IT TO US!
NJ CONGREGATIONAL CENTER FOR CANCER CARE
We have created an online gathering of all of the newsletters of the program. Find help for those facing cancer.
CHURCH BASED MENTAL HEALTH NEWSLETTERS ARCHIVE
We've created an online gathering of all of the newsletters the program has sent out during COVID. Very helpful insights to pass along to your congregations!
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.