Review of the training evening for new deacons
How do you shape the diaconate in your congregation? How can you be of service to the world around you, following Christ? With those questions, nearly twenty deacons met on Tuesday 17 September in the Bethel Church in Veenendaal for the biennial training evening, organised by the Clerical Diaconal Committee (CDC) of the Amersfoort classis. It was an evening full of encounter, inspiration and practical tools for the beautiful work of the deacon.
Mercy, justice and sustainability
The meeting focused mainly on newly appointed deacons, but experienced deacons were also welcome. After a welcome with coffee, René Hubregtse, diaconal consultant, took those present through the theme of being a diaconal-missionary congregation. Using various Bible passages, he showed that diaconate is inextricably linked to being a congregation. Diaconate means: doing good (mercy), doing justice (righteousness) and caring for creation (sustainability).
Church and surroundings
A well-known Bible story at the centre of this was that of the Good Samaritan. In pairs, the participants thought about the meaning of this story for their own practice. After all, diaconate does not only focus on their own congregation, but also on their surroundings and the world.
How do you discover a request for help? How do you conduct a diaconal conversation? Which groups require special attention? What foreign projects are possible? Such questions helped to make things concrete.
Kingdom of God
During the evening, it became clear how great God's care is for people in need - and that He wants to use the church in particular to make that care visible. At the same time, we were encouraged that diaconal work is ultimately about the kingdom of God, not about our own congregation. A deacon may lead in that in faith, hope and love and thus be a blessing to others.
Support and advice
René concluded the evening with a practical format for deacons to work with in their own congregations around the three keywords: mercy, justice and sustainability - applied in the congregation, the environment and the world.
Participants went home encouraged and with new inspiration. Those wishing to work further on this theme as a church council or diaconate can count on support from diaconal consultant René Hubregtse.
Alinda van Dijk, secretary of the CDC Amersfoort
