We believe that all authority exercised in the church is received from
Christ, the only Head of the church. The power that Jesus Christ bestows
on his church flows through the Holy Spirit to all the people. Each RCA
congregation has a body called a consistory that oversees its ministry.
While elders, deacons, and ministers of Word and sacrament are called
from among the people, we believe the Spirit of the Lord appoints them
to their special tasks, and they are responsible first of all to the Lord
of the church.
Church of the Chimes believes in shared leadership. God has gifted and
called men and women to serve and we want to empower them to do just that.
Each of our six constellations (worship, outreach, connection, discipleship,
community care, support ministry) is led by a member of senior staff,
an elder, a deacon and various ministry directors. This group of 30+ leaders
gather on a monthly basis for the purpose of worship/prayer, encouragement
and alignment to the vision and mission of the church. Every area of ministry
falls under the umbrella of one of these constellations.
The Consistory
The three offices of minister of Word and sacrament, elder, and deacon
are brought together in the consistory. This gathering of officers is
the governing body of our congregation and is chosen periodically from
the membership of the congregation. It is responsible for all the spiritual
and practical day-to-day affairs of the church. The minister is always
the president of the consistory. While it usually meets together, the
consistory is divided into two orders. One order is that of the elders
and the other is that of the deacons.
The Elder
Elders represent a unique insight of our Reformed tradition. Ministers
do not serve alone. The church is not the church without dedicated elders
who serve Jesus Christ while earning their living and living their faith
in the world. Elders are responsible for sound teaching and discipline
within the church and for the spiritual well being of the congregation.
They are to make sure that members are nurtured through Scripture, worship,
the sacraments, and prayer. The elders provide a continuity of commitment
and leadership in the church.
The Deacon
Deacons play a key role in moving their churches into missions of
justice, mercy, and compassion.
They focus on six key areas of concern:
• Special
Individual and Family Concerns
•
Stewardship Education and Congregational Giving
• Mission
Involvement
• Volunteer
Service
• Reformed
Church World Service and Hunger Advocacy
• Caring
for Creation and Simple Living