Functionaries
(Complete List of
Responsibilities)

Classis Ministries
Team (CMT)

Classis Leadership
Team

Classical Appointments

Pulpit Supply

Interim Committee

Delegates

Synodical Deputies

Regional Pastors

Board of Trustees

Church Visitors

Safe Church Team

Finance Committee

Nominating Committee

Diaconal Ministries

Youth Ministries

Classical Candidacy
Committee (formerly
Student Fund Comm.)

Home Missions

McMaster Campus Ministry

Shalom Chaplaincy

E. Canada Leadership
Development Network

Churchplant Burlington

Classis Rules of
Procedure

Ministry Positions in
Classis Hamilton

50th Anniversary of
Classis Hamilton

Email Webmaster

Welcome to the Classis Hamilton Website

The Christian Reformed Church in North America's Vision and Mission Statements

Classis Hamilton's Mission and Structure

Administration:
Stated Clerk: Pastor John Veenstra
Treasurer:

Next regular Classis meeting: Tuesday February 21, 2012
Place:  Hope CRC, 64 Buchanan Cr., Brantford
Agenda deadline:  January 10, 2012 (Please note that reports submitted after this date may not be included with the agenda). Please submit all materials to the Stated Clerk, Pastor John Veenstra (classishamilton@cogeco.ca), by email via Word attachments.

Chairperson:
Vice Chairperson: Rev. Andrew Zomerman
Reporter: Rev. Shawn Brix

2012 Classis Meeting Dates:
Feb. 21, 2012, deadline for the agenda Jan. 10.
May 22, 2012, deadline for the agenda April 6.
Oct. 16, 2012, deadline for the agenda Sep. 7.

Synod 2012:
June 8-15 at Redeemer University College

Classis Hamilton Summary Report of Classis meeting held Tuesday, October 18, 2011

The Lord blessed the delegates and guests of Classis Hamilton a beautiful day to drive down, down, down to Jarvis for our fall meeting of Classis. Mr. Wayne DeBoer welcomed everyone with opening devotions and Mr. Bruce VanderMolen accompanied your delegates in singing. Rev. Jeff VanderMeer then lifted the joys, concerns, and needs of Ebenezer CRC before the Lord in prayer. After our time of worship, we returned to the fellowship hall where Rev. Kevin DeRaaf was affirmed as chair for the day. He then ruled Classis Hamilton duly constituted with Rev. Andrew Zomerman as vice-chair, and Rev. John Veenstra our stated clerk.

It became immediately evident that Classis Hamilton is in a time of transition and change. Two of your delegates, Bill Veenstra (Ancaster CRC, moving to Chilliwack, BC) and Tim Sheridan (Hamilton 1st, moving to Maple Ridge, BC), attended Classis for the last time. May the Lord bless your families and new ministries! At the same time we welcomed Rev. Chris Schoon (Hamilton 1st), Rev. Peter Janssens (Burlington Faith as Pastor of Outreach and Discipleship), and Mr. Joel Bootsma (interim pastor at Burlington New Street). We are thankful to the Lord for bringing you to Classis Hamilton and seek his blessing on your behalf!

Once the opening concluded, your delegates rolled up their sleeves to take on the work of analyzing and discussing our denomination’s primary method of accumulating funds: ministry shares. Mr. Dick Kranendonk and the delegates from Flamborough CRC brought Classis up to speed on the current ministry share situation in our classis and denomination.

Your delegates then broke up into regional cluster groups (the churches of Classis Hamilton divided by location: West, Central, and East) to discuss how their churches budget for and raise ministry share funds. Each cluster group then reported on their discussion to the whole assembly. Our churches use a variety of methods to determine the amount of their giving to denominational ministry shares. Classis then held a conversation on the reasons behind this variety as well as how to move forward. Ask your delegates to fill you in more! The Classis Ministries Team will continue to meet on this topic.
 
The Classis Hamilton Home Missions committee wishes to thank Wilma Wiersma for her service to Classis as our Classical Prayer Coordinator. Wilma has stepped down from this position. Blessings in your other pursuits Wilma!

More dollars and cents… We also worked through and approved the new budget for 2012. By the numbers here’s where we stand with our commitment per member for 2012: Classical Ministry Share $61.39; Redeemer University College $56.60 for a total of $117.99. Through the Classical shares we give we fund the Kingdom activities of our churches in and around Hamilton.
 
We concluded our evening listening to reports from the various committees of our Classis.
Praise God for his work among us and through us!

Blessings,
Rev. Zach Olson, Reporter

The only thing Zach missed is that Dick Kranendonk was elected – by ballot – to be the next chair of Classis. Dick is an elder from Ancaster CRC, and currently the chair of their council. Having served as an association executive he brings a lot of experience and skill to the task.

Some additional news from the Clerk:

Tuesday, Oct. 25, almost 150 brothers and sisters, old and young, female and male, from every congregation making up our Classis, gathered in the Fellowship Hall of Hamilton, Immanuel CRC, to listen to and share in a debate asking whether or not the Belhar Confession ought to be adopted by Synod 2012 as one of the official creeds of the CRC.

The meeting was held as a follow-up to the information meeting that closed last May’s Classis meeting. For over two hours we heard Professor Jim Payton, and former CC editor Bert Witvoet speak to the pros and cons, raised many questions and shared numerous concerns. Whether or not Synod will do anything about this next summer, one thing was clear: we sensed the Spirit call us to a concern for unity, reconciliation and justice. Our hosts offered a splendid venue and supplied ample refreshments.

Special thanks to Kevin de Raaf for his chairing and the organizers: Ed Witvoet, Dick Kranenburg, Grace van Staalduinen, Judy Cook, Al Karsten and John den Otter. You were a blessing to us!

John Veenstra, Stated Clerk.