Newsletter: JANUARY 2026
Mark Your Calendars for the Annual UMV Network Meeting
Details to follow but we will be meeting at First Reformed Church in Sully, IA this year from June 12-13. Plans are for a pastor's training on Friday, June 12 and then the Annual Meeting on Saturday, June 13. Our keynote speaker will be the National Alliance's new Director of Pathways, Dr. David Rylaarsdam. Make plans to attend! All churches are asked to be present.
What Year-End Success Really Looks Like in Your Church: (And New Metrics to Consider)
WRITTEN BY RUKES GROUP
As the year winds down, many churches do what organizations everywhere do: look at the numbers. Weekend attendance. Year-end giving. Budget surplus or deficit. These metrics matter - but they don’t tell the whole story.
If we’re honest, some of the most important indicators of a healthy church don’t fit neatly into a spreadsheet. As church leaders, year-end success should be measured not only by what grew, but by what deepened, stabilized, and multiplied quietly beneath the surface.
Here are several often-overlooked metrics that may give you a more honest picture of how your church is really doing:
Faithfully Engaging Our Present Moment
WRITTEN BY THOMAS CELLILLI
As many of the first churches left the Reformed Church in America (RCA) to start the Alliance of Reformed Churches, they noticed a distinct addition to the Reformed Standards of Unity. Along with the rest of orthodox Christianity, we affirmed the Creeds and Councils (Nicea, Apostles’ and Athanasian). Along with the Christian Reformed Church (CRCNA) and the RCA, we affirmed the Belgic Confession, Canons of Dordt, and the Heidelberg Catechism. Acknowledging the value of the Belhar Confession in a world that seeks to divide us, we affirmed its claims that the gospel calls for unity, reconciliation and God’s justice. But what about this new addition? This so-called “appendix” to the Heidelberg Catechism?
Supporting Churches and Pastors in Sabbatical: A New Alliance Resource
The Upper Mississippi Valley Network (UMV) deeply believes in the practice of sabbatical, just as we believe in sabbath. One supports the other. Below is an article recently sent by the national Alliance to subscribers. Please remember that the UMV offers $5,000 grants for churches seeking to support their pastor in sabbatical. Email Ron Fischer (ronfischer45@gmail.com) or Taylor Mabaga (tsm092218@gmail.com) for more information.
“I entered my sabbatical in a good place in ministry, but aware that I had been living at a sustained pace that wasn’t replenishing my soul. What I discovered was not just rest, but a deeper attentiveness to God and to the present moment He had given me. Time set apart—whether in silence at a monastery, traveling with my wife, or being fully present with my family—restored my ability to lead from overflow rather than effort. I returned convinced that sabbatical is not an indulgence for pastors in crisis, but a gift God uses to sustain His servants for the long journey of ministry.” Pastor Jason Nagel, Corinth Reformed Church
Jason’s story offers a glimpse into the personal and professional renewal made possible through a sabbatical. He reflects on how this intentional time away became a blessing and helped equip him to serve once again from a place of overflow. At the Alliance of Reformed Churches, we are committed to supporting churches and pastors who are anticipating a sabbatical. Our hope is that pastors, like Jason, are able to return to their churches feeling refreshed and revitalized to continue in their ministry. To support this commitment, the Alliance has partnered with Pastor-in-Residence (PIR) Ministries to make a new resource available at no cost to our churches: the Clergy Sabbatical Toolkit.
The Clergy Sabbatical Toolkit is designed to help churches and pastors plan for the logistics and rhythms of a sabbatical. Created to be used collaboratively with church leadership, the Toolkit includes a comprehensive workbook, instructional videos, planning documents, grant information, and more. In addition, PIR Ministries provides two consultations, as their staff is available. The consultations include one for the church and one for the pastor with the intention to help facilitate healthy preparation for the sabbatical.
We pray that the Clergy Sabbatical Toolkit will be a blessing to your church and pastor. To learn more about Pastor-in-Residence Ministries, click the button below. To obtain the Clergy Sabbatical Toolkit please click on the button below.
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