Encourage, Nurture, Support, Mentor

by Lenn Zeller, Director of Conference Care

I have been a member of the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference (CCCC) for over 20 years now. One of the many things that I have always appreciated is the warm fellowship with like-minded believers that Janeen and I have found in the CCCC. It helps to know that you are not alone in your desire to live for Christ and stand for His Word, and to have others to turn to for help along the way.

That is also a reason why I accepted the call to serve as CCCC Director of Conference Care. I was glad to participate in deepening that fellowship and sharing the care and help that I received with as many others as possible within the Conference. Our priority of Conference Care expresses our desire to offer encouragement, nurture, support and mentoring to pastors, missionaries, Christian workers and students. We pray that this ministry will help our Conference members to deepen their own walk with Christ, to better relate to those close to and around them, and to be able to minister in Christ’s name in a Biblically, spiritually and emotionally healthy way. To that end, we offer the services of Conference Care:

• Communities of Pastors: We are excited to be in the process of developing regional Communities of Pastors, where pastors can meet together for prayer, mutual encouragement and accountability. Several such groups have begun to meet in various locations throughout the Conference and we pray for this to continue and to expand.
• Interim Ministry: Providing trained interim pastors to offer care and guidance to a congregation in transition while seeking a new settled pastor. We have member ministers working in partnership with both the Interim Pastor Ministries  and Interim Ministry Network .
• Placement Services: While our member pastors and churches may also seek help outside of the Conference, it is in the best interest of both the church and pastoral candidate to use the CCCC placement process to help ensure a healthy and fruitful pastor-parish marriage.
• Biblical Peacemakers Ministry: Jesus said, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand.” (Matthew 12:25) The CCCC Ministry of Conference Care, upon invitation, can come alongside the local CCCC church that is in conflict to assist in Christian conciliation, leading the church back toward Biblical peace and unity.
• Student Care: Ministry students who have decided to pursue (or already have) standing with the CCCC are invited to enter into a special mentoring relationship with us called Student Under Conference Care. Students are assigned a ministry mentor who will provide wise counsel during their schooling, they will be able to take the CCCC Congregational Standards Course available through Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and they will be eligible for CCCC scholarships.
• Ministerial Emergency Fund: Sacred Workers may face severe financial hardship for a variety of reasons– prolonged health issues, unusual and emergency expenses, budgetary/income limits, loss of employment, and many others. The CCCC has established a Ministerial Emergency Fund to help with situations of legitimate, emergency need.
• Minister Under Care: There are times when Sacred Workers find themselves facing various problems, struggles, distresses, and/or conflicts. In those situations, the CCCC stands ready to offer Biblical counsel and Christian comfort, seeking to compassionately assist those in our fellowship dealing with difficult problems and issues. To that end, we offer our Minister Under Care program with the goal of healing, restoration and preparation for future life and ministry.

Please do not hesitate to call if any of the above could be of help to you. Over and above all of that, please call if you need someone to pray with and/or for you — we’re always happy to do that!