Although all of the church's ministries are done in the name of the local churches, for practical reasons they are often administered by a single, central board. It would be difficult for most local churches to independently support a missionary, for example, or to help a community when natural disasters strike. But together as a denomination, as a group of Christian Reformed churches, we can do more.

Most of these ministries are carried out through denominational agencies. By pooling our resources, we gain a unity of strength so that even the smallest congregations can contribute to these ministries and also share in their supervision and control through representation on boards.

• The Back to God Hour is our church's radio and television ministry. Not only in the U.S. and Canada but also in nations around the world, the Back to God Hour sends the gospel message over the airwaves in French, English, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Spanish, and other languages.
• Christian Reformed Home Missions is responsible for helping all CRC churches and for starting new churches throughout the United States and Canada. In the past, new CRC churches were organized only in places where groups of Dutch Americans lived. Now, with the growing cultural diversity of the CRC, churches are beginning among non - Dutch people. Home Missions also provides Bible study materials, discipleship courses, and evangelism programs.
• The Chaplain Committee facilitates the work of the Christian Reformed Church pastors in the United States and Canada who work in specialized ministries such as the military, hospitals, prisons, industry, drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, and pastoral counselling centers. The committee encourages, supports, and helps equip chaplains to minister in a society teeming with need. Nearly one hundred Christian Reformed pastors are working full time in these specialized ministries.
• The Committee for Disability Concerns was set up by synod to encourage and enable churches to respond to the needs of persons with disabilities within the congregation and the community. While these persons may have physical, mental, or emotional limitations, they are imagebearers of God who have much to contribute to the life of the church. As a denomination, we try to meet their needs as we would the needs of any member. We work to support them and their families and to include them in the church. We are a better church for their presence among us.
• The Pastor - Church Relations Service was founded by the 1982 Synod to enhance the ministry of local churches by providing pastors, elders, and deacons with pastoral and professional help. PCRS has been effective in establishing a growing network of officebearers who minister to each other and in assisting pastorless churches in their search for a pastor.
• SCORR, the Synodical Committee on Race Relations, was established by synod to help us pray and work for a church that seeks to reconcile people from many different races and ethnic groups. SCORR works to develop multicultural leadership in the church and to make the denomination more aware of our diversity - with the prayer that we will one day reflect the eternal church (Rev. 7:9-10).
• Christian Reformed World Missions takes the gospel message out to the earth. More than three hundred CRC missionaries live and work in almost twenty countries in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. As a denomination, we reach the unreached in our backyards through Home Missions, and we reach the unreached throughout the larger world through World Missions.
• The Christian Reformed World Relief Committee takes seriously Jesus' love for the poor and afflicted. When we help the poor and afflicted, Jesus taught, it is as if we were helping him: "I was hungry, and you gave me food. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink .... I was without clothes, and you gave me something to wear" (Matt. 25:35-36 EB).
  CRWRC is like the long arm of the deacons, carrying out their ministry of mercy on a larger scale. The committee equips local deacons to do their work, brings relief in times of disaster, and establishes long-term self-help projects in the United States,Canada, and twenty - five other countries.
• Calvin College and Seminary are educational ministries of the CRC. Calvin College, a four - year liberal arts college, trains young people to view life from a biblical perspective. Calvin Seminary educates our future ministers. Calvin has shown leadership in developing multicultural awareness through its "Comprehensive Plan," a strategy for embracing ethnic diversity.
• CRC Publications produces the educational materials used in the church education programs of the local churches and provides many other resources for the church's life, work, and worship. Through its World Literature Ministries, CRC Publications also translates material for use in many different languages.
• The Banner, the official magazine of the Christian Reformed Church, is also published by CRC Publications. In the Banner you can read about what is happening in the CRC from California to Florida, from Canada to Africa. This periodical offers news articles as well as inspirational reading and educational articles.

How can the CRC possibly finance all of these different ministries?

Such broad and widespread ministry is only possible through the financial gifts of God's people. Some of this support is gathered though what we call the "denominational ministry share" (formerly referred to as "quota"), an amount of money that the annual synod suggests that each family in the denomination contribute to the support of denominational agencies. This system allows each one of us to participate in the many ministries of the CRC.

Funds for denominational ministry share payments to classis and synod come from the offerings and tithes we give to the local church. However, it is important to realize that each agency needs more money to operate than what is asks from classis and synod. Our direct gifts to the individual agencies provide the balance. Many Christians decide what they can give to the church and its work by "tithing," or using the Old Testament principle of offering one - tenth of their income to the Lord.