There may be a scenario a thousand times more to be feared. That situation comes when the people being governed themselves no longer own the kind of moral compass that helps them judge between good and evil. That may be because they simply no longer care, and have become numb to such distinctions. Or it... Continue Reading

The conservative Diocese of South Carolina last year separated from the more liberal national Episcopal Church over a variety of theological issues including the authority of Scripture and the ordination of gays. The breakaway churches then sued in state court to protect the use of the diocesan name and a half billion dollars’ worth of... Continue Reading

Regular attendance at Sunday night worship services continues to decline in the Christian Reformed Church, according to a survey reviewed Monday at the Grand Rapids-based denomination’s annual meeting. Respondents to an online survey also reported less-frequent private prayer, bible reading and spiritual devotion time than they did in a similar questionnaire six years ago. GRAND... Continue Reading

Pray for your haters, ask God to help you love them, and take every opportunity to do them good. Don’t avoid them and don’t take sneaky swipes at them from the pulpit. One of the wonders of the gospel is that God can make the worst of enemies the best of friends. View this as... Continue Reading

But you don’t have to be married to determine to let your relationships put Jesus on display. Look for ways to honor and glorify God in all of your relationships, including your dating relationships. Speak with kindness. Forgive freely. Run away from sexual sin. These are ways you can showcase Christ without treating your boyfriend... Continue Reading

So what do you do if your frustration level is rising because you do not see your service attendance, podcast numbers, or Twitter followers escalating as much as you’d like? How do you respond if you are tyrannized by seeing a cult of celebrity surround a different minister rather than yourself? Three things:   What... Continue Reading

After a year of study, the Erskine Board agreed with the Synod’s committee that Synod does have the right to remove trustees with cause. According to board member Bill Cain, a “significant majority” of the board voted to change the charter at its May meeting. On Wednesday, June 12, the Synod-Erskine committee re-proposed the charter... Continue Reading

Sunday sports do not pose a unique challenge; the issue does not go away as our children enter into adulthood. Throughout life, they will confront the temptation to allow others to dictate their use of Sundays. Inevitably, their employers will schedule occasional meetings for Sunday, their relatives will plan a Sunday reunion, and Sunday will,... Continue Reading

The Committee on Arrangements made its final report. Budgets for GA purposes were approved and a resolution of thanks to St. Mary’s College was adopted. The assembly was dissolved by the moderator, who called for the 81st General Assembly to meet at Kuyper College in Grand Rapids, Michigan from June 4–10, 2014.   There were... Continue Reading

So many difficult burdens can capture your mind in local church ministry. There are so many things you could worry about. There are so many messy relationships, unfinished conversations, unfinished agendas, and unknown conclusions. In intensely practical ways, you are always living between the already and the not yet. So it is vital in ministry... Continue Reading