“The release of this statement makes me disappointed because I have never received anything but kind treatment from everyone at this school, and my sexual orientation is no secret. So it took me by surprise,” Varona told Outsports … Erskine is affiliated with the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, a small Christian denomination based in the... Continue Reading

The theme of the conference is “Free Indeed!” Freedom? Liberty? From what has the Christian been freed? How far does our freedom in Christ extend? What of the law? Is liberty the same as license? Does this liberty protect the conscience of the Christian? Is civil disobedience godly? The annual Reformed Congregational Fellowship Pastors’ Conference will... Continue Reading

Those who harp on the gospel only being about Jesus and set this off against what took place prior to Jesus’ earthly accomplishments and what took place after it have not only a very narrow and rigid understanding of the gospel, but also operate with a grave distortion of the biblical view of history.  ... Continue Reading

It is helpful to recognize the difference between liturgical narrative and liturgical elements. I am convinced from Scripture that the only liturgical elements we should include in worship are those with New Testament warrant. But I am a big advocate of giving more careful attention to the liturgical narrative of our corporate worship services exactly... Continue Reading

The theological gulf between Islam and Christianity is immense, and this means that any contact between the two religions is bound to be fraught.  The easy way would be for Christians to avoid saying anything that would be offensive to Muslims, but that would amount to a vow of silence, and would make contact dishonest... Continue Reading

For too long now, hymn-singing has been left as just another cold dessert choice in the worship cafeteria. Just for those of “a certain age.” Just for those who “desire more tradition in their worship experience.” It’s time those days were over. It’s time to teach our churches how to sing hymns once again. Before... Continue Reading

Strueker said on the front lines, complaints against chaplains are very rare. “Sharing the Scriptures with somebody who’s about take their last breath on a battlefield are the kind of complaints people that are way back in the rear make,” Strueker added. “The guys that are on the battlefield don’t ever make those kind of... Continue Reading

Be aware of sudden changes in behavior such as avoiding certain individuals and inappropriate and advanced sexual play. Familiarize yourself with this Protecting Kids From Abuse and neglect checklist for churches as well. The definitions and counsel here apply beyond our church walls.   Conversations I’ve had with parents who are concerned about protecting their kids from... Continue Reading

“In 2011, supervisors in InterVarsity’s Grand Rapids, Mich., office put a “spiritual formation specialist,” Alyce Conlon, on paid leave to work on repairing her marriage. Later that year, the organization fired her when she and her husband moved forward with a divorce.”   The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship on... Continue Reading

Living in a ministry silo – Staff love their sphere of ministry (e.g., students, music), but few others share their level of passion. Others make decisions that affect their ministry without discussion or dialogue. Calendaring events becomes competition rather than cooperation. The silo gets lonely.   Last week, I posted about burdens pastors often share... Continue Reading