The church secretly harbors hopes that if it chucks enough stuff overboard that the radicals will fall in love with Christianity. Now, if you are a good enough salesman you can draw a crowd with that approach. But you can’t really build a congregation of those who worship God in Spirit and in truth. It... Continue Reading

We as presbyters need to be reminded that the solemn task given to the Presbytery is much more significant than that given to the senators in the confirmation hearings. In the May 11, 2010 issue of the Wall Street Journal, Neomi Rao, a law professor at George Mason School of Law, quotes a 1995 book... Continue Reading

Those who read the fine print learn that two ladles may have dipped into that pot. One is publicly touted as “aid and development,” while the less advertised dipper is called “advocacy,” a.k.a. politics. In the name of collaboration, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) has joined one of the world’s largest “humanitarian, church-based bodies.” According to... Continue Reading

“I’d rather the church not pass anything at all than these emasculated options sent thus far. They simply don’t do much to help.” Suzanna: “Hey, girlfriend. S’up? I bet you’re looking forward to this year’s Family Reunion Gathering. I can’t wait to decorate some more flip-flops in one of those seminars. And, my, the overtures... Continue Reading

“We believe these trends may indeed become reality. They admittedly do focus only on two generations, but these two groups are the largest two generations in America’s history. They cannot be ignored.” Discerning future trends can be difficult if not risky. If we miss a trend, we risk missing opportunities because we had our resources... Continue Reading

“But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.” Every evangelical preacher and every individual Christian will face this question — and probably sooner rather than later. Marking the National Day of Prayer, evangelist Franklin Graham led in prayer this morning at the Pentagon. Not inside the Pentagon, mind you, but... Continue Reading

The Strategic Plan enhances the power of the agency Coordinators and the Cooperative Ministries Committee (CMC). There are some attributes of a thing that can be altered without compromising its basic character. You could remove the stone cladding of Buckingham Palace to reveal the red brick underneath and it would still be Buckingham Palace. Yet... Continue Reading

“Progressive” is a better name, more accurately describing the movement and its extremely broad, precariously unpredictable direction. Progressivism is all-the-rage nowadays, with liberals having jettisoned the “liberal” label for the less maligned tag of “progressive.” This is tactical as much as philosophical. It’s fascinating that Hillary Clinton, for instance, recently proclaimed herself a “progressive.” I... Continue Reading

Seeing PCA Strategic Planning through Scriptural Spectacles (or to answer Peter Drucker’s famous questions: Who Is Our Customer and What Does He View As Value)? In seminary I wrote a paper on how to rightly or wrongly apply some of Peter Drucker’s business principles to the ministry of the church. I compared the seeker sensitive... Continue Reading

Editor’s Note: The responses start with Yes and end with No; read the entire story to get the correct balance. “I certainly think we should want to support motherhood; parenthood is the cornerstone of the family. We should be celebrating cultural rhythms liturgically. I think we can choose secular holidays to blur the line between... Continue Reading