August 20, 2019
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Let's Talk Sermons
Is your church in the middle of a sermon series or getting ready to start a new one this fall? If so, what is the topic?
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Join the discussions below, or start a new post about church ministry.
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June 11, 2019
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Supporting Women and Ethnic Minority Leaders in the Pastoral Call Process
What could be done to improve our support for women and ethnic minority leaders when they are seeking a pastoral or ministerial call?
June 11, 2019
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Pastors Who Grieve While in Ministry
A year ago, in a conversation with a regional pastor, I was led to think seriously again about pastors who experience significant loss while in ministry.
February 13, 2019
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Why Are Ministers so Reluctant to Visit Their Parishioners?
I have observed a profound reluctance from pastors to routinely visit members of their church. I would welcome some responses from pastors.
August 27, 2018
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How Do You Know When Your Sermon Has Really Hit the Mark?
What is your focus when you prepare and preach your sermon?
April 23, 2018
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So What’s the Blessing From Giving?
It’s more blessed to give than to receive; but just how is blessing realized through giving? Who gets it? What does it look like? What do YOU think?
March 14, 2018
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Coaching Your Church Toward Holy Complaint
As pastors and church councils know, obstructionists can do great damage in a church. Here's how to work toward the discipline of holy complaint.
March 12, 2018
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Money vs. Ministry
Why, so often, during my 23 years of parish ministry, did my own actions and attitudes related to money betray my faith convictions about it?
December 12, 2017
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What's Your Advent Theme This Year?
If willing to share, I'd love to hear what your Advent theme is this year. I'm also curious, what are some of the ways that you are engaging your Advent theme beyond the sermon?
November 26, 2017
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Three Types of Mentoring Relationships
Pat Gelsinger, CEO of Vmware, identifies three mentoring relationships that were crucial to the success of his career. What do you like most about Gelsinger's types? In what ways do you relate to these types in your own life?
November 15, 2017
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Answering the 'So What' and 'Now What' Questions When Preaching
There’s an old saying that “some folks are so heavenly minded that they’re no earthly good.” Is it possible that preaching can be “so heavenly minded” that its “earthly good” is limited?
October 18, 2017
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We Need Your Help! Directory of Financial Professionals
The CRCNA’s Financial Shalom Project is creating a Directory of Financial Professionals as a resource for our pastors. Know any qualified financial planners, tax attorneys, or accountants we should add?
April 3, 2017
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How a Consumer Culture Threatens to Destroy Pastors
A couple years back Jen Hatmaker wrote an article on how a consumer culture threatens to destroy pastors. She pleads with pastors to stop trying to do it all. Pastors, does this resonate with you?
March 16, 2017
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Introducing the Financial Shalom Project
The Financial Shalom Project recently launched and we need your help in spreading the news! What sort of financial information and resources would you like to have us post about on The Network?
February 2, 2017
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Let's Talk About Pastor Compensation
The pension plans for ordained pastors have some really interesting methods of calculating pensions payable. Using country-wide average salaries and excluding clergy housing allowances are but two examples.
January 3, 2017
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What Disruptive Church Trends Did You See in 2016?
I recently came across an interesting article titled 5 Disruptive Church Trends That Will Rule 2016. Check out the author's predictions and let's discuss what you think he got right or wrong this past year.
November 22, 2016
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Truth in Media
During our last U.S. presidential campaign and election I was frustrated by the lies and contradictions that surfaced that were neither challenged, investigated, or held accountable for.
October 18, 2016
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Does Expressing Emotion Make for Better Sermons?
I was watching NBC’s The Voice last week when I was struck by how often the coaches tell aspiring singers to show more emotion. I wondered...could (or should) any of this translate to preaching?
October 11, 2016
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What Surprises You About the Current Status of Women in Ministry in the CRC?
Let's look at the current statistics on women in Ministry in the CRC and talk about what we find surprising (or not surprising) about these numbers.
September 14, 2016
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Transferring From Catholic Church to the CRC?
We have a Polish Catholic couple who is interested in transferring membership to the CRC. Are there ramifications that I should be aware of?
April 27, 2016
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The Most Memorable Sermon You've Ever Heard?
Is there a sermon that completely opened your eyes to see things in a new way? Or, is there a sermon that spoke deeply into a struggle you've faced most of your life? I'd love to hear about it!
February 22, 2016
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Using Matthew 18: Resolving Conflicts Well, a Gag Order, or a Procedural Sleight of Hand?
D.A. Carson responds to the fact that he had written what he called a "restrained critique" of the emerging church movement, and was chided with "white hot" indignation for not having approached the persons named in his critique privately as per the text.
February 20, 2016
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A Question of Governance and Scripture Teaching
Last week there was a healthy discussion about government's responsibility to care for the poor.
February 10, 2016
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Listening Is a Skill We Need to Grow In. How Do We Listen Well?
Our church leaders are wanting to listen better to the needs of our people in the church community specifically focusing on spiritual growth.
October 24, 2015
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Does the New Directions Ministry Actually Represent All Views?
Synod has mandated a study on the area of homosexuality for its 2016 assembly. One of the resources that it has engaged is the material from New Directions Ministry of Canada with Wendy Gritter as its executive director. This blog asks the question if New Directions actually represents all voices in the discussion.