1) Posted on the justice blog of the CRC. 2) Recognizes the pitiful outcomes of fatherless families. 3) Does not even attempt to address the spiritual/cultural breakdown at the core of that problem. 4) Instead, this article only posits government policy and handout social programs as the solution.
Note, in particular, this quote: "Above all, what I have learned during my CPJ placement is that these experiences of poverty are neither natural nor inevitable; they are the result of policy choices, and we have the knowledge and the tools to choose better."
More specifically, note where blame is placed for all poverty: "the result of policy choices." This is simply and demonstrably not true in the totalizing way in which it is stated.
Interestingly, this article and so much of what passes for justice conversation in the CRC is anti-Kuyperian. Kuyper recognized the concept of sphere sovereignty. The church has no expertise in housing policy, economics, tax policy, etc. The church does have expertise in the gospel, family structure, reaping and sowing, morality, etc. So then why do we see the church calling for significant church voice into the former and little to no church voice on the latter when it comes to poverty and solutions to it?
One type of poverty not mentioned by the author: Spiritual poverty. And it is spiritual poverty that so often leads to a host of other poverties, including often a direct line to material poverty. The church's proper and more effective role would be to acknowledge its proper sphere and redouble its efforts within that sphere rather than assuming expertise in areas well outside our calling and strength.
I think a good practice for Thrive would be to list the author of articles like this that are posted under the Thrive name but conspicuously and freely use first person singular pronouns. Who is the "I" in this article who is emphasizing, suspecting, thinking, and advising? Certainly, Thrive as an organization is not referring to itself in the first person singular.
I'm not insinuating anything nefarious, but it seems odd and in poor form to write on behalf of an organization in the first person without attributing authorship.
Hi Albert, I appreciate the expression of your longings.
As a member of the COD, I would note that it is not the role of the COD to dictate or set the terms of action to synod. That would be essentially the "tail wagging the dog", as COD exists at the will of and for the service of synod. To that extent, then the COD will not take up any discussion of the nature of gravamen except as instructed by synod. For us to do otherwise would be improper and insubordinate.
But I've got really good news for you. The gravamen process and clarifications from synod allow for people with uncertainties that arise during a term of service to indeed explore and discuss those uncertainties. What the gravamen process does not allow for is those uncertainties about confessional doctrines of the church to linger indefinitely and/or develop into permanent disbelief for officebearers. To leave people in a state of uncertainty would be unloving. The gravamen process as clarified is the loving process of discipling each other in the truths that we understand from Scripture. Far from stifling discussion, what this does is structure discussion so that it is productive and seeks resolve. There is no merit in endless dithering or uncertainty.
There are indeed many mysteries of the grace of God. Chief among them is that Christ died for me, a sinner. We cannot fully understand all of the mysteries of God's rich grace, but we certainly can and should seek clarity on those things which God has laid out for us in his word. To declare as a mystery that which God has made plain is not humble or virtuous, but proud and unrighteous.
You asked "is that what the COD wants?" concerning decline. Speaking for myself I would say that as a member of the COD my main concern (or want) is not focused on numbers, but on faithfulness. Scripture again and again calls us to faithful service and further calls us to rest in the sovereignty of God for the results. I am quite comfortable with that formula.
I would encourage you to take heart in the fact that God causes institutions to rise and fall according to his good and perfect will. If we strive to be faithful to his expressed will in Scripture we can have confidence that we will be blessed as he sees fit. May God bless you and keep you.
It's unclear to me what you mean when you ask, "How can the church become unified with the world...?" Is the church called to be unified with the world?
There are a number of Bible passages that would seem to indicate that such a unity or unification is neither possible nor desirable.
"You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." James 4:4
"If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." John 15:19
"I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world." John 17:14.
"Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you." 1 John 3:13
Do you have a different idea of the church being unified with the world that I'm not seeing?
Probably so, but of course how we understand and go about obeying the great commission is not always uniformly understood. My question is meant to seek better understanding of how the author views the relationship between the church and the world given the language of his question.
No, that is not getting at my question. I am seeking to understand what the author means by "unified with the world". Saying that we should avoid corruption of the world does not explain what it means to be unified with the world. Can the church in any way have unity with the world? In what sense? Loving people in the world and spreading the gospel to the world is not being unified with the world. It is that phrase I am trying to understand from the author's perspective. I'm hopeful that he can shed some further light on what he means by that. Thanks for the conversation.
No, I'm not reading anything into the article. In fact, I haven't said anything about the article. I have expressed curiosity about what the author means by a certain phrase. That is all. You many not be curious, but I am. I'm perplexed by your apparent confusion or discomfort with my curiosity. Perhaps it is you that is reading something into my question?
I think questions of uniformity and diversity are not parsed well without context. Diversity of what? Uniformity in what? By definition a confessional church seeks uniformity in the doctrines spelled out in her creeds and confessions. As such, uniformity is inescapable for the CRC and quite desirable. This is consistent with the biblical call to guard the good deposit and watch our doctrine and life closely. But a church is also by definition a diverse place, because we are all unique, and we are all gifted differently (1 Cor. 12). In that way the church is indeed akin to a choir with a full harmony of parts. Neither diversity nor uniformity can be a pure goal unto themselves.
It seems then that synod's work is both/and - pursing and embracing both uniformity and diversity as each is commended to us in Scripture.
Where we go wrong, it seems to me, is when we prioritize uniformity in people and diversity in doctrine. Seeking uniformity in people/giftings/background/ethnicity leads to unrighteous judgments, sectarian impulses, and devaluing of image bearers. Seeking diversity in doctrine leads to false teaching, immorality, and unfaithfulness to the witness of the Word. Different notes of doctrine do not necessarily create harmony, but create dissonance when not concordant with God's Word. For better or worse there will be seasons when one of synod's primary tasks will be rooting out dissonant notes of doctrine. And as in the past with kinism, synod also had much to say about the wrong kind of sought uniformity, namely the uniformity of persons.
May God grant that both uniformity and diversity shine in all the right ways in and through synod and indeed also in our churches and homes.
I would offer that the job of equipping and empowering younger generations is likely a much more local duty/gift/opportunity than it is a synodical role. From my experience here are some ways I think we can accomplish the goal you highlight at the local level:
Prioritize discipleship. This is a multi-faceted and includes a robust catechetical program in the church and also character forming, with opportunities and encouragements to serve.
Consider mentoring. This can be formal or informal, but taking youth "under our wing" is consistent with the Titus 2 call.
Relatedly, identify gifts in young people and encourage their development.
Listen. Youth who are attended to and listened to will find and develop their voices. Listening to youth does not necessarily mean doing everything they want, but it does require attentiveness.
At the appropriate time nominate qualified individuals for formal leadership (recalling Timothy's relative youth while weighing biblical qualifications).
Pray for and with our youth, that God may equip them for service and call them persuasively.
Provide pure preaching of the whole counsel of God and bring our youth to evening and morning worship services. We understand preaching of the Word to be one of the ordinary means of grace. If we desire our youth to be equipped for leadership and theological discernment, we will do well to have them blessed and formed through the ordinary means of grace.
Similarly, as appropriate, regularly and faithfully participate in the sacraments of the church with meaningful explanation and instruction attending.
That is far from an exhaustive list, but I think begins to offer some ideas. What I think we can know for sure is that we must be intentional in raising and equipping the next generation of leaders. The world is ever seeking to catechize them, and we must be diligent in countering that catechesis with a pure and God-glorifying vision of the world. Disciples don't fall out of trees, but must be formed.
Hi Sarah, I'll start with a couple suggestions: 1) When seeking volunteers for various service opportunities in church and community, prioritize personal contact. Bulletin announcements seeking volunteers are typically necessary but quite inadequate. More effective is identifying and approaching individuals personally with a request, or even better a suggestion that a service opportunity would fit them well. 2) Picking up where the first point left off, it is important to fit the skills and abilities to the opportunities (to a degree, though not rigidly). If we see giftings in people we will do well to lead them specifically to opportunities to use those gifts. 3) Provide encouragement and support to those who do serve in various ways. Setting people off on a task without support and encouragement can lead to failure and disillusionment. 4) Include encouragements and challenges to serve from the pulpit in preaching. We understand the Heidelberg Catechism to be ordered as Sin-Salvation-Service or Guilt-Grace-Gratitude. We must tie our gospel message of sin/salvation to a life of gratitude and service. This is part of the discipleship that will lead to more mature and more serving church members. The key here, though, is to keep law and gospel distinct. We are not works-righteousness people and haranguing our members will not lead to sanctified service. 5) Pray for God to work in the hearts of church members and equip them for the various tasks (yes, this should have been point number one by priority). 6) Lead by example. Leaders who step beyond the minimum can inspire others to follow their example. 7) Show appreciation, and not necessarily or always in formal ways (like telling the church secretary to send a thank-you). Personal notes of appreciation or a step-aside to quickly thank and commend a person for their service can and will motivate to further service. 8) Use times of family visitation to discuss service and to encourage members in using the gifts and abilities God has given them to serve others. Family visitation allows this encouragement to occur in relationship, and not just as a convenience when we corner someone at church. Elders, deacons, and pastors who don't know their people won't know their giftings and won't know how to encourage them, nor will they have the relational capital to do so effectively. A great way to know families and individuals is to visit them. 9) Don't ignore singles. Singles sometimes feel out of place in the family-centric culture of church. Singles can slip through the cracks in more ways than one. Value singles, but not for how they can serve - value them for who they are as individuals with their own calling. Valued singles will experience the nurture of a congregational family and will be apt to serve those who are pouring into them.
Just a few top-of-mind thoughts to start conversation. Thanks for raising this topic.
Thanks for your heartfelt cry. Broadly speaking we have indeed done a disservice to many of our youth, and in a significant number of ways. As a Christian scientist I am quite comfortable believing God over man - one of these has proven to be infallible, and the other has proven to be at best oft-mistaken and at worst suppressing the truth in unrighteousness. That does not necessitate discarding science. On the contrary. It respects science as a fallible enterprise (true scientific discovery relies on the reality of error) and does not stretch science further than it can go. It also recognizes that science is a naturalistic enterprise and we believe in a supernatural God. Apparent contradictions will arise when these two realities butt up against one another. The question then becomes whether we will worship the Creator or the creation. Thanks for challenging us.
Posted in: Is the CRC Afraid (Corporately) to Talk about Family and Fatherlessness?
Exhibit A: How we can Travel the Pathway from Poverty to Rights and Well-Being | Christian Reformed Church
Notice several things about the article:
1) Posted on the justice blog of the CRC.
2) Recognizes the pitiful outcomes of fatherless families.
3) Does not even attempt to address the spiritual/cultural breakdown at the core of that problem.
4) Instead, this article only posits government policy and handout social programs as the solution.
Note, in particular, this quote: "Above all, what I have learned during my CPJ placement is that these experiences of poverty are neither natural nor inevitable; they are the result of policy choices, and we have the knowledge and the tools to choose better."
More specifically, note where blame is placed for all poverty: "the result of policy choices." This is simply and demonstrably not true in the totalizing way in which it is stated.
Interestingly, this article and so much of what passes for justice conversation in the CRC is anti-Kuyperian. Kuyper recognized the concept of sphere sovereignty. The church has no expertise in housing policy, economics, tax policy, etc. The church does have expertise in the gospel, family structure, reaping and sowing, morality, etc. So then why do we see the church calling for significant church voice into the former and little to no church voice on the latter when it comes to poverty and solutions to it?
One type of poverty not mentioned by the author: Spiritual poverty. And it is spiritual poverty that so often leads to a host of other poverties, including often a direct line to material poverty. The church's proper and more effective role would be to acknowledge its proper sphere and redouble its efforts within that sphere rather than assuming expertise in areas well outside our calling and strength.
Posted in: Can a Church Stop a Pastor from Leaving?
I think a good practice for Thrive would be to list the author of articles like this that are posted under the Thrive name but conspicuously and freely use first person singular pronouns. Who is the "I" in this article who is emphasizing, suspecting, thinking, and advising? Certainly, Thrive as an organization is not referring to itself in the first person singular.
I'm not insinuating anything nefarious, but it seems odd and in poor form to write on behalf of an organization in the first person without attributing authorship.
Posted in: COD Highlights - September 2025
Hi Albert,
I appreciate the expression of your longings.
As a member of the COD, I would note that it is not the role of the COD to dictate or set the terms of action to synod. That would be essentially the "tail wagging the dog", as COD exists at the will of and for the service of synod. To that extent, then the COD will not take up any discussion of the nature of gravamen except as instructed by synod. For us to do otherwise would be improper and insubordinate.
But I've got really good news for you. The gravamen process and clarifications from synod allow for people with uncertainties that arise during a term of service to indeed explore and discuss those uncertainties. What the gravamen process does not allow for is those uncertainties about confessional doctrines of the church to linger indefinitely and/or develop into permanent disbelief for officebearers. To leave people in a state of uncertainty would be unloving. The gravamen process as clarified is the loving process of discipling each other in the truths that we understand from Scripture. Far from stifling discussion, what this does is structure discussion so that it is productive and seeks resolve. There is no merit in endless dithering or uncertainty.
There are indeed many mysteries of the grace of God. Chief among them is that Christ died for me, a sinner. We cannot fully understand all of the mysteries of God's rich grace, but we certainly can and should seek clarity on those things which God has laid out for us in his word. To declare as a mystery that which God has made plain is not humble or virtuous, but proud and unrighteous.
You asked "is that what the COD wants?" concerning decline. Speaking for myself I would say that as a member of the COD my main concern (or want) is not focused on numbers, but on faithfulness. Scripture again and again calls us to faithful service and further calls us to rest in the sovereignty of God for the results. I am quite comfortable with that formula.
I would encourage you to take heart in the fact that God causes institutions to rise and fall according to his good and perfect will. If we strive to be faithful to his expressed will in Scripture we can have confidence that we will be blessed as he sees fit. May God bless you and keep you.
Posted in: Unity with Questions
Hello David,
It's unclear to me what you mean when you ask, "How can the church become unified with the world...?" Is the church called to be unified with the world?
There are a number of Bible passages that would seem to indicate that such a unity or unification is neither possible nor desirable.
"You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." James 4:4
"If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." John 15:19
"I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world." John 17:14.
"Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you." 1 John 3:13
Do you have a different idea of the church being unified with the world that I'm not seeing?
Posted in: Unity with Questions
Hi Lubbert,
Probably so, but of course how we understand and go about obeying the great commission is not always uniformly understood. My question is meant to seek better understanding of how the author views the relationship between the church and the world given the language of his question.
Posted in: Unity with Questions
Hi Lubbert,
No, that is not getting at my question. I am seeking to understand what the author means by "unified with the world". Saying that we should avoid corruption of the world does not explain what it means to be unified with the world. Can the church in any way have unity with the world? In what sense? Loving people in the world and spreading the gospel to the world is not being unified with the world. It is that phrase I am trying to understand from the author's perspective. I'm hopeful that he can shed some further light on what he means by that. Thanks for the conversation.
Eric
Posted in: Unity with Questions
Hi Lubbert,
No, I'm not reading anything into the article. In fact, I haven't said anything about the article. I have expressed curiosity about what the author means by a certain phrase. That is all. You many not be curious, but I am. I'm perplexed by your apparent confusion or discomfort with my curiosity. Perhaps it is you that is reading something into my question?
Posted in: Unity with Questions
Hi David,
Thanks for your reply and clarification - it is helpful and appreciated.
Eric
Posted in: Synod 2025: A Quick Intro
Hi Andi,
I think questions of uniformity and diversity are not parsed well without context. Diversity of what? Uniformity in what? By definition a confessional church seeks uniformity in the doctrines spelled out in her creeds and confessions. As such, uniformity is inescapable for the CRC and quite desirable. This is consistent with the biblical call to guard the good deposit and watch our doctrine and life closely. But a church is also by definition a diverse place, because we are all unique, and we are all gifted differently (1 Cor. 12). In that way the church is indeed akin to a choir with a full harmony of parts. Neither diversity nor uniformity can be a pure goal unto themselves.
It seems then that synod's work is both/and - pursing and embracing both uniformity and diversity as each is commended to us in Scripture.
Where we go wrong, it seems to me, is when we prioritize uniformity in people and diversity in doctrine. Seeking uniformity in people/giftings/background/ethnicity leads to unrighteous judgments, sectarian impulses, and devaluing of image bearers. Seeking diversity in doctrine leads to false teaching, immorality, and unfaithfulness to the witness of the Word. Different notes of doctrine do not necessarily create harmony, but create dissonance when not concordant with God's Word. For better or worse there will be seasons when one of synod's primary tasks will be rooting out dissonant notes of doctrine. And as in the past with kinism, synod also had much to say about the wrong kind of sought uniformity, namely the uniformity of persons.
May God grant that both uniformity and diversity shine in all the right ways in and through synod and indeed also in our churches and homes.
Posted in: Synod 2025: A Quick Intro
Hi Anna,
I would offer that the job of equipping and empowering younger generations is likely a much more local duty/gift/opportunity than it is a synodical role. From my experience here are some ways I think we can accomplish the goal you highlight at the local level:
That is far from an exhaustive list, but I think begins to offer some ideas. What I think we can know for sure is that we must be intentional in raising and equipping the next generation of leaders. The world is ever seeking to catechize them, and we must be diligent in countering that catechesis with a pure and God-glorifying vision of the world. Disciples don't fall out of trees, but must be formed.
Posted in: How Can You Encourage Your Church Members To Serve?
Hi Sarah,
I'll start with a couple suggestions:
1) When seeking volunteers for various service opportunities in church and community, prioritize personal contact. Bulletin announcements seeking volunteers are typically necessary but quite inadequate. More effective is identifying and approaching individuals personally with a request, or even better a suggestion that a service opportunity would fit them well.
2) Picking up where the first point left off, it is important to fit the skills and abilities to the opportunities (to a degree, though not rigidly). If we see giftings in people we will do well to lead them specifically to opportunities to use those gifts.
3) Provide encouragement and support to those who do serve in various ways. Setting people off on a task without support and encouragement can lead to failure and disillusionment.
4) Include encouragements and challenges to serve from the pulpit in preaching. We understand the Heidelberg Catechism to be ordered as Sin-Salvation-Service or Guilt-Grace-Gratitude. We must tie our gospel message of sin/salvation to a life of gratitude and service. This is part of the discipleship that will lead to more mature and more serving church members. The key here, though, is to keep law and gospel distinct. We are not works-righteousness people and haranguing our members will not lead to sanctified service.
5) Pray for God to work in the hearts of church members and equip them for the various tasks (yes, this should have been point number one by priority).
6) Lead by example. Leaders who step beyond the minimum can inspire others to follow their example.
7) Show appreciation, and not necessarily or always in formal ways (like telling the church secretary to send a thank-you). Personal notes of appreciation or a step-aside to quickly thank and commend a person for their service can and will motivate to further service.
8) Use times of family visitation to discuss service and to encourage members in using the gifts and abilities God has given them to serve others. Family visitation allows this encouragement to occur in relationship, and not just as a convenience when we corner someone at church. Elders, deacons, and pastors who don't know their people won't know their giftings and won't know how to encourage them, nor will they have the relational capital to do so effectively. A great way to know families and individuals is to visit them.
9) Don't ignore singles. Singles sometimes feel out of place in the family-centric culture of church. Singles can slip through the cracks in more ways than one. Value singles, but not for how they can serve - value them for who they are as individuals with their own calling. Valued singles will experience the nurture of a congregational family and will be apt to serve those who are pouring into them.
Just a few top-of-mind thoughts to start conversation. Thanks for raising this topic.
Posted in: What Are We Doing To Our Youth?
Hi Justin,
Thanks for your heartfelt cry. Broadly speaking we have indeed done a disservice to many of our youth, and in a significant number of ways. As a Christian scientist I am quite comfortable believing God over man - one of these has proven to be infallible, and the other has proven to be at best oft-mistaken and at worst suppressing the truth in unrighteousness. That does not necessitate discarding science. On the contrary. It respects science as a fallible enterprise (true scientific discovery relies on the reality of error) and does not stretch science further than it can go. It also recognizes that science is a naturalistic enterprise and we believe in a supernatural God. Apparent contradictions will arise when these two realities butt up against one another. The question then becomes whether we will worship the Creator or the creation. Thanks for challenging us.