John, I agree completely! Sometimes it's frustrating watching the church put so much energy into focusing on our differences, rather than the key issues.
That's a good question, knowlton. One I've been mulling over ever since Lou posted this :-) When I think of our CRC churches, what is emphasized, word or deed? Keeping the status quo or reaching out to the lost in their own neighborhood?
Lou, CRWRC has no plans to leave the denomination. There is no way it actually could, if you read the bylaws. of the organization. I encourage you to talk directly with CRWRC leadership if you have questions.
I just returned from a trip to Uganda with a church from California that's trying to establish a sister church type of relationship. They had many great ideas; I'll highlight some of them here. It's interesting to note that many of them came from the two high school students that were with the group!
- provide a photo of the church in N.A. to put in the church in Uganda
- make rubber bracelets with the name of both churches and a Bible verse, so each can remember to pray for each other
- distribute letters with photos from one church to the other. This was a big hit, and the community returned the favor and they'll be brought back to the NA church.
- we spent a week meeting with the church leaders. In the evenings the pastors took turns hosting the group. Was a great time for fellowship.
I was just surprised as I had not heard this argument within Reformed circles. Pressuring young people to get married and have as many children as possible does not seem like wise advice. And, as someone who is unable to have children, I am a bit offended at the idea that children are the only reason for getting married and the implication that having as many children as possible is the only way to happiness. As this is a sensitive subject for me it's possible I am reading more into it than was intended. If that is the case I apologize for jumping to conclusions.
I have heard from many congregations that are scheduling additional offerings. We definitely appreciate it - and also prayers that our next grant will be funded.
One question I have is how members are defined. I attend a church that is geared towards 20 and 30 somethings, and when I was on the vision team we struggled with people who were faithfully attending, giving of their time and talent, yet resisted becoming a "member," often because they had had bad experiences with other churches. I wonder if this is a common trait among that demographic, and whether the age of average attendance differs from the age of average membership.
Posted in: A Christian’s Perspective on Caring for Creation?
John, I agree completely! Sometimes it's frustrating watching the church put so much energy into focusing on our differences, rather than the key issues.
Posted in: Together Again? Word and Deed
That's a good question, knowlton. One I've been mulling over ever since Lou posted this :-) When I think of our CRC churches, what is emphasized, word or deed? Keeping the status quo or reaching out to the lost in their own neighborhood?
Posted in: Together Again? Word and Deed
Lou, CRWRC has no plans to leave the denomination. There is no way it actually could, if you read the bylaws. of the organization. I encourage you to talk directly with CRWRC leadership if you have questions.
Posted in: Together Again? Word and Deed
[quote=Lou Wagenveld]
Yes, I did see the "comments" after the Banner article. Is there any other site/blog/forum where this is being discussed; clue me in, please.
[/quote]
I'm not aware of any, and I do try to keep up with the online discussions/forums.
Posted in: How Can a Service Team Connect With Host Community?
I just returned from a trip to Uganda with a church from California that's trying to establish a sister church type of relationship. They had many great ideas; I'll highlight some of them here. It's interesting to note that many of them came from the two high school students that were with the group!
- provide a photo of the church in N.A. to put in the church in Uganda
- make rubber bracelets with the name of both churches and a Bible verse, so each can remember to pray for each other
- distribute letters with photos from one church to the other. This was a big hit, and the community returned the favor and they'll be brought back to the NA church.
- we spent a week meeting with the church leaders. In the evenings the pastors took turns hosting the group. Was a great time for fellowship.
Posted in: Get married asap
I hope this is a joke?
Posted in: Get married asap
I was just surprised as I had not heard this argument within Reformed circles. Pressuring young people to get married and have as many children as possible does not seem like wise advice. And, as someone who is unable to have children, I am a bit offended at the idea that children are the only reason for getting married and the implication that having as many children as possible is the only way to happiness. As this is a sensitive subject for me it's possible I am reading more into it than was intended. If that is the case I apologize for jumping to conclusions.
Posted in: Responding to the CRWRC Funding Gap
Great news! We did get *some* interim CIDA funds. http://www.crcna.org/news.cfm?detailid=3556&newsid=2565
Posted in: Responding to the CRWRC Funding Gap
I have heard from many congregations that are scheduling additional offerings. We definitely appreciate it - and also prayers that our next grant will be funded.
Posted in: Responding to the CRWRC Funding Gap
Here's a recent Banner article http://www.thebanner.org/news/article/?id=3117
Posted in: www.TakeThemAMeal.com
great idea! I know friends who are expecting would love this, so I'm not sure this really fits under "deacons."
Posted in: CRC Median Age - 52!
One question I have is how members are defined. I attend a church that is geared towards 20 and 30 somethings, and when I was on the vision team we struggled with people who were faithfully attending, giving of their time and talent, yet resisted becoming a "member," often because they had had bad experiences with other churches. I wonder if this is a common trait among that demographic, and whether the age of average attendance differs from the age of average membership.