That's a fun video. I wish I could make something like that ...without it coming off as hokey and/or tacky. =) I'm sure there are people throughout the denomination who are up for such a task, and I'd love to see they come up with! ~Stan
I appreciate the conversation here. I'd like to respond in particular to something Joe Serge writes, about the baptismal ritual making children members of the family of God. He's absolutely right that the baptism ceremony itself does not make one a child of God – it symbolizes an existing reality. We often use the langauge of "sign" and "seal." But I'm trying to process the assertion that children are not part of the family until they are born again. We hold that children of believers are holy (see 1Cor 7); we comfort grieving parents who lost a little one that they are now with Jesus. This suggests to me that children are indeed part of the family before affirming the faith for themselves. But that leaves us with some tension: What's the point of being born again, as Joe correctly emphasizes, if we're already part of God's covenant family? Or: If there is a point when a child needs to consciously decide that s/he is part of God's family (be born again), how do we know when precisely that has happened or should happen? These are questions I've wondered about.
Tim, how do I search for people on the Network? If I'd like to see, for example, whether "Lisa K" is on the Network – someone who just sent me a message, so I know she's here – and I type "Lisa K" in the search box in my profile, I get no results. What am I missing? Thanks for your time! Stanley
We do this at Trinity CRC Rock Valley too, something that seems to be meaningful for all. This article makes me wish I had done this in my children's Bibles long ago so they'd already have highlighted verses and encouraging comments before the congregation eventually writes in them for their professions of faith. They're already teenagers but maybe it's not too late to start...
Posted in: A Denomination-Wide Video Contest
That's a fun video. I wish I could make something like that ...without it coming off as hokey and/or tacky. =) I'm sure there are people throughout the denomination who are up for such a task, and I'd love to see they come up with! ~Stan
Posted in: Invited
I appreciate the conversation here. I'd like to respond in particular to something Joe Serge writes, about the baptismal ritual making children members of the family of God. He's absolutely right that the baptism ceremony itself does not make one a child of God – it symbolizes an existing reality. We often use the langauge of "sign" and "seal." But I'm trying to process the assertion that children are not part of the family until they are born again. We hold that children of believers are holy (see 1Cor 7); we comfort grieving parents who lost a little one that they are now with Jesus. This suggests to me that children are indeed part of the family before affirming the faith for themselves. But that leaves us with some tension: What's the point of being born again, as Joe correctly emphasizes, if we're already part of God's covenant family? Or: If there is a point when a child needs to consciously decide that s/he is part of God's family (be born again), how do we know when precisely that has happened or should happen? These are questions I've wondered about.
Posted in: Follow a User Via Email Alerts [Feature]
Tim, how do I search for people on the Network? If I'd like to see, for example, whether "Lisa K" is on the Network – someone who just sent me a message, so I know she's here – and I type "Lisa K" in the search box in my profile, I get no results. What am I missing? Thanks for your time! Stanley
Posted in: Responsive Readings of the Ten Commandments
Thank you, Brian, for crafting and sharing these! Maybe Reformed Worship would like to see these too.
Posted in: Bird's Eye View
Beautiful! This should be in The Banner and Christian Courier, in the inbox of CRC leaders everywhere. I'm glad you shared this. ~Stanley
Posted in: Before You Gift a Graduate With a Bible, Do This
We do this at Trinity CRC Rock Valley too, something that seems to be meaningful for all. This article makes me wish I had done this in my children's Bibles long ago so they'd already have highlighted verses and encouraging comments before the congregation eventually writes in them for their professions of faith. They're already teenagers but maybe it's not too late to start...