Tim Postuma

Beautiful, Syd. I love how these cohorts are bringing churches together for shared learning and mutual support. Your screenshot says a lot!

This Network website is another way churches regularly compare notes and encourage each other in ministry. Perhaps not the same depth of relationship-building as a cohort that meets together over the course of a year, but a similar idea.

Whether cohorts, The Network, events like Inspire, or other means...I love these efforts to come together for Kingdom impact. I imagine God smiles when he sees his churches connecting and learning from each other.

Thanks for the question, Lori. The Network uses Google's "recaptcha" service which has been built with accessibility in mind.  Its latest version reduces the need for people to decipher swiggly text (instead, clicking a much easier 'I am not a robot' box) and also offers an audio option instead of the visual option. You can read more about it in this accessibility review of the service.

We've hopefully switched all the captchas over to this newer tool but if we missed anywhere please let us know by emailing the page URL (and screenshot, if convenient) to [email protected] and we'll check into it.

Josh - Yours may not be the turnaround story you mentioned, but in many ways it is a more important story to tell. And it certainly takes more courage to write! To be faithful, we must remove the stigma associated with closing a church. If not, we'll have churches hanging on past when they should, and that prevents us from responding to how God is calling us next. Thank you for sharing this. Your honesty and wisdom in this reflection is the kind of leadership we need from pastors, and from all of us. Judging from the pageviews and the comments here, your words have struck a chord and have already had a significant impact.

I would urge some caution, Michelle, in light of some of the CRC's prior statements which may or may not line up with the links you provided.

To my knowledge, the CRC hasn't developed a 'position statement' on gender identity issues. But it has on the issue of homosexuality and even 45 years ago the 1973 report it approved said:

"It is important to understand that homosexuality is not the result of any conscious choice or decision on the part of the person to be homosexual."

And the CRC position statement goes on to say:

"Persons of same-sex attraction should not be denied community acceptance solely because of their sexual orientation and should be wholeheartedly received by the church and given loving support and encouragement. Christian homosexuals, like all Christians, are called to discipleship, holy obedience, and the use of their gifts in the cause of the kingdom. Opportunities to serve within the offices and the life of the congregation should be afforded to them as to heterosexual Christians."

If synod came to that conclusion about homosexuality 45 years ago, I wouldn't be surprised if it comes to the same conclusion about gender identity when that is studied.

We may soon find out, because Synod 2016 has appointed a study committee to "articulate a foundation-laying biblical theology of human sexuality that pays particular attention to biblical conceptions of gender and sexuality." So we can look forward to further clarity from that report. 

But it's noteable that synod, in the makeup of the study committee, said it wanted the committee to include a gender dysphoric person. And all committee members are to adhere to the CRC's biblical view of marriage. So, even in forming the committee, it seems that synod doesn't view those two things as incompatible. See: https://thebanner.org/news/2016/06/synod-2016-appoints-a-committee-to-study-human-sexuality

I hope these CRCNA references are helpful.

Thanks for sharing this, Angie. Such wise and practical advice.

Great topic, Christy. A few times, I've noticed that our musicians often introduce a new song first as an offeratory (sung as a solo, or duet) with words on the screen. Seems like a good approach, and sure helps adoption of the song later. Have others taken that approach, or found other ways of 'sneaking it in' before the congregation is asked to sing it?

What a great topic to think about, Norm. And I'm really curious to hear what other pastors (and non-pastors) have to say about this, and whether they can identify. I'm sure we can can all think of ways in which pastors do/don't fit a stereotype, and how that can be a blessing or not, depending on the situation.

I suppose it could have been meant as a compliment (e.g. you're articulate). But either way, the fact that it bugged you says something good about you I think - you're aware and thinking about whether any pastor stereotypes might get in the way of how you connect.

I'm not a pastor, but I'm married to one. One of the advantages of female pastors, perhaps, is that people are less quick to fit you into a stereotype (to achieve a similar stereotype-busting effect, you might consider tattoos, piercings, or growing dreadlocks :-)

Seriously, thanks for raising the topic and inviting feedback. Other thoughts, from pastors and non-pastors alike? What does it mean to pray (or act) like a pastor, and is it a good thing, a bad thing, or can it be both?