Tim Postuma

Henry,

Come on....that was barely half a toot.

A full toot of the horn should really include a link so we can read the sample chapter and, of course, buy! Let me help you out:

http://www.faithaliveresources.org/Products/155303/christian-reformed-church-order-commentary.aspx

This may not reach mass-market status with an interview by Oprah, distribution through Costco, and the rest. Not to shatter any dreams, of course.

But Christian Reformed pastors, elders, and entire congregations are in debt to you for putting this all down. And to Faith Alive for publishing it. Thank you.

Now you've got me thinking...is a hymnal a format (i.e. book) or a 'core collection' (available in many formats)?

If the latter, how does a collection of songs remain 'core' over a long period of time within a church? Or a denomination? Or inter-denominationally?

In other words, would 'Amazing Grace' be as universally loved if it weren't for hymn books? Obviously, I've got more questions than answers!

Interesting question! Does anyone know whether the same is true for debit cards?

As for credit cards, I use mine as an alternative to carrying cash but now you've got me thinking. Plus the more I learn about the industry's practices the more horrified I become.

It would be great if there was an ethical alternative to the biggies - one that still gives the convenience but encourages responsible financial behavior. Impossible?

Great question and topic, Craig. I've been thinking about this too, and eager to hear from others about it.

It seems like a core question is - what's the purpose(s) of a small group? If it's to support each other through the ups and downs of life, that would lend itself to long-standing groups and deep relationships. But if the purpose is to welcome and enfold new members and new Christians, then multiplications seems critical. 

In my own small group experience, we're trying to doing both. And it does lead to some real discernment every year when we talk about plans for the next year, who will be continuing, whether to split, whether to invite new members, etc.

I don't have an answer, unfortunately, but my observation is that the question is really one of 'what's our small group about?'. 

Other experiences and observations?

For me, one of the most compelling arguments I've heard for a hymnal is that we should have a 'core' set of songs that are well known across our churches and those from other denominations.

Why does that resonate with me?

My wife is a chaplain in a long-term care setting with people from a wide variety of faith backgrounds. She has amazing testimonies of what happens when she is able to sing a familiar hymn or song with them. I saw the same thing when, as a kid, my parents would drag me along whenever a few from our church would go to a similar facility to 'sing with the seniors'. Music taps into something so deep, so powerful that people who are barely able to communicate are somehow able to hum or even sing along.

Personally, I love contemporary music styles. But I sure hope that there's still a 'core' set of songs that is learned by my kids, kids from other denominations, and those who will may minister to them throughout their lives. I think a denominational hymnal - or, in this case, a bi-denominational one - helps that.

Colin - Maybe try a different browser. We've got about 125+ people online now so it seems like an issue with your local system. You could also try the channel page here.

Mavis - Sorry for the delayed response - it's been really busy. All the archives are online now. Let me know if you have any questions.

Nice to hear. Thanks, Keith.

We've actually had a similar inquiry from another denomination. Since the platform we're using is open-source, it could be possible to share the codebase as well as the ongoing development costs of adding new features, etc. Not trivial to do and it would require a serious commitment, but it sure beats all of us building similar tools from scratch. Have them contact me via PM if interested.

Christianity Today just posted a story about this - Google Cuts Churches Out of Non-Profit Program

Matt Branaugh's reporting answered some of the questions I had (especially the part about existing churches getting grandfathered in). BTW, the reason I was quoted was because he saw this discussion on The Network. Cool, eh?

Here's a followup story Christianity Today just posted this morning about it.