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- Presbyterians divided on same-sex marriage May 17, 2012Survey shows members, ruling elders oppose same-sex marriage, while teaching elders in favor May 17, 2012 General Assembly Mission Council Contact: Perry Chang Research Services Presbyterians are divided on whether same-sex marriage should be allowed. According to results from the February 2012 Presbyterian Panel survey more members and ruling elders are opp […]Research Services (General Assembly Mission Council)
- Cultivating leadership May 17, 2012Synods work to develop leadership in time of discontinuity May 17, 2012 Special to Presbyterian News Service Toya Richards LOUISVILLE Two synods in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) are doing their best to address a burning question plaguing the denomination and greater church alike. “How are we to respond with the gospel in the 21st century when we have a ch […]Presbyterian News Service (General Assembly Mission Council)
- All in the family: a history of splits in the American Presbyterian Church May 17, 2012May 17, 2012 Special to Presbyterian News Service Frederick J. Heuser Presbyterian Historical Society PHILADELPHIA Mark Twain commented that “You never see Presbyterians ranting, shouting and tearing up the ground. You never heard of a Presbyterian going crazy on religion… You never see any of us Presbyterians getting in a sweat about religion and trying to […]Presbyterian News Service (General Assembly Mission Council)
- Evangelicals say it’s time for frank talk about sex May 17, 2012May 17, 2012 Religion News Service Adelle M. Banks WASHINGTON The statistics, some evangelicals say, can no longer be ignored. Eighty percent of young evangelicals have engaged in premarital sex, according to a new video from the National Association of Evangelicals, and almost a third of evangelicals’ unplanned pregnancies end in abortion. It’s time to spea […]Religion News Service
- Presbyterian Church of Mexico begins anniversary celebrations May 17, 2012May 17, 2012 Ecumenical News International ENInews Staff Events in honor of the 140th anniversary of the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico begin May 18and will continue for the next several months. Exhibitions, lectures and roundtable discussions are planned, dealing with the history, theology and anthropology of the church, covering the time of the arr […]Ecumenical News International
ABC Churches
Published April 25, 2012ABC Churches
ABC churches get their name from the fact that they focus their attention on three things which many feel are not central to God’s call for the church.
First they spend much of the effort, time and resources on seeking to attract new people to the church. This becomes a problem when the reason for attracting people is so that the bills get paid (I don’t have to pay them), there is no concern on developing the gifts of the attracted people or there is no concern about their relationship with Jesus Christ.
Second, they are overly focused on their budget, especially the expenditures. These churches are often trapped by scarcity thinking, always believing there isn’t enough to do what needs to be done. Too many times these churches also get overly focused on the building because scarcity thinking has led them to delay maintenance to the point now that they have to do that work at the cost of doing mission.
Third is that they are a caring church. Probably every one of us is a member of the church we presently belong to because it is the most caring church we experienced in this community. Unfortunately this caring is directed exclusively toward those who are already members of the church. When the caring gets so restricted the church discovers that it now has a difficult time attracting new members. It becomes a vicious circle.
GOD’S MANDATE TO THE CHURCH
Published April 11, 2012GOD’S MANDATE TO THE CHURCH
Israel Galindo
Three key New Testament passages sum up God’s mandate to the Church and God’s intent for it.
The first is the passage commonly referred to as the Great Commission of the Church (Matthew 28:18-20). OUR CHURCHES ARE FIXED ON THE IDEA OF RECRUITING CHURCH MEMBERS, THIS PASSAGE TALKS ABOUT MAKING DISCIPLES WHICH IS NOT NECESSARILY SYNONYMOUS. MANY OF US DON’T EVEN KNOW THE DISTINCTION LET ALONE KNOW THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WAY WE GO ABOUT THAT MINISTRY. WE NEED TO HELP NEW MEMBERS – AND EXISTING MEMBERS- RECOGNIZE THAT THEY DIDN’T ARRIVE AT THE TIME OF THEIR MEMBERSHIP BUT THEIR JOURNEY OF FAITH AND MINISTRY BEGAN AT THAT POINT.
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DOMESTICATED CHURCH
Published April 2, 2012DOMESTICATED CHURCH
Two things have become quite clear. On the one hand, the churches of North America have been dislocated from their prior social role of chaplain to the culture and society and have lost their once privileged positions of influence. At the same time, the churches have become so accommodated to the American way of life that they are now domesticated, and it is no longer obvious what justifies their existence as particular communities.
Discipleship has been absorbed into citizenship. Darrel Gruder
FOUR ESSENTIALS
Published February 1, 2012FOUR ESSENTIALS
Bill Easum and Thomas Bandy talk about four things that are essential to organizations – vision, mission, basic beliefs, and core values. As I am preparing a new elder training workshop that considers the changes that have been made to the Book of Order those four things have been running through my mind.
I believe the best statement of the vision for the church is found in Philippians 2 when we are told that God’s vision is that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Jesus as Lord. Our Book of Order is not as clear although you could probably make reference to the church serving the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.
LAOS the whole people of God
Published February 1, 2012LAOS the whole people of God
Joe Small reminded the presbytery in 2010 that the distinction between clergy and laity is an inappropriate one. Laos means the whole people of God so clergy are also laity. We in the church have created a false distinction. In addition he reminded us that ordination set part of the laity apart for particular functions but it didn’t eliminate them from being the Laos or laity.