As CEO of Acts 29, Steve Timmis was an effective and respected leader. During his seven years at the helm, the church planting network rebounded from the fallout around its co-founder Mark Driscoll and expanded from 300 mostly US churches to 800 . . . Continue reading →
Church Life
Heidelcast 139: Of Megachurches, Busses, And Woodchippers
More than a decade ago I noted on the HB that one of the dominant stories in American Christianity in the last 25 years has been the rise of the “megachurch.” According to a recent study published in June, 2009, in USA . . . Continue reading →
Savannah River Presbytery (PCA) Requests GA To Assume Jurisdiction In Revoice Case
Savannah River Presbytery requests that the 48th General Assembly assume original jurisdiction of the case of the investigation by Missouri Presbytery of Greg Johnson and the session of Memorial Presbyterian Church with regard to theological error and involvement in the 2018 Revoice . . . Continue reading →
Central Georgia Presbytery (PCA) Overtures GA To Assume Jurisdiction Of The Revoice Case
Whereas TE Greg Johnson has and continues to teach that Christians can be identified as homosexuals, and that those who experience same-sex temptations are not normally delivered from these, and are not normally changed in nature by the LORD; and Whereas Memorial . . . Continue reading →
Dear Christian Parent, Your Pastor Will Fight For Your Kids But Will You?
This essay comes from the heart as a passionate plea to parents out of our shared concern for our covenant children. It is difficult to pastor a flock in a conservative church today, but not for the reasons that you might think. It . . . Continue reading →
AGR 2019 Conference Audio—Hospitality: The Gospel Comes With A House Key
On July 26, 2019 AGR and the Escondido United Reformed Church were pleased to co-host the first-ever Abounding Grace Radio conference. Our speaker this year was Dr Rosaria Butterfield. She is a former tenured professor of English and women’s studies at Syracuse . . . Continue reading →
What Pastors Should Tell Their Wives
A few years ago I wrote an article on what pastors should not tell their wives. In it I argued that there is much that it said behind closed doors, in elder meetings (e.g.,consistory or session meetings), that should not be repeated . . . Continue reading →
Has God Really Said? Discussing Female Pastors With Janet Mefferd
Americans are We live in a revolutionary age. We are in the midst of a third modern sexual revolution. In April I sketched this history briefly in another article. One aspect of that revolution is what is known as “Third Wave” Feminism. . . . Continue reading →
Choose Your Metaphors Carefully: The Church Is A Pasture Not A Business
35 years ago, when I began seminary, the “church growth” movement was hitting its stride. In a course taught by an adjunct professor with a Harvard MBA we were taught how be efficient just the way successful CEOs are. Later, in the . . . Continue reading →
The Church That Prays Together, Stays Together
There are many centripetal forces that tear at the bonds that hold a congregation together, so it is useful to be aware of them. After all, we live in a remarkably busy world where quiet has almost disappeared entirely. We are connected . . . Continue reading →
Killing Worship (1)
Years ago I was challenged by a churchgoer that I have no right to critique another church’s worship unless I have personally attended and witnessed for myself what is happening. I took this challenge and visited the local evangelical church in which . . . Continue reading →
The Guy On The Screen Is Not Your Pastor
At the Heidelblog we are passionate in our commitment to the local church. We do not want listeners and readers to substitute the HB for the local, visible church. Unless you are in our congregation we are probably not going to be . . . Continue reading →
The Church Of Misfit Toys
Outside the church, i.e., outside the visible, organized Christ-confessing covenant community, where the gospel is preached purely, the sacraments of Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are administered purely, and where church discipline is used, the church often looks very different than . . . Continue reading →
Putting Your Stamp On An Iconic Brand
From 1964 until about 1973 the Ford Mustang was one of the coolest (as we used to say) cars on the road. It was instantly recognizable. The classic years were arguably 1967 or 1968. In those years the Mustang had grown up . . . Continue reading →
Church Growth, The Theology Of The Cross, And The Theology Of Glory
When I entered the evangelical world in the mid-70s there was much talk and teaching (and guilt manipulation) about personal evangelism but not much talk of church growth. A decade later, however, when I went to seminary, it was all the rage. . . . Continue reading →
A Perfect Church? Not In This Life
In a recent book, church growth guru George Barna seems to suggest the end or irrelevance of the local congregation.1 He speaks for a significant number of people who find their congregation unsatisfying or who cannot find a church at all. It . . . Continue reading →
On Congregational Elections
A HB reader writes to ask about to think about and vote in a congregational election for elders when one does not know the nominees. This is a difficult question for a couple of reasons. First, we have little to no evidence . . . Continue reading →
Where Is The Church Heading?
Introduction None of us knows the specifics of the future. There are a few things that every Christian knows from Scripture about the future. We know that Christ shall return (Acts 1:11), that there shall be a bodily resurrection (1 Thess 4:16), . . . Continue reading →
Rachael Denhollander To SGM On The Spiritual Dangers Of Tribalism
Not only has there been no loving but firm pressure to submit to accountability and openness, the very dynamic I warned about in the Christianity Today article has been repeated. My gospel presentation and offer of forgiveness to my abuser was heralded . . . Continue reading →
Office Hours: Bringing A Living Hope to Waterdown, Ontario
At Westminster Seminary California, since our beginning in 1980, our primary mission has been to prepare men for pastoral ministry. We have graduated more than eleven hundred students about 70% of whom go on to pastoral ministry. Indeed, some of our earliest . . . Continue reading →