The multi-ethnic implications of the gospel should compel every church planter and church member to critically analyze their practice to see if they are putting up unnecessary barriers to diversity. Every Christian should desire congregations that closely resemble the diversity present in . . . Continue reading →
Missional and Reformed
Setting Priorities For The Congregation
August is the time of year when the heat of summer is accompanied by a blessedly slower pace, unless one is a college football player, in which two-a-day practices begin. Nebraska football is a month away! It’s vacation season for many (e.g., . . . Continue reading →
Office Hours: Reaching A Spanish-Speaking Population
The United States has experienced several great waves of immigration in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. At this writing the United States is experiencing another such wave, this time of Spanish-speaking immigrants. This language-cultural group is noticeably under represented in confessional . . . Continue reading →
A Reformed Church Plant Initiative In Richmond, VA
Office Hours: Ministry And Mission
What happens to WSC students after they graduate? Most of them go on to become pastors in confessional Presbyterian and Reformed congregations. Most of them spend the rest of their lives in faithful service to Christ, preaching the gospel, administering the sacraments, . . . Continue reading →
Not Your Opa’s GR
Most think of Grand Rapids as a bastion of Dutch Reformed identity. Again, the reality is somewhat different than the image. Right now, about 20% of the population is of Dutch ancestry, 80% is not. Sadly, while the Dutch (my own heritage, . . . Continue reading →
The Reformed Confession Grows In Milan
Renewed interest in the Reformed confession is not a uniquely American phenomenon. There are, of course, large confessional Reformed/Presbyterian bodies in South Korea, Nigeria, The (Democratic Republic of the) Congo, and elsewhere. We where we might not expect to find a Reformed . . . Continue reading →
Help Plant A Confessional Reformed Congregation In South Richmond
Heidelcast 39: Confessional Church Planting In Cincinnati
An important part of recovering the Reformed confession is calling the churches back to our theology, piety, and practice. Church planting is a part of that practice. We’ve always been “missional.” We were missional before there was a cool word for it. . . . Continue reading →
Confessing And Practicing The Reformed Faith In The Philippines (links updated)
—Guest Post By the Rev. Mr. Nollie Malabuyo § On the Lord’s Day, September 8, 2013, Trinity Covenant Reformed Church in Imus, Cavite held its regular Sunday adult class and worship service. But it was also a thanksgiving service for God’s faithfulness . . . Continue reading →
One Reason Why Unbelievers Don’t Want to Talk to Us
Mark Vander Pol recently pointed us to a wiki page titled, “How to Avoid Uncomfortable Conversations About Religion.” This page is useful on a variety of levels. On the most common level, some people are pests and it offers some good advice for dealing . . . Continue reading →
Growing Confessional Reformed Congregations In Italy
Guest post by the Rev. Dr. Andrea Ferrari. § In writing to you I realize how fast time has passed and how many things have happened in the last few months. We have many reasons to be grateful for we have been . . . Continue reading →
Growing A New Reformed Congregation In Missoula
Guest post by the Rev. Mr. Jared Beaird. He took his B.A. from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago and his MDiv from Westminster Seminary California. He’s a native of Montana. § Covenant Reformed Church of Missoula, Montana was provisionally accepted into membership . . . Continue reading →
Can’t Plant A Psalm-Singing Congregation In An Urban Metro?
Don’t tell that to the brothers and sisters at Grace URC in Torrance, California. They’ve been in existence for 12 years and are completing a significant expansion of their worship facility as needed by their growing congregation. Mrs Heidelblog and I spent . . . Continue reading →
Church Websites Are Boring And Useless
We typically tell the spy only the name of the church and the city, and we ask him/her to learn about the church first from the website. More than one spy has called us to say he cannot find the service times, . . . Continue reading →
Abandoned Churches: From Mission To Museum
For years we drove past this old, abandoned church just north of I-80 near Milford, Nebraska. It was always a lonely vista but it was just one among many. I have often wondered about it, briefly, as we have driven west from . . . Continue reading →
Abounding Grace: Godfrey On Evangelism
Bob Godfrey joined Chris Gordon last week to record two episodes of AGR. Bob is president of Westminster Seminary California and a convert to the Christian faith who came to faith through the ministry of a Reformed congregation. You can read his . . . Continue reading →
A New Confessional Congregation In Detroit
Guest post by the Rev Mr Dan Milward. I met Dan several years ago when I spoke at a conference hosted by Redeemer PCA in Traverse City. § New City Presbyterian Church is committed to church planting in Detroit. Our church planting . . . Continue reading →
Progress In Cincinnati
Guest post by Zac Wyse, who is a licentiate in the United Reformed Churches. He’s a recent WSC graduate and he’s planting a new congregation in Cincinnati. § We are a new church that belongs to a growing federation called the United . . . Continue reading →
So You Want To Plant A Church?
The confessional Reformed churches face many struggles. In Recovering the Reformed Confession I classified some of them under two headings, QIRC and QIRE, the quests for illegitimate religious certainty and experience. There are others. We are still playing Whack-a-mole with the Federal . . . Continue reading →