Church Life

It Happens In The Church

by R. Scott Clark on March 19, 2021 | 3 Comments

I grew up in the church. Some of my favorite memories come from the time I spent there — Sunday school, AWANA, VBS, youth group, and fellowship meals. For hours we would play hide-and-seek, run up and down hallways, and occasionally sneak . . . Continue reading →

A Follow Up Regarding Abuse In The Church: We Are Talking About Practice

by R. Scott Clark on March 24, 2021

Last week I wrote an introduction to spiritual abuse and how laity and officers should respond. A correspondent writes to ask what the laity are to do when when ruling elders and ministers refuse to address a situation. May a lay member . . . Continue reading →

Do Not Insist on Your Own Way

by Harrison Perkins on July 13, 2021 | 5 Comments

Recently, I have been reading Carl Trueman’s excellent newest book, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self (Crossway, 2020), and listening to Christianity Today’s fascinating podcast about Mark Driscoll’s ministry, The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. One thing that stood out to me, which I think captures an ongoing pastoral issue throughout the church, is the predominance of preferences. Continue reading →

How To Handle A Divisive Person In The Church

by R. Scott Clark on December 1, 2021 | 7 Comments

As society is presently ripped apart with divisions on every issue, the church is likewise bombarded with divisive people who are using the current cultural divide to mimic the culture and tear apart the body of Christ. Christians have to be acutely . . . Continue reading →

Good News For The Reformed Churches: Small Is In Again

by R. Scott Clark on December 20, 2021 | 9 Comments
Walnut Creek RCUS Kansas City

“According to the recently released Faith Communities Today study, half of the congregations in the United States have 65 people or fewer, while two-thirds of congregations have fewer than 100.” Continue reading →

To Those Who Left

by R. Scott Clark on April 6, 2022 | 30 Comments

The obvious effects of Covid are easy to spot. Not only have millions died, but also many have long-term illness from the virus, and an unknown number of people are suffering from the various treatments. There are small children who do not . . . Continue reading →

What Churches Can Do To Reconcile With Those Who Left

How The Church Can Model The Covenant Of Grace

by R. Scott Clark on April 9, 2022 | 33 Comments

A few days ago I made an appeal to those who left their congregations over disagreements with church leadership about how the visible church responded to Covid. I asked for understanding and forgiveness. I also argued that, in most cases, those who . . . Continue reading →

He Is A Pastor, Not A Priest

by R. Scott Clark on August 29, 2022 | 11 Comments

One of the great temptations that reporters face, especially as they become famous (or notorious), is the temptation to think that they are part of the story or that they are in charge of the story. In other words, it is tempting, . . . Continue reading →

Of Wheels, Spokes, And Ruling Elders (Part 2)

by R. Scott Clark on November 15, 2023 | 7 Comments

Previously, we looked at the office of Ruling Elder (RE) in P&R churches. Today, we continue that conversation. Truing The Spokes When a bloc of REs, however, becomes less a counter-weight to progressive tendencies and more an anchor to prevent Reformation according . . . Continue reading →