Category: church

Belief and Belonging at Calvin University: How Does a Denominational University stay Vibrantly Christian?

May 27, 2020

A shorter version of this article appeared in The Christian Courier June 8th 2020. It involves changing faculty requirements at Calvin University, but it has implications for all Christian institutions of higher education: how best to nurture a faithful Christian faculty with a common identity and purpose? How do you navigate between the polar extremes … More Belief and Belonging at Calvin University: How Does a Denominational University stay Vibrantly Christian?

The Ark, the Titanic and a cargo ship to Tarshish: Social Isolation as Temptation in the post-Christian storm

April 27, 2020

In a time of COVID, socially isolating yourself is now mandated for the common good. But a book exploded on the political scene a few years ago that prescribed it as the survival strategy for a society infected by the corrosive virus of secularism. … More The Ark, the Titanic and a cargo ship to Tarshish: Social Isolation as Temptation in the post-Christian storm

Changing Trajectory in COVID: A Business of Building Dividing Walls

April 6, 2020

Joel Koops is a friend and fellow parishoner, and I thought this would be a good story to share in these strange times. Its about making a difference with whatever you have in front of you. This story ran in The Christian Courier on April 6th here. In the second week of March, Joel Koops, … More Changing Trajectory in COVID: A Business of Building Dividing Walls

Wonder, Heartbreak, Hope and Joy for Distressed Souls: A Reformed Theology of Personhood and Mental Health

March 31, 2020

Some would normalize mental illness, but insofar as it is debilitating, it indicates dis-order, something amiss in one’s soul, and everyone feels its shadow fall across their life in some way, instigating hope for healing in a life lived coram deo, before the face of God. … More Wonder, Heartbreak, Hope and Joy for Distressed Souls: A Reformed Theology of Personhood and Mental Health

Campus Ministry: Deep Roots, Wild Branches

January 20, 2020

The Flourishing Congregations Institute reported a few years back that the United Church in Canada was closing a church every week. That can’t continue very long. Religious “nones” are the fastest growing religious group in the country–up to 25 percent of Canadians, and even a higher percentage of the younger generation. If churches contribute to … More Campus Ministry: Deep Roots, Wild Branches