Help for My Prayer Life
05. March 2024
This is a great question, and I can relate. As a little boy, I enjoyed prayer times in worship. Everyone went quiet and still. I would close my eyes ...
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More Alone than Ever
10. January 2024
For nearly a decade, the hit TV show Cheers opened with a theme song celebrating the sense of security that comes from having a place “where ...
What Does a Moderator Do?
22. November 2023
At some point in your life, you will likely be asked to run a meeting. This may be for your Girl Scout or Trail Life troop, your student government ...
How Can I Have More Joy in My Life?
18. September 2023
Some of us grew up singing “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart.” But, according to Galatians 5, we should sing that we have the ...
Do I Need to Know the Church’s Constitution?
26. July 2023
You likely know the Reformed Presbyterian Church has a particular understanding of the public worship of God. You might also know the church has a ...
Pulpit Shuffle
22. May 2023
This is a timely question! The challenges and costs of shuffling pastors from one pulpit to another reappear most often when our denomination ...
Can You Be Your Pastor’s Friend?
13. March 2023
If you were truly in need, to whom would you turn? How many friends could you rely on to help you in a time of distress, not counting family? Take a ...
God’s Gift to the Church
16. January 2023
The short answer is that God gives a pastor to a congregation. I remember when young men, eager to become pastors, were asked in a presbytery exam, ...
The Story of Our Banner
11. November 2022
A blue banner hangs prominently in many RP churches. Church plants sometimes wonder how to get one. Visitors sometimes wonder why a strict ...
Missionaries and Money
12. September 2022
This is a good question. It reminded me of the missionary visits to my childhood church, which were always an exciting time. We enjoyed a special ...
M&Ms and Money
18. July 2022
A report to Synod that few elders want to miss is the one that talks about our giving to Reformed Presbyterian Missions and Ministries (RPM&M). ...
Why Meet with Elders Before Communion?
11. January 2022
Lord’s Days with the Lord’s supper can be a little harried for the elders. In addition to all the normal preparations for worship, they also meet ...
Counted As a Member of God’s Family
10. November 2021
God has a membership roll in heaven, the Lamb’s book of life (Phil. 4:3; Rev. 3:5, 13:8, 17:8, 20:15, 21:27). It contains the name of each of ...
Why Bother with Parliamentary Procedure?
19. July 2021
The jest sometimes circulates synod meetings: Everything has been said, but not everyone has said it. A presbytery sometimes gets so far into the ...
How Do Calvinists Evangelize?
14. May 2021
It is common to hear the question, “Why do Calvinists evangelize?” But here, we consider how, which is also a good question. How do we speak the ...
Understanding the Benediction
05. March 2021
During the benediction, should we look at the pastor or should we bow our heads and close our eyes? Good question! It is a scene we know: public ...
Responding to Reports of the Supernatural
18. November 2020
Over the years I have heard several stories from credible people about haunted buildings and other supernatural behavior. Recently a non-Christian ...
Avoid the Drama?
14. September 2020
My children are in an extracurricular drama program that we love and appreciate. Recently, several of their teachers started holding “mindfulness” ...
How Far Is Too Far from the Church Building?
13. July 2020
Two families have begun attending my church from well over an hour’s distance. We’re happy to have them worshiping with us, but opportunities for ...
What’s the Real Purpose of Deacons?
14. May 2020
I’m one of the deacons at my church. When I read Acts 6, I feel like we should be doing everything we can to help the poor around us, but some of ...