If I’m honest, I’d rather look away from Synod this year. But I haven’t always felt that way. In years past, I’ve been a keen watcher of the Christian Reformed Church (CRC)’s annual denominational meetings that are usually held at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. There’s one evening of Synod watching that I remember…
Can we be strong and weak? Many would reject this as unrealistic, but it’s a paradox that provides hope for the leadership complexities facing the church today and the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) specifically. In his book, Strong and Weak, Andy Crouch explores this paradox and provides a helpful framework for flourishing leadership. A framework…
When former Calgary mayoral candidate Naheed Kurban Nenshi began his 2010 race, he was far behind. To narrow the gap between himself and the frontrunner he tried various communication strategies, one of which was an increased use of social media. He also instituted “coffee meetings” for the people who thought only birds tweeted and Facebook…
I heard in seminary that Calvin once said “Don’t assume the Holy Spirit’s presence unless you sigh, cry, and die for that to become a reality.” AI tells me the quote comes from Samuel Chadwick (1860-1932), a preacher of English Methodism. So I can’t be sure. I frequently encounter the opposite assumption: Christian communities who…
After months of pandemic Zoom meetings, the council members were delighted to gather at the church once more. But when the Chair declared: “It’s so good to all meet face to face again!” I chuckled. Because that wasn’t true. We were gathered in-person around the Council table – but hardly “face to face.” Two members…
The Christian Reformed Church pastors and church members behind Toward CRC Canada believe that Canadian concerns and opportunities have not been taken seriously by the larger U.S. portion of the denomination. In a letter sent to CRCs in Canada, the group claims “that the time has come to create two distinct sister denominations out of…
About 12 years ago the Muttart Foundation, a private foundation based in Edmonton, commissioned Ipsos Reid to conduct a survey on public opinion that measured Canadians’ attitudes towards charities (including churches). Ipsos Reid found that 33 percent of Canadians trusted churches only “a little” or “not at all” (their two lowest categories for measuring trust)….
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