As a member of the committee responsible for drafting the new statement of faith, Garth Wilson describes the questions and concerns that the committee had to deal with while writing the document. … Read more
The Word of God
Thomas F. Torrance underlines the centrality of the Word of God written and the Word made flesh. … Read more
More Than Coping, by Elizabeth Skoglund
Reviewed by Roma E. Bryant. This book helps us to realize that during suffering, we can cope, and that those we think of as giants of the faith still struggled as we do through terrible odds, and still coped. … Read more
Be Still and Know God’s Presence
By Barry Luxon. As a result of a prayer group focused on evangelism, the last weekend in March, 1992, was a glorious time of commitment and rededication to the Lord at St. Andrew’s, Galt. … Read more
Cultivating Religious Growth Groups, by Charles M. Olsen
Reviewed by Chuck Congram. Olsen discovered that the most dominant factor in congregations with small group ministry was the ongoing involvement of pastors. … Read more
Can Spiritual Maturity Be Taught?
By Roberta Hestenes. Who leads the church in developing spiritual maturity? Presumably the pastor. And where does the pastor learn it? The churches figured it was taught at seminary; the seminaries assumed it was caught at church. … Read more
New Life in the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan
By Ted Ellis — “Don’t call it ‘renewal’, call it ‘new life’. It is the most wide-spread movement in the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT).” Pastor Tan Sin-chhiong from the East Coast is not given to over-statement, but this is how he describes what is now known as “The New Life movement” in the PCT. He sees the PCT as old and creaky in places “but God is working to wake us up.” … Read more
Everywhere, Always and by All
By Gunar Kravalis. Although Living Faith is an acceptable statement of Christian belief, a close examination reveals it to contain serious flaws that make it unsuitable to be adopted as a subordinate standard, an official creed, or a confession of the church. … Read more
Letter to the Editor
We the undersigned were shocked and disappointed to read in the Fall issue, the statement in Donald MacLeod’s report on the 1994 American General Assembly, p. 10, the national organization ‘Presbyterian Women,’ Meeting in Ames, Iowa, a month after Assembly, was dominated by the gay-lesbian lobby in the church.” Shocked, because we were present at this gathering and could not believe that Dr. MacLeod was writing about the same event. … Read more
Regional Renewal Task Force News
Included are reports from the Atlantic Renewal Task Force, the Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec Renewal Task Force, and the Dunamis Conference at Lake George, New York. … Read more
Three New Board Members
Calvin Brown, the Executive Director, introduces Raymond Lee, Kent D. MacLeod, and David Jennings as new Board members. They will each serve a three-year term. A complete list of the Board of Directors is on the inside front cover. … Read more
Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth, by Richard J. Foster
Reviewed by Mike Cheney. Convinced that mediocrity and superficiality are epidemic in twentieth century society and church life, Foster focuses on rearticulating for the twentieth century Christian, in an eminently practical way, the necessity of spiritual discipline. … Read more
Why I Need a Small Group (and maybe you do too!)
By J.H. (Hans) Kouwenberg. Why do I need a small group? To study and grow together. To learn to work together with variety of viewpoints. To be held accountable. To be encouraged and supported. To share deeply: to sorrow and to celebrate together. … Read more
Worship Workshop: A Word for Frequent Communion
By Calvin Brown. John Calvin was desirous that the celebration of the Lord’s Supper should take place every Sunday, but the Council insisted the celebration be four times a year. Many congregations have it on the first Sunday of the month … Read more
Theology of the Reformers, by Timothy George
Reviewed by Christopher A. Hall. If one needed to select a single book to begin a study of the Reformation, or if one wanted a thorough but readable review of key figures and themes, Theology of the Reformers is the place to look. … Read more
Covenanting Liturgy
By Calvin Brown. This Covenanting Liturgy is based on Hebrews 11 and the Covenanting Prayer. It should be read with enthusiasm, feeling and growing intensity. The sense is that as we help one another remember the faithfulness of God exhibited among his people we more and more identify with them until we become one with them in Spirit and are willing also to make gladly the commitment that they did. … Read more
Assembly Reflections
By Clair MacLeod. When the “Report on Human Sexuality” was adopted as the statement of the Presbyterian Church in Canada with a large majority, it was seen as happening under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. … Read more