By Margaret Avison. His actions are whole-hearted, clear, spontaneous, and therefore can be interpreted, after, as purposeful too. … Read more
Learn to Discern, by R.G. De Moss, Jr.
Reviewed by Jim Walton. De Moss’s goal is to teach parents how they may help their children to develop a critical, Christian mind that is able to sift through the mixed messages given by the seductive and influential power of the television, movie, advertising, and music industries. … Read more
Unfinished Business Is His Business: Helping Adults Resolve Their Painful Pasts
By Bob Moeller. The adult children of dysfunctional homes are known as ACOAs – an acronym for adult children of alcoholics, though the term is applied to a wide variety of dysfunctional home settings. … Read more
The Magnificent Promise: The Unifying Power of Prayer, by Helen Smith Shoemaker
Reviewed by Shirley Charleson. There is a great proliferation of books on the subject of prayer; this is understandable. Helen Smith Shoemaker, the author of The Magnificent Promise, points out in her introduction “When you pray”, Jesus says, not “if you pray.” … Read more
Lausanne II and The Manila Manifesto
By John A. Vissers. This past July “Lausanne II in Manila” brought together over 4300 evangelical Christian leaders from about 170 countries to assess what has happened over the last fifteen years since the first Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization was held in 1974 in Switzerland, and to chart a course for world evangelization as we approach the year 2000. … Read more
The Daze of Noah
By Vern Tozer. What would happen if Noah were alive today – living in our Synod, within the bounds of one of our Presbyteries, and a member of one of our churches? … Read more
The Dayspring
By David D. Stewart. On the wall of the Memorial Hall in Zion Presbyterian Church, Charlottetown, PEI, is the picture of a ship, the Dayspring, whose birth came about in response to martyrdom and whose career was associated with the first great period of Canadian Presbyterian missionary outreach. … Read more
Study Guide
Questions for discussion by a Mission Committee or Bible study group are presented on each of the three sections: China/Taiwan, the South Pacific Islands, and Japan. … Read more
The Body, by Charles Colson
Reviewed by Roma E. Bryant. The huge gulf between the Christian and the secular view of man is sometimes underestimated. People around us don’t seem so different, but their world view is utterly in conflict with our Christian values. … Read more
Listening To Sermons As An Act of Worship
By Mark Graves. In his informal style, Mark writes on the sermon, considering it from the perspective of the pew. It is worth meditating on this “means of grace” that each Presbyterian, in their communicant vows, promises to diligently use. … Read more
Burning Bush and Chigge
By Robert K. Anderson. Koreans in Japan have long suffered oppression from the Japanese, and Christian witness there has seen many ups and downs. Work among them has moved from being directed from Korea to being indigenous. Help from the Presbyerian Church in Canada is on a "sister church" basis. … Read more
Wait Training: Building the Body of Christ
By Chris Yue. Small groups have always been used powerfully by God. He knows the power of community. And if we ourselves have enough community in our lives, there are many who need to be blessed by us. We need each other. … Read more
A Brief Apology for Predestination
By Dan Matthewson. Although predestination is a "minority" doctrine today, in Christian history, predestination is a "majority" doctrine. Calvin didn't invent this doctrine – he simply inherited a doctrine resoundingly accepted throughout the annals of church history. … Read more
Teach us to Pray
In the Lord’s Prayer, Stephen Self examines the address (Luke 11:2, Matt. 6:9); followed by five requests: the two Thou-petitions (Luke 11:2, Matt. 6:9- 10a), the two We-petitions (Luke 11:3-4a; Matt. 6:10b-12), and the concluding request (Luke 11:4b; Matt. 6:13).. … Read more
Elders’ Pastoral Care Groups: A System for Pastoral Oversight
James Statham outlines a system whereby elders’ pastoral care could be organized along natural relationships and make use of the variety of gifts elders exhibit, allowing the elders to become key facilitators, encouraging the assimilation of members and adherents into the life of the congregation. … Read more
Fountain of Youth
By Kathryn Dyck. Christian youth in Manitoba have been experiencing renewal over the past few years — truly a "Fountain of Youth." God's hands have guided the work of those who have volunteered their time and talents to Manitoba's Presbyterian Youth Council (PYC) … Read more