By Calvin Brown. The Renewal Fellowship is a volunteer organization, committed to renewing spiritual vitality and historic biblical witness within and through the church. Renewal Fellowship activities include organizing renewal conferences, days of prayer, and workshops, and publishing Channels magazine, Renewal News and a quarterly Prayer Calendar. … Read more
Same-Sex Partnerships? A Christian Perspective, by John Stott
Reviewed by Helga L. Stewart. John Stott’s little publication is a timely help in providing its readers with the well-laid-out arguments and biblical perspective that form the basis of the position taken on same-sex partnerships by the evangelical community, amongst others. … Read more
Leading God’s People and Caring for God’s People, by Stewart Matthew et al
Reviewed by Peter Bush. These are handbooks for the training of elders, with chapters focusing on helping elders develop their leadership skills, enhance teamwork within sessions, and become pastoral care-givers in their districts. … Read more
Beachhead at Lachine
By William Manson. The determined resistance to discipline at Lachine is only the start of an aggressive campaign to push the Church to change its 1994 ruling that homosexual practice a not Christian option. Those who are pushing for change are not on sabbatical. … Read more
Learning to Worship as a Way of Life, by Graham Kendrick
Reviewed by Nancy Bettridge. Renewal in worship is a gradual process, and the book gives several suggestions for change that an individual worshipper can make, and focusses on corporate changes in worship. … Read more
Church Renewal and Social Reform
By Stanford Reid. The search for the spiritual renewal of the church is something which is constantly taking place, and that is good. For the Church of Jesus Christ is in a very real sense a human body which needs continual renewal and has needed it ever since the days of the Lord Jesus upon earth. … Read more
The Gamble of Faith: A Christian Response to the “Question of God”, by Lawrence Brice
Reviewed by Jack Charleson. The book seeks to assist the reader to a deeper understanding of the Christian religion. This, with the assurance of faith, can assist in the strengthening of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and a commitment to serving him under the power of the Holy Spirit. … Read more
Name-Calling
By Calvin Brown. Labelling people is not good when it is used simply to write others off or to demonize them, but it is helpful when we want to have a beginning point for conversation. Avoid stereotypes, and use the words only as descriptive of points of view. … Read more
Executive Director’s Report
Calvin Brown reports on his preaching engagements, committee work, and upcoming renewal events. … 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
Whose Authority?
Clyde Ervine explains the dilemma facing the Church Doctrine Committee in framing the Human Sexuality Report in terms of the tension point between the authority of Scripture and the authority of personal experience. … Read more
Biblical Models for Handling Conflict,, by Roy D. Bell
Reviewed by Greg Dallimore. Conflict is a dirty word in the church. As Christians, we try to find any number of ways to mask the fact that it exists and that church relationships often break down because of it. This book is a blend of scriptural insight, practical example and trim homily. … Read more
Reflections On The Events Of September 11, 2001
By Calvin Brown. Several excerpts from Calvin's Institutes serve to highlight, amid the innumerable evils that beset human life, the fact that without certainty about God's providence, life would be unbearable. Certainty about God's providence shouts joyous trust towards God in our hearts. … Read more
Finding God in Unexpected Places, by Philip Yancey
Reviewed by Kit Schindell. Philip Yancey shows us how we need to look for God beyond the walls of the church, in the slums and jails or watching a pod of whales. This is not a gritty book, dragging us through "sordid reality", nor is it cute and coy bedtime reading. … Read more
Thank God for the World
By Bruce Robertson. The sheet music for this children’s song appears in the original PDF
Evangelicals at Vancouver: An Open Letter
Although this open letter does not include everything that might be said by evangelicals about the WCC 6th Assembly – it was authored mid-way through the meetings – the general consensus of those who wrote it was that some positive things should be said even while we held continuing critical apprehensions. … Read more