“Calvinist” or “Christian”

Rev. Ray O. Zorn. Trowel & Sword, March 1975 Preamble: What’s in a name? This could well be considered a subtitle to this week’s post. In the early days of the Reformed Church, its leaders went to great lengths to proclaim to its members and indeed to the world that here was a church whichContinue reading ““Calvinist” or “Christian””

Children’s Ministry

Helen Vanderbom. Trowel & Sword, February 2003 Preamble: The growth of Christian Schools in the last fifty years or sons an indication that Christians take the raising of their children in a Godly environment very seriously. But is it the case that an unintended consequence may be that parents today may not be as diligentContinue reading “Children’s Ministry”

Reformed Church or Ref. Ghetto (2)

Rev. W. Vanderkolk. Trowel & Sword, Jan./Feb. 1965 Preamble: Following on from the previous article Rev. Vanderkolk presents us with some suggestions on how to avoid becoming a “Reformed Ghetto”. It is worth remembering that these articles were written sixty years ago so perhaps the suggestion of working among Dutch migrants may not be asContinue reading “Reformed Church or Ref. Ghetto (2)”

Reformed Church or Reformed Ghetto?

W. Vanderkolk. Trowel and Sword, December 1964 Preamble: “Ghetto • a part of a city …… occupied by a minority group or groups. • an isolated or segregated group or area.” In this hard hitting article, written a mere 3 years before his tragic death while on a holiday with his family, Rev. William Vanderkolk wrote passionately about what he saw as a Reformed Church inContinue reading “Reformed Church or Reformed Ghetto?”

The Beauty Of God’s House – A Few Small Points

Trowel & Sword. A.I. De Graaf, October/November 1964 Preamble: In this article, published over two months, Rev. de Graaf sets out to clarify what may be regarded as two of the lesser, albeit solemn “traditions” of the worship service of the day. It may well be that some churches today no longer even follow theseContinue reading “The Beauty Of God’s House – A Few Small Points”

The Place of Preaching in the Church Part 4

Rev. Martin Geluk. Trowel and Sword, July 1995. Preamble: In this, the final instalment of “The Place of Preaching in the Church”, Martin ties all four parts together with conclusions that should be compulsory reading for all RTC students, all ministers, all elders and every CRCA member sitting in the pews; and in truth, everyContinue reading “The Place of Preaching in the Church Part 4”

The Place of Preaching in the Church Part 3

Rev. Martin Geluk. Trowel and Sword, July 1995. Preamble: Rev. Geluk continues speaking to us in his four part discourse on the place of preaching in the church. After summarising the purpose of the first two articles he now goes on to show why: “The church must resist human substitutes for God-ordained preaching,” and inContinue reading “The Place of Preaching in the Church Part 3”

The Place of Preaching in the Church Part 2

Rev. Martin Geluk. Trowel and Sword, June 1995. Preamble: As the title suggests this is the second of four articles written by Martin Geluk on preaching. We need say no more as Martin himself has written an introduction. The Place Of Preaching In The Church (Part 2) In our previous article we began to considerContinue reading “The Place of Preaching in the Church Part 2”

The Place of Preaching in the Church Part 1

Preamble: It has been 10 years since Martin Geluk was called into the presence of the Lord. But he left behind a legacy in the hearts and minds of the congregations he served throughout his ministry, (Geelong being one of those congregations), as well as through his contributions to Trowel and Sword. For the nextContinue reading “The Place of Preaching in the Church Part 1”

Babel and Pentecost

God’s Multi-lingual Answers to Rebellious Ambition Rev. John de Hoog. Trowel and Sword, June 1995 Preamble: You may remember that in Dec. 1977 Bill Deenick wrote about the church year in his article “Annus Liturgicus” (see TSR, Jan. 1, 2024). Next Sunday, May 19, is Pentecost Sunday; another important event on the Christian calendar, celebratedContinue reading “Babel and Pentecost”