Bill van Schie. Trowel & Sword. February 2003 Preamble: Attending a church service would appear to most to be a simple process. You walk in, go to the same seat you have been sitting in, perhaps for years, and perhaps even “gently” admonish someone who has had the temerity to “inadvertently” sit in “your seat”.Continue reading “Worship – Focus”
Category Archives: Christian Leadership
The RTC And Its Theological Climate
Rev. J.W. Deenick. Trowel & Sword, July 1977. Preamble: From time to time one of the criticisms of T&S was that it tended to be a magazine written by ministers for ministers. Some would say that the following article is an example of that and to some degree they would be correct. But it isContinue reading “The RTC And Its Theological Climate”
Calvinism And 1959
Prof. K. Runia. Trowel & Sword, April 1959 Preamble: It seems somewhat ironic that while we worship an unchanging and unchangeable God, Christians, including Reformed Christians, are constantly trying to change the church and themselves on the pretext of “keeping up with the times”. Last week our post looked at whether we should be callingContinue reading “Calvinism And 1959”
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 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”
A Life For God
Rev. Pieter Stok. Trowel and Sword, October 1994. Preamble: In the movie, “Dead Poet’s Society,” Robin Williams, who plays the part of teacher John Keating, tells his class of boys, “We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the humanContinue reading “A Life For God”
Australian Gleanings
Including “Encouragements and Aspirations” by Pastor Verlan Van Ee of the Reformed Church of North America at the end of an eight month pastoral Exchange with Rev. Martin de Graaf of Tecoma. Rev. Fred Vanderbom, Trowel & Sword, Jan./Feb. 1997 Preamble written by Rev. Fred Vanderbom: December’s (last week’s) Gleanings pages were drawn from theContinue reading “Australian Gleanings”
Shepherds Flock Together
OFFICIAL REPORT ON THE MINISTERS’ CONFERENCE OF THE REFORMED CHURCHES OF AUSTRALIA, HELD AT DANDENONG, VICTORIA, SEPTEMBER 2nd, 3rd AND 4th, 1958 Arent de Graaf, Trowel & Sword, October 1958 Preamble: Have you ever wondered what ministers do and talk about at ministers’ conferences. Wonder no more. Aren’t de Graaf give a very comprehensive accountContinue reading “Shepherds Flock Together”
T&S Revisited 