Table Talk: The Early Church and Its First World
The Christian church did not begin in a place of cultural ease or political safety. It began in Jerusalem, the city where Jesus had been crucified, buried, raised, and from which he ascended into heaven. In the earliest days after…
From Your Pastor’s Heart
So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. – 1 Thessalonians 2:8 In the last issue,…
Table Talk: Tradition!
In the opening moments of Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye explains how his people survive in a harsh, unstable, and uncertain world. Their life was fragile—like a fiddler trying to keep his balance on a rooftop. What keeps everything from falling…
From Your Pastor’s Heart
So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. – 1 Thessalonians 2:8 In the last issue,…
Table Talk: Why Church History Matters
As our small groups wind down for the summer, our Small Group Ministry newsletter column will also take a brief pause. In its place, we will begin a new series throughout the summer that reflects on the history of the…
From Your Pastor’s Heart
So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. 1 Thessalonians 2:8 In the last issue of…
From Your Pastor’s Heart
So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. – 1 Thessalonians 2:8 Maybe our view of…
Table Talk: Small Group Ministry at CCAA
One Body, Many Needs Even within the same small group, people come with different needs. These needs have been summarized in many texts and can be boiled down to three areas: the desire to accomplish, to belong, and to make…
Table Talk: Small Group Ministry at CCAA
In recent newsletters, we have explored what a task-oriented and relational small-group ministry looks like. We will continue exploring small-group ministries, using Emory Griffin’s Getting Together: A Guide for Good Groups as a helpful resource. Today’s column focuses on influence…
From Your Paster’s Heart
So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. – 1 Thessalonians 2:8 Where do you read…
Table Talk: Small Group Ministry at CCAA
In the last small newsletter, we considered what a task-oriented small group ministry looks like. We will continue exploring different types of small-group ministries, using Emory Griffin’s Getting Together: A Guide for Good Groups as a helpful resource. Today’s column…
From Your Pastor’s Heart
So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. – 1 Thessalonians 2:8 The King of the…
Table Talk: Small Group Ministry at CCAA
Some groups exist mainly to do something: plan an event, decide a direction, solve a problem, build a ministry, or study Scripture with focus and clarity. These groups can be deeply honoring to God—when they’re led well. Building on Emory…
From Your Pastor’s Heart
So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. – 1 Thessalonians 2:8 One of the special…
Table Talk: Small Group Ministry at CCAA
Scratch Where They Itch In the next few columns, I will share insights I have gained from a helpful book on building healthy, Christ-centered small groups: Getting Together: A Guide for Good Groups by Emory A. Griffin. Small groups can…
From Your Pastor’s Heart
So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. – 1 Thessalonians 2:8 Someone recently asked me,…
Table Talk: Small Group Ministry at CCAA
Lately, I’ve been reading a lot about and thinking about what makes a small group truly “good.” It isn’t perfection—it’s presence. Healthy groups are marked by people who keep showing up. They come, they stay, they invest. Over time that…
From Your Pastor’s Heart
So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. – 1 Thessalonians 2:8 Okay, which is better…
Table Talk: Small Group Ministry at CCAA
I’m grateful for the ways God is using small groups at Christ Church Ann Arbor to foster care, community, and growth in grace. As we are already well into the new year, I want to share a vision for our…
From Your Pastor’s Heart
So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. – 1 Thessalonians 2:8 Your Deacons are amazing!…
From Your Pastor’s Heart
So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. – 1 Thessalonians 2:8 As you may remember…
From Your Pastor’s Heart
So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. – 1 Thessalonians 2:8 Happy New Year! As…
From Your Pastor’s Heart
So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. – 1 Thessalonians 2:8 It was 90 degrees…
From Your Pastor’s Heart
So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. – 1 Thessalonians 2:8 How are you preparing…
From Your Pastor’s Heart
So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. – 1 Thessalonians 2:8 How will you experience…
From Your Pastor’s Heart
So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. – 1 Thessalonians 2:8 It was good to…
From Your Pastor’s Heart
So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. – 1 Thessalonians 2:8 Three and half times…
From Your Pastor’s Heart
So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. – 1 Thessalonians 2:8 By the time you…
Soli Deo Gloria
(Glory to God Alone) Each of the great solas is summed up in the fifth Reformation motto: soli Deo gloria, meaning to God alone be the glory. It is what the apostle Paul expressed in Romans 11:36 when he wrote,…
Solus Christus
(In Christ alone) The church of the Middle Ages spoke about Christ. A church that failed to do that could hardly claim to be Christian. But the medieval church had added many human achievements to Christ’s work, so that it…
Sola Gratia
(“Grace Alone”) The words sola gratia mean that human beings have no claim upon God. That is, God owes us nothing except just punishment for our many and very willful sins. Therefore, if he does save sinners, which he does…
Sola Fide
(“Faith Alone”) The Reformers never tired of saying that justification is by grace alone through faith alone because of Christ alone. When put into theological shorthand the doctrine was expressed as justification by faith alone, the article by which the…
Sola Scriptura
Scripture Alone When the Reformers used the words sola Scriptura they were expressing their concern for the Bible’s authority, and what they meant is that the Bible alone is our ultimate authority not the pope, not the church, not the…