Occasionally I cannot honestly sing all the words of a song. With “Amazing Grace,” for example, I would be lying if I sang “How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed.” I did not have a Damascus Road experience. What should I do when I cannot honestly sing some lines in church?
Faith Formation
Do some methods cause us to multitask too many things? Do some of the things churches do during communion, such playing music, make it hard for us to meditate?
A fellow church council member insists that having doubts about our faith is not something “real” believers would experience. It’s made me even more doubtful. What should I do?
I’m in my mid-50s, and it feels like my faith and my interest in faith matters have stalled. What’s my problem?
How should we read and find meaning in highly technical parts of the Bible, such as the laws presented in Leviticus or the censuses and lists of Numbers or 1 Chronicles?
Many young families have enrolled their children in various sports programs, which are healthy but often conflict with Sunday church services. Consequently, we don’t see these families in church often. What can be done? How should the church handle this?
In my 95 years of attending Christian Reformed churches, I have almost never heard a CRC pastor include an invitation to commit to Jesus or offer any follow-up for those who might be seeking. Why?
Our children are visual learners, but so much in our worship and church programming is word-based. What's a parent to do?
Our family has gotten into the habit of streaming worship rather than attending in person. As adults, we meet regularly with our small group, but what is the downside for our kids?
My kids want to go to a youth group at another church with their friends. We don’t have time to be involved at this church and wonder if it is appropriate to hand our kids to another group.
Who’s responsible for my faith growth?
Leaders in many Christian churches are embracing Enneagram personality typing. I would be very glad to have solidly Reformed feedback on this practice.
Our Reformed tradition emphasizes a lot of head knowledge when it comes to growing in our faith.
Our church is filled with retired people. We don’t have many children. How can we minister to the children if there are so few of them?
A family who has a son with special needs has recently begun attending our church. How do we help make this transition into our church programs good for this family?
Doesn’t God grant us faith by grace? Why do we need to “form” faith?
I’ve reached the third third of my life. What does faith formation look like after a life of going to church and being serious about my faith?
My church expects parents to help in children’s worship once a month. Is that necessary? What do we gain and what do we lose?
My small group is boring because people sit there but don’t participate. How do I get the members to engage?
Faith formation is more than just acquiring knowledge. It is about transformation.
Lent and advent celebrations were totally absent in the first 30 years of my 75-year CRC experience. Now they abound. Why now and not then?
In terms children can understand, how do you explain what it means to bless someone in the name of God?
My church no longer reads the Ten Commandments in worship. Isn’t hearing the Commandments an important part of our faith formation?
Reasons for busyness vary from family to family, but one reason is we don’t want to miss out on anything.