This past summer, my wife Beth and I packed everything we own into a uhaul van, loaded up an ipod with playlists and audiobooks, equipped the cab with a cooler full of snacks, and said goodbye to our friends and family in Vancouver before heading east across the country to start a new life in…
Check out Jane Halton’s interview with Wendy for YALT here. The Young Adult Leadership Taskforce (YALT) of the CRC creates space for the conversation between young adults, local churches and our denominations about where we go from here. YALT operates primarily in the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRC)and the Reformed Church in America (RCA).…
Yesterday brought out some strong opinions about whether or not the church can forge a third way. This idea of third way is a way of acknowledging that Christians differ in their conclusions about particular matters and seeks to move forward together despite the tensions that arise from such disagreement. Ken Wilson, a Vineyard pastor…
Yesterday was an exciting day! Two packages came in the mail. Both from publishers. I was pretty sure they were both books. And, I love books. The first one came from Baker Publishing Group, the parent company for my publisher Brazos. So, I must admit I opened that package first. And sure enough – there…
This past weekend, we had our second annual Generous Spaciousness Retreat. We had several people offer sessions on engaging scripture. Shane Bauman, a member of New Direction’s board of directors gave this session talking about his journey with scripture beyond the 6-7 texts that are typically raised in conversations about homosexuality. While Shane comes from…
In stark public detail where social media blurs geographical boundaries and the world congregates, we have had a drama played out with disappointing, frustrating, and far-reaching consequences. Act 1: On Monday, World Vision US made public their decision to honour churches who affirm marriage equality by indicating that committed gay Christians who were married would…
It’s funny sometimes how connections happen. With the world of social media, a friend of a friend of a friend can become a new contact and sometimes the sense of resonance is powerful and exciting. This is a gift to celebrate in what has often become a fragmented and individualized reality. But let me back…
Navigating tension is a normal every day aspect of trying to serve well through the ministry of New Direction. It shows up in all sorts of ways, but I think one of the most significant underlying factors is that we seek to respond to two primary audiences. In speaking about money, Jesus said you can’t…
A new initiative launched yesterday called, “Not All Like That Christian Project”. Modeled after the “It Gets Better” campaign, which I participated in years ago, NALT is intended to provide a platform for Christians to express their love and affirmation for LGBTQ people. I shared it on my facebook page and will create and submit…
Here are some of the questions we get asked by church people: Do you believe homosexuality is a sin? Do you support gay marriage? Do you think gay people need to repent? Do you think gay people should be leaders in the church? How can we love gay people even though we believe gay relationships…