Resources – Ministry and Mission Committee of the PCNSW

In November 2009 (Issue 374), The Briefing published an article by Simon Flanders to guide people who were thinking of leaving their church. It remains a very helpful article so we’ve included a link here for your convenience.

The article begins …

People leave churches all the time. They may do so gradually or suddenly, they may do so thoughtfully or on a whim, and they may do so with godliness or with great unholiness, but the reality is that people do leave. Pastors may not like it, but some of us have to face the fact that the reason our church isn’t growing is because no matter how carefully we’re welcoming and integrating newcomers, all we’re doing is keeping pace with exiting ‘oldcomers’!

Church leaving is a pervasive and regular occurrence, and it has no small impact on the Christian communities of which we’re a part. Yet despite the weight of the issue, it’s not something we reflect on thoughtfully too often. So that’s what I’d like to do with you in the space of the next couple of pages—to think God’s thoughts after him, with a little bit of objective distance from the frustration and confusion and grief associated with people leaving church. (Read the rest of the article here.)

The post When it’s time to go: the what, why and how of leaving church appeared first on Ministry and Mission Committee of the PCNSW.

Affirmations and Denials on the Gospel and Sanctification

Bruce Meller — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 05:11:53 +0000

Here’s a brilliant post by Dr Harry L Reeder III. It draws attention to both positive and negative statements of what Christians believe about living properly before God and pleads with readers to preach the whole gospel to the whole man.

These positive and negative statements – these affirmations and denials to which Dr Reeder draws attention – originated with the Gospel Reformation Network. Visit that site for a wealth of other valuable material.

Read Dr Reeder’s article on the Perspective website here

By the kind permission of Dr Reeder and the Briarwood team, you can download the article here.

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Thrilled to Death

jordesign — Thu, 31 Oct 2013 12:14:01 +0000

Our headlong pursuit of pleasure is killing our ability to experience the very pleasure we are pursuing.

DVDs, MP3s, GameBoys, NASCAR, movies, television, live shows, sports, travel, water parks, theme parks, cruises, specialty restaurants – the list is endless. We have far more access to pleasure than any society in history. And we enjoy it less.

Our overindulgence in pleasure, says psychologist Archibald Hart, is literally making us numb. We are overloading our brain’s pleasure circuits and dulling our satisfaction in ordinary pleasures, which in return drives us to seek more intense and sensational experiences to revive the dying thrills. The result:

Addiction to extreme forms of stimulation,
Boredom with the ordinary
And even anhedonia

Anhedonia is a condition in which the pleasure system shuts down completely, leaving us unable to enjoy any pleasure at all. In Thrilled to Death, Dr. Hart explains the causes of pleasure loss and offers seven steps to recovering real joy. Additionally he shows readers how to:

Find healthy forms of pleasure
Control the stress of today’s frenzied pace
Master relaxation and meditation
Use humour to enhance happiness
Make space for what really matters.

Life is rich – it holds an abundant smorgasbord of healthy pleasures that can be pursued with gusto. There is no excuse to be miserable in this life. – Archibald D. Hart

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Peacemaking Women:

jordesign — Thu, 31 Oct 2013 12:11:54 +0000

“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3) Friends let you down. A romance turns sour. Children rebel. A church is divided. You feel like you don’t measure up. Is there really hope for living at peace?

Yes! Peacemaking Women offers a meaningful, lasting message to lead you out of conflict and into a state of peace where you can live as a representative of Christ to other women as well as to unbelievers. With personal stories and advice that is firmly rooted in Scripture, the authors guide you to peace with God, peaceful relationships with others, and genuine peace within.

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How to Argue so Your Spouse Will Listen

jordesign — Thu, 31 Oct 2013 12:09:11 +0000

All couples argue. Arguing in and of itself is not dangerous to a marriage. What is dangerous is how a couple argues. Based on her work with the Haven of Safety Marriage Relationship Intensives and Conferences, Sharon Morris May, Ph.D. identifies the fight cycles in marriage and introduces a new and highly effective way for married couples to address their disagreements. Drawing on the latest research in psychology and neurobiology, Dr. Sharon Morris May incorporates principles from emotionally focused marriage therapy to help you understand why you argue, how you unravel arguments, and how to move beyond destructive arguments into intimacy and healing. Six practical principles help you to:

Create a safe place with each other
Talk, Listen and understand
Soften your reactions and comfort each other’s dragons
Complain constructively
Reconnect and enjoy each other
Make amends

These principles help turn arguments into conversations, teaching couples how to argue so the other will listen – and how to listen so the other will feel understood.

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