That None Should Perish: A Course in Ecclesiastical Discipline – Register by January 4, 2025!
Presented by Pastor John van Eyk (Trinity URC Lethbridge)
Word and Spirit Institute is offering the next course in Church Leadership. There will be 4 biweekly sessions of two hours each on January 11, 2025, January 25, 2025, February 8, 2025, February 22, 2025 . This is a ZOOM presentation across the continent, therefore the start time is 3:00pm EST.
The course is open to anyone for a fee of $100.00.
We know what the Reformed tradition has said about the three marks of the Church: the pure gospel must be preached, the pure administration of the sacraments must be made use of, and church discipline for correcting faults must be practiced (Belgic Confession, Article 28). Of the three, we are probably weakest in practicing church discipline. We might be tempted to take solace in thinking that ‘two out three ain’t bad’ but we know that won’t do. We dare not neglect any gift of the ascended Head of the Church. Even if we are eager to accept this gift and use it in Christ’s church there are a host of difficulties that confront us. There are many ways to make mistakes while using this important key of the kingdom. In this course we will be looking at what the Scriptures say about ecclesiastical discipline so that we might confidently practice it while carefully avoiding some of the ways in which we get it wrong. We will also be looking at Reformed Church Orders to see the guidelines our fathers in the faith offered to enable the under shepherds to work out the biblical teaching in the nitty gritty of ecclesiastical life with the persistent challenges that living in a sinful world throws up to us.
