In this course, we will discuss opportunities to serve with the aging living in our own neighborhoods and throughout our communities. Over 90% of the elderly live in their own homes or with their own families; 2/3 of those over 85 live in their own homes or with family. 85% of those with dementia live...
Many are saying: “Global aging is a defining phenomenon of the 21st century”. It certainly is a major global trend. The GTA is a microcosm of the world. We live in a multicultural and multi-religious region. The challenge for us, therefore, is both local and global, and it will only increase. The World Health Organization...
In this part of the course, a general consideration of the centrality of worship in the Christian life will be discussed. This includes, an overview of whom, why, when, where, and how we worship.
In part 2 of the course, the regulative principle of worship as formulated in the Reformed confessions will be considered. Included in this, is an overview of how Christian churches use the Bible to govern their worship, and how the Biblical teaching is used to determine the content and order of worship.
Part 3 of the course is a continuation of part 2. We will compare different orders of worship used in Reformed churches. This consists of an examination of the different elements of a worship service, such as the call to worship, the use of the 10 commandments, congregational participation, the place of sacraments, etc.
In part 4 of the course, we will take a closer look at principles for selecting music that is suitable for worship as well as debates regarding psalm-singing and things to consider in the selection of an order of worship. Time-permitting, other select topics may be addressed (to be determined).
Church Polity 101 - An Introduction to Reformed Church Government - Part 1 of 4: Orientation In this orientation session topics will be discussed such as how the church order has been derived from Scripture, a brief history of the Reformed Church polity, how church law can be read and applied and the hermeneutics behind...
Church Polity 101 - An Introduction to Reformed Church Government - Part 2 of 4: The Offices In this session most of the first section of the Church Order will be covered. Some of the topics reviewed are: the calling to the office, a Biblical way of how the offices of minister, elder, and deacon...
Church Polity 101 - An Introduction to Church Polity - Part 3 of 4: The Assemblies This session covers the second section of the Church Order. Several topics will be reviewed such as: the assemblies in general (e.g. use of Robert’s Rules of Order), the local assemblies (consistory, council, deaconry), the regional assemblies (classis, regional...
Church Polity 101 - An Introduction to Reformed Church Polity - Part 4 of 4: Liturgy and Discipline In this session the third and fourth sections of the Church Order will be covered. (Since the Word and Spirit Institute has plans to develop a separate course on church discipline, this session will only briefly deal...
