Is it possible to maintain and defend Christian faithfulness and integrity in a pluralistic world without being arrogant, exclusive, intolerant, or irrelevant? Is it possible to be open to change, tolerant of difference, and relevant without compromising or sacrificing christian authenticity? Shirley Guthrie looks to the Reformed confessions to answer these questions. He asserts that […]
Confirmation is one of the most widespread practices in the contemporary church, although much confusion exists about its relationship to faith: Is confirmation a rite of passage? Is it just one step on an unfolding journey of faith? Are new privileges granted and additional responsibilities required of confirmants? Christian educator Richard Robert Osmer addresses these […]
Explores the challenges of declining membership and generational gaps.
The meaning of declining membership in mainline Protestant denominations has been hotly contested since the 1960s. Drawing on statistical analysis of membership trends, congregational surveys, individual interviews, research on disaffiliation, and case studies of congregations and presbyteries, this volume examines patterns and causes of congregational growth and decline in the Presbyterian church.