Many today wonder why we are united as a federation of churches. Especially today, "community churches," or independent churches are popular. Many think that a federation of congregations restricts the local church. Meanwhile, others are longing for hierarchical churches so that some are returning to the Roman Catholic Church or an Anglican/Episcopal church. The question may well be asked, what does it mean to be a federation of churches?

Since the early days of the church, pastoral care always accompanied the preaching of the Word. The term pastoral care is taken from a Latin word referring to the work of a shepherd. The English word "pasture" still shows remnants of this origin.

Article 36 of the Church Order reads as follows: "The Classis has the same authority over the Consistory as the Synod has over the Classis." This idea of "authority over consistory" has often raised questions. Is this a valid point? What is the extent of this authority? Should a local church not have the right to accept or reject decisions made by a classis or synod?

The doctrine of the Holy Spirit has been a bone of contention in history. We see this today as well. Theb whole evangelical movement says that it puts more emphasis on the Spirit than the traditional churches and has said to them: "you have done too little with the confession concerning the Holy Spirit." The charismatic movement, even more strongly than the evangelical movement, accuses the Western churches of a defi­ciency in the confession and the experience of the Holy Spirit.

I taught a course in Secession theology to our seminary students in Grand Rapids. One of the lectures dealt with supra-and infralapsarianism. These terms played a key role in the debate between the Secession and Doleantie churches in the years leading up to and following the Union of 1892.

By mutual Christian censure is meant the inquiry that takes place under leadership of the chairman of the consistory at a meeting prior to the observance of the Lord's Supper. This mutual censure concerns the office bearer's discharge of his office. The discharge of the office is closely related to the personal relationship to the Lord and to fellow office bearers. Nevertheless, mutual censure does not focus on these relationships. Rather, in the first instance, mutual censure concerns the carrying out of the duties of office bearers.

Pentecost manifests the glory of Christ in His church and through the church to the world. Acts 2 shows Christ as the Authors of Pentecost. God raised "this Jesus" to life. Peter explain that Christ, exalted at the right hand of God, has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured him out (Acts 2:32, 33). Christ has obtained the life-giving Spirit. His suffering and death form the foundation for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Through His Spirit, Christ is at work in His church, which is His body.

In ethics we sometimes speak of a "conflict of duties." This means that one has an ethical obligation to do two or more mutually exclusive things. It is imbedded in most of the current problems that ethics is confronted with, whether it is the ethics of trade or war or politics. For example, there are two shipwrecked persons but there is only one piece of wreckage large enough to rescue one of them.

We confess that Christ has been given all power in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18). Practically, however, we easily forget the significance of this truth. Christ is King and His reign extends everywhere. We must, however, distinguish between the all-embracing kingship of Christ and the reign that He has over His church.

The time is past in which Christian norms and values were respected and honoured. Today, people widely argue for and practice the ‘’right" of private morality and self-determination. Think of the issues of abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, etc. What was once determined by moral standards as wrong is now determined to be the right of the individual.

A 40 year-old woman becomes pregnant. She already has four children; the youngest is 8. In her own mind, her family had been completed at the birth of the fourth child. She had begun to work outside the home and hoped to continue to do so. Her husband was not happy with the fact that his wife is pregnant, but he is opposed to abortion.

Let us take an example. There is a tense situation between a husband and wife because of the relationship of the husband with his mother. The mother refuses to let go of her son. The wife is not only offended by the attitude of her mother-in-law, but she also feels frustrated by the attitude of her husband. Her husband sincerely loves his wife, but he does not sufficiently understand what troubles his wife. He thinks that his wife wrongly criticizes the combination of love he has for his wife and the respect for his mother.

A prominent member in the church had three daughters, around twenty years of age. The eldest daughter is courting a young man. One day his pastor inquired whether the relationship was going well. The young man answered that there were some difficulties in their relationship, although they did love each other. Half a year later he was able to tell his pastor the reason for the difficulties in their relationship. Her father had sexually abused his daughter. She had reluctantly told him. That fact impeded an open and spontaneous relationship.

In pastoral counseling it may occur that church members confront the office-bearers with ethical questions. What are we to do and what are we not to do? The first thing is to listen. Try to enter into his/her situation. Try to gauge what personal questions may be hidden behind the 'problem.' Feel free to ask questions at various points in order to get a clearer picture (although you need to be careful not to interrupt all the time and get him/her off-track). Show that you are interested and trying to place yourself in his/her 'shoes.'

How should God’s word be applied in pastoral care? This article explains this by looking at the nature of conversation in pastoral care and points to the role God’s word plays in such a conversation.

It is only when the believer is conscious of God’s holiness that the call to holiness of life can be answered. This article demonstrates this by looking at the biblical evidence and drawing five implications for the Christian. 

How should office bearers relate to the young people in the church? The youth in the church need the care of office bearers. This article explains the attitude needed from office bearers in dealing with the youth in the church. 

Fatigue and burnout can ministers and Christians suffer from it? This article explains the causes of burnout and cures of it.

God’s providence is a doctrine which must be cherished by every child of God. Why? It explains the meaning of your daily life. How? In the light of Genesis 8:15-9:17 this article describes providence in the life of Noah in relation to sin, society and salvation. 

According to 1 Peter 3:15 apologetics is the responsibility of every Christian. What is apologetics? How should Christians practice it? What are the hindrances to consider? 

Apologetics is the responsibility of every Christian. How should Christians practice apologetics? We can learn from those who went before us. This article explains the apologetics of C. S. Lewis.

How does the church progress? The church’s progress will be visible when we see the church as God sees it, when the church remains rooted in His word, proper use of sacraments and through communion of saints, these mark the progress of the church. 

Marriage is not a romantic contract between a man and a woman. Marriage is a covenant. It speaks about the mystery of Christ and His church. Marriage is a union.

The responsibility a man and a woman have in marriage is to love one another. This article explains the nature and place of love in marriage. 

How can the church minister to the depressed? Know the signs of depression and causes of depression. Let the church fulfil her responsibility by following the biblical guidance regarding depression. 

Why do people commit suicide? What does the bible say about suicide? This article explains the reasons for suicide and biblical directives relating to suicide. It looks at pastoral care to the grieving and means to preventing suicide. Let it explain…

In this side of life marriage is not without its affliction. However, believers can be certain of God’s faithfulness. This article explains how God gives guidance in marriage. It also looks at two afflictions infertility and singleness.

Should Christians keep the Sabbath? This article explains the biblical teaching on the Sabbath. It traces the keeping of Sabbath from creation, fall and the coming of Christ. Showing how Christ’s work changed the Sabbath to the Lord’s Day – Sunday. 

Marriage is not a cultural thing. Marriage is instituted by God. This has implication on how we think about and prepare for marriage. 

Pastoral confidentiality is aimed at protecting those entrusted to your care. This principle of confidentiality in pastoral ministry is also an expression of love and care. 

What is the origin of the Heidelberg Catechism? In this article the author looks at the history of the Heidelberg Catechism and one of the men behind it, Zacharias Ursinus.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) food is widely available these days. This article considers from an ethical perspective how Christians can view such food.

The biblical understanding of work is crucial to answering the question of where does God call you to serve him. This article gives principles to consider when choosing a vocation.

This article shows that the relationship between parents and children can only be possible through a new heart from the Holy Spirit, a life of repentance, preaching and worshipping together, and the manifestation of the fruits of grace.

This article shows how Christian liberty should guide believers in discussions with people holding opposing views on a matter for which there is no explicit biblical command.

From Galatians 5:22-23 this article looks at longsuffering as the fruit of the Spirit.

This article shows that assurance of salvation rests in the work of the Holy Spirit and the testimony of the conscience.

This article shows that a true understanding of the covenant should lead to evangelism.

This article defines the regulative principal of worship. It shows that God has expressed through his word how he wants to be worshipped.

This article shows that the Reformed view of social justice is rooted in the Ten Commandments. They stipulate what rights each individual has.

This article gives ways that grandparents can shape the spirituality of their grandchildren.

This article shows how the resurrection of Christ changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday, as a day for the church's celebration.

Looking at personal debt, spiritual debt, and national debt, this article gives the biblical view on debt. Applying God's wisdom about debt will result in healthy living and giving.

Funeral services can be daunting at times. This articles sheds some light on this topic. It calls for simplicity in a funeral service, showing how one can be Christ-centred.

This article looks at the historical background and merits of the annual church visitation in Reformed churches.

Do pastors need theological training? Are not the Bible and the Holy Spirit enough? This article looks at the historical background to this topic. It blends together the biblical teaching, the church order, and the guidance God gave to his church.

Sermon preparation—is it really needed? By giving a snapshot of how Martyn Lloyd-Jones went about preparing his sermon, the author presents the importance of sermon preparation.

Does God's word tell us anything about holding a funeral service? This article shows that the funeral service should keep God at the centre, should glory in God's work through the dead, and should include a focus on the gospel.

This article gives the biblical foundation and principles for stewardship. The author shows how being a steward encompasses the whole life of the Christian.

A heart for evangelism is characterized by: true spiritual experience, passion for God's glory, love for the lost, a prayerful life, and the desire to please God.

This article looks at family visitation in the Bible and in the time of the Reformation. The author also discusses appropriate topics for the home visit.

This article on Genesis 5:22-24 looks at the relationship that Enoch had with God. This was a relationship which arose from God, was marked by His grace and fellowship with Him, and resulted in glory.

The Christian life involves fear of God, faith in God, and love for God. These three things influence the Christian's perspective on education and vocation/work.

This article looks at how we ought to worship. The author discusses the Spirit's work in worship, and the contrast between delighting in worship and being lukewarm in worship.

The preacher is the first hearer of the Word that he proclaims. This article discusses how the preacher and the congregation are connected through the preaching.

Can we say that the true preaching of the Word of God is the words of God himself? This article discusses the character and importance of the preaching.

This article looks at the meaning of the elder's handshake before and after the worship service, arguing that it is an expression of fellowship.

This article is about C.S. Lewis and what we can learn from him with regard to Christian apologetics.

Is Christ the head of the covenant of grace, or its mediator? This article looks at the position of Christ in the covenant of grace.

This article looks at the importance of study to find new things that can be brought to the church through preaching.

This article aims to help office-bearers deal with ethical issues in their work. The ability to listen and apply God's word is crucial to providing Christian counselling.

The biblical call to Christians to obey the government is rooted in the reality that government is instituted by God and should serve in cleaning the world of injustices. This article looks at what Christians should do when government abuses this power, as well as the responsibility Christians have toward government.

There is a danger in youth ministry that it may isolate youth from the family and the congregation. Instead, effective youth ministry should connect the youth with family, church, and community.

This article looks at marriage and divorce with a focus on the relationship between civil judgement and church judgement. Should the church accept a divorce verdict from the civil judge, or should it still aim for reconciliation?

This article looks at the issue of suicide. The author looks at the causes of suicide, and evaluates suicide from a biblical and historical perpective. He provides some guidance around preventing suicide and providing pastoral care to those affected by the suicide of loved ones.

Part of the requirement of the work of the elder, pastor and deacon is to maintain confidentiality. This article discusses the need for things to remain confidential, and shows how to deal with this requirement during church council meetings and at home.

This article looks at the Scripture phrase 'each other', discussing the common responsibility officebearers and ordinary Christians have in the church.

Is a church federation the only way in which churches can show their unity? Looking at the unity of God's people from the Old and New Testament, this article shows that God's people are called to be one. The author traces this expression of church unity through the Reformation, showing that there is a way of acknowledging each other while embracing diversity. There can be "federation of federations".

What is the task of the overseer (the elders), and what are the needs of the flock with regards to pastoral care? (Acts 20:28).

This article is about the censure and encouragement between the minister, the elders and the deacons in the consistory to help one another fulfill their office in a good way.

The admission exam for the ministry is so important because the office of the minister of the Word is so significant that not everyone who wants this office can be admitted. This article explains that an applicant should be tested in three areas: his knowledge, his calling, and his ability to study.

This article is about the practice in some churches to have a prayer in the consistory room (between the minister and the elders and deacons) before and after the worship service.

This article is about church government and church polity and the rule Christ exercises in the church through his Word.

Can we expect a democratic society to conform to Scripture? This article looks at the idea of a democratic society and a society under the lordship of Christ (theocratic society).

Office-bearers are called by God. How should we understand this calling of God? This article draws wisdom from John Calvin by looking at four points to explain the operation of the call to office.

The author discusses the nature of power, the government as deacon, and the abuse of power. Romans 13:1 is an important passage in this article.

This article looks at six central statements about marriage.

This article is about the house visits that elders make to a family of church members in a church. The author discusses the background of family visitation, and the things discussed at the home visitation.

In this article on depression, the author looks at the causes of depression, depression and spiritual problems, the help of the church in depression, pastoral guidance for the depressed.

This article looks at different aspects of counseling (listening, applying the Word, praying etc.) and then also looks at different examples of good counseling (marital problems, thinking of abortion, and incest).