We Make Christians

To be a woman is to excel at failing. In fact, in order to excel as a woman, you must fail. But in the old-fashioned kinda way. Failure is an underrated skill, and every woman needs to have it.  The Staff women are almost out of coffee but they are back to drop a few more crumbs of brilliance—like “bless the people closest to you” and “serve under authority.”  They bring all the tips: read your Bi...

And theyrrreeee back! This time not to set the record straight, but to revisit all those pesky prepositions.  Is women's ministry a ministry to women for women by women or about women? What prepositions are we missing? Beside women? Among ?  They also discuss how women can be recharged and rejuvenated, not by self-care, but obedience and service.  When women bless-forward and bless-down, life...

They’re here to set the record straight. Staff women—talking about women’s ministry. What is it? Why do it? And what does C.S. Lewis have to do with it?  They first tackle the preposition. Is women’s ministry for women? Or is it to women? Must it be done by women? Is it just women being around other women?  They pepper us with all of the acronyms to describe it: FUBU. FUTO. BUFO. Take your pick. I...

“Glory to God in the Highest!”  In this last episode for the summer, Peter, Pastor Nate, and Kyle do a lot of singing. Mostly Peter. Agnus beef patties and Michael W. Smith get a shout-out. Then two minutes of boisterous merriment ensues.  But it’s all about why we sing the Franklins and fugal Psalms year-round. And how singing such theologically rich and beautiful songs over and over again is goo...

Jesus said He is the Bread of Life. So why do some prefer Wonder Bread? His Blood was shed for us, so then why are we sippin’ on Welch’s?  Is there a war on Jesus through our eating and drinking preferences? How are these liturgical alternatives forming our congregation?  What if we could change the bread recipe to a greater quality of bread to avoid or abolish food intolerances? What if we all dr...

How easily we start to trust our wallets more than the Word. Bitcoin more than the Bread of Life. The stock market more than the Suffering Servant.  What is money for, and what should we do with our money? That’s just the thing: It's not ours. Our money is not our own; it comes from the Lord, and it belongs to Him. And He commands us to give back.  But how shall we then give back? How much sh...

Singing, beatboxing, and rapping? The story of Jonah, Water Day, and sweaty armpits? FOMO, “Na na na na na na,” and sniffing out heresy?  Must be VBS week!  In this episode of We Make Christians, Peter, Pastor Nate, and Kyle talk about VBS week and why it’s one of the highlights of the summer.  We also give reasons why everyone in our congregation should attend the culminating VBS event this Sunda...

There is the Wise Person, the Foolish Person, and the Simpleton. Which one's your favorite? Which one are you most like?  What does wisdom look like in negative world? What does it mean to have wisdom in this day and age? More like Chat GPT on your phone than an elderly man with a gray beard and a cane?  In this episode of We Make Christians, Peter, Pastor Nate, and Kyle talk about Peter’s cu...

Christians are the kind of people who see judgment as a good thing. It sounds deranged or masochistic, but it’s not.  Because Christians come to see how judgment brings cleansing, purification, and restoration with their covenantal God.   Related, Reformed Christians are the kind of people who see Christ all throughout the story of the ancient Israelites.  There was and is gospel and grace in the...

Have you ever wondered how many churches are in The Presbyterian Church of the USA? Or how many conjunctions are in the EPC constitution? Or what “CREC” means?  Us, neither.  But have you wondered what denominations are worth considering for our congregation—pending Session approval and a congregational vote?  Us, too.   Everything you needed to know about Presbyterian denominations can be found i...

This week Peter Chace is officially graduating from seminary! Whoop whoop! Make sure you give him a high five, handshake, or a hug when you see him.  Peter and Kyle were on the ordination track, but we’re out of the denomination. Soooo, now what? How are they supposed to get ordained? Did Peter do all that hard work for nothing?  In this episode of We Make Christians , Peter, Pastor Nate, and Kyle...

It means that I can walk away whenever I want. No harm, no foul.  I don’t need to explain — it's my decision.   I don’t even need to have good reasons; it's just what I want to do.  And, even if I did have good reasons, I certainly don’t need to give them to you! This is the epitome of contractual thinking about relationships. They are for me, and I reserve the right to abandon ship when...

Have you ever wondered why Christians celebrate Easter for so long? And Christmas?  We got these periods called "Easter tide " and "Christmas tide ?" Why? Why doesn't every liturgical event have a "tide?"  Because events like Christmas and Easter are so majestic and magnificent that we can’t adequately contemplate or celebrate them on just one day.    God took on...

Jesus said you can't serve God and Mammon (Matthew 6:24)—you have to pick one. That means that the Christian must make their money serve God.  Saints of old have blessed our congregation with riches. But some of those riches have become idols. They perpetuate names other than "Jesus."  In this episode of We Make Christians, Peter, Pastor Nate, and Kyle talk about the cost(s) of leav...

The Church never stops making Christians, and the Christian never graduates from following Christ. 2, 22, or 92—we all need to keep growing and getting chiseled.   But, in this day and age, we need a particular kind of education. One that prepares and equips believers to live out their faith and Christian practices in “negative world.”  This applies to our Preschool, Academy, Sunday School, and Ad...

The episode you’ve all been waiting for: everything you wanted to know about church constitutions! All the preambles and policies to eat your heart out.  What is a church constitution? Is it necessary for a church? Or is it just helpful? But, also, if it’s 252 pages, might it create more problems than solutions?  After leaving the EPC, we are now an independent church. But freedom isn’t free. We n...

“Is that all they do—make coffee, collect communion cups, wash dishes, and serve food? So anyone willing to give a helping hand can be a deacon?”  What is a deacon? What does it mean to say that it is an “office?” Is the diaconate a mark of the Church? Do you have to have deacons in order to be a church? Peter, Pastor Nate, and I (alongside Elissa Winkler, Cindy England, and Joe Williams) were com...

Do you like to sing during Lent? Do you like to play games after confessing your sins? Do you like to fellowship in times of fasting? So do we!  This episode introduces and discusses a new Lenten season event we are hosting as a congregation: Hosanna in the Heights . Sunday, April 6, from 4:30-7:30 p.m.  This event replaces an old Lenten event, Resurrection Egg Hunt, and is part of a new four-poin...

Got thumos ?  Well, then, Rise Up, O Men of God!  Men—young and old alike—are hungry to bear the weight of responsibility. They desire the courage to mortify sin, resist the lures of Lucifer, and fight the enemy at the gate.  Men want to be strong. Men want to build.  But some need edification and others need encouragement. Some even need to hear that it's not only okay but good to be a man. ...

Three dudes walk into an office to podcast about women’s ministry . . .  What could go wrong?  What is women’s ministry?  In addition to Sunday morning worship and Linger Longers, do women need their own Bible studies and tea time?  Could women’s ministry today be more informed by modern evangelical gobbledygook than the Bible?  (Could the same be said about men’s ministry?) How does women’s minis...

In this episode, we host a self-proclaimed “reluctant guest”—our very own Elissa Winkler, Director of Music in Worship.  Elissa chats with Pastor Nate, Peter, and I about the recent launch of The Master’s Music Academy here at Beverly Heights. She discusses the origin of the ministry, her passion for Christian education, and classes offered at the Academy.   Elissa also gives listeners a peek into...

The landscape of the mission field has changed, and continues to change.  Long gone are the days of being a Christian nation and sending evangelists and missionaries “over there” to “far off countries” to “save the lost.”  Our neighbors are lost. We have pagans, heathens, and witches walking our streets. Our city, our state, our nation is a mission field.  This extends to our college campuses.  In...

Most people nowadays view education like a “GetGo” gas station:  “Get in. Get out. Get going.” They see education as going through the motions, getting a degree, and getting on with your life.  Sadly, many Christian educators have adopted this view.  Even some pastors have absorbed it: “Come to church, listen to the sermon, see you next week!” Here at Beverly Heights we see things very differently...

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Since we are united in Christ as believers, we need to be in His Word as a church.  In this nuts and bolts, brass tacks episode, Pastor Nate, Peter, and Kyle discuss the importance of reading the Bible on a daily basis.  Despite the hustle and bustle, we can’t forget to be still and know our God. We need to...

In Part One, Peter provided a brief lay of the land on the historical and theological front of child communion.  In Part Two, he discusses what this means for the church and how this might be applied to our families.  In short, child communion is a discernment process with the child, his or her parents, and the church.  Peter proposes that the child needs to display a few features before communing...