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Defining Conservatism

The term “conservative” gets thrown around a lot, but do people really know what it means?

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Recovering Intentional Worship by David de Bruyn

Some Things to Consider Including In Your Church Service

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Missions and Music Contextualizing the Gospel

A blog series from Religious Affections Ministries.

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Scott Aniol speaks on the subject of music and worship around the country. Schedule him to speak in your church, plan and lead your worship service, or lead a hymn service.

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Conclusion: Brothers, We Are Not Populists

On November 11, 2011 By
This entry is part 32 of 32 in the series Toward Conservative Christian Churches

Conservative Christian churches are not eccentric. They believe they are merely consistent in their understanding and application of Christianity. They believe that the Christianity they have received must be passed  on without diminution. Where they differ from many other Christians is that they believe there is more to Christianity than the gospel and a statement [...]

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Fostering a Love for Tradition

On November 4, 2011 By
This entry is part 31 of 32 in the series Toward Conservative Christian Churches

Fostering a right view towards the Christian tradition is part of true Christianity. Conservative pastors will do their best to see the Christian tradition rightly viewed and used in their local churches. Living in an age which assumes that the latest point in church history is the most advanced point, a respect for tradition may not come naturally to [...]

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Rightly Evaluating Tradition

On October 28, 2011 By
This entry is part 30 of 32 in the series Toward Conservative Christian Churches

If we are to grow a right view of the Christian tradition within our churches, we will have to overcome the ‘suspicion of tradition’ that pervades many evangelical churches. One way to do this is to teach Christians how to evaluate writings, hymns, prayers, and liturgies from the Christian past. When Christians have a set [...]

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Rightly Viewing Tradition

On October 21, 2011 By
This entry is part 29 of 32 in the series Toward Conservative Christian Churches

The religious scene of the country in which I minister is populated by mainline Protestant churches, some of whom place great emphasis on tradition. However, in many of these churches, the gospel itself is all but invisible, an assumed but unseen foundation of the house. The problem is, most of those in the house have [...]

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Conservatives and Tradition

On October 14, 2011 By
This entry is part 27 of 32 in the series Toward Conservative Christian Churches

A church that is self-consciously conservative has a relationship with both the past and the future. If we are conserving Christianity, we must be conserving the Christianity we have received – from the church of the past. If we are conserving Christianity, we must be doing so for the sake of passing it on – [...]

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Form and Meaning

On October 7, 2011 By
This entry is part 28 of 32 in the series Toward Conservative Christian Churches

Christians’ affections are greatly shaped by the moral imagination. The moral imagination is largely shaped by the meaning of the various media it encounters. This meaning is largely contained in the form of such things. If a pastor is serious about meaning, then he must be serious about form.

Form, in its simplest [...]

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Encouraging Reflectiveness

On September 30, 2011 By
This entry is part 26 of 32 in the series Toward Conservative Christian Churches

Ours is not a particularly reflective age. When a pastor begins speaking of the meaning of the media, devices and technologies that surround us, he may receive something of a puzzled, if not combative, reaction. Many today are oblivious to the meanings of the things they read, the music they listen to, the films [...]

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