In addition to his primary responsibility as senior pastor at Christ Covenant Church, DeYoung has also been named Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, beginning June 1, 2017. He was formerly a Chancellor’s Professor for the Seminary. In his new role, De Young will be a residential, voting member of the... Continue Reading

Our churches need godly leaders who preach not to tickle ears or to satisfy the critical listener, but aim at heart-change. Oh for men who dare to be courageous for the sake of Christ, not shrinking in the face of challenge or melting when confronted with difficulty. The church demands servants who gladly embrace the... Continue Reading

Take full responsibility. It was, after all, your decision or your action that caused the hurt. If there were reasons for your actions, state them, but do not use them as excuses. And don’t pass the blame—or even share the blame. If you’re a leader, others might have been involved in the mistake, but they... Continue Reading

When personal words fail, how glorious is it to be able to rely on the words of Scripture and the text of a well-worn hymn to give voice to the truth of the gospel and to unite our hearts in hope. It behooves us to ensure that the people we shepherd are well prepared and... Continue Reading

Begin now to consider how you wish to be remembered.  Will you want a tombstone like John Wesley (just outside Bunhill Fields) and so many others with monuments and flowery words that articulate all you accomplished for Christ?  Or, will you wish to be forgotten if it meant that Christ would not be forgotten to future generations?... Continue Reading

What mistakes do Churches make when it comes to special needs families? Inaccessibility: Difficult to access main sanctuary or other facilities and services. Inflexibility: Resistance to adjust service times and format, youth activities. Impatience: Frustration with inevitable service disruptions, but also staying with the family through difficult seasons. Insensitivity: Comments, conversations, and decisions that unintentionally wound special needs (SN)... Continue Reading

“If you wish to benefit your flock spiritually, and, at the same time to gain spiritual and theological strength yourself, regard them as your beloved people; try more and  more to take an interest in them, and resolve, in the fear of God, to stay as long with them as Providence shall make it your... Continue Reading

“You may not realize it, but pastors have to write every day. I’m sure every pastor has a love/hate (mostly hate?) relationship with email. There was a day last week when I wrote 53 emails. Many of those were short, but I hope none of them was sloppy.”   Pastors should work hard to become... Continue Reading

“To keep it straight, the Gospel Coalition attracts and promotes Calvinists (think Tim Keller and the PCA) who do not minister as Calvinists, that is, Calvinists who look the other way when it comes to worship and the ministry of the word. To be sure, New Calvinists care about ministry, but their concern is for... Continue Reading

“We’ve heard great ministry ideas but they sound like a repeat of every other great ministry idea that failed. We hear people make promises and sit back and wait for them to let us down. Over time, our cynicism grows into anger and bitterness.”   In our homeschool, I’ve been going through a cycle of... Continue Reading