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Many people these days have grown disillusioned with Christian community. There is no shortage of criticism of the church both in print and on social media. So, it is refreshing to run across a book written by someone who, though well-aware of the church's shortcomings, nevertheless still has faith in Christ's ability "to present to himself a radiant church, without stain...

We are grateful to all those who responded to our One Year COVID Review Survey. Your answers are helpful in making plans for the church as we continue through these challenging times. It should be noted that surveys do not give the whole picture. As you will see below, only 37 people from our congregation responded. We have approximately 121 members and 57 regular attender...

A well-known party game, designed to encourage conversation among guests, is "Would You Rather." In this game, participants are asked to respond to hypothetical questions about their preferences, questions such as: 'Would you rather always be 10 minutes late or 20 minutes early?' 'Would you rather have all the traffic lights you approach be green or never have to stand i...

Scripture not only asserts that Jesus rose from the dead. It also explains why his resurrection matters. Below are six implications of the empty tomb. The Resurrection of Christ declares that Jesus is the Son of God. By raising Jesus from the dead, the Father affirmed Christ's identity as the divine Son. "[Christ Jesus] was declared to be God's powerful Son by his ...

Followers of Christ are often reluctant to discuss their deeply held convictions with unbelievers. Sometimes we fear that such discussions will lead to fights and hurt feelings. Other times we are afraid we will not know how to answer the questions or objections that people raise. Often the thought of discussing our convictions overwhelms us, because we feel that it is our...

When I moved to New York City in the late 1980's, my first job was as a long-distance telephone operator with ATT. This was back in the days before texting and cell phones and social media. Email had been invented, but few people used it yet. Back then, Zoom and Skype would have seemed like something out of science fiction. So, because long-distance calls were costly, to p...

It has been five months since ACC began holding in-person worship services on Sundays. I am grateful for the safety guidelines developed by our Re-Opening Task Force and for the hard work done by our Hospitality Team each Sunday to help us follow protocol. When we returned to in-person worship, we decided to be more cautious than required by public health guidelines. The ...

It is often said that, because of the way human cells regenerate themselves, every seven to ten years we are completely new people. As it turns out, this is not exactly true, but the thought is compelling, nevertheless. Who isn't attracted to the idea of being made new? The Christian season of Lent is traditionally a time for believers to seek renewal not renewal of our ...

Through February 12, 2021, our church is receiving nominations for potential new elders and potential new members of the Diaconate. After an initial screening, nominees for these positions will be invited to participate in a thorough training program. They will also be interviewed carefully by church leaders before being presented to the congregation for approval to minis...

We have different ways to warm ourselves up on cold winter days: a cup of hot chocolate, a favorite sweater, an extra blanket on the bed. But how do you warm up your heart? If your sense of God's love has grown cold, what can you do? A book that helped to warm my heart this winter is Dane Ortlund's Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers. Drawing ...