Reformed Podmatics Reformed Podmatics

Though it's one of the less discussed issues in modern Evangelical churches, the order of worship in our Lord's Day liturgy is an incredibly important subject because of the way it shapes the warp and woof of our daily walk with the Lord. In this week's episode, Pastor Mark is rejoined by Pastor Zac to discuss the gospel logic of the Reformed tradition's approach to the biblical ordering of the worship service.
 
Visit www.almondvalley.org for information about Almond Valley Christian Reformed Church in Ripon, CA.
Music by Jonathan Ogden used with permission.

This week we continue the series "It Matters More Than You Think," in which we consider topics that could go unnoticed by many churchgoers but will actually have great impact on our spiritual lives. Today we ask why it matters to everyone (not just those in ordained ministry) that pastors pursue a seminary education. In today's episode we are joined by Pastor Patrick Anthony of Immanuel CRC in Ripon, California.
Visit www.almondvalley.org for information about Almond Valley Christian Reformed Church in Ripon, CA.
Music by Jonathan Ogden used with permission.

There are many things in the life of the Church that matter far more than many Christians typically realize, but which are still of very great importance. In this week's installment of this new series, Pastor Mark and Pastor Zac embark on the journey by turning some attention to the topics of church architecture and expository preaching, as they consider how the Reformed tradition tends to approach these subjects and why they matter "more than you think". 
 
Visit www.almondvalley.org for information about Almond Valley Christian Reformed Church in Ripon, CA.
Music by Jonathan Ogden used with permission.

Who knew such a simple question could require such a long answer? In this week's episode pastors Mark and Zac try their best to tackle a perennial question in the life of the Church: what's the ideal size of a local congregation? While their answers (spoil alert!) aren't exactly set in stone, the question opens up pandora's box of important things to consider about what it means to be a church. We hope that despite the length of this week's question, you will find some food for thought on the topic of congregational size.Article on congregational statistics mentioned in this week's episode: https://worshipleader.com/leadership/worship-in-the-average-church-in-america/
Visit www.almondvalley.org for information about Almond Valley Christian Reformed Church in Ripon, CA.
Music by Jonathan Ogden used with permission.

As C.S. Lewis warns us in his famed Screwtape Letters, we must always be alert to the temptation to love Christianity not for the sake of Christ, but for the sake of using it for our own purposes and ends, whatever they may be. Thus we must ask, What is Christianity for? In this week's episode Zac and Mark dive into this weighty question, trying to tease out the Bible's teaching on the matter. Along the way, words of warning are offered both for those on the left and the right, with the aim of helping God's people better recognize the ways in which they too might sometimes love the Christian faith for all the wrong reasons.
 
Visit www.almondvalley.org for information about Almond Valley Christian Reformed Church in Ripon, CA.
Music by Jonathan Ogden used with permission.

In today's world, with the panoply of so many great Christian conferences, resources, books, podcasts, blogs, and parachurch ministries, it has become all too tempting for Christians of all denominations to place less and less value on their denominational identities all while, in turn, placing more emphasis on a certain kind of theological eclecticism. And so in this week's episode, Mark and Zac dive into how this temptation plays out particularly among conservatives in the CRC who can at times feel alienated from the life of the denomination, and how we may all learn to better love and appreciate it as both a institution and family of churches.
Visit www.almondvalley.org for information about Almond Valley Christian Reformed Church in Ripon, CA.
Music by Jonathan Ogden used with permission.