community

A Family Resemblance

BARBARANNE KELLY | CONTRIBUTOR We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. (Colossians 1:3–5a) I’ve been going through a box of old photos found in my dad’s attic, and I’m seeing the faces of my great and great-great-grandparents for the first time. I’ve seen their names written in the branches of our family tree, but for the first time I’m able to look for family resemblances in their eyes and smiles. I marvel at seeing my infant grandmother tenderly held in the arms of her parents under the shade of their garden, held with the same affection with which I held my own precious children. I’m connected to my great-grandmother in more ways than DNA can explain. I never met her, but her blood flows through my veins, and her love for gardening and family, along with her physical characteristics, have been shared down through the generations. When Paul wrote to the church in Colossae, he was writing to saints he’d never met. The gospel had been carried to them by his co-laborer Epaphras, had taken root, and was “bearing fruit and increasing” (1:6–7). Paul’s joy overflowed in thankfulness to God as he recognized the family resemblance in these unseen saints when he heard of “[their] faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that [they] have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for [them] in heaven” (1:4–5a). How did these saints and fellow brothers and sisters at Colossae resemble the family of Christ? They bore the traits of faith in Christ Jesus, love for all the saints, and a hope laid up in heaven. Faith, love, and hope are spiritual characteristics which set the family of God apart from the rest of the world. Faith The word “faith” is repeated five times in the letter to the Colossians, and each time it refers to a specifically objective faith in God the Father and/or the Lord Jesus Christ. This isn’t the baseless faith of the world that calls us to “just believe,” or worse, to “believe in yourself.” The faith that characterizes all Christians is “faith in Christ Jesus (1:4; 2:5), “the faith” in which they need to continue (1:23), “the faith” which is key to walking in Christ (2:6–7), and it is faith in the powerful working of God through which they were raised in baptism with Christ (2:12). Paul sees the family resemblance in the Colossians’ faith because he knows it’s nothing they’ve done in themselves; it is God’s gracious gift (Eph. 2:8)....

A Family ResemblanceChristina Fox2025-05-26T16:20:52+00:00

Church for the Super Busy Family

KATIE POLSKI | CONTRIBUTOR I was a few minutes early to our weekly Bible study when a fellow mom came and sat next to me, letting out a defeated sigh. Noticing her exhaustion, I gently asked if everything was alright. “Yes,” she answered apathetically. “I just don’t think I can keep coming to this study, though. We are just so super busy right now.” I felt frustration surface, and not because she might not return, but because I was overwhelmed as well, and she beat me to the complaining. I showed up that morning feeling utterly depleted, running on fumes myself. But I also lamented that returning the sentiment would only turn into what has become a “typical” suburban exchange: “How are you?” “Great; just super busy.” But I told her anyway, admittedly with an edge to my voice: “Yeah, I’m super busy right now too.” The Hidden Barrier to Church Connection Busyness. Everyone experiences it, in some season or another, because it is inevitable. There is work to be done, deadlines to meet, people to connect with, children and grandchildren with activities and responsibilities, and then… there is our church. During busy seasons, it’s easy to let church and community take a backseat. But it’s in these very moments of overwhelm that we need the church the most. As I sat in that Bible study with my friend, I was reminded of the power of consistent involvement—not just for spiritual nourishment, but for the encouragement and strength we draw from one another. I needed to be there amid the busyness. The church is God’s provision for our spiritual growth and need for community. As Hebrews 10:24-25 reminds us, we are called to “stir up one another to love and good works” and not neglect meeting together, especially as the days grow darker. The strength we need for the day-to-day grind comes from the body of Christ. One of the primary reasons people leave a church is because they do not feel connected to the body of believers. During our 25 years in ministry, if a family has not relocated, feeling disconnected is the main reason families give for leaving the church or looking elsewhere. If this has been the case for you, it may certainly be due to an unwelcoming community or because of leaders who do not set the precedent for a hospitable environment. But often, disconnectedness comes from a lack of involvement, and lack of involvement is blamed on a full schedule....

Church for the Super Busy FamilyChristina Fox2025-05-05T18:45:24+00:00

Facing Temptation with Scripture and Community

KATELYN ROSS|GUEST What would happen to my kids if I wasn’t here? I resent my husband for letting me be the default parent (even though he’s a good husband and dad). I secretly feel like I’m more spiritually mature than my husband. Staying home with my kids is killing me inside. Isn’t there more to my life than this? I can’t forgive myself for what I did before I was a Christian. Am I even saved now? I hear these sentiments multiple times each week in my biblical counseling sessions. Women are often embarrassed for thinking and feeling these ways because they assume they’re the only ones experiencing their own particular kind of suffering. I’m here to tell you they absolutely are not alone, and neither are you. Motherhood and marriage are difficult in a fallen world in which we daily encounter our own sins, the sins of others, and the realities of life lived in a broken world where even the creation groans for release. Not to mention, Satan’s temptations! The Lord in His kindness has provided means for us to thwart Satan’s attacks, including knowing Scripture, knowing our identity as a child of God, and being known by others in our church community. Knowing God’s Word We often forget that our Savior faced temptation Himself. The author to the Hebrews tells us: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (4:15). Although He did not sin, and He never struggled with the thoughts that many of my clients and I have, Jesus Christ lived in this fallen world just like we do. He understands the temptations we face. Even more, He faced those temptations for us and defeated them. In Matthew 4, we read of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. Immediately, we see that Satan caught Him at the end of His time in the wilderness and used Jesus’ humanity against Him, not unlike the way Satan uses our physical limitations against us. Jesus was hungry after forty days of fasting in the wilderness and Satan tempted Him to turn stones into bread to eat. What did Jesus do? He quoted Scripture, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (v.4). Then, Satan questioned Jesus’ identity as the Son of God. What did Jesus do? He again turned to God’s Word. Lastly, Satan offered Jesus the whole world if He would just bow down and worship him. What did Jesus do? He quoted Scripture, “You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve” (v.10)...

Facing Temptation with Scripture and CommunityChristina Fox2025-04-21T19:44:11+00:00

Finding Our People

LEAH FARISH|GUEST Abraham was called to leave his birth-land and go to a new place, to be the father and founder of a great nation. After a long life on this mission, he “died in a good old age” (Genesis 25:8). Then Scripture says he was “gathered to his people” (Gen. 25:8). What people? He was the first of a new people. True, his wife Sarah had preceded him in death, but that’s not much of a crowd awaiting him on the other side. He was buried far from his earthly relatives, so the phrase doesn’t just refer to being buried in a family cemetery. Quickly we wade into theological depths I am not able to navigate. But what’s clear is that Abraham was gathered to people who are alive in God. Isaac and Jacob are also said to have been “gathered to [their] people.” Much later, Jesus was talking to the Sadducees, who didn’t believe in the resurrection, in Luke 20:38. He said that God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. Then He followed with a surprising statement: God is “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” All three were dead at the time! The Pharisees twice said that Abraham was dead (John 8:52-53). Why didn’t He say, “God is the God of you, and me, and Caesar, and the shopkeeper over there”? Instead, Jesus explained this paradox to the confused Sadducees in Luke 20:38: “for to God all are alive.” These are the people Jesus calls “sons of the resurrection,” who “cannot die anymore” (Luke 20:36). These are our people. We believers are members of a people, some of whom live this side of death on their way to glory, and some rejoicing on the far shore. Hymn writers and preachers have derived comfort for centuries from this truth...

Finding Our PeopleChristina Fox2025-04-03T15:50:02+00:00

Spiritual Synergy: The Impact of Gospel Partnership

KAREN HODGE | CONTRIBUTOR Synergy is not a word that often rolls off the tongue, but when you look around, you will begin to see it everywhere. Synergy finds its roots in the word for sun and energy and working together. It is where impact and multiplication collide. It is the interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects. On most days, one plus one always equals two. But synergy and collaboration offer the prospects of one plus one equaling three, ten, or one thousand. Don't believe me? Look around at God's creative acts. Bees exponentially pollinate, thus helping to oxygenate our world. Singular ingredients that may taste simple or bland when combined in a recipe delight the palate. Solos are nice, but how magnificent to sit in a sanctuary filled with an orchestra and the four-part harmony of a choir. It's the better together quotient! I write a strategic plan for our National Women’s Ministry Team each year. In 2025, we are inviting women to join us in stepping out in faith and asking God to enable the rich interdependence of spiritual synergy. Gospel Partnership Brings Joy, Thanksgiving, and Missional Alignment We don't read anywhere that Paul had favorite churches, but if he did, I am guessing that the church at Philippi would've been at the top of the list. This church was not perfect, but they were delighted to be partners. Paul expressed his joy in serving alongside them when he wrote, "I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:3-6). This shared mission compelled him towards worship and thanksgiving. Planting the church at Philippi was no casual once-in-a-blue-moon connection. It started the day they met, and because of the gospel's power, it persevered daily. He knew that unpacking the content of the gospel in the context of community was eternally shaping him and his fellow brothers and sisters. Growing and serving together as a Body was not a one-and-done partnership but a process of gospel transformation that would find its finish on the day of Christ Jesus...

Spiritual Synergy: The Impact of Gospel PartnershipChristina Fox2025-01-02T20:10:18+00:00

Christian Love in Times of Political Division

AMANDA DUVALL | GUEST Among the cute photos of babies, puppies, and family vacations on social media— you see it. A friend from church posts a political message, and you cannot believe they vote for that person. Or support that cause. Or believe that news story. Maybe you reach for the quick “unfollow” button so you don’t have to see their posts anymore. Now, what happens when we walk into church and run into that person? We want to do the real world equivalent of an “unfollow.” Remove that person from our lives— if not entirely, at least put some distance between us. On the outside, everything probably looks the same, but the communion once shared has shifted, maybe even broken. This is not to downplay the real hurt we can experience in our relationships as the world becomes more politicized. It’s not just the election—there is almost no part of our society, public or private, untouched by politics. Maybe because of this, we tend to think our divisiveness today is so uniquely difficult for the Church to navigate. But then we read the New Testament. The first Christians hailed from every walk of life, and so, it was not uncommon to find a rich and educated individual, who just last month was participating in pagan rituals, right alongside a poor Jew, who had no power or property and adhered to some very strict personal ethics. Imagine for a second with me, then, what these relationships might have looked like— so easily laced with misunderstanding and awkwardness, offense, hurt, and downright rudeness. There was no earthly reason for these people to share anything in common. But in telling the Colossians about their new community, Paul says this, “Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all” (3:11)...

Christian Love in Times of Political DivisionChristina Fox2024-10-02T15:17:23+00:00

No One Left Behind! Made for More: A Shared Journey

KAREN HODGE | CONTRIBUTOR My family and I prepared for a hike during a recent trip to England. As we got ready, we needed to ensure we had all the equipment necessary for a long journey: the right shoes, plenty of hydration and food, and an accurate trail map. The first mile of the hike was relatively easy until we came to the edge of Malham Cove. I stared at four hundred steps straight up a three-hundred-foot incline to the white cliffs above me. At this point, I was tempted to turn back since I was only one mile into a five-mile hike. Half of my family was already at the top, and they shouted over the ledge, "The view is worth the effort!" I took my time so as not to trip or fall. I looked over my shoulder, and my kind son-in-law walked behind me. He is an expert hiker, so I urged him to speed up. As I huffed and puffed, he said, "Nobody in our family gets left behind." Over the next several hours, we saw spectacular views including grand vistas and beautiful waterfalls. I was also thankful that my son-in-law had an "AllTrails" app that helped us see when we were veering off the marked trail. That evening, when we got to the trail's end, we feasted and reminisced about our walk through the beauty of God's creation. A Shared Journey This fall, PCA Women’s Ministries will embark on a Made for More shared journey that will take us to eight cities around North America. It is our hope that these intergenerational conferences for young women third grade and up will just be the beginning of an ongoing conversation. We will be talking about the things that matter most surrounded by the people that matter most in our lives. We will explore big questions such as who is God, why am I here, what is my purpose, and what is my final destination on this faith journey? We hope that these questions spark conversations that will continue long after the conferences...

No One Left Behind! Made for More: A Shared JourneyChristina Fox2024-09-05T14:39:19+00:00

Four Things to Consider When Selecting A Bible Study

SHEA PATRICK | CONTRIBUTOR Does your women’s ministry have big plans for Bible studies this fall? The primary way that God works in our hearts to make us more like Jesus is through His Word, and digging into God’s Word in community can show us even more of the beauty and truth of God. Hearing the insights of our sisters studying alongside us gives us a richer view of Scripture. A blog I read recently said, “Studying Scripture outside of the influence of God’s people often leaves us building shanty homes next to the beautiful, unshakeable house of God.”[1] Deep Bible study alongside our sisters in Christ can lead to heart transformation. One fall, ladies at a church I had recently started attending decided that the women needed to do a Bible Study. Past studies were an inconsistent hodgepodge of choices that didn’t seem to have much thought or intention put into them. It had been a while since the church had hosted a Bible study as part of their women’s ministry, so the woman in charge was unsure where to start. She dialed directory assistance and asked for the PCA, and someone in the CE&P office (now CDM) sent her videos and a study. This material was deep and rich in gospel content and was a blessing to the women who participated. While the Lord providentially blessed her dial-up request for material, I think we can take intentional steps in discerning quality studies for the women in our church. Bible Studies that Serve We should thoughtfully and prayerfully consider what we are studying with our women. Not all studies are created equal. I too have felt the allure of the most popular, best-advertised Bible studies or those from celebrated authors. An essential question to begin is: what will best serve the women of the church?...

Four Things to Consider When Selecting A Bible StudyChristina Fox2024-08-26T14:51:33+00:00

A Call to Steadfastness

KERRY ANDERSON | GUEST Being in the same church for twenty years truly illuminates the saying “being in it for the long haul.” As with all churches, ours has seen difficult times, sweet times, sad times, challenging times, divided times, and unified times. By the grace of God, we’re currently in a season of growth within a warm, happy church culture where body life is thriving. I’ve witnessed God’s hard but refining fire many times over the years and feel grateful for the blessings and answered prayers we’re experiencing now. Time to sit back and relax! Take our feet off the ministry gas pedal and coast for a while. I mean, what is there to do when peace and unity abound but to soak it all in and take a break, right? It sounds tempting, but we know better. What encouragement do you give to a healthy church that seems to be pleasantly rolling along? It turns out, it's the same encouragement that every church needs no matter what their situation is. It’s the same encouragement our church needed in every season through which the Lord brought us. A look at three churches in Scripture shows us the universal call to this command. A Call to Steadfastness To the messy church at Corinth, Paul writes, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58). This church was in chaos. So, after reminding them of the hope of the resurrection, Paul calls them to persevere and be steadfast in following Christ because their work will bring eternal results...

A Call to SteadfastnessChristina Fox2024-07-04T15:32:17+00:00

Spiritual Mothers Point Us to Christ

AMY SHORE | GUEST She grew up in a small West Virginia town near the Mason-Dixon that changed hands between the North and the South 56 times during the Civil War. Her family reflected that instability. It wasn’t until college that I started to see and understand the evil and dysfunction that my mother survived as a child. It wasn’t until early adulthood that I saw it as evil and dysfunctional. And it wasn’t until recently that I comprehended the notion that she survived childhood. But if I’m being honest, she did more than survive. The very fact that I had clothes on my back, grew up in church, and was loved bears testimony to that redemptive fact. She showed me a kind of love and affection that shouldn’t have been possible for a woman with her past. I didn’t understand it. I couldn’t relate to her in so many ways—and still can’t. But I’m beginning to see the grace that was poured out by a benevolent Father in both our lives reflected in that love that was never modeled to her. Her love is imperfect. And that’s probably the part I wrestled with the most once I left home. An 18-year-old has grand visions of how she will rise above her parents and be better, be different, be free. 18-year-old me grew to 20-something me who came to resent all the ways my mother did not meet my needs. So, I decided to have no needs. I would rise above. I would pull myself up by my proverbial bootstraps and make my own way. I decided the best way to keep my heart intact would be to need no one. I excelled at my new-found independence. I soared, really! I quickly rose from the ranks of the needy, to the self-sufficient, and then graduated to White Horse Specialist First Class. I became the one who met other’s needs. I became all things to all people. To my siblings—I was their stand-in mama. To my students—I was the teacher who made learning fun. To my best friends—I was the ever-present pillar of strength. To my church—I was the tireless volunteer. Until I began to encounter circumstances that were larger than the persona I had mustered...

Spiritual Mothers Point Us to ChristChristina Fox2024-04-09T21:11:08+00:00