In our third installment of our new series, Christ and Culture, we address the ways in which Evangelicals today feel pressure to appear intelligent, fashionable, and morally virtuous given the ways in which the Christian faith is uniquely perceived and often maligned in our world today. So as we address these pressures, Christians need also to consider ways in which we might develop assurance, fortitude, and resilience as we stand firm on the gospel of Christ despite the shifts currently taking place in our broader Western culture. 

Visit www.almondvalley.org for information about Almond Valley Christian Reformed Church in Ripon, CA.

Music by Jonathan Ogden used with permission.

In what is maybe more of a crossover episode of our two ongoing series here at Reformed Podmatics, this week we're interviewing writer and consultant, Aaron Renn. Aaron's work over the past several years has been focused on cultural analysis of the Evangelical church with respect to the ways in which Christianity has now become a minority position in America and what that means going forward. In this week's episode, we talk about Aaron's new book, Life in the Negative World: Confronting Challenges in an Anti-Christian Culture, and about some of Aaron's insights for the Reformed tradition in the 21st-century. 

Visit www.almondvalley.org for information about Almond Valley Christian Reformed Church in Ripon, CA.

Music by Jonathan Ogden used with permission.

One of the many public conversations that set the internet ablaze this past summer came from the opening ceremony of the Paris summer Olympics in a scene which appeared to many as a mockery of Leonardo Da Vinci's famous painting of the Last Supper. And so for this week's installment in Christ & Culture series, Pastor Mark and Pastor Zac tackle the questions, How should Christians respond when their faith is publicly mocked and ridiculed? And if we do feel offended, how can we be sure we're offended by the right things and not just by the fact that Christianity no longer holds a privileged position the way it once did?

Visit www.almondvalley.org for information about Almond Valley Christian Reformed Church in Ripon, CA.

Music by Jonathan Ogden used with permission.

A crucial aspect of Christian discipleship is learning how to follow Christ faithfully regardless of the culture we find ourselves in. At times in history, Christians have found themselves both on the outside and on the inside of cultural power. But today, things are a little more complicated. And that leads us to ask the question, Is our culture more progressive or more conservative? How you answer this question often has everything to do with your general outlook, but it's an important question to consider if we're going to really understand and navigate the complexities of life in the modern West as those whose desire is, above all, to be faithful to the Lord Jesus.

Visit www.almondvalley.org for information about Almond Valley Christian Reformed Church in Ripon, CA.

Music by Jonathan Ogden used with permission.

In this week's episode Pastor Mark and Pastor Zac sit down with Dr. Gayle Doornbos of Dort University to discuss the Reformed tradition and particularly its Neo-Calvinist stream and how it helps us navigate many complexities of daily life in the 21st century. This conversation is part of a larger series of discussions we are be having with various Reformed leaders from the CRC and beyond. 

Visit www.dordt.edu for more information about Dordt University.

Visit www.almondvalley.org for information about Almond Valley Christian Reformed Church in Ripon, CA.

Music by Jonathan Ogden used with permission.

In the aftermath of the failed assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, people throughout the country have been trying to make sense of things. For Christians in particular, and especially those on the political right, it has become quite common in recent days to try to see in Trump's survival a divine endorsement of his candidacy for reelection. In this week's episode, Pastor Zac and Pastor Mark do their best to avoid political analysis as they try to offer theological reflections on what this weekend's events do (and, maybe more importantly, don't) mean. 

Visit www.almondvalley.org for information about Almond Valley Christian Reformed Church in Ripon, CA.

Music by Jonathan Ogden used with permission.

In this week's episode, Pastor Zac kicks off a new series of episodes in which we'll be gathering voices from around the Reformed tradition, both within the CRC and without, to give their insights on what the Reformed faith is all about. With Pastor Mark on a missions trip this week to New Mexico, Pastor Zac takes the reigns and kicks off the series with Dr. Michael Allen, author and professor of systematic theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, FL. Topics covered include Reformed theology, Neo-Calvinism, and the catholicity of the Reformed tradition. 

Visit www.almondvalley.org for information about Almond Valley Christian Reformed Church in Ripon, CA.

Music by Jonathan Ogden used with permission.

It's been a week since the conclusion of synod, and there is definitely a lot to talk about. Many other great summaries and reviews of synod have already been conducted (see links below), so Pastor Mark and Pastor Zac settled down this week to discuss not so much the play-by-play of what took place but to try to analyze the deeper theological forces at work within our denomination--the "spirit" of synod, if you will. We hope you find this edifying and beneficial as you process the goings on in the Christian Reformed Church, whether yo

u're a member or following along from the outside!

Other post-synod resources:

The Banner (official periodical of the CRCNA)

The Abide Project synod recap

Paul VanderKlay's synod delegate panel discussion 

Visit www.almondvalley.org for information about Almond Valley Christian Reformed Church in Ripon, CA.

Music by Jonathan Ogden used with permission.

The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and school is no longer in session. That can only mean one thing: it is VBS season! In this week's episode, Mark and Zac take a few moments to talk about the ins and outs of Vacation Bible School from a Reformed perspective and offer a few ways to improve your VBS program, particularly from a Reformed perspective.

• https://thefederalist.com/2017/06/28/vacation-bible-school-drove-millennials-away-church/

Visit www.almondvalley.org for information about Almond Valley Christian Reformed Church in Ripon, CA.

Music by Jonathan Ogden used with permission.

Today marks the beginning of Synod 2024 and delegates have begun arriving at the campus of Calvin University for a weekend of deliberations and discussion. In this week's episode Pastor Mark and Pastor Zac get into some of the weightier matters about to be worked through in the crucial week ahead.

Visit www.almondvalley.org for information about Almond Valley Christian Reformed Church in Ripon, CA.

Music by Jonathan Ogden used with permission.

Visit www.almondvalley.org for information about Almond Valley Christian Reformed Church in Ripon, CA.

Music by Jonathan Ogden used with permission.