Blog - Page 115 of 318 - John H Armstrong

Crossroads Kids Club: Missional-Ecumenism in Practice

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:17:35-05:00May 19th, 2011|Categories: Evangelism, Missional Church, Missional-Ecumenism, Personal, The Church|

My son, Matthew Armstrong, with the support of his lovely wife Adriana, launched a ministry to kids in the public schools in 1998. This ministry was a neighborhood-based, para-church ministry. I referred to Matt in the chapter in my book, Your Church Is Too Small, in the chapter on how missional-ecumenism actually works. His story is also included on the ACT 3 video on our Web site.

In 1998 Matt began a ministry called Crossroads Kids Club. He did what most Christians tell me again and again cannot be done – he ran after-school clubs inside public elementary schools. After several years, Matt then planted a neighborhood church because he wanted to connect with families. Matt has always believed in the church thus he believed in connecting kids and families in the local church, not simply to a program or a life-stage ministry. So Crossroads has been working, for well over a decade, in two towns in the Chicagoland area (Hanover Park and Streamwood). Crossroads, […]

Coping with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a Daily Reality Check

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:17:35-05:00May 18th, 2011|Categories: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Personal|

Some have encouraged me to not talk openly about my struggle with CFS. Their intentions are right. They suggest that many people will not understand and that some might even conclude that my ministry is finished because of this illness. This will not inspire donors to support a work led by a sick person. These are all reasonable points. But I have chosen to err on the side of candor, hoping to serve some who struggle with chronic illness and to invite prayer and support while I press on in this wonderful work of “equipping leaders for unity in Christ’s mission” (The purpose statement of ACT 3.)

The truth is that I am still more active than a lot of people my age. But I do struggle every single day to remain as active and healthy as possible. The most important part of my health regimen is to take breaks, find ways to refresh my body, mind and soul, and to engage in activities that build me up. […]

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: An Illness Gone Political

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:17:35-05:00May 17th, 2011|Categories: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Personal|

Some of you, especially close friends, know that I’ve struggled with a strange illness called Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) since 1997-98. When I was initially diagnosed the illness was just beginning to get notice in the wider press. Now articles appear in the mainstream press routinely.

The very conservative Mayo Clinic, which for many years did not recognize the disease, says:

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a complicated disorder characterized by extreme fatigue that may worsen with physical or mental activity, but doesn't improve with rest. Although there are many theories about what causes this condition — ranging from viral infections to psychological stress — in most cases the cause is still unknown.

Because its symptoms are difficult to measure, CFS wasn't widely accepted as a real medical condition for until about a decade ago. Today, however, doctors and researchers almost totally agree that this chronic condition should be taken very seriously.

The disease has also been referred to as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), a term used in the United Kingdom, or […]

Harold Camping and the Rapture

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:17:36-05:00May 16th, 2011|Categories: Christ/Christology, Church History, The Future|

Harold E. Camping, an 89-year old Christian radio broadcasterand the president of Family Radio, a religious broadcasting network based in Oakland, California, is one of the more arrogant and misled teachers on radio. His network now spans more than 150 outlets in the United States. On his network and website Camping says Christ is coming back this Saturday, May 21^st. Here is how USA Today reported the Camping prediction in a recent edition. Watch this video. It might move you to tears if you see how much damage this man has actually done to earnest people who follow him.

If you are not in an area of the country where you’ve heard Camping speak you haven’t missed a great deal. Wikipedia notes that his “trademarks include a deep, sonorous voice coupled with a slow cadence. He has also used mathematical predictions applied to the Bible to predict dates for the end of the world.^”Camping is a very extreme Calvinist who at one time was actually […]

St. Clement of Alexandria on the Value of Wealth

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:17:36-05:00May 15th, 2011|Categories: Money & Stewardship, Patristics, Wealth|

I wrote several blogs last week about the value and importance of the Church Fathers. One of the early Greek Fathers was Clement of Alexandria, born in Athens around A.D. 150. His parents were pagans. He was converted to faith in Christ and began to travel widely searching for faithful Christian teachers. He attended the famous School of Theology in Alexandria, founded by Pantaenus in A.D. 180. After he settled there he became the director of the school, thus Clement of Alexandria. A few years after he became the director he was forced to quickly flee during the persecution of Septimius Severus. He took refuge in Cappadocia, where he died in A.D. 215, thus he is called a Cappadocian Father.

St. Clement is considered one of the forerunners of what we now call systematic theology. He was the first Christian writer to recognize secular philosophy (Neoplatonism) and incorporate some of its major ideas in service of the Christian faith. Most of his literary output has been lost but […]

Onward Christian Soldiers

By John Armstrong|2011-05-14T04:00:00-05:00May 14th, 2011|Categories: ACT 3, Missional Church, The Church|

In one of my recent ACT 3 Weekly articles, which I publish each week on Monday at www.act3online.com (where you can also subscribe to them for free), I made mention of the irrelevancy of the words and tune of the old nineteenth century song “Onward Christian Soldiers.” I got several types of response. One reader felt that the post-millennial vision of this 19th century approach was essentially right, thus I assume one would think the song could have a proper use, at least in some sense. Another, in the context of his present ministry in India, had a very different reaction. He wrote to me the following:

Like you brother, I grew up singing "Onward Christian Soldiers." In recent years, I have become much more aware of evangelical arrogance and blatant insensitivity from many Christians in the West.

Last Monday evening, at the graduation service here at the seminary, the graduates sang "Onward Christian Soldiers.” Two community leaders, staunch upper caste Hindus were in attendance as special guests. At the conclusion of the song, they politely left. I don't think it was coincidence. When will we learn?

Having […]

True Ecumenism Creates “Open Space”

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:17:36-05:00May 13th, 2011|Categories: ACT 3, Missional Church, Missional-Ecumenism, Unity of the Church|

The Global Christian Forum, is a marvelous modern expression of missional-ecumenism. Its guiding purpose is to “create an open space wherein representatives from a broad range of Christian churches and interchurch organizations, which confess the triune God and Jesus Christ as perfect in his divinity and humanity, can gather to foster mutual respect, to explore and address together common challenges.”

I profoundly agree with the desire to “create an open space” for orthodox Christians to “foster mutual respect, to explore and address together common challenges.” Honestly, I do not see how any Christian could oppose such an idea, though I am quite aware that many (most?) still do.

In the spirit of John 17:21, “that all of them may be one,” we can all work at deepening our commitment to God’s Word and mission together. This seems like a bottom line concern for me. I wish more agree with that assessment but I am dedicated to promoting it as widely as possible.

We can, and […]

My New Role with Acton Institute

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:17:36-05:00May 12th, 2011|Categories: ACT 3, Acton Institute|

I have noted, in various blogs and comments, the value and importance of the Acton Institute for several years. I have been a blogger for Acton, attended a number of their events as a guest, and assisted them in several ways in public ventures. (I will be a part of the program of the luncheon on May 5 in Chicago.) In general I have been an open supporter of Acton’s vision of freedom and virtue in public theology. Acton provides a unique partnership for ACT 3 since it is a think tank that includes wide religious participation (Catholic/Protestant/Orthodox/Jewish) while it embraces what I call missional-ecumenism as one of its core values. The specific mission of Acton Institute is “to promote a free and virtuous society characterized by individual liberty and sustained by religious principles.”

Now I have personally been given an opportunity to work with Acton. On April 1 I became a Senior Advisor, with particular emphasis on reaching the Protestant evangelical community. I work very closely […]

The Creed: A Mirror

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:17:36-05:00May 11th, 2011|Categories: Biblical Theology, Creeds, The Church, Unity of the Church|

The famous St. Augustine (354-430) once said, “Let the creed be like a mirror for you. Look at yourself in it to see whether you really believe all that you claim to believe. And rejoice every day in your faith.” I love that counsel: “Let the creed be like a mirror for you.” I have learned the great value of this mirror after not seeing it in my early Christian experience as a young man.

If you look at the early church creeds as mirrors they will reflect back to you the true image of what is and of what should be. Without these essential, core convictions the faith will dissipate into drivel and incomprehensible nonsense. The creeds are our friends, not restraints on praxis or true faith.

I was taught as a young Baptist (I am not a Baptist now since I am a minister in the Reformed Church) that we had no creed, only the Bible. While I understand the lovely Christ-honoring sentiment behind this it is, […]

Does Faith Require Definition?

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:17:37-05:00May 10th, 2011|Categories: Creeds, Theology, Unity of the Church|

While I concur that postmodernism has brought about some insights to faith that are welcome there is a huge danger that many younger Christians do not see here. Does faith properly require definition or do we make it up as we go along?

It should be noted, as a bedrock premise of all speaking about God and Scripture, that faith requires more than emotions, aesthetic ideas or empty words. Faith is not about words but about reality. But the God who is has revealed himself and given us his name, as we saw yesterday, reveals himself in and through words, or speech. The God who reveals himself has revealed his being and thoughts in words. Faith is, therefore, about reality and reality is rooted in truth claims that come by words.

For this reason the church has always defined faith and non-faith, if you please. This is, the church has reasoned, Christian faith and this is not Christian faith. This has been done in condensed formulas that we call […]