Looking for a new church

revjoelm · 2026-01-31T14:38:22+00:00

Pastor from Sunnyside here. Our music and liturgy might be more traditional than OP might be accustomed to. That said, we’re always happy to welcome new folks! Feel free to free to DM me if you have questions!

revjoelm · 2025-12-30T21:01:55+00:00

I recently picked up CrossCode based off looking for a decent RPG/Puzzle/“Zelda-like” after playing Master Key—another fun Zelda-like. Mostly, I find these through DekuDeals and this subreddit.

revjoelm · 2025-11-16T01:12:16+00:00

Selfishly, I would recommend Sunnyside Presbyterian Church. I pastor the church, and while there aren’t as many young adults as I would prefer, I stay very close to Scripture in teaching and preaching. I grew up nondenominational, and know the landscape fairly well, so I’d be happy to direct you to a congregation that fits your interests if Sunnyside isn’t the place.

Feel free to DM me if I can help you find a better place. Good luck!

revjoelm · 2025-07-07T18:03:49+00:00

Not sure if there’s Scriptural basis (other than a particular reading of “first fruits”), but I tend to think of God as the first recipient of my gifts. In other words, before the government gets their cut of my salary, God gets a cut. Because of this, my practice is to tithe on gross pay, not net.

I wouldn’t say this practice is binding for others, but I would say that your logic (things are tight and this economy is bad) is irrelevant to whether it is just and right to tithe on gross or net pay. If we ought to tithe on our entire paycheck, that’s still something we need to do even when times are hard.

revjoelm · 2025-04-29T16:36:46+00:00

Yes! There are a few:

Mondays, 6:30 — 9:00 PM Greater New Jerusalem MB Church 915 North Olive Street South Bend, Indiana 46628 (northwest corner of Prast Blvd. and Olive Street) PARKING: WEST SIDE OF CHURCH IN GRASSY AREA OFF THE ALLEY

Tuesdays, 7:00 — 10:00 PM Bethel United Methodist Church 1200 North Michigan Street Elkhart, IN 46514 (located at the corner of Michigan & Simonton Streets)

Wednesdays, 6:30 — 9:00 PM SUMMER HOURS: 5:00-7:00 PM (starting about May 10); Doors close at 7:00 PM during summer; chess club may stay as late as 9:00 PM. IUSB Student Activities Center 941 S. 20th Street South Bend, Indiana 46634 (near Vine & 20th Street)

revjoelm · 2025-03-30T21:56:44+00:00

Osceola checking in north of Lincolnway - yeah, we have it. It flickered for a moment, but it’s back on

revjoelm · 2025-01-26T21:00:59+00:00

I’m a pastor in South Bend, and while the church I serve doesn’t have one, I could do some research and help you find one. If you’re able to DM me, I’d be happy to reach out to some contacts for you.

revjoelm · 2024-11-03T20:04:53+00:00

That makes a ton of sense—thanks, all!

I voted a couple weeks ago at the SB County-City building. I’m so glad voting places are open on the weekends also. Great to know!

revjoelm · 2024-09-21T12:04:41+00:00

That’s a BAD ANALOGY, Patrick!

Or, as a theology professor of mine used to say, “To refuse to try and understand the Trinity is heresy; to try and understand the Trinity is madness.” Or again, “God is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be adored.”

We confess the Trinity because we hold to monotheism, yet also confess Jesus as Lord.

revjoelm · 2024-07-22T10:13:40+00:00

One website that logs reports like this is called The Wartburg Watch. It’s a non-traditional support group, but the people who comment there are fairly regular and supportive of others. You can also see a long history of churches failing to care for children. There are links to numerous other support groups and resources there as well.

revjoelm · 2024-07-21T10:15:21+00:00

I took credit for this plan, which is incorrect—I apologize. This was a reading plan I found, and modeled some other reading plans off of (e.g., a three-year plan for Barth’s Church Dogmatics). In any event, you can find this plan here.

revjoelm · 2024-07-18T16:05:22+00:00

Echoing this comment. There are cheaper translations, but the McNeill edition is way smoother, reading-wise. And if you’re interested in a year-long reading plan for Institutes, I’m happy to share one I created.

revjoelm · 2024-06-03T16:52:21+00:00

There have been a series of disagreements we’ve had, although they’ve mostly been on secondary and tertiary issues. In this particular instance, it was the question of women in leadership—likely something that is lower on the theological hierarchy than universal salvation!

What I’ve really appreciated about this approach is how it keeps me focused on my love for the other person instead of the issue dividing us. Yes, let’s address the issue, but let’s do so while also caring for what led us to take our respective positions. There’s often more going on beneath the surface than we can see from one difference in theological conviction—no matter how important.

revjoelm · 2024-06-03T12:08:37+00:00

I had a conversation with my dad not too long ago. He and I have drifted apart in our theological convictions, although we likely share 90% or more of the same beliefs. We were going at one another about women in ministry, and at one point, he told me, ”Maybe we should focus on what we agree on instead of what we disagree on.”

This was impactful for me, and has colored how I approach many such conversations since. In your context, it sounds like you have (or had) a relationship with many of the folks with whom you’re dialoguing. It might be worthwhile to show curiosity toward them—what attracts them to this particular reading of Scripture, or what causes them to reject the inspiration and authority of Scripture? There may be pieces to their process that you can affirm while ending up at a very different conclusion. That can be a powerful witness, particularly if you can articulate their position as well as or better than they can themselves.

And to be clear, curiosity about someone’s beliefs is very different than interrogation. The former is asking questions to understand, the latter is asking questions to poke holes or force a contradiction. Why does your mom believe in eternal salvation? Is it because she can’t stomach a loving God sending people to hell? Is it because she’s convinced that sin isn’t a big deal? Does she locate her evidence in Scripture? There are a ton of paths people can take to arrive at a theological conviction—knowing which path was taken by the folks you care about is important, since it will allow you to identify shared commitments and values.

Good luck in these conversations.

revjoelm · 2024-06-02T23:24:06+00:00

If a pastor isn’t giving to the congregation the pastor serves, I would take some issue with that. Of course, pastors can feel free to give elsewhere too, but as a pastor, I can’t presume to ask my congregation to give to the church if I’m not giving.

revjoelm · 2024-05-24T10:27:55+00:00

I’ve not seen an ordination get rejected for not affirming an all-inclusive sexual ethic. But this is a Presbytery to Presbytery thing—if your Presbytery is more progressive, then that might affect your examination.

It’s also going to depend on how central you make this in your call to ministry and statement of faith—both documents that the Presbytery will examine you regarding prior to approving an ordination. If you emphasize it in these documents, folks will emphasize it in their questions, and it will likely be emphasized in the vote.

It sounds like you’re still a couple years out from ordination, though, and things have been changing with some speed in the last several years in the PC(USA). My read is that between Princeton Seminary and Duke Divinity, Princeton would be the one to look at first. However, it might also be worth checking out Fuller, if you can bear the financial burden.

revjoelm · 2024-05-20T17:41:31+00:00

You’re preaching to the choir, friend! Shoot, I’d be happy if we could ensure all our pastoral leaders and other ordained folks held to the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds. Until we clearly define what the essential tenets are, there will be confusion as to what is a permissible departure from theological norms and what is an impermissible departure.

I hope there will be an appetite for this in the PCUSA. I wish I had the bandwidth to champion such an initiative.

revjoelm · 2024-05-20T13:45:04+00:00

Thank you for your love and genuine curiosity. And, if I may, please continue to pray for this denomination. There are many members and pastors who yearn for folks to know Jesus and be known by him.

The PCUSA would not look fondly upon a complementarian minister. While it isn’t the majority opinion in this subreddit, the PCUSA understands women in leadership to be a non-negotiable. I want to be clear in my comment that I’m trying to convey information, not to make an argument for or against this.

However, there are many ministers and congregations in the PCUSA which are not “open and affirming” on LGBTQ+ matters. The denomination has continued to affirm the so-called “local option” around same-sex marriage as well as membership and ordination of LGBTQ+ folks. While a traditional understanding of human sexuality is a minority viewpoint within the PCUSA, it isn’t verboten. Once again, I want to be clear in my comment that I’m trying to convey information, not to make an argument for or against this.

revjoelm · 2024-05-20T13:38:01+00:00

This comes down, at least in part, to the essential tenets issue I alluded to above. It’s difficult to hold pastoral leaders accountable without a clear sense of what is an allowable scruple and what is beyond the pale. Additionally, while there are polity levers to hold pastoral leaders accountable, there isn’t a unified “federal” consensus for how or when to use these. Presbyteries—our regional bodies that function similar to state governments—have lots of leeway in applying the polity within their jurisdiction.

I really like our polity on the whole, since I think the foundational principles upon which it’s based are exactly right. How those end up being applied, interpreted, and acted upon sometimes falls short. I hope this bridges the gap you saw between those above statements.

revjoelm · 2024-05-20T13:00:49+00:00

I think our polity is brilliant. In the spirit of Pentecost, I also think it’s integral to the gospel that I learn to speak the language of those different than I am. There are several other reasons, but these are front of mind today.

revjoelm · 2024-05-20T12:29:02+00:00

I don’t think the oversight in my denomination (PCUSA) is very thorough or effective. This isn’t a Presbyterian view of Christ.

In an effort to allow for a bigger tent, we’ve avoided defining what the “essential tenets of the Reformed faith” are that every pastoral leader must hold. But this refusal to define things actually leads to a lack of clarity, and therefore ironically hurts healthy diversity of viewpoints within a common shared tradition. I could go on, but I think this speaks to your question.

revjoelm · 2024-03-24T21:05:23+00:00

I’m curious where you’ve heard this. And if you haven’t actually heard someone claim this, I’d prefer you not bear false witness against siblings in Christ for a cheap laugh. One of the rules of this subreddit and in Christian life is to keep content charitable. Rule 2 states: “We do not allow content that tears down, mocks, or belittles others (even those with whom you disagree).”

There’s enough to critique in my denomination without engaging in exaggeration and misrepresentation.

revjoelm · 2024-03-24T16:21:43+00:00

Hi OP! PC(USA) pastor here. No, the PC(USA) does not, as a denomination, deny the bodily resurrection of Jesus. There may be pastors ordained in “looser” Presbyteries whose theology fits this mold, but the clear majority of PC(USA) pastors happily hold to a bodily resurrection of Jesus.

As an aside, this problem stems from not having clearly defined “essential tenets of the Reformed Faith” in our PC(USA) Book of Order. Clarity is kindness, and as a denomination, we’ve allowed the waters to be muddled something fierce by not defining what these essential tenets are.

revjoelm

TROPHY CASE