ARTICLES
The Failure of Intentionality
Failed discipleship isn’t simply a problem of theology. A lack of intentionality is behind a lot of initiatives that end up in the ministry graveyard.
The Failure of Theology
It’s been a strange start to 2026. I set out to study successful discipleship initiatives, but ended up running across a lot of failed ones. A lot.
Four Failures That Undermine Discipleship: Introduction
It’s been a strange start to 2026. I set out to study successful discipleship initiatives, but ended up running across a lot of failed ones. A lot.
How Two Churches Equipped Teens and Parents for Mental Health Conversations
On a cold Sunday night in February, parents and teens walked into the sanctuary of Fellowship Reformed Church in Hudsonville, Michigan ready to learn and engage in a conversation that is becoming increasingly important: how to support teens who are struggling with mental health.
Partnering in God’s Mission: How Thorn Creek Reformed Church Is Making a Difference
Four years ago, Thorn Creek Reformed Church in South Holland, Illinois found itself at a crossroads. Nestled in a middle-class community outside of Chicago and yet…
Continuing the Story: Iowa Flood Update
A couple of weeks ago, we shared an email highlighting two churches impacted by the Iowa floods. As a follow-up, we’d like to tell another story of God’s provision.
Iowa Flood Update
n June 2024, devastating floods swept through northwestern Iowa. Just over a year later, the region is still in the process of recovery and rebuilding. Two Alliance churches, Faith Reformed Church in Rock Valley and Hope Church in Spencer, were directly…
Answering the Call: The New Life Church Residency Program
Several years ago, the Consistory and leadership of New Life Church in Sioux Center, Iowa, felt called to cast a vision to become a sending church.
Being A Pastor to Those with Mental Health Struggles
This week’s email is the second blog of a two-part series from Pastor Tim Lyzenga of Fellowship Reformed Church in Hudsonville, reflecting on the importance of soul care for those experiencing mental health challenges.
The Symphonic Nature of Care: Why Pastors Still Matter in Mental Health
This week’s email is part one of a two-part series from Pastor Tim Lyzenga of Fellowship Reformed Church in Hudsonville, reflecting on the importance of soul care for those experiencing mental health challenges.
A Podcast Worth Listening To: Hodgepodge Theology
We’re excited to start highlighting creative ways our churches are living into their commitment to make disciples, equip leaders, and multiply ministries.
Covenant of the Ordained
This dialog about the Covenant of the Ordained captures a conversation between two leaders in Pathways.
Healthy Learning Covenant
As a 17-year old kid who had recently felt God’s call into ministry, I remember sitting at a Mexican restaurant in Omaha, across the table from my pastor.
Healthy Living Covenant
Pastors in the Alliance promise to stay healthy in their living. They make a plan to invest in their relationship with the Lord. They express how they will nurture…
The Three Covenants
When someone gets ordained as a Minister in the Alliance, that pastor signs three covenants: the Healthy Living Covenant, the Healthy Learning Covenant, and the Covenant of the Ordained.
Number 100! Meet Ordained Pastor Brandon Schipper
The Alliance recently celebrated its 100th pastor being ordained through Pathways. That’s noteworthy, as the Alliance’s innovative ordination process got launched just a
Programs vs Values
Are you aware of and using your spiritual gifts like we are commanded to do in 1 Corinthians 12.1? Have you taken a gifts test or two… or more?
Navigating Church Communications
For many pastors in small churches, one word often describes their experience with church communications: overwhelming. The landscape is filled with countless options, each claiming...
Welcome to Change – The New Normal
One thing hasn’t changed and never will….we know who brings us tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. We know who created our world and everything in it.
Pray – Listen –Obey
There is a simplicity to prayer that many fail to grasp, it is just talking to God. For many the ways we are taught or have experienced have been formal…