Articles by Northwest
Faculty & Staff
Posted with the tag
‘God’

Top Ten Countdown of Cultural Lessons (1-2)

Posted on June 13th, 2008 by Mr. Mark Naylor   
Other tags:
Categories: Cultural IssuesMissiology

Jarrod Haas is a student in the Cross-cultural Leadership Training Program, CLTP @ Northwest, working towards an undergrad level diploma in preparation for cross-cultural ministry among Asians. CLTP is a one year, mentored, experienced based program that prepares the student for Master’s level seminary studies as well as equips them for ministry either internationally [...]

Top Ten Countdown of Cultural Lessons (3-4)

Posted on June 9th, 2008 by Mr. Mark Naylor   
Other tags:
Categories: Cultural IssuesMissiology

Jarrod Haas is a student in the Cross-cultural Leadership Training Program, CLTP @ Northwest, working towards an undergrad level diploma in preparation for cross-cultural ministry among Asians. CLTP is a one year, mentored, experienced based program that prepares the student for Master’s level seminary studies as well as equips them for ministry either internationally [...]

Top Ten Countdown of Cultural Lessons (5-6)

Posted on June 6th, 2008 by Mr. Mark Naylor   
Other tags:
Categories: Cultural IssuesMissiology

Jarrod Haas is a student in the Cross-cultural Leadership Training Program, CLTP @ Northwest, working towards an undergrad level diploma in preparation for cross-cultural ministry among Asians. CLTP is a one year, mentored, experienced based program that prepares the student for Master’s level seminary studies as well as equips them for ministry either internationally [...]

Top Ten Countdown of Cultural Lessons (7-8)

Posted on June 4th, 2008 by Mr. Mark Naylor   
Other tags:
Categories: Cultural IssuesMissiology

Jarrod Haas is a student in the Cross-cultural Leadership Training Program, CLTP @ Northwest, working towards an undergrad level diploma in preparation for cross-cultural ministry among Asians. CLTP is a one year, mentored, experienced based program that prepares the student for Master’s level seminary studies as well as equips them for ministry either internationally [...]

Top Ten Countdown of Cultural Lessons (9-10)

Posted on June 2nd, 2008 by Mr. Mark Naylor   
Other tags:
Categories: CLTPCultural IssuesMissiology

Jarrod Haas is a student in the Cross-cultural Leadership Training Program, CLTP @ Northwest, working towards an undergrad level diploma in preparation for cross-cultural ministry among Asians. CLTP is a one year, mentored, experienced based program that prepares the student for Master’s level seminary studies as well as equips them for ministry either internationally [...]

CLTP Program Outline

Posted on May 29th, 2008 by Mr. Mark Naylor   
Other tags:
Categories: _Uncategorized

Program Outline
FIRST STAGE: Diploma in Cross-Cultural Leadership - (30 credits)
Fall Semester (12 credits)
This Semester is completed in a Canadian intercultural ministry setting

CCT 401 The People of God and the Practice of Ministry (4)
CCT 402 A Biblical Theology of World Missions (4)
CCT 403 World Religions (4)

Spring Semester (12 credits)
This Semester is completed with the Gateway Trax [...]

Graduation 2008

Posted on May 28th, 2008 by Mr. Loren Warkentin   
Other tags:
Categories: ACTS SeminariesGraduation

Graduation this year was held at South Delta Baptist Church. It was a beautiful day for a graduation and the celebration was memorable. Our graduation speaker was our own president, Dr. Larry Perkins. He summarized his address this way:
The theme ACTS has adopted this year is “Come together, Go Further.” By [...]

Are there hip replacements for limping leaders?

Posted on May 8th, 2008 by Dr. Larry Perkins   
Other tags:
Categories: Book ReviewsLeadershipMinistryTalk

Dan Allender has provided a provocative look at several serious aspects of ministry leadership in his book “Leading with a Limp.” He writes primarily out of his experience as the founder of Mars Hill Graduate School located near Seattle. His thesis is clear: “to the degree you face and name and deal with your failures [...]

Finishers Retreat

Posted on May 2nd, 2008 by Mr. Mark Naylor   
Other tags:
Categories: Calendar

[ Friday, February 6, 2009 12:00 pm to Sunday, February 8, 2009 12:00 pm. ] Serious Missions:
“Reaching Ahead”

at Camp Qwanoes
Click Here for more information

For adults 50+ who want to make a difference
by being involved in God’s mission to the world

Taught by God (theodidaktoi - 1 Thessalonians 4:9)

Posted on May 1st, 2008 by Dr. Larry Perkins   
Other tags:
Categories: Biblical LanguagesNew Testament

The Psalmist declared “Since my youth, O God, you have taught me” (Psalm 71:17) and he desires that God continually would teach him to do his will (Psalm 143:10). His experience and expectation is that God does instruct him, with the result that he knows God and his ways. While this [...]

Who’s Ready For Change?

Posted on April 17th, 2008 by Dr. Lyle Schrag   
Other tags:
Categories: NCLD

When we first began to address the health of church leadership through the Best Practices for Church Boards workshops, it didn’t take long to realize the wide range of potential that existed. Soon after the first workshop, the need to train individuals for board leadership was expressed … answered by the [...]

Finishers Retreat

Posted on April 16th, 2008 by Mr. Mark Naylor   
Other tags:
Categories: _Uncategorized

Serious Missions:
“Reaching Ahead”
at
Camp Qwanoes
1148 Smith Road, Crofton BC

Friday Supper February 6, 2009
thru
Sunday Lunch February 8, 2009
For adults 50+ who want to make a difference
by being involved in God’s mission to the world
What will this retreat do for you?
1) Help you discover what your role in God’s mission to the world should be
2) Inform [...]

“Being Imitators (mimētai) of God”

Posted on April 15th, 2008 by Dr. Larry Perkins   
Other tags:
Categories: BibleBlogsEthics

Paul’s choice of words in his letter to Christians in the province of Galatia reflects careful intention. The issues he confronts are extremely serious, the opponents powerful and persuasive, and his audience somewhat befuddled. Strong warnings mingle with cries of frustration as he encourages these believers to keep running well the [...]

Into Great Silence

Posted on April 8th, 2008 by Dr. Lyle Schrag   
Other tags:
Categories: Spiritual Formation

I’ll confess to enjoying good movie, especially ones that evoke a sense of meaning. So, when ChristianityTodayMovies came out with their top 10 Critic’s choice movies of 2007, I was intrigued by #10 on the list: Into Great Silence. Once I read the review [http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/commentaries/quiettime.html] I knew that I had to see the movie.
In 1984, [...]

The perception of a loving church depends on where you stand

Posted on April 4th, 2008 by Mr. Mark Naylor   
Other tags:
Categories: ChurchCulture

In the book UnChristian (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2007), which deals with research from the Barna group, David Kinnaman refers to a survey which asked the participants to agree or disagree with the statement, “Christian churches accept and love people unconditionally, regardless of how people look or what they do” (p. 185). 20% of [...]

The Prayer That Never Fails…

Posted on March 19th, 2008 by Dr. Lyle Schrag   
Other tags:
Categories: Prayer

In February I wrote a posting about the book series Home To Harmony by Philip Gulley. My suspicion is that just about every pastor I know has enough material to write their own series of stories. A theological version of All Creatures Great and Small, if you will. While few of us pastors who will actually [...]

Workshop comments

Posted on March 11th, 2008 by Mr. Mark Naylor   
Other tags:
Categories: _Uncategorized

Further comments from the March 1 (Victoria) and March 8 (Lower Mainland) workshops
Thank you for the great workshop.  Our missions focus is struggling and we found it to be so helpful and encouraging.

The questions and exercises were well thought out and gave us good direction, as well as the prayer focus throughout.  We found it [...]

Squeezed into a Mold

Posted on March 7th, 2008 by Dr. Brian Rapske   
Other tags:
Categories: Christian Life

The Christian life is filled with delightful "coincidences"–confluences of life events with Scripture that give an unmistakable impression of the active oversight of God.
Conformity to the world is as deeply and extensively damaging as  transformation by the renewing of our minds is deeply and extensively beneficial and God-honouring.
This past week I had an email interchange [...]

Home to Harmony

Posted on February 28th, 2008 by Dr. Lyle Schrag   
Other tags:
Categories: MinistryPreaching

One of my greater joys comes from time shared with my “A-Team” which I affectionately call the tiny band of brothers and sisters in our CLD Affinity Group. The group has grown over the years to several dozen, each called by God into a wide array of ministry in the church. They study hard. The [...]

Northwest Alumni Connections Magazine - 2008

Posted on February 27th, 2008 by Mr. Loren Warkentin   
Other tags:
Categories: Alumni

Update: April15, 2008
It is here!  The 2008 Northwest Alumni Connections magazine is off the press!  If you have not received one by the end of April and would like one see the order form below.
__________________________________________________________________
Dear Fellow Alumni,
For each of the past 4 years connecting with Northwest Alumni and publishing the Northwest Alumni Connections magazine has [...]

Images of God

Posted on February 26th, 2008 by Mr. Mark Naylor   
Other tags:
Categories: Christian LifeGod's LoveGodliness

I came across an interesting theory.  People act according to their conviction about the nature of God.  If God is perceived as an autocratic patriarch whose rules must be followed without question, then that is how the leaders of that group will act.  If God is viewed as a stern judge who is inflexible concerning [...]

Top Ten Reasons Why You Should Read Theology #3

Posted on February 22nd, 2008 by Dr. Archie Spencer   
Other tags:
Categories: Top 10

Reason #3.
Philosophy Needs Theology
Why do we need theology when we already have philosophy? Precisely the reason we need theology! Theology, at a minimum, is a constant reminder to human wisdom that a transcendent judgment stands over all human attempts to arrive at God through pure human sapentia alone. God’s wisdom stands over against human wisdom. [...]

Dollars and Sense

Posted on February 18th, 2008 by Dr. Brian Rapske   
Other tags:
Categories: Bible StudyChristian LifeCulture

You can’t get away from it. Everyone’s talking about profits and losses.
The global economy is moving into a deep recession–perhaps even a depression–some say. Others are just as convinced that the markets are moving through a period of "turbulent correction" trying to find "a bottom" from which they will eventually "power upward" again to new [...]

Church Board Talk: The Significance of Attitude

Posted on February 15th, 2008 by Dr. Larry Perkins   
Other tags:
Categories: BoardBoardTalkChurchLeadershipMinistry

When you are seeking additional people to serve as part of the church board, what aspect should receive most attention – skill, experience, character or attitude? Certainly Paul warns us not to ask a novice in the faith or someone who has not had experience in leading a family to fill this role. So experience [...]

More Prayer

Posted on February 8th, 2008 by Dr. Lyle Schrag   
Other tags:
Categories: Prayer

When I had once mentioned that I collected prayers, a friend quickly sent me a copy of the Prayer of Jabez, a book written by Bruce Wilkinson in 2000 based on a prayer found in I Chronicles 4:9-10: And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh that you would bless me indeed and [...]

Umar and Marvi

Posted on February 6th, 2008 by Mr. Mark Naylor   
Other tags:
Categories: Cultural IssuesMissiology

The story of Umar and Marvi is a legend of the Sindhi people that expresses a fundamental tribal value of the Sindhi people.  A young, beautiful teenage girl (Marvi) is kidnapped from her tribe by a young prince (Umar) who is enamoured by her and wants to make her his wife.  She is taken to [...]

Chronological Bible Storying

Posted on January 31st, 2008 by Dr. Kenton Anderson   
Other tags:
Categories: BibleBible Story

My friend and mentor, Grant Lovejoy, sent me a link this morning to the new website for Chronological Bible Storying. The website offers the methodology, research, and reports from the field into this powerful way of preaching to oral and indigenous cultures.
According to the website, "Chronological Bible Storying (CBS) is the process of encountering [...]

Snowflake Prayer

Posted on January 30th, 2008 by Dr. Lyle Schrag   
Other tags:
Categories: Prayer

I was intrigued by a comment that I overheard some time ago to the effect that “prior to the age of Sunday School, the most influential instrument used to instruct Christians was Worship.” It was through the liturgy of worship that people learned theology – as they recited the Apostle’s Creed or Nicene Creed from [...]

Church Talk: Discerning New Ministry Leaders

Posted on January 25th, 2008 by Dr. Larry Perkins   
Other tags:
Categories: ChurchTalkLeadershipSeminary

In 2007 Amal Henein and Francoise Morissette published Made in Canada Leadership. Wisdom from the Nation’s Best and Brightest on Leadership Practice and Development. They argue that "in each of us rests the potential for leadership, but the response and measure depend on us….We are all called to lead"(58). They discovered that parental influence and [...]

Uneasy with Evangelism

Posted on January 17th, 2008 by Mr. Mark Naylor   
Other tags:
Categories: Cultural IssuesEvangelismMissiology

It feels impolite and invasive to challenge someone on a personal level
I am uncomfortable with direct methods of evangelism that early on present the hearer with an invitation to accept Christ as Lord and Savior.  Part of my unease has to do with my Canadian upbringing.  It feels impolite and invasive to challenge someone on [...]

Of Family Pilgrimage and God’s Faithfulness

Posted on January 11th, 2008 by Dr. Brian Rapske   
Other tags:
Categories: Bible StudyDiscipleshipFaithMarriage

Over the Christmas holiday, Rita and I received a long distance call from our eldest daughter Trish in Aberdeen, Scotland . With great excitement she announced, "Pete and I are engaged!"
The journey to this moment of family joy has been nothing if not exciting and a challenge to faith.
From their very earliest years, we as [...]

Best Practices: Advanced Edition

Posted on January 8th, 2008 by Dr. Lyle Schrag   
Other tags:
Categories: _Uncategorized

All of the Editions of  the Best Practices for Church Boards are designed to equip Congregational leaders to serve with excellence. The Advanced Edition focuses on one key, critical issue. This year we will address the role of the Board and the Pastoral staff in the crucial process of making good and [...]

A Challenge for 2008

Posted on January 7th, 2008 by Mr. Loren Warkentin   
Other tags:
Categories: 2008 ChallengeBible StudyNew Year

I would like to present you with a tough but exciting challenge for 2008 . . . but let me back up a little! 
This past two months I have been somewhat restricted in my activities because of a ruptured achilles tendon.  After 4 weeks in a fiberglass cast and now another almost 4 weeks in [...]

God’s New Year

Posted on January 2nd, 2008 by Dr. Larry Perkins   
Other tags:
Categories: God's PowerNew Year

When God led Israel out of Egypt, he told them to change their calendars. Their year would now begin in the month when the last plague occurred, when Israel experienced Passover, and when Israel left Egypt. In Exodus 12:1 we read "This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of [...]

Best Practices for a
Leadership Culture Church

Posted on December 29th, 2007 by Dr. Lyle Schrag   
Other tags:
Categories: _Uncategorized

“Leadership Training for the sake of Ministry…”
The Leadership Culture Church: What are the marks of a Leadership Culture Church? How does a congregation design a blueprint for developing leaders from the ground up?
“The Local Church is by design the most effective incubator of spiritual leaders [...]

Heart for Ministry

Posted on December 29th, 2007 by Dr. Lyle Schrag   
Other tags:
Categories: _Uncategorized

I think that God may be calling me to take my ministry to another level…
I sense that God may be calling me into some kind of ministry…
I can’t help but think that God has something more for me…

BUT HOW CAN I KNOW FOR SURE?
Questions like this are being asked by men and women of all [...]

Divine Hours

Posted on December 21st, 2007 by Dr. Lyle Schrag   
Other tags:
Categories: Bible Study

There seems to have been a revival of interest in ancient forms of spiritual discipline, notably in the area of prayer. From the early Church, the day was marked by regular hours. As early as the Didache in 60 A.D. Christians were encouraged to pray with regularity – the Lord’s Prayer three times a day, [...]

Alumni

Posted on December 15th, 2007 by nav   
Other tags:
Categories: _Uncategorized

Welcome Alumni! Our hope is that you will find this website a great resource for you. Click on the links to the left or follow the drop-down menu from the top to select areas of interest to alumni. Here is a greeting from Dr. Larry Perkins, our president.

Northwest is enjoying its 66th year of educational [...]

New Testament Talk: Defining “Evangelical”

Posted on December 6th, 2007 by Dr. Larry Perkins   
Other tags:
Categories: New TestamentTalk

Considerable discussion is occurring about the appropriate way to define an "Evangelical". John Stackhouse (Church and Faith Trends volume 1, issue 1, EFC website) proposes a definition that includes the following elements:  orthodox and orthoprax, crucicentric, biblicist, conversionist, missional, and transdenominational. There is much to commend such a definition, although personally I think it emphasizes [...]

Eat This Book!

Posted on November 28th, 2007 by Dr. Kenton Anderson   
Other tags:
Categories: Preaching

I’ve just completed Eugene Peterson’s improbably titled, Eat This Book and I cannot recommend it highly enough. This “conversation in the art of spiritual reading” both values Scripture while helping us see its accessibility. The book argues for the validity and necessity of exegesis for spiritual growth. It describes in detail the practice of Lectio [...]

Church BoardTalk: The Challenge of Sustainability

Posted on November 16th, 2007 by Dr. Larry Perkins   
Other tags:
Categories: BoardTalkLeadership

At our recent "Best Practices for Church Boards Workshop" held in Langley, one of the groups attending had also participated in the first workshop we presented two and half years ago. What was remarkable to note was that none of the members of that church board were the same. Over that short period of time [...]

Crossing Cultures with the Bible

Posted on November 14th, 2007 by Mr. Mark Naylor   
Other tags:
Categories: BibleCultural IssuesCultureHermeneuticsMissiology

Three ways to understand the Bible
My wife, Karen, heard a message by a young woman with no theological training on Jer 29:11, “I know the plans I have for you….” The young woman spoke of the verse as if it was addressed to us today and talked about the plans God has for us.  Although [...]

Scratching the Surface of Non-Belief

Posted on November 13th, 2007 by Dr. Lyle Schrag   
Other tags:
Categories: Athiesm

In the last few months, I have encountered a number of people who seem “taken” by the current campaign to promote the message of atheism. Such books as God is Not Great, and The God Delusion seem to suggest that there is something solid to the life and belief of the unbelievers. Which is why [...]

Preaching with Variety

Posted on November 8th, 2007 by Dr. Kenton Anderson   
Other tags:
Categories: Preaching

_Preaching with Variety: How to Re-create the Dynamics of Biblical Genres_. By Jeffrey D. Arthurs. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel, 2007, 978-0-8254-2019-1, 238 pp., $15.99, paperback.
Several years ago I embarked upon a project. Having been given a short interim preaching opportunity at a nearby church, I decided to choose a different biblical genre for every sermon [...]

Church Board Talk: Relationships are Everything

Posted on November 7th, 2007 by Dr. Larry Perkins   
Other tags:
Categories: BoardTalkLeadership

Dr. Lyle Schrag, director of our Northwest Centre for Leadership Development, led our sixth Best Practices for Church Boards workshop this past weekend. Seven churches participated. As I gave one of the presentations and facilitated a conversation among one of the church boards, the centrality of relationships to good Church Board operations became absolutely clear. [...]

It’s NOT about the Information

Posted on November 5th, 2007 by Mr. Mark Naylor   
Other tags:
Categories: Cultural IssuesCultureMissiologySeminaryTranslation Issues

I am slow. I have come to the realization – at least a full decade after more perceptive and observant thinkers – that we are no longer in the information age; we are in the networking age.  Facebook is not about information, but about connecting. Due to the ease of access and overwhelming quantity of [...]

Does The Universe Have A Purpose?

Posted on November 2nd, 2007 by Dr. Lyle Schrag   
Other tags:
Categories: Athiesm

In the last year, Athiests have hit the best-seller book list with such titles as The God Delusion [Richard Dawkins], God is Not Great [Christopher Hitchens], and Letters to a Christian Nation [Sam Harris]. I don’t want to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but it seems as if there is a coordinated assault on the [...]

Karen’s Sermon Art

Posted on October 30th, 2007 by Dr. Kenton Anderson   
Other tags:
Categories: NewsPreaching

Yesterday my wife participated in our pastor’s sermon by illustrating his sermon with a simultaneous sermon painting. What’s that, you ask? Let me try to explain.
Brian Stewart was preaching from Philippians 2:15 about how we are to shine as lights for Christ in the places we’re located. He had a lot to say about light [...]

Disillusioned with the Sunday meeting expression of church

Posted on October 25th, 2007 by Mr. Mark Naylor   
Other tags:
Categories: ChurchPreaching

The following is a response from my wife, Karen, to a couple of recent blogs found on this site:
In his Oct 17 blog "The Foundation for Hearing God," Loren Warkentin wrote:
We Christians have become acculturated to this [fast-paced] style of living and I believe it has affected our spiritual lives. We are easily bored. If [...]

Apologetic Preaching

Posted on October 19th, 2007 by Dr. Kenton Anderson   
Other tags:
Categories: EvangelismFaithPreaching

J. P. Moreland of Talbot Seminary was the keynote speaker at this year’s meetings of the Evangelical Homiletics Society. He took the opportunity to offer a proposal for “apologetic preaching.” While such an approach is not new, Moreland seemed to suggest that apologetics could and should take a much higher place in our thinking about [...]