Great observations from Michael Horton on an old practice less common in our day. An excerpt: Pastors today aren’t as busy as Luther. Yet Luther said that it was the pastor’s duty to teach the catechism to the people, and he did so. He did it for the young people. And he taught them on personal visits. This view of the pastor was carried over into Reformed practice also. Right down to today, pastors and elders make it a point to visit every family in the congregation—at least once a year. … [Read more...] about Have You Ever Had a Pastoral Visit?
Archives for 2014
Should We Become a Cashless Society?
Confession: I hate carrying and spending cash. Always have. I like the convenience of putting everything on one credit card, being able to have an instant record of my spending, and (of course) earning 1 percent cash back. I'm not prone to impulse purchases, and I've always paid my bill in full and on time. But Derek Thomas has a provocative article in The Atlantic on the downsides of our becoming a cashless society. Thomas writes: "In the 1970s, fewer than 20 percent of the adult population owned a credit card. Today, between 70 and 80 percent of the adult population does." So what? Thomas … [Read more...] about Should We Become a Cashless Society?
Doug Phillips and Vision Forum: What Happened?
In a forthcoming cover story for World magazine, Jamie Dean explores the background of what appeared to many (myself included) to be the sudden resignation of Doug Phillips. Dean writes that Phillips' confession "didn’t include at least two significant details: The unmarried woman had been a member of his church, and Phillips had continued in his public ministry at VFM for at least eight months after he confessed to church leadership." Phillips' October confession, Dean writes, "came the day after five men arrived at his San Antonio home to ask him about reports they heard concerning his … [Read more...] about Doug Phillips and Vision Forum: What Happened?
Half of College Presidents Lack Long-term Confidence in Their Financial Model
The 2014 survey of college and university presidents, sponsored by Inside Higher Ed, has a few results that feed the narrative that while college has never been more expensive, many institutions are on unsustainable financial path (HT: the reference comes from chapter 4 of Jeff Selingo's groundbreaking book College UnBound.) Here are a few examples from the survey: Nearly two-thirds of presidents are confident about the sustainability of their institution’s financial mode over the next five years -- but that proportion falls to half over 10 years. Asked to rate the financial viability … [Read more...] about Half of College Presidents Lack Long-term Confidence in Their Financial Model
Amazon is Temporarily Sold Out, But CBD and Others Have It
Amazon is temporarily out of inventory, but CBD has it, as does WTS Books, and others (including me, see the various widgets running down the right sidebar). This is a good problem to have! If you've not yet done so, consider checking out the book's home page (which has been shared more times in two months than the Thriving at College page was shared in three years), reading an excerpt, watching the promo video, or reading a guest post I wrote for Desiring God or Bible Gateway. … [Read more...] about Amazon is Temporarily Sold Out, But CBD and Others Have It
Graduate-School Debt Is Raising Questions About Degrees’ Worth
Great article in The Chronicle of Higher Education about rising debt loads for graduate students. Two highlights: The average amount of education-related debt that doctoral-degree recipients said they accrued in graduate school increased to $14,479 in 2012, a 70-percent increase from a decade earlier, according to National Science Foundation data. Three-quarters of master’s-degree recipients graduate with debt, with an average of $40,000, according to Debra W. Stewart, president of the Council of Graduate Schools. About two-thirds of Ph.D. recipients accumulate debt, with an average of … [Read more...] about Graduate-School Debt Is Raising Questions About Degrees’ Worth