Thursday, May 28, 2009

Looking Forward to Diving In.

My name is Peter TeWinkle. I serve Hope Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, MI and have done so for the last 2 and a half years. Prior to that I served Hawthorne Reformed Church in Hawthorne, NY for four years. Prior to that I got married to Julie and just prior to that I graduated from Western Theological Seminary. There has actually been a lot of Hope in my life as I grew up at Hope Reformed Church in Sheboygan, WI, and often attended Hope Church in Holland while at Hope College. While I'm quite the cynic, I can't deny that I've been blessed by the RCA; through it's churches and classrooms. My wife gives me a lot of hope too as do my beautiful sons Wil, 3, and Josh, 1.

I first attended Synod in the year 2000. I was a seminary student and thought it would be cool to go to NY never having been there before. I remember a sense of importance around the events; especially because it was Mission 2000. At the same time, it was all quite a blur. I popped in on synod when it was in Albany/Schenectady during the "trial." That was more depressing than anything. Still, I have hope for this upcoming synod. I'm looking forward to being a delegate and taking part in the conversations about the direction of the church. However, having read some of the blogs leading up to synod, especially those regarding the Belhar, I feel cynicism creeping in.

I'm on the young end of Gen X (I think) so I enjoy these cyber chats. Please do chime in and I promise to tell you how I see it.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Code of Conduct

  • I will express myself with civility, courtesy, and respect, especially toward those with whom I disagree—even if I feel disrespected (Romans 12:17-21).
  • I will express my disagreements with others without insulting, mocking, or slandering them personally (Matthew 5:22).
  • I will not exaggerate the beliefs of others or make unfounded prejudicial assumptions based on labels, categories, or stereotypes (Ephesians 4:29).

*With thanks to the Sojourners online community (www.sojo.net)