November 2022 New Horizons

“O Taste and See That the Lord Is Good”

by John S. Shaw

What is the mission of the church? How might you answer that question? If we are committed to praying and serving for the benefit of Christ’s church, we need a clear answer. In Psalm 34, the Lord provides an answer through the example of King David. The anointed king of Israel, while fleeing from Saul and hiding in a cave, responds to his tribulations with what belongs to every Christian church: celebration and invitation. Or, as we often describe it, worship and witness. This is the mission of Christ’s church and the primary call of the people of God: to celebrate the goodness of the Lord and to invite others to join in. Celebration David begins with an expression of uninterrupted praise: “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth” (v. 1, emphasis added). Have you ever doubted the goodness of the Lord? Then maybe the opening to this psalm seems unrealistic or even discouraging. Maybe you have thought, How can I ever make David’s expression my own ... Read more

The CMC’s New Pastoral Compensation Tool

by Judith M. Dinsmore

Eric Johnson, a retired engineer and treasurer of the still-brand-new Resurrection Presbyterian in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was in charge of putting together a call package for church planter Bob Holda in 2021. Johnson didn’t start by crunching numbers, as he had ten years previously when on the session of Resurrection’s mother church and helping with a call. He didn’t pull up research on what people of Holda’s experience or education were making, and he didn’t ring up a fellow presbytery member. He didn’t even ask Google for cost of living adjustments or the federal poverty rate. Instead, he visited the Committee on Ministerial Care’s website, opccmc.org , scrolled down to a green bar titled “Explore Popular CMC Tools,” and clicked on something called the “ Pastoral Compensation Tool .” It’s Not Rocket Science Johnson, previously an elder at Apple Valley Presbyterian in Neenah, Wisconsin, and now an elder at its daughter church, Resurrection, has known Committee on Ministerial ... Read more