Author Archives: Richard Heyduck

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About Richard Heyduck

Pastor of Hardy Memorial Methodist Church, a Global Methodist Congregation. PhD Fuller Seminary MDiv Asbury Seminary BA Southwestern University

Planting Large Churches

Posted on August 7, 2013 by Richard Heyduck

One of the curious things I observe in some talk about church planting is the goal of planting “large churches.” Since I’ve never been a church planter (and have only read a few books on the subject), I’m obviously ignorant, … Continue reading →

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Karl Barth on the Modern Marginalization of Ecclesiology

Posted on August 7, 2013 by Richard Heyduck

In Church Dogmatics IV.1 p 150, Barth writes: “It was an intolerable truncation of the Christian message when the older Protestantism steered the whole doctrine of the atonement—and with it, ultimately, the whole of theology—into the cul de sac of … Continue reading →

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The Wrath of God

Posted on August 5, 2013 by Richard Heyduck

We modern believers often feel a need to take care of God – or at least God’s reputation. We have our ideals, and God had better live up to them. One of our ideals is that anger (or, in its … Continue reading →

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Motivation

Posted on August 3, 2013 by Richard Heyduck

My jobs require me to motivate others. As a teacher, I have to motivate students to do the work that leads to learning. As a pastor, I have to motivate people to engage in the practices that constitute a life … Continue reading →

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Holiness: Individual & Communal

Posted on June 17, 2013 by Richard Heyduck

One of the books I’m currently reviewing is Discipleship that Transforms: An Introduction to Christian Education from a Wesleyan Holiness Perspective. As I work on the review, I’ll make some peripheral comments here that might be of wider interest. In … Continue reading →

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The Problem of Sustained Personal Identity

Posted on June 13, 2013 by Richard Heyduck

In a recent essay a the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Company) Religion site, Stanley Hauerwas raises the issue of the sustaining of personal identity over time. It is by no means clear to me that I am the same person who … Continue reading →

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Definition-phobia

Posted on June 10, 2013 by Richard Heyduck

In a recent post Tony Morgan writes about reasons churches lack a strategy for life change. The first of his four reasons is that churches don’t define success, fearing the accountability that will come with it. I ran first ran … Continue reading →

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Hanging with Jesus

Posted on June 10, 2013 by Richard Heyduck

Mark 2:13-17 is a short passage with two connected stories. In the first story Jesus is out by the lake. The crowds come so he begins teaching them. No classroom is depicted, no “sit down and do your lesson,” for … Continue reading →

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Morale

Posted on June 2, 2013 by Richard Heyduck

At the meeting of the Texas Annual Conference this past week and on Facebook in the days following the meeting, I’ve heard a lot about clergy morale. Some think it’s gotten pretty low, while others think it’s about where it’s … Continue reading →

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Epic Win!

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Richard Heyduck

Kenda Creasy Dean is our guest speaker at the Texas Annual Conference this week. Having read her books, I knew where she’d be coming from. If you have the least interest in youth ministry or leading a church that disciples … Continue reading →

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