Podcasts about Reformed University Fellowship

Christina Hello, everyone, I'm Christina Darnell, the managing editor of MinistryWatch. Welcome to the MinistryWatch podcast. In today's extra episode, I talk with Warren Smith about some news items that are slightly (even significantly) outside of our normal charity and philanthropy “beat.” So, Warren, what's up first? Warren Last Friday, just days before the Southern Baptist Convention gathered for its annual meeting in Orlando, Florida, SBC megachurch Pastor Jack Graham said in a social media post that the SBC has never had a “systematic sexual abuse crisis” and described what prompted a 2021 independent investigation by Guidepost Solutions as a “reckless hoax.” Christina Speaking of reckless, given all the evidence for serious issues in the SBC, that seems a pretty reckless thing to say. Warren Agreed. I have met Jack Graham a few times, and he seemed like a normal guy. I clearly missed the signs. This statement is so dislocated from reality as to make my head swim. Christina The Houston Chronicle documented nearly 400 cases of sexual abuse in Texas alone. The Guidepost Report on the SBC found hundreds more. Warren Graham's view seems to be that the problem was not systematic and was instead a function of how large the SBC is (“a few bad apples”). Even if that was true (and I do not think it was), the failure to respond quickly and adequately to survivors was surely systematic, a product of the culture of the SBC. That said, the SBC has, in recent years, taken solid steps toward reform. I applaud the denomination for that. But Graham's comments are not helping. Christina While we're on the subject of the Southern Baptist Convention, the SBC has released new demographic information, and Ryan Burge has analyzed it. Warren Here's a passage from one of his recent weekly newsletters: “I've said this on many occasions, but the rise of the SBC from 1945 through 1990 will never ever be replicated again in the history of American religion.” The SBC peaked at $16.2 million in 2006. Today it has about 12.3 million. This 25 percent decline in a generation is due to a lot of factors, including a general secularization of culture. But to claim that the sex abuse scandals played no role strains credulity. Christina The Southern Baptist Convention is meeting this week, but the SBC is not the only thing in the news. Warren That's right. A new study is out from Communio and the Institute for Family Studies. Among the findings: “Children raised in homes where faith is discussed regularly are more than twice as likely to attend church and say religion is very important to them when they become adults.” The study is called Passing the Torch: How Faith Moves Across Generations, and it claims to be the “most comprehensive examination to date of how parents successfully pass on faith to the next generation.” The report also found that when both parents attend church weekly, 41 percent of children do the same in adulthood, compared to 29 percent when only one parent attends. Children who report a strong relationship with both parents are 97 percent more likely of believing in God as adults than those with weaker parental relationships. Christina We do not often cover the Catholic Church, but a story from our hometown of Charlotte caught your attention this week. Warren Prosecutors say a Catholic Charities employee in Charlotte embezzled and laundered money by using a business credit card. The damage was more than $13,000. Leah Stewart, age 46, was arrested in late April. She faces felony charges over the unauthorized credit card charges. We do not cover Catholic charities much, but this one was in my hometown, so I could not help but notice. Also, it gives me another opportunity to note that we can learn from this situation. To find out how your organization can put safeguards in place to avoid financial fraud, click here. Christina And our last story is a bit of good news. Warren That's right. There's so much news about people doing bad things, it's nice sometimes to catch people doing good things, especially when they happen to be friends. Christina And one of them is right here in Charlotte. Warren That would be Rod Culbertson. He has “graduated” to emeritus status at Reformed Theological Seminary here in Charlotte after a long and distinguished career as a pastor, campus minister with Reformed University Fellowship, and a longtime professor at RTS. “Emeritus” is what you call someone who has retired but who does not believe in retirement as a biblical category! Christina And who's the other one. Maria Montserrat Alvarado, the current president and COO of U.S.-based Catholic media giant EWTN News, will lead the Vatican's communication office, the Vatican announced Tuesday (June 2). Montse, as I know her, is not yet 40 years of age, and she will be the youngest person to lead a Vatican dicastery in recent memory and the first woman who is not a religious sister to be a Vatican prefect, a task historically reserved for cardinals. When I first met Montse, nearly 20 years ago, she was barely in her 20s and working for The Becket Fund, the religious liberty legal organization. We have reported on their work often here at MinistryWatch. It was clear even then she was a rising star. Indeed, in 2017 she became the Executive Director there. So, Montse and Rod, I will be praying for you both as you enter news seasons of life and ministry. Christina Warren, we need to wrap things up here. Any final thoughts before we go? Warren I'm in Colorado Springs and Denver this week. I'll be doing a reader lunch in the Springs on Thursday and in Denver on Friday. Let me know if you would like to join us. My email is wsmith@ministrywatch.com. I also want to mention that June is the end of our fiscal year. We've had a good year, so far, but we still have about $45,000 that we need to raise between now and June 30. If that number sounds huge, I'd like to remind you that the average gift to MinistryWatch is less than $100. But they add up. If you have been listening to us here on the podcast for a while, but have never given, I'd like to ask you to consider a gift so MinistryWatch can continue our work. Just go to www.MinistryWatch.com/donate Christina That brings to a close this EXTRA episode of the podcast. The producer for today's program is Jeff McIntosh. I hope you'll join Warren and me again on Friday. We'll be bringing you the news of the week, from a MinistryWatch perspective. Until next time, may God bless you.

Ben Robertson, who serves as a campus minister with the Reformed University Fellowship at W&M, brings a message from 2 Samuel 18:1-18 as we continue to learn how the life of King David leads us to the life of King Jesus.Thank you for joining us! To learn more, please visit: https://wcchapel.org/fridaymensbreakfast

In this episode I continue my sporadic series on various campus ministries. I am joined by Charles Askew and Caysie Ashton, campus ministers with Reformed University Fellowship (RUF). Charles and Caysie bring their unique perspectives to help us better understand the ministry of RUF and whether it might be right for you. In this podcast we discuss: What “Reformed” means How Casey and Chuck got involved in RUF How RUF got started The core mission of RUF How to find a RUF chapter What to expect at a RUF chapter How chapters differ campus-to-campus What is required to be involved in RUF What makes RUF distinct from other campus ministries Why RUF doesn't have a curriculum that students go through How RUF helps students build deep relationships RUF's weekly activities for students  RUF's strengths and weaknesses Why students should look into joining a RUF chapter The importance of just showing up Why we shouldn't fear the “secular” university Resources mentioned during our conversation: RUF website & various RUF chapter's Instagram accounts C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity and The Great Divorce Timothy Keller, Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope That Matters John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (especially “The Golden Book of the Christian Life” section) Martin Luther, The Bondage of the Will

Elbert “Pastor El” was born and raised in Jackson, MS. After graduating with a Mechanical Engineering degree from Alabama A&M, he worked for General Electric in Ohio. Having seen drugs devastate his family in Jackson, Elbert later witnessed God bring healing and transformation through the gospel, which led to his own conversion while reading the Bible in his apartment. His passion for sharing Christ grew into prison ministry, and after marrying his wife, Karen, he returned to Jackson to attend Reformed Theological Seminary. While serving at Redeemer Church, he helped launch Reformed University Fellowship at Jackson State University and in 2015 was called as Redeemer's Senior Pastor. Elbert and Karen have two children, Karis and Tripp, and remain devoted to Jackson, its people, and God's work of making broken things new.   Sermon recorded October 19, 2025 Rev. Elbert McGowan Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church Birmingham, AL

Sermon from Rev. Juan Rodriguez, Reformed University Fellowship, UNC Charlotte.

In this sermon on Colossians 3:1–4, Reformed University Fellowship intern Tim Sandridge addressed four questions: Why do we need life? What life do we need? What does this life look like? And where is this life going? Sunday Morning Worship // July 6, 2025 ------------------------------- Want to go deeper? Take some time to reflect on the sermon with the following questions: What theological realities does Paul use to ground his exhortation to “seek the things above”? How do those realities enable and encourage you to do that? In what ways do you set your mind on things that are on earth? How can you begin to set your mind on things that are above? How does your union with Christ shape the way you understand the world? How does it bring purpose and glory to your life's goals? ------------------------------- allsoulspca.org All Souls (Urbana, IL) is a part of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), a Christian, Reformed denomination with historic and theological roots in the Protestant Reformation.

What happens when the gospel you were handed no longer makes sense of the pain, beauty, or complexity of the world you're actually living in? In this conversation, I sit down with Nicholas McDonald, pastor and author of The Light in Our Eyes, to explore the tensions between disillusionment and hope, escape and embodiment, cynicism and renewal. Nicholas brings a pastor's heart, a theologian's depth, and the honesty of someone who's wrestled with real questions and has found the freedom, beauty, and love that Jesus can bring. We talk about what 40 million people walking away from the church actually means, why so many are rejecting not Jesus, but a culture of fear and power, and how the recovery of ancient practices, communal faith, and a more embodied gospel could help us reimagine the way forward. From Zechariah's silence to Jim Henson's Muppets, from dispensational escape theology to communion as resistance - this conversation covers a lot of ground, and all of it matters. So join us as we find the light of Christ has been present all along.Nicholas McDonald is the Associate Pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian church in central Indianapolis and has served in ministry for over fifteen years. His previous positions have included roles in youth ministry and four years as the Campus Minister of Reformed University Fellowship at the University of Missouri. McDonald received his degree from Gordon Conwell Seminary and studied creative writing at Oxford University. He's the author of Faker, and the forthcoming book "The Light in Our Eyes: Rediscovering the Love, Beauty and Freedom of Jesus in an Age of Disillusionment". He lives in Indianapolis with his wife and their three children.Nicholas' Book:The Light in Our EyesNicholas' Recommendation:The Meaning of SinglenessSubscribe to Our Substack: Shifting CultureConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@allnations.usGo to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, Bluesky or YouTubeConsider Giving to the podcast and to the ministry that my wife and I do around the world. Just click on the support the show link belowSubscribe for Early, Ad-Free Access to New Episodes Support the show

City of Hope Presbyterian Church Sunday Worship   February 9, 2025   Sermon: Guest Speaker, Rev. Trip Beans   Text: Acts 1:12-14   Preacher: Rev. Trip Beans, Campus Minister, Reformed University Fellowship at University of Maryland Baltimore County   www.cityofhopechurch.net

Preached by Peter Lyon of Reformed University Fellowship at CNU | www.cnu.ruf.org | www.bygrace.cc

Why are hymns important for young adults, and how can we teach young people to love and appreciate hymnody? Rev. Kevin Twit, Campus Minister with Reformed University Fellowship at Belmont University (Presbyterian Church in America) and the founder of Indelible Grace Music, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about his service as a campus minister of the Reformed University Fellowship (RUF), how hymns shaped his faith in childhood and into adulthood, why hymnody is important to him and crucial to teach to young adults, how he introduced traditional hymnody to students who may be unfamiliar, and the next album from Indelible Grace available now on streaming platforms. Learn more about Indelible Grace and find their music at igracemusic.com.

Preached by Peter Lyon of Reformed University Fellowship at CNU | www.cnu.ruf.org | www.bygrace.cc

Subscribe here for Season 3 of Generation IndoctrinationApple PodcastsSpotifyEdifi AppTop headlines for Thursday, January 4, 2024In today's episode, An appeals court has rejected the Biden administration's effort to use a federal law to force emergency room doctors to perform abortions in Texas, upholding a lower court decision. U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik's comments on the long overdue resignation of Harvard President Claudine Gay. We explore evangelist Franklin Graham's strong criticism against the Methodist Church in the UK's inclusive language guide and its implications on religious institutions. And finally, we remember Mark Lowrey, founder of Reformed University Fellowship and a key figure at the Great Commission Publications, and reflect on his legacy following his recent passing.Subscribe to this PodcastApple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastsOvercastFollow Us on Social Media@ChristianPost on TwitterChristian Post on Facebook@ChristianPostIntl on InstagramSubscribe on YouTubeGet the Edifi AppDownload for iPhoneDownload for AndroidSubscribe to Our NewsletterSubscribe to the Freedom Post, delivered every Monday and ThursdayClick here to get the top headlines delivered to your inbox every morning!Links to the NewsElise Stefanik celebrates resignation of Harvard's Claudine Gay | Politics NewsFranklin Graham: UK Methodist Church trying to 'edit' Word of God | Church & Ministries NewsAndrew Lloyd Webber called preist to remove poltergeist from home | Entertainment NewsElon Musk agrees West 'absolutely screwed' without Christianity | World NewsOlympian Sydney McLaughlin Levrone warns against perfectionism | Sports NewsMark Lowrey, founder of Reformed University Fellowship, dies | Church & Ministries News'Sound of Freedom' beats Taylor Swift 'Eras Tour' for No. 10 film | Entertainment News

Chris Colquitt is a campus minister for the Reformed University Fellowship at Northwestern University.  In a recent talk he was speaking about faith and Gen Z. That's the generation born roughly between 1996 and 2010.  One of the things he talked about was how kids were (and are) raised, and the influence this has on … Continue reading Discomfort, pain and youth

Cyril Chavis Jr. He is a devoted husband, father and pastor of Reformed University Fellowship. This is a college campus non-profit that is focused on Embracing Christ, Entering the Church, Engaging the Campus and Entering Careers for the students of the ministry. He has also written a book and teaching tool called “The Bible Explained: A Student's Guide to Understanding Their Faith. The Bible Explained: A College Student's Guide to Understanding Their Faith: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C1J5SL49 Reach Cyril: https://ruf.org/ministry/washington-dc/

Preached by Grant Taylor of Reformed University Fellowship at ODU | www.bygrace.cc

We welcomed to our pulpit Rev. Lee Wright, who serves as the Reformed University Fellowship campus minister at the University of Texas-San Antonio.

Preached by Peter Lyon of Reformed University Fellowship at CNU | www.cnu.ruf.org | www.bygrace.cc

Joe Fischer is a campus minister with Reformed University Fellowship at Rutgers University. He was born and raised in New Jersey and, along with his wife Kiana, is a graduate of Rutgers. After completing his degree at Rutgers, Joe attended Westminster Theological Seminary and was ordained as a Teaching Elder in the PCA. Joe and Kiana are the parents of a son and a daughter.

For the last episode of the podcast (perhaps ever!), Mary Patton welcomes the current Reformed University Fellowship interns at Ole Miss, Caroline Dean and Walker Crow. Caroline and Walker share their testimonies, how they were led to do the RUF internship, and advice about life after college. They hope to encourage students that post-grad life brings challenges, but it is also fun! We hope you enjoy this episode, "Caroline Dean and Walker Crow: Life After College."

Brooks Harwood joins us from Reformed University Fellowship at the University of Houston to preach from John 21:1-17.

At Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Charleston, SC, we enjoyed a sermon from Rev. Jacob Lee, the campus minister for Reformed University Fellowship at the College of Charleston. He encouraged us that we're to be the witnesses and storytellers of God's story and by God's Spirit.

At Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Charleston, SC, we enjoyed a sermon from Rev. Jacob Lee, the campus minister for Reformed University Fellowship at the College of Charleston. He encouraged us that we're to be the witnesses and storytellers of God's story and by God's Spirit.

Don't miss this week's classic session, In The Studio With Michael Card. We'll open the archives and start with Michael focusing on Jesus' teaching about the importance of children found in Matthew's gospel. Listen in for the lessons we can learn about the values of the Kingdom from the faith of the young. Then we welcome Kevin Twit who is Michael's friend involved with Reformed University Fellowship and Indelible Grace Music. Kevin's work with college student ministry has given him a unique perspective on the power of the classic hymns on the next generation. And in the second half of the program we welcome singer and songwriter Sara Groves. We'll hear Sara's powerful and personal account of her spiritual journey and how that is reflected in her music. And Sara will perform several songs in the Mole End studio. Conversation grounded in the God's word and music that amplifies what we discover together through this session, In The Studio with Michael Card.

In this episode, Mary Patton welcomes her friend Barnes Benton, a senior at Ole Miss from Hattiesburg, MS, to share his testimony and talk about the influence of corporate worship in his life. Barnes describes how he grew up in a musical family, with his parents singing in church and playing the piano at home. Because of their influence, Barnes and his brothers began to learn to play instruments, and Barnes began to lead worship at camp and in youth group. Today, Barnes plays guitar in the Reformed University Fellowship band every Wednesday night, and some Sunday nights, and he advises students that anyone can worship, whether they are musically talented or not. He also shares that worship can take a number of forms day to day, though corporate worship is important for the encouragement of the body of Christ.

In this week's lesson from the book of Romans, Ben Robertson, Campus Minister with Reformed University Fellowship, continues our series on the Biblical teaching of justification as we look again at the life of Abraham. Open your Bible to Romans 4:13-25 and join us as we continue to see how God's righteousness for the unrighteous is revealed in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Preached by Peter Lyon of Reformed University Fellowship at CNU | www.cnu.ruf.org | www.bygrace.cc

Today's sermon from guest speaker David Augustine, of Reformed University Fellowship at IUP, on 1 Kings.

Austin McCann is the new campus minister at Texas A&M with Reformed University Fellowship.

Q&A with Ron Koustas and Tom Kang on June 12th at 1:00pm (PST) Ron Koustas is recently retired and though he prefers the couch, God keeps nudging him off it. He is a founding member and ministry leader of Hope For New York's outreach to people dealing with AIDS. He is instrumental in partnering faith-based ministries with established secular organizations in both Manhattan and New Jersey. Featured in CT's Leadership Journal and Mike Slaughter's book, "unLearning Church," he enjoys speaking to Reformed University Fellowship students seeking to serve in NYC during Spring Break. A Rutgers University graduate, he holds a BS in Business Administration.

Ron Koustas is recently retired and though he prefers the couch, God keeps nudging him off it. He is a founding member and ministry leader of Hope For New York's outreach to people dealing with AIDS. He is instrumental in partnering faith-based ministries with established secular organizations in both Manhattan and New Jersey. Featured in CT's Leadership Journal and Mike Slaughter's book, "unLearning Church," he enjoys speaking to Reformed University Fellowship students seeking to serve in NYC during Spring Break. A Rutgers University graduate, he holds a BS in Business Administration. We live in a world and a time in which we are faced with many conflicts, challenges, and confusion, and we often have more questions than answers. When it comes to how we talk about and understand sexuality, we can find so many different perspectives, viewpoints and experiences - even within the church. So, as a community, we want to humbly embark on a journey of seeking to understand, listen, and learn from the truth of scripture, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and the heart and love of God.

Rev. Kevin Twit (PCA), Founder of Indelible Grace Music and Campus Minister at Reformed University Fellowship in Belmont, TN, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about his vocation as campus minister in the Reformed tradition, why it's important for his students to sing hymns, what he looks for in hymns for teaching his students, and what he'll be sharing on Indelible Grace's Hymns and Stories tour. Learn more about Indelible Grace at igracemusic.com and find Hymns and Stories tour dates at linktr.ee/indeliblegrace.

The Rev. Drew Burdette, campus minister with Reformed University Fellowship at Oregon State University, brings the Word to Christ's pulpit here at Faith Presbyterian Church this evening.

Shaynor grew up in Dallas and graduated with a B.S. in Biology from Baylor University. After graduating he served a ministry to the homeless and at-risk teens. Later, he was a Hall Director at Baylor, and then the European coordinator for a tour company; leading tours in Western Europe. After earning his MDiv at Truett Theological Seminary, Shaynor spent 12 years in campus ministry with Reformed University Fellowship at New Mexico State and Baylor Universities. He and his wife, Heather (B.A. & M.S. in Economics at Baylor), and their two kids,  (22) and  (11) moved to Eugene in December 2013. Shaynor recently complete a Doctor of Ministry also from Truett culminating in a dissertation on the importance of hospitality for ministry in a growing post-Christian culture. They love the beauty and quirkiness of Eugene. Shaynor enjoys CrossFit, fishing, bowhunting, mixology, cooking, and a good nap. He's also a big fan of music from the likes of the Avett Brothers, Sufjan Stevens, and Johnny Cash, to U2, Kendrick Lamar, and Chance the Rapper, and of course Journey and other 80's favorites. He and the family are big fans of all things Baylor and Dallas sports, and have readily adopted the Ducks as well. Go Mavs!Follow on IG @citiesofrefugeConnect: citiesofrefuge.co Want to support the show? Like, share, subscribe, follow, or leave a review! We have also launched a Patreon for those wanting to contribute with a gift, find more information at Patreon/accidental-hope or our www.accidentalhope.com. Thanks again!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/accidentalhope)

Shaynor grew up in Dallas and graduated with a B.S. in Biology from Baylor University. After graduating he served a ministry to the homeless and at-risk teens. Later, he was a Hall Director at Baylor, and then the European coordinator for a tour company; leading tours in Western Europe. After earning his MDiv at Truett Theological Seminary, Shaynor spent 12 years in campus ministry with Reformed University Fellowship at New Mexico State and Baylor Universities. He and his wife, Heather (B.A. & M.S. in Economics at Baylor), and their two kids,  (22) and  (11) moved to Eugene in December 2013. Shaynor recently complete a Doctor of Ministry also from Truett culminating in a dissertation on the importance of hospitality for ministry in a growing post-Christian culture. They love the beauty and quirkiness of Eugene. Shaynor enjoys CrossFit, fishing, bowhunting, mixology, cooking, and a good nap. He's also a big fan of music from the likes of the Avett Brothers, Sufjan Stevens, and Johnny Cash, to U2, Kendrick Lamar, and Chance the Rapper, and of course Journey and other 80's favorites. He and the family are big fans of all things Baylor and Dallas sports, and have readily adopted the Ducks as well. Go Mavs!Follow on IG @citiesofrefugeConnect: citiesofrefuge.co Want to support the show? Like, share, subscribe, follow, or leave a review! We have also launched a Patreon for those wanting to contribute with a gift, find more information at Patreon/accidental-hope or our www.accidentalhope.com. Thanks again!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/accidentalhope)

Listen in and level up your ministry with Shad & Paul as they interview Chad Brewer of Reformed University Fellowship. Chad has spent 21 years with RUF as a Campus Minister at the University of Missouri, Penn State University, the University of Minnesota, and the University of California, Irvine. Over the years the Lord has grown his heart to see the nations reached by the Gospel. In 2019, he began directing the ministries of RUF-International and RUF-Global. Chad is married to Christie and they have 3 daughters.  

The Age of A.I. Jason Thacker The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission 50 for the 50th Track Series Bible Studies Lane Kiffin (hit with mustard) Reformed University Fellowship

In our latest episode of Deep Light, we feature Russ Whitfield! Russ serves as pastor of Grace Mosaic, a cross-cultural church that he helped to plant in Northeast Washington, DC. He is also the Director of Cross-Cultural Advancement for Reformed University Fellowship and a Guest Lecturer at Reformed Theological Seminary's Washington, DC, campus. Russ and his lovely wife, Vanessa, are raising four fun-loving children in Washington, DC. He holds a bachelor's degree in music from New York University and a Master of Divinity from Westminster Theological Seminary, and he was one of the original youth interns at PCPC 17 years ago.

What does Paul mean when he says that we are "dead to sin"? This week guest speaker Lucas Dourado from Reformed University Fellowship helped us unpack Romans 6.

This Sunday Lucas Dourado, the campus minister for Reformed University Fellowship at the University of Connecticut, joined us to speak more on a theme we've been emphasizing a lot so far in 2019: grace. The letter to the Ephesians was written to encourage unity in the church, but before the Apostle Paul said anything about what the Ephesians should or shouldn't do, he spent a lot of time talking about the grace of God. This morning Lucas identified four aspects of God's grace that should encourage us and form a solid foundation for our unity as a church.