Young people, your convention is not far off. Have you given some thought about the theme? You have a fascinating topic that is certain to stir up in your mind some truths that you may not have thought about much before. What follows are some questions to think about.

• What is our role as the Protestant Reformed denomination in the larger body of Christ?
• How does Babel serve the church?
• To what extent was Israel a catholic church; made up of people from many different nations?
• Must the power of grace change one’s personality or national characteristics and culture before he or she can truly be a Christian?
• Are you happy and content with the way God has created you?
• Do you believe that God has a particular place in His church that only you can fill?
• What kind of music illustrates the universal church?
• How is a diverse church unified?
• How can we work together and cooperate with others who are involved in building the church?

These are some questions that are addressed in a rather lengthy article that came from the address of Professor Hanko at the graduation exercises of the Protestant Reformed Seminary in June, 2000. The title is “The Church and Her Catholicity” which is the doctrine of the universal church gathered from all nations. It is a long article, but it really is “must read” material for anyone going to the convention. We plan to publish more articles relating to the topic of the convention to help you prepare for discussion and learning about this important topic.