MY PHILOSOPHY OF MINISTRY

I believe that all ministries must first begin on the foundation of God’s Word. 2 Tim. 3:16-17 clearly states “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” Our doctrine must be guided not by our culture or denominational preferences or our personal opinions, but must instead be guided by the plain and clear teaching found in the Scriptures. There must be the proper interpretation of the Scriptures which are understood by an honest and objective hermeneutic as seen in the historical grammatical method. God’s Word is exciting, refreshing, and powerful and this realization should permeate the atmosphere of the church and bring believers together to regularly pursue spiritual growth and exhortation through the teaching and preaching of Scripture which is the worship of our God.

I believe that a church should be a teaching and preaching church, not shying away from a bold presentation of doctrine and the Gospel. By bold, it is meant that the truth is spoken in love from a humble heart and an understanding of man’s desperate need for God and for His salvation provided by Jesus Christ our Lord. Teaching should occur not only from the pulpit but in every area of church life and life stage classes. I believe strongly that every believer is called to understand and know God’s Word, not just for knowledge sake but in order to live a life worthy of the calling of our Lord and bring Him glory.

Teaching is important and vital but so is community. In our culture of individualism and disunity, the church is in desperate need to understand that they are a body of believers bound by the covenant of Christ’s blood (1 Cor. 12:12-27). The church should be the focal point of the believer’s lives as they gather to be instructed, encouraged, exhorted, and ministered to through the use of their spiritual gifts to the edifying of the body. The body should be bound by love in the bond of peace and should exhibit the unity spoken of in Psalms 133. It is through this unity of believers and the community of the church that a strong testimony to the unbelieving world will be seen, clearly displaying the power and validity of the Gospel of Christ (John 1:35). It is my desire to see the church as the family God intended it to be, supporting and loving one another, working through life issues, and dealing with sin in a biblical and merciful way while pursuing restoration. It should be a place of instruction, fellowship and laughter, as each one enjoys the abundance of God’s Spirit at work within the body of Christ.

It is because of my strong belief and desire for community that I have always been actively pursuing people on a personal level, whether staff, members, visitors, or those outside the church. I believe in being active in building relationships with those in the congregation, not hiding a way in the office but being available. I believe that the pastor is there to serve and not be served and should enjoy the personal contact of fellow believers on a daily basis. The tone of hospitality and of community must be set by the pastor and by the leadership of the church.

Because the Lords parting words were that of the great commission (Matt. 28:18-20), I feel strongly that the church must be very active within the local community, surrounding areas, and on an international level. The time I spent on the mission field has given me a strong desire to see others reached with the Gospel of Christ and I strongly believe that it is the church’s main mission to do this. A healthy church is one that is active in bringing the Gospel to the community around them and reaching beyond our own national borders. Instruction and training to accomplish this should be a part of the church’s teaching. The raising up of missionaries within its own local body, both young and old, and the developing of a strong understanding of the great commission should be of upmost importance.