Local Church

Discipleship is central to Christianity. In the words of my friend, Dave Hardy, “We are either making disciples, or we are making concessions.”

Being a pastor is a great privilege. The Bible tells us, “This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work” (1 Timothy 3:1). It is a good thing to desire to serve God as a pastor in His church. (God give us some men—young and older—who would have such a desire!) Yet, being a pastor carries with it great responsibility toward God’s people.

When Terrie and I came to Lancaster in the summer of 1986, our goal was not to build a large church but to reach people for Christ. Over the past thirty-two years, the Lord has done more than we ever could have dreamed, and we praise Him for that. But our goal has not changed. We still want to reach people for Christ and to invest ourselves in Christ’s church.

Last month I attended the Ohio Independent Baptist Preacher’s Fellowship in Delaware, Ohio. I had the privilege of being one of the preachers at this meeting. It was attended by approximately ninety preachers or full-time ministry workers from across Ohio, and Kentucky. In addition, there were another 150 or so lay people in attendance. The spirit of the meeting was wonderful from beginning to end. I thoroughly enjoyed preaching and attending this meeting. It was a day well spent.

An article on the front page of a Manila newspaper caught my eye one day when I was at the Iloilo City airport. The story was about a university that was started over 100 years ago. This institution is located on an island not too far from us. Through the years I have met several of their graduates.

This past summer, God opened the door for us to be able to have a summer ministry intern come serve in our church. For the past couple of years, it has been something that I had wanted to do, but was uncertain about whether it was worth the financial burden on our church and the administrative burden on me.

When God sends revival to a church, there is a natural interest in prolonging the good effects of what has happened. One of the most important factors in extending the blessings of the revival is for the church to adopt what could be called “a revival M.O.”

What happened? I often contemplate this question when I consider the condition of many young leaders in my generation (and many in the generation before mine as well). It seems like my social media feeds often have reports from friends made in high school and Bible college or ministry colleagues who have gone hook, line, and sinker for some trendy, new philosophy of ministry.

Tax returns can become very complicated very quickly. A small mistake can easily lead to a lengthy extended audit that becomes a paperwork nightmare for your ministry. If you are not confident about doing your church’s taxes correctly, you should certainly consider hiring a professional tax preparer to ensure your return is done accurately.

When I was growing up in the 70s, the watchword among independent Baptists was separation. And with good reason. Many of my mentors were men who had come out of denominations that denied the inerrancy of Scripture, miracles of the Bible, and even the virgin birth of Christ.

In the early days at Lancaster Baptist Church, I gave a “Visit with the Pastor” almost every Sunday night in which I tried to infuse our young church with the DNA of New Testament Christianity. Usually these were a brief topical lesson on topics ranging from how to lead someone to the Lord, to having family devotions, to encouraging new Christians.

Each year at Lancaster Baptist Church, on the first Sunday of January, we reveal to our church family a new scriptural theme for the coming year. This theme flows out of much prayer and preparation that has taken place for six or seven months in advance of the new year.

Being a younger pastor has many wonderful blessings, but also some unique challenges. Here are just a couple of the tensions that I am still learning how to properly manage as a younger pastor.

Every church has a culture—a functioning set of values and identity. Hopefully, this culture reflects what the church says it believes and teaches. But that is not always the case. Too many times, the culture of a church becomes one of divisiveness, pride, or worldliness (although no one is likely to acknowledge those).

What is a true test of love? Men like to give chocolate, flowers, and even a nice dinner to demonstrate love. I’m sure my wife would love all those things. However, when it comes to building blocks in the Christian life, we must have a love for the church. How exactly should we show love to the church?

Someone told me that October is “Pastor Appreciation Month.” I know this isn’t what they had in mind, but it got me thinking about what I appreciate about being a pastor.

Most Baptist churches have adult Sunday school classes. But sometimes churches think of them only as a teaching ministry of the church. They are that. But they can be so much more.

We are bombarded with error. Newspapers, television, billboards, radio, and magazines all try to fill our minds and hearts with philosophies and ideas that are completely contrary to Scripture. Here are some thoughts to help strengthen the Lord’s people against these attacks.

Listening and assessing are two characteristics found in wise spiritual leaders. Even as you seek to move forward by faith, you must have an awareness of the current needs surrounding you and in the lives of those you lead.

The story of Crown Point Baptist Church begins with the directive of the Saviour to simply, “Go.” At the age of fifty-four, Pastor Mark Irmler and his family surrendered to the call to start a new independent Baptist church in the city of Simi Valley, California.