Local Church

I recently had a conversation with a deacon from a church in Colorado. His church was preparing for a new pastor, and he called to ask for suggestions on how to best make the new pastor and his family feel loved and welcomed.

It is impossible to read the book of Acts without seeing the evident power of the Holy Spirit working through the first-century churches—not just in the miraculous sign gifts, but in the daily witness of the churches.

We live in a day of analysts. And everyone, it seems, wants to analyze the church. Some analyze to be critical, some to posture themselves as “better than the imperfect church” in order to gain members for their “near-perfect church.” It seems most pastors view themselves to be more balanced than others or to have a better understanding of grace, theology, missions, etc. than others. Perhaps these self-assessments are true, perhaps not.

The following list will provide some practical reasons for serving. Keep in mind that this list is far from exhaustive, but provides some compelling motivations for serving our great God! Why, then, should I involve myself in the ministry?

One of the most apparent truths about spiritual renewal is that it reorders our priorities. Simply put, God does not renew us to live for ourselves but to live for eternity.

On July 11, 1976, our nation’s bicentennial, Liberty Baptist Church held its first service at the South Coast Westin Hotel in Costa Mesa, California. Eighty-nine people attended that first service. Some came out of curiosity; others were already seeking a local church fellowship. Less than a year later, the young church relocated to the chapel of the Southern California College, now Vanguard University, allowing them to begin a graded Sunday school program and Wednesday evening prayer service.

On a hot summer day in 1975, God answered my mom’s prayers, and my dad was saved from a life of alcohol addiction. At a service station, my parents picked up a church tract which resulted in our family attending Fairfax Baptist Temple. After hearing Pastor Bud Calvert preach the gospel, I received the Lord as my Saviour.

There were false prophets among the people of Israel in the Old Testament—that’s a matter of history, and those who falsely claimed to be prophets of God were to be stoned. But the Israelites rarely had the will to deal with them, so they multiplied, causing disaster to the spiritual life of God’s people.

Occasionally, I am asked why a Christian should become a member of a local church. Some insist that membership is merely a technicality, not seeing much difference between attendance and membership. Some argue they can worship God on their own disconnected from a church family. Others feel qualified to invent their own definition of the word church is an attempt to release themselves of responsibility.

A man pastors a church which is part of a Baptist Association. He involves himself in this organization until one day, he realizes that he has had an inappropriate motivation: a desire to become the president of the group. He also becomes increasingly aware of things in the organization he believes are wrong.

As travelers through life, God never intended that we make our journey alone. There are simply too many obstacles and challenges to navigate without the help and assistance of others. Plus, life is simply too grand not to have someone to share the joy and wonder of it all with!

Preaching of the Word of God has been central for us. The Bible reminds us in 2 Timothy 4:2, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” God has chosen to change lives through the preaching of His Word. God uses His Word to build the lives of His people.

As I look at my responsibilities right now, aside from preaching, my biggest emphasis is placed on encouraging the growth of new leaders. I often tell our staff and deacons, who are core leaders in the church, there are three main things to remember as the focal points in our church.

Our adult Bible fellowships are organized into care groups that consist of five to seven family units (you can learn more about the care groups here). Our church recently had a care group fellowship night, and God used it in a mighty way. The event consists of every care group from every adult Bible fellowship gathering in the home of the care group leader.

Anytime there is a surge of new Christians it is a great time to put renewed effort into the health of the Sunday school department. Every new Christian needs loving growth and discipleship, and the best way to insure this is happening is to encourage the health of the Sunday school.

A growing church is always in transition. From building programs to classroom changes to staff adjustments to schedule flexes to responsibility changes to added ministries, a growing church must constantly prepare for the transitions that come with growth.

In Paul’s letters, he was conscious to list believers in the churches whose fellowship he valued, like Onesiphorus, who is said to have “oft refreshed” the Apostle. A quick survey of this topic in the New Testament demonstrates that real fellowship accomplishes the following:

The sheriff and outlaw stand at opposite ends of a dusty street, hands twitching with energy and deadly calm. Doors slam with locals rushing for cover, and curtains part for faces watching what’s to come. The sun glares straight overhead, but every store sign reads ‘CLOSED’ for this morose holiday.

All of us go through times when things just seem “down.” It may be that some folks have become unhappy and left the church. It may be that key people have moved away from the area. It may be that there has been a crisis or problem which has dampened the spirit of the ministry. What do we do during those times?