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I AM A BAPTIST… BY DENOMINATION

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I AM A BAPTIST… BY DENOMINATION

baptist
“John the Baptist Baptizing Jesus” – Harry Anderson

There are many reasons given by the brethren why they are Baptist. I am a Baptist by denomination, not by tradition. Many use an acrostic to explain their core beliefs. I will do the same.

B– Born again by regeneration. Every believer is a new person IN Christ.

A-Autonomy of the local church. No other church or denomination has any authority over any other church.

P-Preservation of the believer. The believer is preserved and eternally secure because he is IN Christ.

T-Two ordinances: baptism in water, and the Lord’s Supper. How often these are to be observed is at the discretion of the church.

I-Inspiration of the Scriptures (KJV). We believe the KJV is the preserved Word of God for the English speaking world.

S-Separation of church and state. The Christian is to render to Caesar and to God that which they require. When these are in conflict God is to be obeyed.

T-Two future comings of Christ: Pre-Tribulation rapture and the Second Advent, or the Revelation. We believe the rapture of all Christians takes place prior to the Great Tribulation. The revelation, or Second coming of Christ is seven years later. This is followed by the Judgment of the nations and the thousand year reign of Christ on earth from Jerusalem.

(Note:) We believe it is impossible to have correct doctrine, of the church or of practical Christianity when 2 Timothy 2:15 is ignored. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

A VIEW TO GROWTH: ENLARGEMENT

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Crafting ministries with a view to growth

view to growth

 

By Ken Blue

“Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;” Isaiah 54:2.

God will keep his promises to Israel. In anticipation of the returning remnant, Israel is called upon to enlarge their facilities in order to accommodate them. Their faith will determine how they respond to that command.

The question is; are your plans, facilities, and ministries crafted with a view to growth? Do you really expect God to bless your church with a numerical increase? You need not answer; your plans reveal your faith.

Is your baptistery ready to baptize new converts, or is it like many that are decaying in dry rot? Are your nurseries staffed, clean, and ready for the infants of young families? Do you have trained teachers and workers for children when they arrive? Are your greeters prepared for guest each Sunday? If not, why not? Is it because of a lack of faith?

[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Your preparation shows your faith or the lack thereof.[/pullquote]

Don’t wait for families to show up before you prepare. Get ready for them now! “And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.” Luke 14:17. Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you.” The average church is surprised if they have visitors on Sunday. You should be surprised and disappointed when you don’t have visitors. Is your church pregnant with expectation, that visitors will come? Once again, your preparation shows your faith or the lack thereof.

The experts tell us that the average church building can only maintain about 80% of its seating capacity. So, if your building is 80% full, you must take action to grow. “…lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;” Isaiah 54:2

Sad to say, some pastors do not want their church to grow. It is just large enough to pay them a salary, and just small enough to be a comfortable little family. If a church is doing what the Lord commanded, it ought to see new visitors and new converts each week. Pastor, the truth is we plan our church ministries according to our faith and vision. I challenge you; enlarge your existing ministries and expect growth from the Lord. Get a view to growth!

THE SALES DEPARTMENT AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT

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Service

 

By Ken Blue

Romans 12:1  “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

No doubt there will be some who will think it sacrilegious to compare the ministries of a church to the sales department, and the service department of a business, however, the comparison is valid, and justifiable.

In most business these two departments exist, and are distinct. For example, walk on any car lot, and experience the onslaught of salesmen. These men and women are dressed to the max; they are friendly, outgoing, and persistent. You buy the car, just to get them off your back. However, you soon discover that the service depart is a different story.

[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Outreach and well-structured ministries are the two indispensables of any church.[/pullquote]

I know businesses that I would never enter again, nor would I recommend them to any of my friends. Seldom is it because of the salesmen, or the greeters we are turned off with. In most cases it will be the faulty service you experience. I just had a lady, this week, tell me of a church she and her husband visited several years ago, and when it was time to shake hands, and greet the visitors, no one acknowledged their presence. That was some twenty years ago. People don’t forget bad experiences, and they are quick to tell others.

Whether we want to admit it or not, if a church cannot sell itself to the community, and the visitors, people will not come. You may object by saying we are not in the selling business, we are in the gospel business. The sad truth is, many churches are not in the selling business and because of this, they can’t even give the gospel away! First impressions are the ones that last.

Every church should wrap itself in soul winning. You must plan everything with the lost in mind. Let your church become a soul trap. In addition, you must be just as diligent about having a perfect service department. Pastor, please take note; there are others churches your people could attend. If you don’t provide the services they feel they need, you will lose them. Soul winning and well-structured ministries are the two indispensables.

HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR MINISTRY

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HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR MINISTRY

organize your ministryWebster’s Dictionary defines to organize as: “To put together into an orderly, functional, structured whole. To arrange in a coherent form; systematize.  To arrange in a desired pattern or structure. To arrange systematically for harmonious or united action.”

Once the planning process of setting objectives and goals has been completed, the next step is to organize the work. The way to do this is to ask key questions of each ministry goal. The questions should be: Who is responsible for this project? What materials will be needed? How much money is needed for it? When will the project begin and when will it be completed?

A look at the above paragraph shows that men, money, materials and minutes are the assets needed, and they must be properly organized to complete the task in the most efficient manner.

I believe an organizational chart should be created for the entire church. Each position on it must show the ministry title and the name of the person for that position. The lines between the boxes are a language to let you know who each person reports to and what authority they have, if any. The chart gives you a complete picture of the church, what its ministries are and who is responsible for every ministry. A glance at this will remove the ministerial fog that so often obscures ones vision of what their church should be about.

Remember, your chart should be built on your ministry objectives and not on the existing organization. You may shoot an arrow into the wall and then draw a target around it. It does not prove that you are a good archer. Likewise, by drawing a chart around your existing ministries does not mean that you have planned or that you are doing the right things.

So, the first thing is to plan your ministry with an annual planning conference, then create your organization from those plans. The reason many churches are a train wreck and the people are confused is poor planning or no planning. A carpenter friend of mine said, “It is better to measure twice and cut once than to measure once and cut twice. So, measure your ministry and make a clear cut distinction with a good organization.

If you would like more information on this subject, please let me know.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

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division in the local churchDivision in the local church

By Ken Blue

“Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” 1 Corinthians 1:10.

I know of nothing that causes strife and division in the local church like voting and giving undue attention to the church constitution. There are churches that cannot make a decision without first consulting the constitution to see if it is permissible and then voting to see how many will oppose it. Growing churches cannot function when hamstrung with policies which require a vote on every decision.

Why not plan the entire year with your leadership; then build the budget around those plans? Having done that let the membership review it. Tell them to contact the deacons if they have questions. The pastor and staff should not be contacted about budget matters. Finally, have a Victory and Vision Banquet where the budget is approved, but not discussed. Once the budget is approved, move forward in freedom to accomplish the ministry goals that have been set.

The pastor should also have liberty to appoint men and women to fill all needed ministry positions. It is unwise to vote on these people.

[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]The fewer things a church votes on, the less division it will have.[/pullquote]

The fewer things a church votes on, the less division it will have. There are four things, if voted on, that will allow the church work to go forward. These are: 1. Vote on the annual budget. 2. Vote on any change in the constitution. 3. Vote on the purchase of property or building new buildings. 4. Vote on the hiring of a new pastor. The pastor should take the leadership in all these matters; otherwise there will be much ado about nothing.