Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Pulpiteer or Practitioner ?

Jim Eliff lays out a clear job description for Ministers in what he en-titles "the first principle of decision making". Christ centered elders who maintain a life immersed in the scriptures will immediately draw from the objective source of inscripturated revelation when decision making is required.

Unfortunately, there are to many ministers who claim a high view of scripture from the pulpit but in reality are functional secularist when circumstances call for them to be practitioner's of "It Is Written!"

For these Ezekiel 34 pseudo shepherds, rationalism, pragmatism, existentialism and relational sentimentalism rules the day.

May the Exalted Christ keep us from becoming such uncharactered leaders!

[rgh]

"When Christ is recognized as the Head of His church, decision-making begins with a prayerful and serious attempt to find out what Christ has already said on the matter. He has said plenty in most cases. When elders learn this, their mission for the church changes. They now see themselves as “under-shepherds,” with their authority derived from the true Shepherd, not inherent within them as qualified people. Elders’ meetings will be concerted efforts to interpret Scripture for the sake of the church and the glory of Christ.

In our elders’ meetings, for instance, a long portion of our weekly four hours together is commonly spent with our Bibles in hand, seeking to uncover God’s will for our church. This last year, our labors ended up in a book on the subject of divorce and remarriage. All we were doing was what every elder team should do. We wanted to find out what Christ wanted us to do about divorce before we had our first case. You may not agree with our conclusions, but we have done our best to be faithful to Christ in our study.[1] We have also written other documents that were efforts at understanding what Christ has already said to the churches about certain church matters.

In cases where the Lord has not revealed His will directly in the Bible, elders should still turn to the words of Scripture to find the related principles that will help them know the ways of Christ with His church. By prayerfully seeking wisdom (James 1:2-3), a biblical and Christ-sent answer will be found. This is the pattern, for instance, when the leaders of the early church met in Jerusalem to discuss intra-church issues related to the inclusion of Gentiles. The questions were answered through Scripture, as well as through prayer-saturated, biblically-based wisdom about how to address that difficulty in the experience of the universal church life and mission (see Acts 15). "

http://www.ccwtoday.org/article_view.asp?article_id=238

related:
>http://antagoniz.com/2009/07/28/principle-centered-vs-preference-oriented/#more-264
>http://antagoniz.com/2009/05/03/biblical-manhood-and-womanhood/
(By Lance Quinn)

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Ministry Mind-Shifts

Summary points from "The Trellis and the Vine" regarding Mind-Shifts essential for ministry today:

1.From running programs to building people
2.From running events to training people
3.From using people to growing people
4.From filling gaps to training new workers
5.From solving problems to helping people make progress
6.From clinging to ordained ministry to developing team leadership
7From focusing on church polity to forging ministry partnerships
8.From relying on training institutions to establishing local training
9.From focusing on immediate pressures to aiming for long-term expansion
10.From engaging in management to engaging in ministry
11.From seeking church growth to desiring gospel growth


Some Of The Summary Propositions:

>Our goal is to make disciples
>The heart of disciple-making is prayerful teaching
>The goal of all ministry...is to nurture disciples
>To be a disciple is to be a disciple-maker
>Disciple-makers need to be trained and equipped in conviction, character, and competence
> Training almost always starts small and grows by multiplying workers



http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2009/12/08/key-points-in-the-trellis-and-the-vine

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Are We Men Of Integrity?

Brothers,

Here is a great excerpt from Pat Williams "Integrity Is King." The entire article should be contemplated by us all as we inspect our lives for that which God expects in our character!

For The Kings Honor!
RGH


"To be a person of integrity, you must stand for truth and righteousness at all times—even when you are under fire, in extreme temptation, in times of loneliness and solitude, and great need, suffering and want. If your integrity is something you can put on and take off like a suit of clothes, it's not integrity at all. It's just a disguise to hide the person you really are."

....The 10 Universal Characteristics of Integrity:

1. You know that little things count.

2. You find the white when others see gray.

3. You mess up, you fess up.

4. You create a culture of trust.

5. You keep your word.

6. You care about the greater good.

7. You're honest but modest.

8. You act like you're being watched.

9. You hire integrity.

10. You stay the course.

http://www.charismanow.com/index.php/charisma-channels/men/25493-integrity-is-king


Tuesday, December 1, 2009

We Will Never....

Pastor Perry Noble shares 20 things he believes we will never do:

#1 – We will NEVER be without a message as long as we are desperate for God’s voice.

#2 – We will NEVER make everyone happy; therefore, pleasing everyone should never be our goal.

#3 – We will NEVER be successful in ministry by immersing ourselves into full blown competition with other churches.

#4 – We will NEVER be content in life if we believe we have something to prove.

#5 – We will NEVER be able to serve Jesus to our maximum capacity if we are not actively obeying His commands to rest and disconnect. (See Isaiah 30:15)

#6 – We will NEVER accomplish what Jesus is calling us to accomplish if we are not willing to take risks.

#7 – We will NEVER do what God has called us to do alone…if He’s called us to accomplish something amazing then He will also surround us with the people to pull it off.

#8 – We will NEVER discover a strategy that has been the “secret” for church growth all along…because each church is different.

#9 – We will NEVER honor God by seeking to build “our brand” rather than building disciples.

#10 – We will NEVER achieve our maximum potential in ministry if our goal is simply to impress our online audience and, while doing so, neglect the people in our own community.

#11 – We will NEVER see people become who God is calling them to be if we make INFORMATION rather than TRANSFORMATION the goal.

#12 – We will NEVER see God’s power unleashed in our churches if we refuse to talk about Jesus and what HE did for us on the cross.

#13 – We will NEVER truly connect with the people we lead if we always pretend that we have it all together…people identify with our failures way more than our success’s.

#14 – We will NEVER be able to teach about self control with integrity if we are obese because we are gluttons.

#15 – We will NEVER be looked at as successful in ministry if we grow a great church, but sacrifice our family to do so.

#16 – We will NEVER see great things happen in our ministry if we believe that every great idea must come from us!

#17 – We will NEVER see staff members achieve their maximum potential if we don’t trust them…and if we don’t hold them accountable.

#18 – We will NEVER have a great staff if we make it their goal to serve us rather than serve Jesus!

#19 – We will NEVER successfully motivate the people we work with through manipulation and/or fear…if your vision isn’t enough motivation then there is a problem. (AND btw…if you take pride in the fact that people “fear you,” then it is obvious that there is no fear of God in you!)

#20 – We will NEVER honor God by compromising the vision He gave us in order to not ask so much of people.

http://www.perrynoble.com/2009/11/24/we-will-never

Dumbing Down Membership Standards

Excellent Quote in The Ministry Today Report on how church leaders' low expectations of believers can ruin the kingdom purposes of a congregation:

"In most churches, membership requires little more than a public declaration of faith and a quick trip through the baptistery. After meeting these requirements, members hear vague notions about being involved in stewardship, discipleship and service. … Perhaps we are cheating church members. We assume that most church members won’t evangelize, so we’re happy to stick with the very few who understand the mandate. We assume that most church members will not get involved in a demanding Bible study, so we water down our teaching to appeal to the masses. We assume that many church members will never tithe or give of their time in service to the community for the glory of our King, so we budget accordingly. At best, we hope that people will act on our suggestions. … Perhaps we should stop designing worship services, discipleship programs and youth events for the “average Christian” (aka: the Christian we don’t expect anything out of). Instead, let’s refocus on our church covenants and clearly communicate the expectations for being a disciple in the kingdom of God."

—Trevin Wax, associate pastor of First Baptist Church in Shelbyville, Tenn., [trevinwax.com, 11/10/09]

Read the full article:http://trevinwax.com/2009/11/10/why-low-expectations-cheat-our-church-members

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Does Egalitarianism Imperil The Gospel?

Brothers,
Please take a few moments and listen carefully to C. J. Mahaney of Sovereign Grace Ministries. He reminds us that Biblical Manhood and Womanhood is not a secondary issue for Pastors and strongly declares that confusion on the issue threatens the Gospel. I whole heartily concur. [rgh]

Click to listen: http://www.cbmw.org/Blog/Posts/Mahaney-Potential-Peril-for-the-Gospel

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Five Questions Leaders Should Ask

Perry Noble has been posting some great leadership principles that are reflective of seasoned experience and accumulated wisdom. May we be wise enough to heed his good counsel. Hopefully, you will recognize a few of these from our Redeemed Community days. [rgh]

One of the things I have learned as a leader over the past few years is that leaders do NOT always have the answer…so…we need to learn how to ask questions. Here are five that have helped me out in my journey so far…

#1 – “What Do You Think?”

Whenever someone brings a problem to my attention and wants to know how to handle it…I always ask them this question before I offer what I may think is a solution. (If you always have to be the one to solve problems…your church is in BIG trouble!).

The reason for asking this question is…I want to see if the person who brought the problem to me is a leader or not. You see, if he/she is a leader….then they have already figured out the solution that needs to be put into place.

If you ask this question to a person often…and they never have an answer for what they think should be done…then most likely you don’t have a leader.

A leader is BEGGING for his/her opinion to be heard…and this question can allow some unbelievable leadership potential to be unleashed in your organization!

#2 – “When Do You Need An Answer?”

Often times leaders will ask for your opinion/advice/permission when it comes to something in their area. Unfortunately, I have made the mistake many times of telling someone I would get back with them and not understanding the urgency of their request for some input.

So…I’ve learned that when someone seeks my advice one of the BEST things I can do is ask them when they need an answer…that tells me whether or not I have time to think about it…or if I need to immediately seek the Holy Spirit’s help and just give them the thought that He brings to mind.

#3 – “How Would BLANK Handle This Situation?”

Often times as leaders we get so emotionally tied to a situation that it clouds our ability to make the right decision. SO…a few years ago whenever I was faced with a very emotional BUT necessary decision I would ask, “If Andy Stanley or Craig Groeschel were staring at this situation and had to make a decision…what would they do?” (Or you could say – WWAD or WWCD!)

Why Andy and Craig…because they are two leaders who I believe God is using to change the world and make a difference. They have both mentored me and I highly respect them both as men of God and as pastors/leaders.

I can honestly say that there have been times that I’ve been stuck and this question has brought clarity to the situation.
SO…pick a leader you know and admire…and put their name in the blank.


#4 – “Who/What Area Will Be The Most Impacted By This Decision?”

The reason for this question is simple…no matter how your leadership process is set up…if someone on your staff (or an entire area) is going to be impacted by the decision that is made…then that someone (or a rep from that area) needs to be included in the decision making process.

If people are more involved in the decision making process…it is WAY easier for them to buy in.

#5 – “How Many Times Have We Dealt With This Issue?”

I saw a sign the other day that said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting to get different results.”

When a leadership team has to continually wrestle with the same issue…continually makes the same decision…constantly experiences the same frustration and then goes through the cycle again…insanity has began to reign supreme.

If I just described your leadership meetings…then SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE. What? I’m not sure…but I am sure that the way you’ve been trying to handle it isn’t working…so something new needs to be embraced.

http://www.perrynoble.com/2009/11/10/five-questions-that-leaders-should-ask/

Sunday, November 8, 2009

How Does Adultery Happen?

"It begins in a variety of places--at church or at work, with a neighbor or with a friend--but it always starts with walls and windows.

This is what I mean: anytime you are talking with a person of the opposite sex, and you start to veer into inappropriate conversational territory, what happens is that you open up a window with them. And every time you open up a window with someone of the opposite sex, you build a wall between you and your spouse."

Read the full article by Jimmy Evans :
http://www.marriagetoday.org/site/PageServer?pagename=MessageViewer&em_id=11581.0&printer_friendly=1

Monday, November 2, 2009

Leadership Reality Check!

The Barna study interviewed 1,736 individuals who qualified as leaders. Those individuals were then evaluated in relation to 15 core leadership competencies. The results indicated that the three competencies which leaders struggle with the most all relate to developing the tools needed to succeed.

Specifically, leaders are most likely to have difficulties developing the tangible resources (e.g., funds, personnel, facilities) needed to accomplish plans; developing the skills of other leaders to facilitate more effective organizational performance; and developing the systems required to efficiently complete the tasks at hand. Each of those dimensions encompasses a variety of tasks and efforts.

According to the research, the specific behaviors that leaders do most poorly include:

>Negotiating agreements that maximize benefits at minimal cost.
>Attracting new resources to the organization – especially human and financial capital.
>Developing and implementing individualized developmental plans for emerging leaders.
>Nurturing robust relationships with existing colleagues, demonstrating sufficient care and attention to their needs.

The research also discovered that leaders sometimes perceive themselves to be more effective at specific aspects of leading than their performance suggests.

...Barna noted:

“Many of the master leaders concurred that if you are called by God to lead and you have the quality of character that motivates people to follow you, you can succeed because the competencies required can be learned,” he commented.

“Toward that end, it is invaluable to have one or more proven leaders who take you under their wing and systematically coach you in the kinds of skills you need.”


http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/17-leadership/319-study-of-leaders-identifies-their-weaknesses

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Hear! Hear!

This lady is being very Christlike in her "friend of sinners" approach. Our "hit and run" tactic is certainly non-relational. We should all wish we had a group of sinners willing to sit and talk regularly with us as was done with Jesus and is being done with this ministry leader! Personally convicting isn't it.
[RGH]


When a Beer Separates You From God

"I want the people who don’t want to go to church, those who are wounded and broken, especially from religion. I want to reach out to the person who believes a beer separates them from God. … Jesus said what comes out of the heart is more defiling than what goes into the mouth. … I love [people] where they are at rather than where they are supposed to be. There’s nobody I refuse to fellowship with. I’d much rather hang out with someone who is broken than someone who thinks they don’t have any need. Religion doesn’t always do that."

—Beloit, Wis., ministry leader Kathy Price, on meeting at a local bar with a "non-church" crowd every Sunday to talk about Jesus over cocktails, cigarettes and chicken wings. After learning about Catholic Saint Katherine of Sienna, a fellow pub preacher in the 14th century, Price said she felt impressed by the Holy Spirit to begin reaching out to regulars in bars and launched The Red Door ministry. [beloitdailynews.com, 10/19/09]


http://www.ministrytodaymag.com/index.php/ministry-news/65-news-main/18689-when-a-beer-separates-you-from-god

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Set The Example!

Perry Noble's Worship Leader wrote the following :

Be a person worthy of authority. Let me put it this way: if you are lazy, expect laziness from your staff. If you aren’t passionately in love with God, expect moral failure and disunity in your staff. Perry won’t broadcast this, but ever since I have known him, he gets up at 5am or earlier, spends an hour or two with God, and then spends hour or two in the gym. And then he hits the office. So, when I go into a meeting and he tells me something i don’t really agree with, I keep my mouth shut and I listen before I say anything in response; I know he walks with God and I have tremendous respect for that. It’s much easier to follow a leader who is more disciplined than you. If you want a humble staff, be humble. If you want a staff that is anything… you must be that, first. your staff will reflect your own character. So, if your staff is lazy, doesn’t value excellence, or is disconnected from culture, look no further than your own mirror for the reason why. Everything rises and falls on leadership. Be a Proverbs 15:33 leader.

http://www.perrynoble.com/2007/09/06/seven-things-worship-leaders-wished-their-senior-pastor-knew/

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Thanks for your time!

A young man learns what's most important in life from the 'ole guy next door.

It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him. Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday." Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days. "Jack, did you hear me?" "Oh, sorry, Mom, Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said.

"Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of the fence' as he put it," Mom told him."I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said. "You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man's influence in your life," she said. "He's the one who taught me carpentry," he said. "I wouldn't be in this business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important...Mom, I'll be there for the funeral," Jack said. As busy as Jack was, he kept his word. He caught the next flight to his hometown.

Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away. The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time. Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap through space and time. The house was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture....Jack stopped suddenly. "What's wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked. "The box is gone," he said. "What box?" Mom asked. "There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was 'the thing I value most,'" Jack said. It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it. "Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said. "I better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom."

It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died Returning home from work one day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox. "Signature required on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three days," the note read. Early the next day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention. "Mr. Harold Belser," it read. Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside. "Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It's the thing I valued most in my life." A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch. Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover. Inside he found these words engraved: "Jack, Thanks for your time! -Harold Belser." "The thing he valued most was...my time?" Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next two days. "Why?" Janet, his assistant asked. "I need some time to spend with my son," he said. "Oh, by the way, Janet, thanks for your time!"

To all my ministry friends: "Thanks For Your Time!"

Richard G. Hanner

Monday, October 19, 2009

Semper Reformanda

[See Tuesday September 8th post to understand why this phrase is meaningful to RMS]

"...where did this phrase come from? It's first appearance was in a 1674 devotional by Jodocus van Lodenstein, who was an important figure in Dutch Reformed pietism -- a movement known as the Dutch Second Reformation. According to these writers, the Reformation reformed the doctrine of the church, but the lives and practices of God's people always need further reformation.

Van Lodenstein and his colleagues were committed to the teaching of the Reformed confession and catechism; they simply wanted to see that teaching became more thoroughly applied as well as understood. However, here is his whole phrase: "The church is reformed and always [in need of] being reformed according to the Word of God." The verb is passive: the church is not "always reforming," but is "always being reformed" by the Spirit of God through the Word. Although the Reformers themselves did not use this slogan, it certainly reflects what they were up to; that is, if one quotes the whole phrase!"

http://www.ligonier.org/blog/2009/10/semper-reformanda.html

Saturday, October 10, 2009

50 Years of Ministry Equals 10 Leadership Lessons

Chuck Swindoll, accepting a Lifetime Achievement Award at Catalyst 09, offered the following lessons he has learned:

>It’s lonely to lead. Leadership involves tough decisions. The tougher the decision, the lonelier it is.

>It’s dangerous to succeed. I’m most concerned for those who aren’t even 30 and are very gifted and successful. Sometimes God uses someone right out of youth, but usually? He uses leaders who have been crushed.

>It’s hardest at home. No one ever told me this in Seminary.

>It’s essential to be real. If there’s one realm where phoniness is common, it’s among leaders. Stay real.

>It’s painful to obey. The Lord will direct you to do some things that won’t be your choice. Invariably you will give up what you want to do for the cross.

>Brokenness and failure are necessary.

>Attitude is more important than actions. Your family may not have told you, some of you are hard to be around. A bad attitude overshadows good actions.

>Integrity eclipses image. Today we highlight image. But it’s what you’re doing behind the scenes.

>God’s way is better than my way.

>Christlikeness begins and ends with humility.

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2009/10/09/chuck-swindoll-10-leadership-lessons-learned-in-50-years-of-leadership/
HT: Z

Thursday, October 8, 2009

John Piper Confesses His Sin!

Greetings Brothers,

Our Evangelical/Continuationist stream must urgently recapture the biblical prescription admonishing us to "confess our sins" to one another as a means of grace for healing.

During the first five minutes of this audio, John Piper is transparently vulnerable regarding his own sin while speaking at a Conference of Christian Counselors.

I implore you to take a few minutes to listen now. This is refreshingly honest!
May the Exalted Christ be pleased to grace each of us to emulate John Piper's charactered example.

You will note that John Piper is somewhat perplexed by the audience laughter...Priceless!

Click to listen: http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/MediaPlayer/4216/Audio/

RGH

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Here is A Big Dose of Reality!

Check out these stats extracted from "Pastoral Care Inc." Click on their link for a complete profile of ministerial reality and see why our Covenantal Friendship is a chief priority today. [rgh]

*1 out of every 10 ministers will actually retire as a minister in some form.

*The profession of “Pastor” is near the bottom of a survey of the most-respected professions, just above “car salesman.”

*Over 1,700 pastors left the ministry every month last year.

*Over 1,300 pastors were terminated by the local church each month, many without cause.

*Over 3,500 people a day left the church last year.

*Many denominations report an “empty pulpit crisis.” They cannot find ministers willing to fill positions.


#1 reason pastors leave the ministry — Church people are not willing to go the same direction and goal of the pastor. Pastor's believe God wants them to go in one direction but the people are not willing to follow or change.

http://pastoralcareinc.com/WhyPastoralCare/Statistics.php

Monday, September 28, 2009

Humility: Actual or Demeanor?

This is a deeply penetrating post from The Gospel Coalition by author Ken Sande:

"Many leaders conceal a proud attitude under a demeanor of humility, which is not the same as actual humility. One of the many evidences of actual humility is the inclination to 'consider others better than yourself,' which results in valuing their thoughts and interests as highly as your own (Phil. 2:3-4). A closely related evidence of humility is to sincerely welcome critique and correction, no matter who brings the 'observation' (Prov. 13:10, 17:10). Therefore, wise leaders regularly meditate and pray about the 'pride and humility' passages in Scripture (see Prov. 11:2, 19:20; Isa. 66:3; 1 Pet. 5:5-6), asking God to help them put off self-confidence, pride, and every hint of arrogance, and to put on a humility that genuinely welcomes questions, suggestions, criticism, and anything else that might aid us in the process of presenting ourselves before God as empty vessels, so that we might be utterly dependent on and fulfilled in Him, which is the essence of true humility."

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2009/09/22/the-demeanor-of-humility-vs-actual-humility/

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

J.I. Packer Five Themes Embraced by The Gospel

J. I. Packer:
I formulate the Gospel this way:
it is information issuing in invitation,
it is proclamation issuing in persuasion,
it is an admonitory message embracing five themes.

First,
God: the God whom Paul proclaimed to the Athenians in Acts 17, the God of Christian theism.
Second,
humankind: made in God’s image but now totally unable to respond to God or do anything right by reason of sin in their moral and spiritual system.
Third,
the person and work of Christ: God incarnate, who by dying wrought atonement and Who now lives to impart the blessing that flows form His work of atonement.
Fourth,
repentance, that is, turning from sin to God, from self-will to Jesus Christ.
And fifthly,
new community: a new family, a new pattern of human togetherness which results from the unity of the Lord’s people in the Lord, henceforth to function under the one Father as a family and a fellowship.

J. I. Packer, “The Gospel and the Lord’s Supper,” in Serving the People of God: Collected Shorter Writings of J.I. Packer, 4 vols. (Carlisle, UK: Paternoster, 1998), 2:44 (emphasis and spacing mine).
For an interesting collection of attempts to define the biblical gospel, see this post by Trevin
Wax.

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2009/09/22/packer-on-the-five-themes-embraced-by-the-gospel/

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Greetings Brothers,

Please review the documents that have been newly posted on our site. Doctrinal and Theological clarity is absolutely essential in our Post-modern culture. Each minister must be able to articulate and defend these formational truths that shape the identity of our Family of Ministers.


Crucial to this reasoning is that our ministerial covenant is foundationed on the premise that Truth is objective, verifiable, knowable and transferable.

As relentless radicals in pursuit of "Scriptura Suprema," we are also committed to "Semper Reformanda" which means reforming the Church by guiding her into a better understanding of "It Is Written," and away from the unbiblical formulations and conceptions that have infiltrated us both doctrinally and pragmatically.

Finally, when resourcing the site, turn on your sound so you can listen to some great praise and worship.

RGH