Philosophy of Ministry Final Paper submitted
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Feb 20, 2024
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The Philosophy of Ministry
Did my views Change
CHMN 201: Introduction to Church Ministries (D05)
December10, 2023
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Teaching the Truth
What Should Be Taught
I still believe that you must have a biblical understanding of God in order to understand the gospel. And without the gospel, you have no hope, no Christian life, and certainly no real church.
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“All Scripture is breathed out by God and Profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16). We should always teach the truth found in scripture. Philippians 2:5 says, “
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”
When Paul penned this verse in his own language, he chose an interesting word for “
mind.
” The word mind here means “attitude” or “thinking.” Therefore, the word implies that the
mind of Christ is not a mere creed, theory, or formula—it is an attitude!
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We should teach reflecting on the mind of Christ. I remember growing up, there was a time when everyone was asking, “What would Jesus do?” We should review our teaching material with that in mind.
I still stand on the principle that the pastor, elders, and deacons should review all materials to be taught and verify they are supported biblically. In addition, the church doctrine should address what type of information can be taught/used and the process the church leadership uses to select all teaching material and sources.
Methods of Teaching
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Mark Dever, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church
, Fourth Edition., 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2021), 87.
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Ben Gutierrez, Thinking Like Jesus: Understanding the Mind of Christ
(B&H Academic, 2011), 19–20.
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My instructor years in the military tell me, that not everyone learns the same. I still stand
by using a variety of methods and presentations. I would still use fill-in-the-blank outlines to keep the listener engaged in the service/presentation. Also, stick with the idea of Sunday sermons, with Sunday School or Discipleship Classes broken down into age groups. This enables each group to learn at their own level. Smaller groups, such as men’s and women’s bible
study, should be a weekly opportunity. I still would implement, in addition to the groups mentioned above, “Dig Deeper.” This is where we discuss “Study and Discussion Questions” on
the back of the fill-in-the-blank insert in the bulletin. Many more Churches are now embracing the attitudes of the forward-thinking early adopters—namely that the digital world is only secondarily a tool; it is primarily a mission field. As we move into the post-quarantine church era, the challenge is how best to reach people and serve them on the digital mission field.
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We should use the power of social media as a tool to witness and teach. I would expand current social media to try and reach more folks.
Sharing and Receiving the Gospel
Conversion
All people are sinners and need to repent of their sinful mindset. We need to ensure that in order to be saved, a person must believe in the following. Salvation is by grace, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. You must understand that all people are sinners and need to repent from
their sinful ways. You must believe that Jesus died as a blood sacrifice to save you, and he rose again on the third day to defeat death. Pray to God and ask for forgiveness of your sins. Thank him for sending his son to die for your sins and raising him on the third day. Tell him that you 3
Thom S. Rainer, The Post-Quarantine Church: Six Urgent Challenges + Opportunities That Will Determine the Future of Your Congregation
, A Church Answers Resource (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale Momentum, 2020),
29.
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want to be forgiven and given the gift of eternal life, and thank him for his grace that has saved you and that you yield your life to him. These beliefs and actions will never change. The apostle Paul emphasizes why we preach and teach truth to other believers—namely because someday your turn will expire, and it will be their turn to minister. It will be your responsibility to help those you teach embrace the same commitment you have to teach others.
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Hopefully, we are able to show those that will carry on the/our ministry what is needed to help them share the gospel to others.
Evangelism We are commanded by the “Great Commission” to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20). The “Great Commission” meets the dictionary meaning of evangelizing. I think that these days, there is a stigma attached to evangelism, not by society but by the church body itself.
Evangelic messages like Billy Gram used to preach are still applicable in some situations;
however, I do believe our culture has moved away from that trend. I believe our pastors should be more of a teacher in their presentations. When we, as Christians, witness to others, we are evangelists. We are following the “Great Commission,” teaching them to observe all that God has commanded us.
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Ben Gutierrez, “Taking Your Turn,”
in Everyday Ministry: Applying the Christian Faith
(B&H Academic, 2010), 839.
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Membership and Church Discipline
Membership
I still believe that membership in a church is necessary to worship and participate in church services or events. I still believe that persons wanting to be members should have Biblical beliefs and views that align with church doctrine to become a member of a church if they so choose to. A person who is not a member of the church should not hold leadership and or
teaching positions in the church. I still believe that churches should offer a membership class to ensure the members have been saved, as well as they believe in the same core principles as the church body and leadership. A church member should be an active participant in the church as much as they can. They should support the church financially as well as with prayer. As well as support the missions and services the church provides/offers. A church member should always strive to become closer to the Lord and assist other members as they are guided by God. Church membership is our opportunity to grasp hold of each other in responsibility and love. 5
Church Discipline
Church discipline is the process of correcting improper behavior for the members of the church body. It’s not surprising that the church is instructed to judge. After all, if we cannot say how a Christian should not
live, how can we say how a Christian should
live?
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Discipline protects the church from members causing undue/needed issues due to them having gone astray 5
Mark Dever, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church
, Fourth Edition., 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2021), 135.
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Mark Dever, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church
, Fourth Edition., 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2021), 150.
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or have decided that things are not going right and take it upon themselves to fix the issues and not consult with the church leadership. All members are responsible for assisting those who are going astray, as well as holding church leadership accountable in cases where their involvement is required.
Church discipline should be conducted at the lowest level of involvement needed. This starts out by just talking to someone to help them understand or determine why they are acting the way they are up to and including the leadership asking them to leave the church body. The pastor and church leadership should use Godly oversight to address any issues that may arise. Church discipline is also achieved by teaching, preaching, praying, and worship. Spiritual Leadership
Requirements for Spiritual Leadership
Jesus wanted his young followers to understand that, unlike the world system, when it comes to Christian leadership, the measure of real success is service. 7
Our spiritual leaders should be held to a higher standard. I understand that no human is perfect; however, they should live up to the standards/requirements in the church’s constitution and by-laws, as well as reflect God in all they do. Church leadership should be required to be born-again Christians of utmost moral values. I believe that there should be leadership training for those in leadership positions that are biblically based and spells out the expectations of their role in the church.
Activities of Spiritual Leadership
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Dave Earley, “Leaving a Trail of Dust,”
in Everyday Ministry: Applying the Christian Faith
(B&H Academic, 2010), 124–165.
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Spiritual Leaders are those folks who should set the example of what we should want to be. They provide biblical guidance and mentorship for their fellow members. They should be prepared, ready, and knowledgeable to assist or counsel someone who is seeking guidance or has
a question of faith with biblical responses. Our Spiritual Leaders should use Church Discipline to keep peace and order among all members. They should hold members to biblical standards of conduct.