From the Pastor ...

Aim of The Christian Life

I believe the ultimate goal in life for every believer in Jesus Christ is two-fold. It is to glorify God by radiating His nature in the world, and it is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to as many people as we can.

"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 thing that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20)

Goals of The Church

Since the Church is composed of individual believers, the corporate goal of the Church will be the same as that which was listed above for each believer.

The great Commission adds to the proclaiming of the Gospel the responsibility of the Church to baptize new believers and then to instruct them to maturity.

When these are integrated with the corporate worship of believers, the Church has a three-fold objective:

1. Celebrating God's Presence - Corporate and Private Worship
2. Communicating God's Word - Evangelism and Discipleship
3. Demonstrating God's Love - Ministering to the needs of the Body

Role of The Pastor

According to Ephesians 4:11-12 the primary role of the pastor is that of an equipper, and the role of each believer is that of a minister. The pastor is an administrator and the members are the ministers. I believe it is the pastor's job to equip the saints by preaching expositional sermons from the Word of God to the entire body, and by training in small groups and one-on-one in order to see the members discover their giftedness and perform their ministry. I believe the pastor's primary responsibilities are three-fold:

1. To devote himself to prayer (Acts 6:4, I Tim. 2:1, Col. 4:2)
2. To devote himself to the study of the Word of God (Acts 6:4, II Tim. 2:15)
3. To lead and feed the flock of God (Acts 20:28-31, I Peter 5:2-4)

This is accomplished by preaching the Word of God, exhorting, rebuking, teaching, and being an example to the flock.

Aim of Discipleship

Each person in the body of Christ has been given a spiritual gift. A mature Christian is one who knows his area of giftedness and is presently using this gift in ministering to the Body of Christ. I believe every believer in Jesus Christ is a disciple, and therefore should be instructed "how" to pray, study God's word and worship God privately in order to grow in grace and knowledge and maturity.

The ultimate aim is to "present every man complete (mature) in Christ". This maturity is best demonstrated when a man or woman is recognized as a person who loves God with all their heart.

Role of The Pastor's Family

I believe the pastor's wife and children should never have higher expectations placed on them than on any other woman or child in the church.

The pastor's wife should minister to her husband and children first, for this is her primary calling as it is for any wife and mother. Her responsibility in the church is to determine her spiritual gift and use it as God so leads her, just as every other responsible member of the Body of Christ.

The pastor's children should be treated as any other child. They should be expected to obey their parents, submit to all forms of authority, and demonstrate love, kindness, and respect for all people. They should demonstrate a love for God. However, this ideal should be taught and hoped for in every child in the church, but as all children are immature, so the pastor's children should be allowed to grow up, with the same expectations placed on them, as in other children.