What is a Student Ministry?

I have been working on a definition of what student ministry is and I want to hear your thoughts.

A Student Ministry is...

"A ministry of the local church that assists parents in the evangelization and discipleship of students." 

What do you think? Have you come up with a definition of your own? Please offer any thoughts and critiques.

Lessons Learned from Job

Today marked the completion of preaching through Job in our Sunday morning ministry. The Book of Job has provided more mornings filled with worship, awe, struggle, frustration, and the like. On a ministerial level, constructing a theology of suffering and evil is of great need within the body life of local communities. Trials, sufferings, etc. have the ability to be one of the more crippling elements of a Christian's life. Ministry to the body is discipling them to think biblically about trials. However, on a personal growth level, studying and preaching through Job has stretched my thinking, my expositional synthesis, my communication of difficult OT texts.

Today we went through these 12 points as lessons I have learned from my own study and meditation on the Book of Job. It is not limited to these 12, but these were the more apparent lessons learned in my own spiritual sanctification.

Lessons Learned from Job

1. Be extremely slow to declare yourself innocent (especially during a trial). You probably sinned at some point.

2.God does not give nor is required to give reasons for your suffering.

3. Be slow to offer counsel to others, you may not have all the details. Ask lots of question and DO GIVE COUNSEL, but demonstrate patience and slowness in giving it. Talk in a manner to build up, even in your confrontation.

4. God has specific control and guidance of all events surrounding your trial (Specific Sovereignty); therefore He is specifically guiding and directing the extent and intensity of your trial. Trust should ultimately result from your trial knowing this is evidence of His grace in your life.

5. Freedom/Relief from trials is not the goal of suffering

6. Pray to be made worthy through the trial, not necessarily to be relieved from the trial.

7. Trials bring the necessary sobriety in life producing the necessary repentance and longing for heaven. NOTE: Only if you have the proper Biblical perspective.

8. Don’t waste your trial: God is growing you and teaching you.

9. Endurance and comfort through trials is gained through treasuring God’s Word. When inflicted fill your mind with Scripture (Job 6.8-10). When inflicted study God (Job 38-42). Your worship and trust will only be to the extent you understand the Glory of God.

10. Experiencing trials and suffering is not an excuse to “give into” a little bit of sin (Job 28:28).

11. Trials, hardship, suffering should cause you to study, pursue, worship, and trust God.

12. Understand trails are a purifying tool causing you to be perfect (Jas 1) and a demonstration of God’s compassion and mercy (Jas 5.11).

No women allowed?

Should women teach 13 year olds?

Congregational Government is From Satan

Below is James MacDonald's take on church government:

I think a better way to say it would be Congregational Government can be a Tool of Satan, but that title probably wouldn't sell as many books. :-)

Our church is probably about 30% congregational rule, but for the most part the elders lead. One of our deacons sent this to all the elders and deacons. Wow - I thought, I suppose that is better than coming from me.

What are your thoughts?

Congregational Government is From Satan

Part of This Complete Breakfast

Do you remember the old breakfast cereal commercials where they would show a whole spread of food on the table? There would be a bowl of cereal, OJ, fruit, glass of milk, and a side of toast with butter. That sounds like a balanced meal. I never once ate that. This advertisement of the ideal “breakfast of champions” can be a good analogy of a healthy and “complete” diet of reading books.

Since TMS, I have not read as many books as I would like to be reading. As I have read some, I have been attempting to keep track of them, categorizing their type as I go. As I look at my diet of books however, I am noticing that I am filling myself up with a regiment of very good but popular level and devotional books as well as some biographies. They are all very good! The problem here is that I see a lack of deeper, richer, tough, red meat books in my diet in order to balance it out. In ministry I am also seeing that I need to grow in the area of theology. 

I came across this article called Spiritual Reading (you may remember I sent you a copy), that listed off a pastor’s plan for how he reads and how he alternates his reading topics (OT, NT, prayer, etc.). I want to do this!

Lord willing, this summer I will read theology books. As I scoured my bookshelf, I found a few that I would like to take the time to read. They are listed below.

• A Systematic Theology of Biblical Christianity: Vol. 1,  Roland McCune.   
• Biblical Theology in the Life of the Church, Michael Lawrence.
• Studies in Dogmatics: Holy Scriptures, G.C. Berkouwer.  

I don’t own this but it was recommended to me-

• Reformed Dogmatics, Herman Banvink

What do you think? Do you have any recommendations for a helpful, strengthening, must read book on theology? 

Do you have any ideas for a healthy pattern of reading that you follow?