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Discipleship Ministries of the PCA

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Teammates, Not Competitors

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By Dean Conkle. Consider these great teammates, past and present, in sports:

In football past- Jim Marshall and Carl Ellers, part of the famous Minnesota Vikings defense.

In football present- Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison connecting with touchdown after touchdown.

In baseball past- Dominic DiMaggio, Johnny Pesky, Bobby Doerr and Ted Williams as referred to in the book Teammates Once, Friends Forever.

In baseball and basketball present- time will tell whether Alex Rodriguez and Derrick Jeter end up as great teammates for the Yankees.

Strong companies and products can be teammates:

Did you know that A&W, Black Fire, Barq’s, Crush, Dr. Pepper, Evian and Fanta are teammates under the Coca-Cola banner?

How about the fact that Mountain Dew, Code Red, Mug, Sierra Mist, Frappacino and Pepsi One are all on the same team under Pepsi-Cola?

Would it surprise you that Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, KFC and Long John Silvers all call themselves teammates under the corporate name Yum Brands?

Teammates can be seen in many other areas of life. Teammates can and should be seen even in the church of Jesus Christ, among various ministries of His church. The purpose of this article is to help every reader see children’s ministries, youth ministries and other ministries as teammates with each other, not competitors. There’s an alternative to having hurt feelings about which ministry has the biggest budget or fighting over who can use the fellowship hall on Wednesday nights. There’s no contest over which ministry is held in higher regard with the Session; there is no need for competition between ministries over volunteers. The desire is to see how these ministries can work together not against each other, for the glory of God and the good of everyone involved.

We will prayerfully seek to answer the question, “What can children’s ministries, youth ministries and other ministries within the church do as teammates in God’s kingdom?” I believe that we have at least four answers to that question.

1. Have Complementary Purposes for the Various Ministries

I love to listen to a symphony orchestra playing a piece that emphasizes diversity yet harmony of that particular movement. The popular “Canon in D Major for Strings” by Pachelbel wonderfully illustrates this. Different instruments play different roles through different parts. Combined, it is beautiful and harmonious music. Each instrument contributes to the overall excellence of the piece. Each instrument is complementary to the other instruments. Together, they are breathtaking.

This is an incredible illustration because this is how it should be in the Lord’s church. Church ministries should be complementary to each other not in conflict with each other. Having clear purposes for our ministries is biblical. Christ had a purpose for coming down to His people (See Matt 20:28, John 10:10 and John 12:46). Paul had purpose in his life (See Phil 1:21, 2 Cor 5:9 and 1 Cor. 10:31). Paul’s words clearly imply that we should also have purpose as well. The church should also have an overall biblical purpose. Each of its ministries should have its particular purpose that falls under the umbrella of the church’s overall mission.

Three questions on discerning purpose:

Does your church have a biblically based purpose for the overall good of the church?

Do the children’s ministries, youth ministries and other ministries of the church have purposes that harmonize with each other and with the church overall?

Does the children’s ministry purpose flow beautifully and powerfully into the purpose of the middle school ministry, which in turn flows wonderfully and effectively into the high school ministry, which continues the strong flow of purposeful growth into the college/career group ministry, whose goal is also in line with the overall church’s mission? An important question to simply ask is how complementary are your church’s ministries?

2. Allow the Older Students and Adults To Be a Blessing to the Children

Is there a law that says you have to pay to breathe the air that is around you? Is there a rule against going outside on a beautiful day after being in a house for five days due to snow or rain? How about a law that every American must stay awake for twenty-four continuous hours once a week? The answer to all these ridiculous questions is no.

Is there a place in Scripture that states you can’t be a blessing to someone because you are older than they are? Absolutely not! Just how exactly can middle school and high school students, along with the adults of the church, be a blessing to the children within that flock? I can think of two general ways.

Youth can joyfully use their God-given spiritual gifts on behalf of the children. 1 Peter 4:10-11 states boldly that:

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.”

Do we see any age restrictions in this passage, especially of older and more mature saints blessing children through using their God-given spiritual gifts?

Youth can also joyfully and prayerfully live out some of the “one another” passages of Scripture with them. In the Lord’s sweet strength we can, “greet one another” (Romans 16:16), “live in harmony with one another” (Romans 12:16), “encourage one another” (1 Thess. 5:11), “pray for one another” (Eph 6:18), “love one another” (John 13:34-45) as well as live out many of the other “one another” commands peppered throughout the Bible.

A couple of questions to consider:

Are middle school and high school Christians able to begin to prayerfully discover, develop, and use their God-given spiritual gifts on behalf of others? Based on Scripture as well as personal observations of over twenty-one years in youth ministry, I think they are indeed able to do this.

Are students and adults aware of the wonderful by-product of serving others that Christ mentions in Acts 20:35, “It is more blessed to given than to receive.”?

I think it is true to say, that when we are a blessing to others, even to little children, we are indeed blessed ourselves.

3. Allow the Children to be a Blessing to the Older Students and Adults

Children really do say the darnest things:

Defining H20 and C02, a child said, “H20 is hot water and C02 is cold water.”

“The general direction of the Alps is straight up.”

“The people who followed the Lord were call the twelve opossums.”

“The four seasons are salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar”

And, “The word trousers is an uncommon noun because it is singular at the top and plural at the bottom!”

Children often say humorous things. They can do humorous things as well, even within the Kingdom of God. They can do good things, helpful things, things that can be a blessing to other people, even middle school and high school students.

While children might not yet know what their spiritual gifts are, they can be encouraged to prayerfully learn and live out the “one another passages” in the Bible. They can live out these commands towards their parents, their brothers and sisters, their classmates at church and school, to students in their church and neighborhood, and even towards adults who are part of the body of Christ.

The “one another passages,” apply to the children here. The only limit I see is in the “formal” teaching of one another. We can learn a lot from children around us. They can teach us or remind us of some wonderful truths. But Scripture is clear that God calls specific people to teach and give oversight to the flock (1 Tim 3:1-2 and Titus 2:1-5).

Here is an idea or two of how to help children be a blessing to the rest of the church, even middle school and high school students. Perhaps do a “One Another” study on Sunday night and encourage the children to prayerfully put into practice the “one another attribute” that they learned that week. When the study is done, have the children continue a class-wide emphasis on living out a “one another action of the week.”

4. Provide Frequent Whole Family and/or Church Wide Gatherings

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, many teammates have worked well together down through the decades, and it is the prayer of our hearts here at CE&P that children’s ministries, youth ministries and other ministries within the local church across the denomination would find themselves being excellent teammates with each other as well.

Various ministries of the church are different from each other but that doesn’t mean they can’t work well together for a common cause or event.

In at least five different letters, the Lord led Paul to use the phrase” fellow-worker” or “co-worker” concerning people that were helping him in the kingdom. In Philemon, Paul uses the phrase with Mark, Aristech’s, Dumas and Luke; while in 1 Thess. 3, Phil. 2, 2 Cor. 8 and Romans 16 Paul uses this term regarding Timothy, Epaphroditus, Titus, and Urbanus respectively. I believe it is biblical to view various ministries and those involved as co-workers or fellow-workers.

What can each of these church ministries intentionally doto demonstrate their connectedness? And how can doing this really be a blessing to all the families as well as to the church as a whole?

Some applications to consider:

Have different ministries work together to host a church-wide picnic.

Have various ministries work together to sponsor a family or church-wide skating night (with games everyone can play in the evening).

Have a Valentine’s Day party or dinner.

Have several ministries host a Reformation Party.

Have different ministries come together to sponsor one night of the church missions conference, utilizing those involved in each of the sponsoring ministries.

Have a few ministries collaborate on a church-wide BBQ/Pool Party or a church-wide “Lake Day.”

Have different ministries within the church team up to provide leadership for a church-wide service project (either on the church grounds or away from it).

It is our prayer that various ministries within the local church would work well together and bring out the best in each other. Great teammates are not limited to ball fields and corporate businesses. Great teammates can be seen also in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. The goal is that our various ministries would work together as an intentionally orchestrated whole in a way that Jesus would be glorified. Viewing each other as teammates within the same overall mission will be a blessing to the whole of the church.

May God’s Kingdom be filled with ministries within the church where the participants view themselves as teammates not competitors with one another.

Marriage to a Difficult Man: The “Uncommon Union” of Jonathan and Sarah Edwards

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When I first saw the title of this book I thought for a moment that my wife had written a book about me without my knowing it! Seriously, this book is of great value to anyone who desires a deeper knowledge and understanding of one of God’s choicest servants in American and Christian history, Jonathan Edwards. It is also a treasure chest for those seeking to know his bride, Sarah Edwards, in a better way.

In a real sense Jonathan Edwards is both a hero and a role model for me. During Christian history classes in seminary, I would almost always ask about the marriage and family life of the particular person we were studying. It is sad to say that often the theology was strong, the influence on the world was great, but the impact upon the marriage and family life was weak, hurtful and filled with pain. I was deeply seeking a Christian role model that the Lord used mightily for His glory and the good of His kingdom that actually had a sweet, thriving and joyous family life. I found a hero and role model in Jonathan Edwards. In reading Jonathan Edwards: A New Biography, Jonathan and Sarah- An Uncommon Union, Jonathan Edwards: A Guided Tour of His Life and Thoughts as well as the writings of Edwards himself, I found him very deep (often times so deep it is hard to comprehend all he is writing) as a Christ-loving pastor/theologian and just as deep as wife and family-loving husband.

I eagerly read Elisabeth Dodds’ book Marriage to a Difficult Man and was not disappointed. She wove together the details of the Edwards’ life along with helpful information about their day-to-day actions, which caused me to grow in my esteem and respect for both Jonathan and Sarah. I do, however, disagree with some of her conclusions about both Edwards and his bride. One example is that Dobbs believes that Sarah had an emotional breakdown. Many others see this as a time of “sweet consciousness that God was present with me” in the midst of trial and hard circumstances. Despite this, the material in this book will truly shed more light on a family God has used greatly both in their lives on earth and through their powerful legacy of writing and example.

The title actually fits because being married to someone so brilliant, so godly, so disciplined and so used of God is not an easy marriage. Deeply satisfying yes, but easy no. As Dobbs observes,

“A genius is seldom an easy husband. When a great man is one who never looks at another woman, he is in some ways more taxing than a roving titan… all of Edwards’ heights and depths were brought to his wife. The object of such concentrated attention probably reached peaks of illumination few women do, but she also must have been singularly drained.”(pg. 30)

If you see Jonathan Edwards as a godly example to you or even a hero, then you will have much to gain from the reading of this book. If you are not acquainted with Edwards, his family, and the impact they made and are still making today, this is an excellent book with which to start. Even with some disagreements on Dobbs’ conclusions, I highly recommend the book.

Fine China is For Single Women, Too

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Fine China Is For Single Women Too is a wonderful book with an encouraging message not only for the single women in our churches but for the church at large. Good theology applies to every circumstance of life and here we see how singles should view and process their marital status biblically.

We are challenged with this statement from the first chapter. “This is your life! You will never find contentment in living for what you hope tomorrow may hold. Contentment is for today.” The author then walks us through God’s sovereignty, having a right view of reality and a thankful heart, living day by day, appreciating the unique advantages of singleness and having a Christ-centered life.

One of the nicest features of this book is that it also includes a Bible study. At the end of each chapter there is a review section with good questions for personal reflection and group discussion. And to top that off, at the very end of the book there is another totally different Bible study for each chapter that is more in-depth. Older women in the church need to use this gem in mentoring their younger women in the Lord.

This book is little in size but rich in content and I’ve enjoyed reading it. It has helped to clarify and remind me of the big picture in God’s economy and its catchy title has given me an idea for Christmas. A piece of fine china and the book will make a perfect gift to my single niece for Christmas!

The Truth About Islam

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Since the evil attack on our nation on September 11, 2001, we have noticed a great confusion in the Church of Christ and in the country concerning the true nature ofIslam. We believe that it is our responsibilityto accurately, fairly, and honestly inform you concerning the truth about Islam. The best way to do so is to ask two importantquestions: what is NOT Islam, and what IS Islam.

From a historical point of view, two ofthe most influential Reformers had much to say about Islam. Martin Luther (1483-1546) said that Islam is God’s judgment upon Roman corruption; a rod of correc

Christian Education: A Blue Chip Ministry

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By Allen Curry. Financial advisors often recommend that people have a number of utilities or blue chip stocks in their portfolios. Brokers reason that although these stocks may not be the most glamorous, they are the most consistent performers. They don’t always go up as high as the glamour stocks and seldom do they drop as precipitously.

In many ways, the ministry of Christian education in the church is a blue chip ministry. It certainly does not have the glamour of some other ministries in the church. Nevertheless, it is a consistent performer in almost all congregations.

In most churches there is no other ministry that involves as many people. When one considers Sunday school, youth ministries, Bible studies, etc., it is easy to see how extensive this ministry is in most congregations.

The ministry of Christian education affords more people the opportunity to learn to exercise their gifts and serve others in the context of biblical ministry. The vast number of tasks that must be done in the areas of teaching and organization in any Christian education program involves many people. These people are engaged in Christian service.

Christian education also provides the most effective means for preserving people’s relationships with the church. The Search Institute did a major study on what was the most important variable in churches where people continued in the church from childhood through adulthood. To no one’s surprise the answer was Christian education.

A large PCA congregation did an informal survey of where people felt they were most influenced in their Christian life. Again, no one was surprised to find that it was in the Christian education ministry they received as young people.

Probably few people within the context of reformed churches doubt the usefulness of the educational ministry of the church. Traditionally these churches have emphasized educational ministry. Nevertheless, it is often a ministry that is under-utilized.

One of the reasons for this is the churches sometimes lose their focus in dealing with Christian education. All too many people look at Christian education from the maintenance point of view. They don’t expect very much from it, they aren’t sure how it got started, but since it’s there they feel they should keep it going. Although this could be described as a shameful attitude, it is still surprising how well Christian education continues to function within churches, even with this attitude.

Responding to God’s Revelation of Himself

How does one maintain focus in Christian education? First of all, it’s a good idea to have some notion of what Christian education is. Let me suggest that one way to view Christian education is the people of God responding to God’s revelation of Himself to them. If God says to His people, “I want you to know me and I am going to show you who I am,” it stands to reason that we should study and learn who He is. In its simplest form, perhaps this is how we should see Christian education.

A church that centers its Christian education ministry on understanding God and His revelation to His people will certainly reap major dividends. The repeated and sophisticated use of the Word as a means of grace transforms churches. People who are saturated with the Word are more likely to love God and their neighbors and to engage in acts of Christian service.

In churches where the people learn to look at the world from the point of view of the Creator, there most likely will be people who engage in social, political and cultural pursuits that honor Christ.

Readers of this article are probably saying to themselves that this is not new and they are right. It may be rare but it definitely is not new. That is the point. Recapturing the focus of Christian education as discovering and appropriating God’s revelation of Himself forms the church into a Christian body where the essentials of the Christian religion are prized and practiced.

A Covenant Phenomenon

Christian education also should be seen as a covenant phenomenon. Just as one of the major ways in which God reveals Himself to us is through His Word, the book of the Old Covenant and New Covenant, so He desires for His people to know Him within the special relationship that He has as the God of the covenant. He has given us these books of the Old and New Covenant to help us understand who He is and how we should serve Him. Most of all, the covenant calls us to relationship with God.

So also should Christian education. The study and learning that goes on always should be to the end that we see that we are related to God through our Savior Jesus Christ. This is where our education has its distinctively Christian identity.

If our people learn to live covenantally, in relationshipto God, dramatic results occur in the church. Families see themselves as responsible to God for the rearing of their children. That responsibility is not onerous but a privilege.

Again one is reminded of the strength of the reformed tradition where children were trained in homes where Jesus was honored and then went into the world to honor Jesus. A covenantal Christian education ministry can accomplish the same things today it did a century ago in our nation, in Scotland and in the Netherlands. One of the major differences in family practice between that day and ours is that the parents thought of themselves as responsible to God for the nurture of their children. They were taught this in church and obeyed the teaching in their homes. One of the results was a stable family life. Almost everyone who reads this article has probably bemoaned the decline of the stable Christian family not only in the society at large but also in the church. Covenantal education addresses that problem and offers a solution. I am not being simplistic. I recognize that there are differences between the society of today and that of a century ago. Nevertheless, the family of a century ago was steeped in the Christian notions of being related to God and making sure the children of those homes recognized and prized the relationship.

Kingdom Enterprise

Christian education also is a kingdom enterprise. This is one of the ways that we serve God by establishing His hegemony over all of life. The heavens and the earth declare the glory of God. As people come to learn this, they come to be more effective citizens of the kingdom. Because Christian education is a kingdom ministry, we should have great confidence in its efficacy in God’s economy.

In a society committed to pluralistic relativism and to no other values, Christians struggle to understand and to propagate their faith. But if we have a kingdom focus in our educational ministry, then people will understand that they live in enemy territory and the enemy has a different, really contradictory, value system. Followers of King Jesus need to be taught how to prize being right without being arrogant. A kingdom perspective in our educational ministry enables us to give people a framework in which they can battle those who disagree with them without denying that their enemies are image bearers of God.

Central to our Lord’s teaching was the announcement that the kingdom of God was at hand. He ushered in the kingdom and rules now as King over all the earth. Christian education focuses on helping people to understand this truth and equips them to implement it in their lives. We dare not deny that the battle is real. And if the battle is real then people need to be equipped to fight the battle. Because people are ignorant of the differences between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the world, they are like soldiers in a battle who have only blanks for ammunition. If a Christian educational ministry does not equip people to do battle against the evil one then it has failed to accomplish one of the central thrusts of the enterprise.

Establish His Relationships

Within the covenant context we not only develop our relationship to God through our Savior Jesus Christ, but we also establish our relationship to the brothers and sisters in the church and to those people outside. As members of the covenant we learn how to serve our great King and how to do battle with those outside of the kingdom.

No one should be surprised at how closely related Christian education is to the center of what the church does. I would argue that it, therefore, ought to have a central role to play in the overall ministry of the church. That’s what I mean by getting Christian education back into focus. In many churches Christian education seems to have a place at the periphery of ministry rather than at its heart.

Some may wonder if the effort can pay the sort of dividends that have been suggested. Can we expect that a clearly focused Christian education program in the church will equip people to live as Christians in the midst of an ungodly society? I believe that the answer is yes.

Besides the arguments that can be made from the history of our tradition, there are a number of cultural reasons why Christian education can be effective in our day. All one has to do is look at his or her property tax bill to see that we are a people who expect a great deal from education and invest a great deal in it. North Americans are particularly prone to believe that personal and social problems can best be handled through the educational process. Since this is the way we think, it seems wise for the church to exploit the educational ministry to the fullest.

When people see a need, whether it be national or congregational, they frequently suggest that education is the way to address the problem. With this mindset, it seems to me that Christian education ought to occupy a center part of any congregation’s life.

Since people are more likely to get involved in Christian education than any other ministry of the church, it stands to reason that we should make sure that it is properly focused. Because more people learn how to use their God-given gifts for service of the Savior in the educational ministry of the church, does it not make sense to make sure that there is a self-conscious effort to equip them and others in accordance with the demands of the Christian faith in the church and out of it? Christian education certainly is a blue chip ministry in the church’s ministry portfolio. A church without an adequate Christian education ministry is impoverished. Christian education is always there to do its job. It deserves more than simply a maintenance mindset. If one ignores his portfolio it will probably perform adequately over a long period of time. But if one analyzes the focuses his portfolio the dividends will grow. So it is with the church. Most churches have and can continue to depend on their educational ministry to bring God’s blessing to the congregation. Why simply strive for maintenance? Why not try to bring it closer to the central focus of the ministry of the church? Even blue chip ministries need to be examined regularly and evaluated periodically.

Probe questions:

1. Has your church done a Christian education audit recently? The article suggests a regular evaluation of that area of your church’s ministry. (CE&P has resources to help in this process.)

2. Are you, as a leader in your church, aware of how much of your church’s ministry is considered Christian education? Do the people in your church understand that?

3. What new thought or thoughts did you have in reading this article? For example: most people tend to think of education as an objective theoretical process, not as something relational and covenantal.

3. Dr. Curry states that Christian education is a key to the church’s relations, both vertically and horizontally. Can you identify ways that your education program encourages not only good understanding of the Christian faith but also building relationships in the congregation as well?

4. What is different about doing Christian education from a kingdom focus?

In the article, Curry refers to those who do Christian education mainly from a maintenance mode in contrast those who are innovative, creative, and intentional. How would you describe your church in that respect?

Stay the Course of Youth Ministry

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This is a much-needed book in the realm of youth ministry. With youth workers staying in ministry less then three years on average, this is a strong book to help those called by God to work with students, whether paid or volunteer, stay involved in youth ministry long-term.

Very few books in the past decade match the depth and openness regarding youth ministry that Matt Brinkley brings to this book. Matt, a PCA youth minister with over twenty-five years of youth ministry experience, writes clear and probing chapters that youth workers will find both encouraging and extremely challenging as well. I found myself regarding Matt Brinkley more and more as a “kindred spirit” as I read the book, even though we have already known each other for years. Do I agree with every youth ministry application and every bit of youth ministry philosophy that Matt makes reference to in the book? Not necessarily, but I do deeply agree with the principles he stresses throughout the book in order to “stay the course”.

I was spiritually strengthened and emotionally encouraged in my own call to youth ministry by the Lord working through Matt’s deep passion for Christ, excitement for His word, and strong desire to help both students and leaders of students.

Pastors, whether senior pastors, associates, or assistants, will also find this book helpful. Seeing the mind and heart of a youth pastor will help them be able to relate to, or at least understand, the church’s youth workers in a better way. Matt also talks about issues that many pastors wrestle with in a similar way. They will find great comfort and encouragement by God working through this book and through the Scriptures presented.

The personal reflection segments at the end of most chapters are very helpful to anyone seeking to do youth ministry for the long haul. May the Lord truly work in and through this book to help scores and scores of youth workers “stay the course of youth ministry.”