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Discipleship Ministries of the PCA

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You Were Made to Last Forever

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Download the You Last Forever postcard that can be used as a bulletin insert, visitor followup, and many other things.

You Were Made to Last Forever is an effective method for sharing the Faith with people. PCA Teaching Elder Dick Fisher has developed a number of resources that you can access easily and effectively. This program is being used effectively in a number of different settings. It is a useable resource that will enable you to better present the Gospel.

Click here to visit the website


Watch the video below to learn more about You were Made to Last Forever:

The Kingdom Misunderstood, Part 1

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The Kingdom Misunderstood

Editor’s Note: This is the first of a two part article dealing with the misperceptions many Christians have of the kingdom of God. What is ther ole of believers in the kingdom, how are they to impact the broader kingdom? Are there really two kingdoms?

Introduction

I begin by introducing you to Bill and Mary Wright. Bill is a 34 year old husband and father of two children, Terry 10 and Susan 7. Mary is a stay at home mom and has home schooled her children for a couple years, though they are presently attending a Christian school that meets in their church. Bill and Mary are active church members and clearly demonstrate a love for the Lord that is obvious to others.

Bill is a member of a successful law firm. He teaches a young adult Sunday school class in his church and is very active in civic events. He is on the church’s board of officers. You might call the Wright’s the quintessential Christian family.

Bill majored in political science in college and later entered law school. Presently, he is an active member of the bar. For several years Bill has had a desire to become more involved in politics. His friends have suggested that on a number of occasions, so has his wife Mary. He represents the more conservative line of political thinking and is certainly an advocate for rule of law in our country.

Read entire Equip 3rd Quarter, 2011 (Acrobat Reader required).

But as Bill thinks about this, he wrestles with a dilemma. He is a Christian and believes in church and state separation; therefore he wonders how he can be a good Christian and involved in politics at the same time. He has been taught by the system to think of religion as belonging to the private area of his life, including family and church, but politics is more for the public arena. He does not want to compromise his Christian faith by involving himself in an area that would require him to keep his religious beliefs, his Christian faith, to himself.

Bill’s situation reminds me of another occasion when I was teaching a seminar to leaders from several churches. The topic for the day was making kingdom disciples. I spent some time developing the point that there is actually more involved in making disciples than is often reflected and practiced by many today. I was explaining how being a Christian involved more than merely having a personal relationship with the Lord, than reading the Bible, praying, and witnessing. My point was that Christianity is a way of life, a total way of life, which many Christians fail to understand, especially today.

Christianity is a way of life, a total way of life

In trying to be as clear as possible, I said there is a sense in which you are no more spiritual when teaching a teenage Sunday school class on John 3:16, than you are teaching an eleventh grade mathematics class. The Bible teaches God’s special truth in what we would call the spiritual realm and the mathematics class teaches God’s truth in that broader realm. I continued–the only way you can know what John 3:16 means is for God to teach it to you and the only way that you can know that 2 plus 2 is 4 is because God is the author of all truth. Both are true because they come from God, as the God of all truth. Jesus commanded us to “make disciples” and we do that according to him, by teaching to observe all things whatsoever he has commanded, and by necessary inference, he has taught us. (Matthew 28:19 & 20).

If we see God’s truth wholistically, we are to be spiritual in everything that we do, 24/7 both in an out of the church. I am aware in saying this, many Christians do not understand this discipleship process. Their paradigm has been based on a wrong view of the church and kingdom, as well as discipleship itself. We will show this later, but for now, some see the church and kingdom as two separate entities while others see them as one and the same. While we believe neither of those are representative of the Bible’s teaching on the church of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God, it is so important to understand what the two are and how they are related, especially as they impact our worship and service of God.

On another occasion I was speaking at an annual convention of Christian school leaders. On the program was a young man who had also been influenced by the teachings of Francis Schaeffer. At that time he was serving in a staff position in Washington, D. C. He said in his address, that we would be pleased and amazed at how many of our members of Congress attend regular Bible studies. (This was several years ago). But then he said, you would be disappointed to see some of those same people move into the legislative hall and fail to incorporate those biblical truths into the issues with which they were dealing.

There is a false scenario that has penetrated our western world, including many of our churches, and it has caused people to see life from a dualistic, even fragmented perspective, thus creating Bill’s dilemma and keeping that 11th grade math teacher from seeing himself as a disciple maker in teaching math.

My purpose in this series of articles is to understand and evaluate the fallacy of Bill and Mary’s thinking about politics, and their misunderstanding of the church and Christianity, the false dichotomy reflected in the math class, and the failure of those politicians in Washington to know how to apply biblical truth to their civil responsibilities.

I want us to consider how the above examples have grown out of a wrong paradigm regarding education, especially Christian education and disciple-making but especially a wrong paradigm of the church and the kingdom of God (“The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all” Psalm 103:19; “Your Kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations.” Psalm 145:13).

How We Teach and How They Learn, Part 10 – Learning Styles and Denominations

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Last time we looked at how learning styles are affected by culture. Here we will look at how they help form denominations.

If you have been following the growth of Christianity around the world you have seen it is the more charismatic type of churches experiencing the greatest increases. Combine this information with what we looked at last time, and you will notice that this phenomenon is taking place in cultures that fit two of the learning styles – Imaginative and Dynamic.

The PCA is a very cerebral denomination – we love facts and details, and we make sure that every jot and tittle of even the Book of Church Order is examined. That is not a criticism, it is just who we are. We are a hard and fast analytic group by nature. Most of our pastors will test out as either Analytic or Common Sense men.

Read entire issue of Equip 3rd Quarter, 2011 (Acrobat Reader required).

There are other denominations like us: Methodists, Anglicans, Lutherans, and even most Baptists.

On the other hand, there are denominations like the Pentecostal, the Assemblies of God, Church of God (certain ones), etc. These are not known for doctrinal teaching. Rather, their emphasis is on the emotional and experiential side of life. These groups are made up of people who are Imaginative and Dynamic learners. Remember, these are the learners who thrive on interpersonal contact over against those who are more concerned with details.

It is important to understand that God was the one who created people with these different learning styles, therefore, one style is not right and the other wrong. Nor can one be judged as better than another. We saw in Part 8 how each of the learning styles works together in a perfect flow. In the teaching and preaching settings, it is only when all four are addressed that the whole congregation or class is ministered to. So, instead of dividing from each other, there needs to be better communication across the boundaries.

Take the “worship wars” that are dividing so many churches. Those that are Imaginative and Dynamic are more likely to want lively and movement-allowing worship. The typical PCA type person wants to stand still and listen to the details of the sermon yet to come. When I have been invited to preach in a Pentecostal church I feel very free to raise my hands in worship. The problem for me is that when I do this my mind leaves the God I am there to worship and it focuses on my hands. Therefore, for me, as an Analytic, I prefer to stand still while singing, with my hands at my sides.

There are factors in these “worship wars” that are serious, but much of the war could end if we understood the different ways God has created us. Will we ever try to learn how to work together and stop seeing the “other side” as being the enemy? Only by His grace!
How We Teach and How They Learn

Featured Seminars from the Women’s International Conference

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Amazing Grace 360

Visit the Amazing Grace 360 Conference Website

Ashley BelknapAshley Belknap on Intergenerational Women’s Ministries – How can we Change a Model?

When speaking with women across our denomination, one of the most common questions I am asked is is, “How can we better reach the younger women in our women’s ministries?” At the heart of this question is a desire for change. Rephrased, the question could be, “How do we change our ministry to better reach all of our women – old and young alike?” Young women are not the problem; older women are not the problem; the desire is most certainly not the problem. Our problem lies in the fact that change is not easy. It’s not easy for individual sinners to change; it’s not easy to collectively change a group of sinners; and it’s even more difficult to change the direction of a ministry comprised of sinners. Yet, this is exactly what the Gospel is all about – change – changing daily into Christ-likeness!! Our goal in these two seminars is to begin addressing the question of change – “How do you change a ministry model to better meet the collective needs of all?” These are questions that we should all be asking of our women’s ministries daily – after all, as sinners change and grow, so do needs – what worked yesterday might not be the answer next year. Come join us as we explore the concept of change within ministry.

More on Ashley…

Sherry LanierSherry Lanier on Gospel Unity, Cultural Diversity – The Changing Faces of the PCA

This workshop has become a most exciting project for us all. Six women from diverse backgrounds; five ethnicities, four nationalities and four languages all with one Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This is both a living reality and a reflection, a shadow, of the Kingdom to come – God’s ultimate victory over sin and death and His restoring all things in Christ Jesus. In His Word God repeatedly tells us that the redeemed from every tribe, people group and language will worship together around His throne. When we began this project most of us didn’t know each other, but now we have become fast friends. We have learned to trust one another, to speak the truth in love, and to learn from one another as sisters in Christ who care for His glory and His covenant family, the church.

The world is seemingly becoming much smaller through technology and travel, and the ease of moving from one nation to another. The church has an incredible opportunity to reach more and more people groups with the gospel and see people come to faith in Christ as He is bringing the world to our neighborhoods and communties. Now is the time for us to build lasting bridges of relationships and trust on which the good news of Christ can cross over cultural boundaries and traverse the chasm of language to change the hearts of His called out ones. Come and enjoy and learn with the rest of us as we share God’s good work in the lives of our lovely sisters in the PCA.


Be sure to visit the Amazing Grace 360 website and register for the Pre-Conference

Sherry LanierSherry Lanier
Reedemer Church, Jackson, MS

Sherry Lanier and her husband Steve reside in Jackson, MS. They helped start Redeemer Church PCA, an intentionally multi-cultural church, where Steve is the Assistant to Rev. Mike Campbell. Sherry has a passion for God’s Word and discipleship and mentoring of young women. She and Steve served on the staff of Youth for Christ for 23 years and she now meets on a weekly basis with a number of young women from her church and teaches a weekly outreach Bible study for professional women. She has been involved in the development of women’s ministries at several PCA churches and currently serves as the Women’s Advisory Sub-Committee (WASC) Member for the Mid-South Region for PCA Women’s Ministry. Sherry serves as a board member for several organizations including the local Center for Pregnancy Choices, an outreach to young women in unplanned pregnancies, the Neighborhood Christian Center, an outreach ministry to at-risk youth, and Mississippi Volunteer Organizations Assisting in Disasters (MS VOAD), as well as being on staff with the PCA/Mission to North America Short Term Missions and Disaster Response Ministry. She is excited about the growing vision of the PCA to reach every people group at home and around the world. Her greatest joy is ministering alongside her husband, hosting people in her home, and being ‘Momsie’ to her precious grandchildren!

Adela IretaAdela Ireta
Grace Community Church, Dalton, GA

Adela Ireta is married to Reverend Carlos Ireta. They have three daughters; Denise, a violin player who lives in North Georgia and is getting a degree in music; Karla, an 11th grader; and Emma, a 10th grader. Both Karla and Emma play volleyball. Adela and Carlos began their ministry with Carlos attending seminary in Mexico. Their next calling was to church planting in Laredo, Texas, and now they serve at Grace Community Church in Dalton, GA where Carlos is the Assistant Pastor.

HigginsRenee Higgins
New City Fellowship South, St. Louis, MO

Renee Higgins loves the Lord Jesus and His church. Renee was born in Saint Louis, MO and became a Christian at the Christ Zion Water Tower Baptist Church. Across the years, Renee has used her gifts as a teacher to host home Bible studies in each military location that she was placed. Renee also served the families of soldiers through working with Protestant Women of the Chapel as an officer, teacher, and prayer leader. She is an accomplished worship leader, singer and an outstanding choir director. She is also a woman of prayer and a trained Precept Ministries Bible study teacher. Renee holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Harris Teacher’s College in Saint Louis, Missouri. She is extremely hospitable and loves to cook. Renee has been married to Mike Higgins for 31 years. Presently, Mike is Dean of Students at Covenant Seminary in Saint Louis. Renee is the mother of Mary Yvonne and Michelle Joanna, and a friend to all who know her. Renee is also now grandmother to Moses!

Phemie TanPhemie Tan
Christ Community Church, Franklin, TN

Phemie immigrated to the US with her parents and younger sister when she was 19. Born and raised in Hong Kong, she still experiences “cultural shock” every now and then after twenty plus years of living in America. Phemie met her husband, a Singaporean, when they attended the University of Oregon. Tim is an audio-engineer and producer. He’s also studying for ordination at this time. Her husband always said that God called him to come to Nashville for music to get him out of music, meaning the industry. Besides helping Tim with the new church plant they felt called to start, Phemie also works full-time running a business in Franklin, TN. Last but not the least, she is the proud mother of two boys, 20 and 15. Phemie says, “Being a mother is one of the greatest blessings the Lord has given me. It helps me appreciate His unconditional love.”

Ronjanett TaylorRonjanett Taylor
Redeemer Church, Jackson, MS

Ronjanett Taylor is a member of Redeemer Church, PCA in Jackson. She is originally from St. Louis, Missouri but grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas. Ronjanett came to Christ at the age of 9 and even at that young age, realizedknowing Jesus changed her. Somewhat turbulent adolescent years made her realize that the being a Christian and loving Jesus didn’t make you do everything right or everything good. As a young adult, sherealized that this process had a name (sanctification) and it would be a life-long process of “continuing to work out salvation…” as it says in Philippians 2:12-15. Remembering these years of change is what led to the prayerful creation of the Sister Cooks ministry for which Ronjanett currently serves as coordinator and Bible study leader. Ronjanett also sings in the choir and serves with the women’s ministry. Together with her wonderful husband Bryant of 12 years, Ronjanetthas three children Justin- age 16, Sedric – age 19, and Amber- age 20, and a2 year old granddaughter, Ambria. This marvelous blended family affords many opportunities to practice grace, patience, love, and foregiveness. Ronjanett works full time asprogram director for an AmeriCorps grant.


Be sure to visit the Amazing Grace 360 website and register for the Pre-Conference

Please Don’t Ignore Us Seniors – Seniors’ Week

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Sunday, September 11, 2011 will be Sunday school “move-up” day on many church calendars. Perhaps it will also be a special day to remember the tragic event of ten years ago.

But each church is also urged to identify that week, Monday through Saturday, as “Seniors’ Week.” Seize an opportunity to recognize this fast-growing portion of our population and in our church life. Commit that time and some creative energy to fulfilling the frequent Biblical command to “Honor elders.”

Begin with full recognition that each person (of whatever age, even the not-yet-born) bears the image of God; don’t treat seniors as though they were “different.” And we’re all on the same continuum called the “ageing process,” some simply a bit further along.

Look for opportunities for “intergenerational interaction.” Are there youth programs that might include senior involvement (seniors have much wisdom and experience available and often not used)? Children can interview seniors (about their childhood, school, hobbies, friends, places they lived, lessons for “me”). Seniors can speak to children/youth about history (World War II, life in the “old country,” life “the way it used to be,” life before TV). Maybe the senior highs could prepare a lunch (on Saturday) for the seniors.

Seminars could use topics of importance to seniors (spiritual issues, finances, health, medicare, how to deal with severe transitions). Perhaps they could be rotated each day among churches in the area. Bible study might focus on the ministry of specific seniors in the Bible and on the need for seniors to be active in ministry now.

“Wheels to Meals” is a ministry of a local church in taking seniors out to a restaurant (“Meals under Wheels” is road kill!). Plan a special luncheon or dinner.

In addition to, or instead of, a minister, consider using speakers with special experience/expertise, for example, a banker, lawyer, doctor, nurse, doctor’s office manager, social worker, police officer, counselor (e.g., from a nursing home), nutritionist or a financial planner.

Everyone benefits when seniors themselves minister to others. Use this week to begin a ministry BY seniors. Others in the church will benefit and so will the seniors who may find new purpose in their lives. Form a regular prayer group that will focus on children and families in the congregation. Ask a mission in town what help is needed.

Plan a one day trip or outing, something special. Saturday may be best for this, as many seniors continue at work and other commitments during the week.

For additional information about seniors, review the Serving and Challenging Seniors manual, available from the CEP Bookstore or contact George Fuller, CEP’s senior ministry consultant, at FullerGJ@Verizon.net.