Course 3 Week 2 Posting Area

This week, we will get into the content of our course materials. Some of you may have started last week.

In your first post, tell us the title of your book or DVD course. Then divide the number of chapters you have left by 7. Round off that answer, and that process will tell you how many chapters or lessons we will discuss this week. Give us the titles of those lessons or chapters (for this week.) For your second and third posts, ask the other student(s) questions about two of their chapters--include a two (or more) sentence comment along with each question.

For your remaining posts, answer the questions asked and also provide short chapter summaries if you wish.

After (or before if we are sure we will get them in) we get in the nine required posts, we can go back and forth with shorter comments or phrases. Humor is good when appropriate.

The easiest way to get in 9 quality posts is to log in every day for at least 5 days (that is an expectation anyway) and make 2 quality posts each day. Then make other conversational posts regardless of length or even regradless of whether you are on topic.

Post your comments for week 2 below.

Course 3 Week 2 Equipping for Ministry

Several of you are in churches that have attempted to organize in such a way to make it easier to equip people for ministry. This past Spring, my wife, Rhonda, and I were able to take a cruise to the Bahamas as a result of answering some survey questions. Our church encouraged us to go (no, they didn't want to get rid of us :) ). While we were in Fort Lauderdale, we were able to go to the campus of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, where the late Dr. D. James Kennedy was pastor for many years. Dr. Kennedy developed an evangelism program that equipped his people to do the work of evangelism. His program, and book of the same title, is "Evangelism Explosion." His church campus had a bookstore that included his biography, which I purchased. I have just recently got around to reading it.

When he first invited several pastors to attend his church to find out what his church was doing, he had a vision to send them out into homes with people who had already been through his program. He asked at church, one night, "who do you think will go with the pastors when they are here to show them how this program works?" After an awkward pause, it dawned upon his congregation that he expected them to go with the pastors. They were quite intimidated at that thought at the beginning, realizing that many of the pastors had been to seminary or had years of experience in the Christian life. Finally, they agreed.

There were many testimonies from pastors and laypeople alike about what a blessing the experience was. Early in the week, the pastor just observed, by the end of the week, he was to take the lead in the eveangelistic presentation. This organizational technique came about, out of necessity becuase Pastor Kennedy could not go with all the groups. Interest from other pastors was the trend that drove this church to organize for this equipping ministry.

What trends drive our ministries toward equipping others? Dr. Kennedy's emphaisis was on evangelism. Our emphasis is on a wide range of ministries. Perhaps we have it figured out how to challenge people to discover their own ministries. How, then, do we make it possible for them to start those ministries within our church context?

You may comment on this question here on at the bottom of the week 2 posting area.
Newcomers may still sign up. See the previous posts about how to do that. If you have questions, you may contact me at rcarneysurvey@yahoo.com.

Welcoming New Signups

We are finishing up Week 1 of our online third term. If you would like to join us in our online learning, we encourage you to sign up. You would need a book about ministry or Christian living that you would like to study in depth over the next seven weeks. We will help you make sure that you cover the material, and we will interact with you concerning what you learn. If you can log in at lest 5 days a week, you can do this. When you log in, just make a couple of comments that are on topic in the comments section and that are at least three sentences long. You can make as many other comments as you like of any length, either on or off topic, to spice things up.

If you would like to sign up, just publish a comment right below this post, and we will give you further instructions.

Tyler and Sean, I look forward to getting into you material even more next week.

DVD's Match the Book

Tyler found out that he was supposed to have the book Sean is reading this time. Let's go ahead and try to do the course this way.

This should make for interesting discussion. Tyler you can do it however you would like. Use what your are learinging in class to ask Sean questions about what you see in the chapter titles. Sean, likewise, you can ask Tyler what the instructor said about certain things you read too.

Hi, Guys,

Since this is about an "anything goes" week, you might want to tell us about your salvation experiences, or you might want to tell us how you met your wife. You also might want to tell a good joke!

Anyone new can still join us. Scroll down and read those post until you come to the course 3, Week 1 posting area, and then click on the word "comments" right below that.

Dr. Randy Carney--Introduction

When I was 11 years old, I recognized that I needed a Savior after hearing a couple of class mates talking about being sure that they would go to Heaven if they died in some type of accident. That week, alone, I read John 3:16, a verse I probably already had memorized, and asked Jesus to come into my heart. I don’t remember all I prayed, but I do remember saying, “Jesus, as much as I know how, I give you my life right now.”

A couple of months later, I made a public profession of faith in the church my parents attended, Mt. Zion Free Will Baptist Church in Thompsonville, IL. Shortly after that, I joined the church.
I attended Rend Lake College and then Southern Illinois University (Go salukis!). During my senior year I became aware of God’s calling on my life and made a commitment to do whatever he wanted me to do. For several months, I was given opportunities to preach in local churches in the area. I graduated with a degree that had a major made up of a combination of thee minors: Chemistry and Zoology formed the equivalent of a major and I also had a minor in speech which I picked up in my senior year, thinking it would be helpful with the call to preach.

My denomination did not have a graduate school, so I attended three different seminaries: Memphis Theological Seminary, Midwestern Baptist Seminary, and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. I returned to Memphis and graduated there with an M.Div.
After that I attended Luther Rice Seminary (now Luther Rice University) and had my first experience, albeit an extremely valuable one, with individualized and distance education. I graduated with a D.Min.

Along with pastoring, I have a background in writing and Christian Education. I was associated with Accelerated Christian Education in one way or another for fifteen years. I helped start a Christian school, worked as supervisor and principal, served as a consultant, and worked at headquarters as a writer, editor, and professor for their small Bible College.

My apprehensions, at times, are if I indeed will give this effort the time that is needed. More than that, will I be able to devote the steadiness that will perhaps be required. I think, however, that the apprehensions are slight and that the experience will be quite valuable.

My experience with online learning and teaching has to do with some indirect, transferable skills, and some direct skills. The indirect skills have to with the experience with Accelerated Christian Education. That organization was a pioneer in the mid-seventies in the area of individualized instruction. I experienced their process both on the field and from the standpoint of curriculum development, contributing heavily to their Earth Science, Biology, and Physical Science courses. Another indirect influence came through work done for Luther Rice University. Again, LRU was a pioneer in the area of distance education. I found the individual projects to be very demanding, and took advantage of every seminar, and tutorial that I could. Seminars and tutorials are now required. At that time they were optional. A direct experience is that of teaching an online course through Universal Class.com. I see that the format we are using in this course will perhaps be quite different and more interactive. I do look forward to being involved in this online community.

I discovered Rockbridge Seminary through The Ministry Tool Box. I have always been interested in mentoring and encouraging others and see this as a very good, challenging, and interesting supplemental ministry to my current pastorate.

My areas teaching and my ministry expertise include perhaps a somewhat unusual combination. As I said, my undergraduate degree was actually composed of three minors, although the Chemistry/Zoology combination serves as the equivalent of a major. About half of my ministry consisted of serving as “the second man.” I was either an associate pastor or served on a pastoral staff. The other half has been in the area of being the senior pastor. Some of my areas of expertise are science, speech/writing/communications, and pastoral studies.
I am quite excited about being a part of this online community, and can see that many valuable insights will be forthcoming from each of us as we participate.

Now, I've done my part (even if I did just copy and past it from somewhere else). I look forward to seeing your intros. Please feel free to comment on this post. Maybe we have something in common that neither of us were aware of. Since I copied and pasted, this might have been a little "overkill." Yours does not have to be as long, but please do tell us about yourself.

Just scroll down post your introduction in the Week 1 Posts comments section. New participants are welcome.

Course 3 Week 1 Posting area

Please click on the word "comments" below to begin your posts for this week.

Course 3

Welcome to the beginning of Course 3 here at Preachers Meeting. This week is an introduction week. It is a week where you have the choice of making purely social comments and getting credit for them. If you have introduced yourself before, you may copy that statement again if you wish. You also have the option of telling more about yourself than you did in the last class.

Remember, to get the maximum points each week, you have to have posted nine quality posts. A quality post for this course is defined as being at least three sentences long and on topic. Basically, this week, hardly anything is off topic.

Required: Everyone please tell us the title of the book or DVD course you are working on this term.

Optional: If you want to start commenting on your books this week: count the number of chapters and divide that number by 8. That answer rounded off will be the number of chapters you would need to cover this week. If you are doing this, give us another post telling us how many chapters you will be covering, and the titles of those chapters.

If you do not live in our area, but would like to join our discussion group, just follow these steps. Post one comment introducing yourself. Post another comment telling us the title of the book (must be related to ministry in some way) that you wish to discuss. Send an email to rcarneysurvey@yahoo.com giving me your email address so I can send your grades to you.

Participants may sign up any day this week.

What is involved in the course?
The course runs for 8 weeks. You are expected to check in about 5 days a week each week. You will need to attempt to make nine quality posts each week. You will receive points as follows:
1-3 posts = 2 points
4-6 posts = 6 points
7-8 posts = 9 points
9 or more posts = 12 points

You can signup by clicking on the word comments below the course 3, Week 1 Postings area.

Moving to the Practical

I have been keeping us updated on the journey of the Rockbridge Seminary course that I have been "teaching" (acutally, I am just being part of the learning process with a little more responsibility, perhaps.) We have completed the first half of our journey through this course. Where has the time gone? We have discussed many ideas for helping people to discover their ministries. While we have had practical examples interspersed in our previous discussions, this week, we are moving into the "yes, but how?" aspect of some of these discussions.

Some of what we will discuss will not involve new ministries, but will simply identify and perhaps refocus existing ministries. Other means of developing ministry will be focused on revitalizing existing ministries that are perhaps waning. (One practical note--sometimes some ministrries should be allowed to vanish if they are past serving their purpose.) Then we will also wrestle with how to implement new ministries and how to make those ministries a vital part of the church. How do you have sponteneity and accountability? What limits are to be set if a ministry want to fly under the banner of the church?

The second half of the journey has the possibility of being even more exciting than the first half. I am excited to begin this new journey.

Tonight, will be our local preacher's meeting. I am looking forward to it, and am looking forward to starting a new term of classes with my fellow ministers there.

Personal Ministry Statement

I was sick yesterday (and not too well today), I'm thankful for those in our congregation who exercised their ministries by "filling in" for me. I heard good reports.

Our Rockbridge Seminary class will be turning in "Statements of Minstry" this week. I look forward to reading them. I guess our views will be forever shaped until we see Christ face to face, but until then, it is good to assess where we are in our personal journeys.

I have been challenged in this area in the last few weeks

Anybody want to share their personal view of ministry at this stage in life?

New Term

This Tuesday evening, those of us who going through these courses locally will get their new materials. If you do not live in this area, but would like to join our online discussion, just post a comment at the end of these posts, either today, tomorrow or Tuesday. You will need to have a book, course, or video or DVD about ministry that you want to go through over the next eight weeks. Tell us what book or course you want to discuss, and then you can join right in with us.

Moving in a New Direction

Our Rockbridge Seminary course has focused on the equipping role of pastors when it comes to involving the members of our congregations in ministry.


Moving toward a new paradigm:

We see the experience of co-dependency between the pastor and the congregation in some traditional mindsets. One student pointed out that, in general, the pastor has become co-dependent on his church, where "he gets his sense of value by doing many things, hoping to please God and others and going to great lengths of self sacrifice in this effort.” Others see this as being related to “omnicompetence”: According to one, “Growing up in the church, I've seen many types of pastoral omnicompetence. Pastors feel that they must be everything for every person. What an exhausting lifestyle, but it does feed the ego.” Another gives a personal struggle: “I personally struggle with the model of omnicompetence. I like to be known for having the answers and being able to help people. A result of this is that I used to find myself spending too much time on things that are outside of my specific calling.”

Others see the move in a new direction as good, but they also see new ideas becoming old traditions. I have had the wonderful privilege of being involved in a relatively new work that started almost from scratch. The wonderful things was that we did not have any traditions (although we all did bring some “baggage” with us). We were able to try new things. Now that we are going on our ninth year, I find that we have developed our own traditions, and we are in the place where many could begin to say, “We haven’t done it that way before.” Another student in our class pointed out something similar in church history when he said, “This is not unlike the time of the reformation when many left the Catholic Church and followed Luther to form the Lutheran Church. The not so funny part is that often these “new” entities experience some of the same problems they left and undergo their own growing pains and pruning by God.”

Yet, we do some moves in the right direction. One student is experiencing some exciting things: “There is a big difference in the "top-down" type church which invites me to actually be more than a work-horse that is available and willing to do the tasks or activities that need a warm body to complete rather than a ministry opportunity that matches my gifts or passions.” Another sees some other things, when he observes, ”The other force that I see in play is the fact that our church members truly seem to excel not in the administration of ministry but in the actual work of ministry. I know part of this is because not many are administratively gifted and I've noticed they are motivated by being able to directly meet needs of others.”

Our friend, Roger Odom, who has a ministry to/in Mexico may wonder how this plays out. One of the students in the class, who is currently ministering as a missionary in Mexico sees what we have been talking about as completely different in the culture of Mexico, but does see some move in a new direction: “Our shift is in its infancy. If anything, this is a matter of teaching and equipping because of the vision of the missionaries here. We (including our predecessor) have been and continue to work with and pray with our pastor, submitting to his authority but gradually introducing new ideas to him. We are slowly building confidence and hope to become even more of a “leadership” team with him.”

May we all see good successful moves in a proper direction in our ministries, and, when they come about, be reminded that new directions may need to be implemented at that times. After all, corporately, we are a growing “organism.”

Do you see your church as an "equipping" church? If so, what are some things you could share to help others?

Comparing Ourselves

Several posts have been posted in the Rockbridge class about comparing ourselves with others. We see both good (following others as they follow Christ) and bad (when we put ourselves down).

In II Corinthians 10:12, Paul spoke of comparisons. "For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise." (NKJV)

We just need to know that, most of all, God created us just like He wanted us. Because of that, I encourage you to use your style, gifts and strengths to God's greatest advantage.

Improper Priesthood

One of the great things that came out of the Reformation was the idea of the priesthood of all believers (which comes from the Bible where it says we are a kingdom of priests). We are to fulfill some priestly (biblical--not Catholic) roles in our ministry.

Do you think that creating situations where people build dependence on us can lead to an improper role of priesthood? Knowing we are helping others often helps us feel good. Do we sometimes allow people to depend on us too much, when we could be empowering them? I had a friend who gave me this quote: "At no time will your problem become my problem. For, then you wouldn't have a problem, and (dramatic pause here) I like helping people with problems!" While that is a little humorous, our role of being able to intercede for others and helping others is proper. Creating dependence upon us instead of upon the Lord is improper. At least that's how I see it right now. How do some of you see it?

Yearly Meeting

The Yearly Meeting got off to a good start last night and continued throughout the day. Bro. Kevin McNeely preached about stirring up the remembrance within us. Bro. Roger Odom's message was about The Greatness of God, and Andy Lee challenged us to hang on to the joy and peace the Lord can give. Bro. Rusty Carney is to preach tonight.

How Can Feelings of Inferiority Be Helpful?

We have had a discussion in the Rockbridge Seminary class, The Theology and Practice of Ministry, about "How can I be a priest when I feel inferior"

I find it interesting how that people who seem to be so outgoing deal with inferiority. The song leader (minister of music, worship leader, whatever you want to call him) in one of the churches I have pastored seemed to be one of the most outgoing extroverted individuals you might meet when he is leading music or teaching a class; however, he mentioned being in a workshop for his work where the leader asked them to place themselves in a line with being on the left end of the line as being very introverted and being on the right end of the line as being very extroverted. Someone started, and then others placed themselves next to those standing where they thought they would be on the line. When it came his turn, he asked where the starting point was, which would also be the designation of very introverted. Then, instead of placing himself there, he walked way over several feet even to the left of the starting point. What a surprise to almost anyone who observes him when he is ministering to a group!

Several in this class have transparently mentioned feelings of inferiority. One described an inferiority mindset, yet he serves in a position that to many of us would seem to be outgoing or confident. “I am a worship leader and have a passion for leading others to worship. That primary expression is through music.” That reminded me of our worship leader.

Another student sometimes feels inferior because of his youth, but he has got a handle on things when he says, “However when I really step back and look at the whole scheme of things I realize that I have such a blessing to be in ministry so young and be learning things that my mentors didn't learn until they were much older.”

Some of us in dealing with our inferiority compensate by forcing ourselves to go a little further in the other direction. I can identify with the student who said, “I have, in the spirit of self defense trying to rescue my 'sorry unwanted self', taken on quite the attitude of self-reliance. Which leads to and become the attitude of superiority.”

Even if we experience some feeling of inferiority, we often do not want to ask for help. As another student said says, “I understand we are created for relationship and do not at all feel 'put out' when someone needs something from me, but, boy oh boy, will I bend over backwards to avoid 'needing' anyone else.” That kind of expresses our compensating spirit of self-reliance that the student mentioned above.

Feelings of inferiority can be a blessing when they produce in us a true spirit of humility. After all, God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble! Once we get past feelings of inferiority, or if our desire to serve overrides those feelings, we are interested in discovering our spiritual gifts and other strengths. One of the students talked about the use of “Network,” which she described as a great resource, in her church: “I thought the program was done very well and it was well received at our church. We failed, though, at the follow-up (a re-occuring problem!).”

How could we help others see the need to discover their ministries and to function as priests? One person suggested: "On[e] thing about post-moderns is they want to be connected to the past, so one could teach about the ancient role of the priest and the ancient use of sacrifice in a relevant way, and then connect it to the new covenant.”

This is a good start to some of these issues. I look forward to hearing some more about how to handle them.

Jesus Prayed for You!

Jesus was trying to prepare his disciples for the fact that He would have to go away. Peter, in Luke 22:31-34, told Jesus he would follow Him and vigorously defend Him. Jesus let Peter know that it would not be long until Peter denied Him three times. He also told Peter that Satan had desired to have him (Peter) so that he (Satan) may sift him as wheat.

It was not one of Satan's cohorts, but Satan Himself. That would be a terrifying revelation. Would it not? Jesus then reassured Peter by saying that He had prayed for Him that "[his] faith would fail not."

Would you like to know that Jesus has prayed for you. He did! We are told about it in John 17:6-26.

Jesus started this prayer out by askig the Father to glorify His Son (Jesus, Himself) who gives eternal life. Then He states that eternal life is to know the Only True God and His Son, whom He has sent.

Jesus then prays for those the Father gave to Him. Who were they? The ones who believed on Him, even upon His name, are the same ones the Father gave to Jesus.

What were these individuals like? They kept His Word. They knew that everything given to Jesus is from the Father. They received the Words of Jesus, and they believed the Father sent Jesus.

What did Jesus pray for these individuals? He prayed: (1) that God would keep them, (2) that they may be one, (3) that they may have Jesus' joy fulfilled in themselves. (4) that God would keep them from the evil one, and (5) that God would sanctify them by His truth.

But what about us? When did Jesus pray for us? Right after that, Jesus said that he prayed not only for his followers during that time but also for those that would believe their words. That includes us.

What did Jesus pray for them who would believe in Him through the Word of those then present? (1) all of the above, (2) once again, unity among the believers, (3)that they would get glory, which He gives, (4) that they (we) may go to be with him (this, of course, happens at the death of his saints), (5) that they may behold His glory (again, in Heaven, this will surely happen), and (6)that the Love of the Father may be in them.

Satan may desire to have you. Take courage. Jesus has prayed for you.

What does this cause you to think about intercessory prayer?

Today's Society and Its Response to Authority

In the course I am teaching for Rockbridge Seminary, one of points of study is the idea of a minister as a slave. One of the students made a comment about authority, saying that post-moderns (post-modrnism describes how many in today's society think) bring with them a rejection of authority--both to propositional truths and to individuals in authority.

When I was in seminary, we had a leader in the community who worked with inner-city youth address our class. One sentence stood out to me. He said, "We try to teach these young people the importance of obedience (or submission) to legitimate authority." His point was that not everyone telling them to do something was in a position of legitimate authority. (This idea is also good to teach children that they do not always have to obey their elders. Then they can be instructed in ways that would protect them from child abuse.) On the other hand, there is such a thing as legitimate authority. The man who assured Jesus that he knew his child would be healed said that he knew that would happen because "I am a man under authority." He actually, however, was also a man who commanded many people under him.

Post-moderns would do well to learn that propositional truths expressed in Scripture are legitimate words of authority (their natural bent, hopefully would help them not to get caught up in this in leagalistic ways, however--or maybe we woud need to give instuction as to how to approach Scripture as an authoritative word without falling into legalism.)

Post-moderns would also do well to realize it is good to submit to proper authority in their lives. To be a servant is a good thing when it is not done in a cultic fashion. Figuring out what or who is legitimate authority is sometimes a challenge for all of us. Yet, who would have had a greater opportunity to struggle with this than Jesus, Himself, when he was on this earth? One of the most profound statements in Scripture is found where it says (after Joseph and Mary found him as a young boy in the temple talking with the teachers of the Law) that he went back to Nazareth and was subject unto them! He was subject unto them even though He knew more than they did! He was subject unto them even though they were sinful and He was not (imagine that challenge)!

Christ's example shows us that when we are under legitimate authority, we should be subject to that legitimate authority even if we know more than they do. (Jesus had all knowledge.) Further, His example shows us that when we are under legitmate authority, we should be subject to that legitimate authority even if we are farther along spiritually than the one over us us. (Jesus was sinless.) (Disclaimer: this does not eliminate the chance to appeal to the authority over you, nor does it mean to follow someone who would lead you in direct opposition to God and His Word.) The balance is to follow where you can and when you can.

(Hey, there's a message in there somewhere--I've given you two points. A third I used when I gave a message on this subject was that we all need to be subject to the Lord when we respond to Him in the area of salvation. Feel free to take these ieas and run with them :).)

The class's comments just got me to thinking about post-moderns and our discussion of the minister as slave.

Do you have any insights about how to balance our need to be in subjection to earthly authorities and our need to not be led astray?

Jesus' Examples for Ministry

Since part of Rocbridge Seminary's course, "The Theology and Practice of Ministry" deals with Christology, we are challenged to observe Jesus' examples as we reflect on the ideas of the minister as priest, servant, and manager.

When we do this reflection, let consider how Jesus provided examples of the ideas presented, and then show how following some of those examples plays out in everyday life today.

How would you explain this concept to someone who has no Christian background, but had heard the Gospel, believed and trusted Christ? How does Jesus' example of exhibiting all three of the characteristics as priest, servant and manger motivate us to ask the Lord for balance in our lives?

If you would like to learn more about Rockbridge Seminary, vist http://www.rockbridgeseminary.org/.

Relationship, Roles, and Minstries

This week, at Rockbridge Seminary, the course, The Theology and Practice of Ministry is focusing on the roles of minister as priest, slave, and steward (household manager).

When it comes to helping people discover their ministries, there must be an emphasis on relationship with Christ and personal passion. One pastor friend of one of the students made a good comment:“You can ‘serve without loving but you cannot love without serving...” This insight points to the need for relationship to shape our ministries.

Almost every ministry needs help in some areas that may not match people’s primary passion. One thing that will help when filling those needs is to describe them as “secondary ministries,” and to let people know they do not have to be locked into those positions forever. The goal is to have every Christian discover his or her primary ministry. Also, we would do well to eliminate as many programs as possible that do no match the primary ministries of people.

The “Yes, but how?” aspect of this is the challenge we face as church leaders.
In discussing our roles as priests, slaves, and managers, we will gravitate toward one of these because of the particular ways God has shaped us for ministry, but, in our desire to serve Christ, we will ask Him to make all three of these qualities known in our lives.

For a while at our church, we had unusual groupings for our Sunday School classes simply because we only had classes where the teachers felt led to teach instead of having the classes and trying to force someone into those positins.

What are some ways you help people discover their primary ministries?

How Can You Serve When You Are a Ruler?

Some people have the gift of ministry or serving. They are motivated by that service. They are fulfilled when helping. Some people have the gift of administration or leading or what is sometimes called "ruling." Then, in addition to that, people with all kinds of gifts are placed in positions of responsibility.

How can someone with the gift of ruling and also a responsibility of leadership fulfill the "slave" model? The same question could be asked of Jesus. If anyone has the right to rule our lives, it is certainly He. He left Heaven's glory, and came to this Earth. The almighty powerful ruler of the universe was subject unto his parents. The almighty powerful ruler of the universe allowed Himself to be mocked and spit upon. He allowed Himself to be betrayed and crucified at the hands of sinful men.

Jesus is indeed the example of how a ruler can be a servant. If you are struggling in that area, just look to Him.

Models of Ministry

This week, in the study at the Rockbridge course, we will be observing, analyzing, and applying in new ways, models of ministry. We will discuss the minister as priest, slave, and steward. We can see modeling of all three of these aspects of ministry in the life of Jesus and the apostles. We will also see how these terms have taken on different meanings throughout history, and then we will attempt to apply those terms to each Christian as he or she discovers his or her own personal ministry.

This course is about ministers/pastors (in the traditional sense of the word) being equippers of the people of God. The empowered people then do the work of ministry. When this takes on in a church, exciting things begin to happen.