Salt and Light and the Super Bowl

February 2nd, 2010

My wife will be the first to tell you that I watch way too much ESPN. I love playing and watching sports and just can’t get enough, whether it’s football, basketball, or baseball.

Recently I’ve have been trying to cut back little by little. And I’ve also been observing more and more how our American passion for football has become an obsession for many as they worship at the altar of the NFL. Is there really that much difference between the Greek and Roman religion that worshipped gods represented by animals and heroic figures and the hundreds of thousands of people who pack into a stadium to celebrate and cheer on the Bears, Eagles, Yankees, Lakers, Tigers, and Colts?

Nothing on television is growing as far as ratings are concerned because of the popularization of cable television and all of the alternatives out there. But the NFL ratings have annually increased. The Super Bowl is always the highest rated TV program of the year. I just heard two radio commentators discussing the unstoppable popularity of football in America and how across the country regular people like to discuss the NFL whether at work or home or with complete strangers they’ve just met.

Our country worships football. There is no denying it.

It’s disappointing as a Christian fan, but it’s easier to see since my Bears aren’t any good and I have less real reason to be obsessed week to week.

And then there’s Kurt Warner and Tony Dungy. Two men who have made their names in this entertainment sport and who are consistently lauded by non-Christians for their impeccable character. They both have received some criticism for minor issues throughout their career but as these men have retired from active involvment, their career epitaph is completely positive and admirable.

They give me hope for sports in general and football in particular, though it’s not like I was seriously considering walking away from being a fan. Their testimonies are great examples of being salt and light. Admired and respected by the world, yet still standing for Christ and being faithful to the truth.  I am jealous. I hope my life can follow that same path. I hope God allows me to be in the world enough to be a light but not of the world so much that I completely blend in.

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Minister of Music – Christ Community Church, West Covina CA

February 2nd, 2010

Ministry Description:  Minister of Music – Full Time

Area of Ministry:  Worship Ministries

Staff Level:  Leadership Team

Accountability:  Reports to Pastor/Teacher


Responsible to:

  1. Fulfill all general responsibilities as designed by the Pastor/Teacher.
  2. Oversee and coordinate all celebration service formats, along with special services (i.e. funerals, weddings and special productions).
  3. Conduct, rehearse and audition solos and groups (vocal and instrumental).
  4. Provide leadership in the areas of sound, ushers and greeters.
  5. Plan and maintain the budget for Worship Ministry/Discipleship Ministry.
  6. Shepherd those under his specific area of responsibility providing direction, support and accountability in children and adult ministries.
  7. Establish and develop a regular teaching ministry built around exaltation of our Savior, edification of the saints, and evangelization of the sinner.

Qualifications:

 Spiritual

  1. Must have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
  2. Must be committed to prayer and ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4).
  3. Spiritually sound in Christian doctrine (1 Tim. 3:15; Titus 1:9).
  4. Supportive of the Pastor’s teaching ministry (not isolated in music alone).
  5. Demonstrate the Fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; Gal. 5:22-23).

Personal

  1. Enjoys working with people.
  2. Good teaching skills and communication level.
  3. Ability to administer and organize.
  4. Must have a servant’s heart.

Musical

  1. Experience in choral and instrumental conducting.
  2. Experience in leading congregational singing.
  3. Integrity in musical taste (Pastor and Music Minister must have similar musical tastes).
  4. Additional abilities that would enhance the Music Minister’s ministry (but not essential):
  5. Keyboard or instrumental proficiency.
  6. Ability in arranging choral, orchestral and instrumental music.
  7. Vocal or instrumental soloist

http://www.ccc-online.org/

Interested individuals may contact Drew Sparks at:
 drewsparks42@yahoo.com
cell: 626 825-1597
office: 626 960 4444

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Senior Pastor – Berean Community Church, Rochester MN

January 28th, 2010

 

Berean Community Church of Rochester, MN is looking for our next Senior Pastor who can lead and shepherd our congregation. Primary responsibilities include proclaiming and teaching God’s word, leading and equipping leaders, role modeling the Church’s mission, motivating and encouraging a devotion to prayer, and shepherding the congregation.

BCC is a Christ-centered family of believers rooted in the Truth of Scripture, passionate about serving the Lord Jesus Christ, transformed by the Gospel, and excited about whom the Lord will call to serve as our new Senior Pastor.

 Candidates for the Senior Pastor position should demonstrate the following skills:

- communication

- interpersonal skills

- leadership

- leadership development

- problem solving

With specific strengths in:

- leadership and the ability to develop, equip, and encourage leaders

- preaching the Truth of God’s Word and ability to make it applicable to all

- shepherding and ability to oversee, guide, and nurture the congregation

 Candidate qualifications:

- the Senior Pastor should have a seminary masters degree, with concentrations in preaching and leadership preferred

- preference given to candidates with prior work experience as a senior pastor

- minimum of 10 years of ministry experience preferred with 5 years in church leadership positions

- the Senior Pastor should meet the requirements listed for an overseer in 1 Timothy 3:1-13, Titus 1:6-9 and 1 Peter 5:1-4

 

Interested individuals should contact:

Scott Bancroft

staffing@bereancc.org

Berean Community Church

3157 Kenosha Dr. NW

Rochester, MN 55901

www.bereancc.org

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Senior Associate Pastor – Calvary Bible Church, Kalamazoo MI

January 27th, 2010
Calvary Bible Church is a congregation with significant representation of every age group, marital status, educational level and income. It has experienced steady growth over its eighty year history and is in its third location. Today, it needs a man to assist the Senior Pastor in the oversight and direction of the pastoral ministries for Calvary Bible Church. He will also be the first alternate for filling the pulpit in the absence of the Senior Pastor.
 

Candidate Profile

The man selected as the Senior Associate Pastor must meet the same profile expected of other pastoral staff members.

 ✚ His life and character must measure up to the character qualities of 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9.
✚ He must subscribe to the Constitution and Statement of Faith, Philosophy of Ministry, church order and practice of Calvary.
✚ He must be disciplined with life habits which reflect a balanced stewardship of personal resources, devoted to prayer, personal Bible study, the husband of one wife (never divorced) with his own house in order. His wife (if married) and family will be supportive of the ministry of Calvary and agree with the move to the Kalamazoo area.
✚ He must be strong in personal relationships having a shepherd’s heart and deep commitment to the ministry of the local church. He will be mature and able to relate well to people.
✚ He must be a gifted leader and teacher of the Word of God with special emphasis on equipping others for the work of ministry. He must be able to lead, equip, train and disciple ministry staff and lay leaders.
✚ He must demonstrate skill in leadership, administration and time management. He must be able to act quickly and efficiently with a minimum of supervision. He must be able to effectively operate through other ministry staff.
✚ He must have at least one graduate degree (M.A. or higher) from a recognized, conservative evangelical seminary.
✚ He must be committed to continual personal spiritual and intellectual growth including a consistent reading and study schedule.
✚ He must have the heart and attitude of a true servant, willing to approach ministry as a servant leader (Mark 10:42-45).
✚ He must also be a self-motivator able to work with excellence on his own when required, and willing to assume those responsibilities assigned to him.
✚ He must be in sound physical and emotional health, able to carry out energetically his schedule.
✚ He and his wife (if married) must be faithful participants in the ministries and services of the church.
✚ He must be a seasoned pastor with at least five years experience in a large church with multiple staff members.
✚ He must have a philosophy of ministry and style of leadership that fits well, complements and completes the present leadership team.   

Responsibilities

The first responsibility of the Senior Associate Pastor is to perform those pastoral ministries delegated to him by the Senior Pastor, thereby enabling the Senior Pastor to focus upon his most critical responsibilities of teaching the Word of God and the general oversight of the spiritual welfare of the church. He is expected to serve in all general pastoral duties (hospital visitation, counseling, walk-ins) and other ways (such as weddings and funerals) as assigned. He also will be gifted and able to fill the pulpit as needed in the absence of the Senior Pastor. He must be committed to working and serving as a “team player” and will attend all staff meetings, Elders’ Meetings and other committee meetings as required.
Accountability
The Senior Associate Pastor will be immediately accountable to the Senior Pastor on a day-by-day basis, and accountable to the Elders through the Senior Pastor. The Senior Associate Pastor will be formally evaluated by the Senior Pastor and Elders six months from the date of the commencement of his employment at Calvary and thereafter once per year.
Compensation
The Senior Associate Pastor will be licensed by Calvary Bible Church (if not previously ordained) and will be compensated as a full-time ministry staff member.
Search Process
Men interested in the position of Senior Associate Pastor should submit a resume to Calvary’s Executive Director of Ministries, Dan Bowman at the address provided or via email to dan.bowman@calvarybible.org.

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Senior Pastor – First Baptist Church, Galveston IN

January 27th, 2010

The First Baptist Church of Galveston, Indiana is 142 years old and is located in the North Central part of the state, approximately six miles north of Kokomo, Indiana.  The purpose of our church is to bring glory to God, people to Christ and His Church, believers to maturity in Christ, and God’s love to those in need.  We are an unaffiliated Baptist church, conservative in our theology and social stance, yet not at all legalistic or oppressive in our approach to ministry.

Currently, we offer one Sunday morning worship service with an average weekly attendance of 150-200, Sunday school which follows, and an informal evening service.  The church supports numerous missionaries, local and international.  To accommodate church growth, a new sanctuary with offices, a nursery and educational facilities was built in 1998.

 We are seeking to fill our Senior Pastor position.  A seminary degree and/or pastoral experience is preferred.  The ideal candidate should have a vision and ability to shepherd the congregation, present engaging preaching and teaching based on the inerrant Word of God and encourage spiritual formation.  He should be able to envision, facilitate, and oversee innovative ministry development.  Duties of the Senior Pastor also include weddings, funerals, and visitation.  He will lead and work with a dedicated church staff which currently includes a part-time secretary (22 years), and part-time custodians.  It is our desire to add a full-time youth pastor in the future.

 

Interested applicants may send or email their resume with references to:

 

                                    Allen VerBryck

                                    10724 E. State Rd. 18

                                    Galveston, IN  46932

                                    allen.l.ver.bryck@delphi.com

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Senior Pastor – Covenant Baptist Church, Dayton OH

January 27th, 2010

Covenant Baptist Church

3424 Old Salem Road

Dayton, OH  45415

937-454-1500

http://covenantbaptistdayton.org/

 

Pulpit Committee Contact:   

Email:  bgayheart@woh.rr.com  (Send resumes here only)
 Bobby Gayheart
5077 National Rd., Clayton, Oh 45315
 937-832-2809

Pastoral Profile:

  • Senior Pastor
  • Full Time
  • Responsibilities include preaching, teaching, evangelism/outreach, visitation, etc.

 

Church Profile:

  • History:
    • Established 1957 as Fort McKinley Baptist Church
    • Relocation in 1992; renamed Covenant Baptist Church
    • Planted by Emmanuel Baptist, Dayton, Oh
    • Community
      • Located in Clayton/Englewood; suburbs of Dayton, Oh
      • Suburban population, approximately 50,000
      • Majority of members live within 10 miles of church
      • Church Membership
        • Average Sunday Morning Attendance is approximately 75
        • Age mix from young families with infants to senior citizens
        • A mix of young believers and strong-seasoned believers
        • Strong preference for KJV use among older members, though CBC is not “KJV only”
        • Church Structure
          • Independent Baptist
          • Sovereign Grace
          • Church constitution is available on church website

 

  • Church Ministries
    • Children’s Ministry: Pioneer Club, Wednesdays
    • Youth:  Gospel Mission, meal service; Friendship Village Retirement Community Service (alternate once per month)
    • Missionary support; refer to website
    • Church Finances
      • Well-funded, no debt, own building

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Night And Day

January 15th, 2010

It is very easy to waste a lot of time keeping up with pop culture. From the latest celebrity gossip, to blockbuster movies, to all the ‘good’ or cutting edge TV shows, to the latest cool gadgets that promise to make life more fun – we as Christians can easily slip into compromise as we attempt to be relevant with unbelievers around us.

Yet there are also lessons to be learned from pop culture and credibility to be earned as we resist the other extreme of self-righteous sheltered-ness. If we can consistently find the balance between being in the world but not of it, we can be the kind of salt and light Christ called us to in Matthew 5:13-16.

Take relationships for instance. With the exception of the ongoing tragedy in Haiti, two of the biggest stories right now are relationship-oriented.  One was the Tiger Woods scandal. The other, even more recent has been the huge dispute between NBC and their late-night talk show hosts.  Concerning the latter, some might write it all off to the nature of TV business. Sure it’s a business, but what an ugly, messy conflict. But for Christians in business, it is a beautiful opportunity. It almost goes without saying that Christian businessmen and businesswomen are called to a higher moral and ethical standard, whether it’s the TV business or the fast-food business. We can truly stand out and glorify God by conducting ourselves in a Christ-like way in the cut-throat world of business.

This relates to the problems Paul was addressing in 1 Corinthians 6. Paul was righteously upset over their lack of Christ-like behavior in the midst of a dispute. Don’t miss the fact he reminds them of their identity in Christ at the end of that section:
“But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (6:11)

The Tiger Woods story provides a similar opportunity for even more of the Church. Not everyone is involved in high-stakes business, but most of us can relate to relating to members of the opposite sex.  Christian marriages can provide a shining example in contrast to the train-wreck that the world’s greatest golfer has made of his marriage. The difference between that and our marriages, our dating relationships ought to be like night and day. Purity rather than affairs, sacrificial love rather than selfish lust, transparancy rather than secrecy, commitment rather than empty promises. Sure non-Christians can have marriages with all of those positive qualities, but there will always be a level they can’t reach without the Spirit of God at work in them.

Let’s be salt and be light. Let’s provide a night and day contrast for those who are having trouble understanding the difference.

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Minister of Music and Christian Education – South County Bible Church, St. Louis MO

January 11th, 2010

South County Bible Church of South St. Louis is looking for a full-time Minister of Music and Christian Education. We are an independent, nondenominational growing Bible church of around 120 people whose purpose is to reach the lost with the gospel of Jesus Christ and build lives on the firm foundation of the Word of God. We exist to help people understand the Bible and encourage them towards spiritual growth and fruitful Christian service. The ministry from the pulpit consists primarily of the exposition of Scripture, with life-centered application for families and individuals of all ages. We strive to maintain a balanced worship service blending traditional hymns and contemporary choruses to minister to the broad range of generations represented in our church. We are located in the suburbs of South St. Louis with great exposure to the surrounding community. Some of the ministries we are involved in are AWANA, Word of Life Clubs, summer youth camp, VBS, small groups and more. We are praying for God’s man to assist us in fulfilling the Great Commission in South County St. Louis.

As Minister of Music we are looking for someone who would:
• Biblically qualified to be a leader in the local church according to 1 Timothy 3 & Titus 1.
• Responsible for developing a vision for the overall music ministry of SCBC, which includes the following areas: congregational singing, choir, orchestra, praise teams, children’s choir, special music, seasonal cantatas, etc.
• Preserve the balance between generations by being sensitive to all those who have gathered to worship.
• Do well with traditional hymns, praise songs, and newer music to enhance our public worship services.
• Music training and some seminary or Bible College education
• Ability to play a musical instrument preferred.

As Minister of Christian Education we are looking for someone who would:
• Help us successfully disciple church members through our Christian education programs; this includes the church’s Adult and Children’s Sunday School, VBS, AWANA, camp ministry, as well as small group ministries.
• Work with the Elder Board on educational opportunities and resources for Sunday School, midweek ministries, Bible study groups, Children’s Church and all other ministries of the Church, as needed.
• Assist the Senior Pastor with pastoral duties as needed. Competitive Compensation package with benefits commensurate with experience.

If interested please send resume’s with doctrinal statement to: South County Bible Church C/O Pastor Armstrong 4111 Von Talge Road St. Louis, MO. 63128 314.487.6868 Or email at: scbcsrpastor@yahoo.com with the “Minister of Music Position” in the subject line. www.southcountybiblechurch.com

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A lesson from the Golden Arches (?)

January 6th, 2010

I just got back from lunch with an old friend. Towards the end he lamented about how unhealthyhe feels everytime he eats at Mickey D’s. I agreed with him but countered that ‘it tastes so good at first’.  He responded by joking about how that’s a great spiritual object lesson about sin.

And he’s right. I knew it and it seemed pretty trivial. But that lesson hit home when I went to get a drink refill before we left.

First, let me give you some context. I gave up drinking pop from Labor Day to New Year’s Eve. It wasn’t a spiritual fast by any means but I know how unhealthy soda is and wanted to do something healthy if I couldn’t exercise as much as I wanted to (that’s a whole separate issue). So this past New Year’s Eve I ended that streak, and it tasted good, especially Cream Soda.

So that brings us to today, where I’d gotten a Powerade on my first round. As I went back to get my refill, I had no desire to fill up a Large drink with Coke or Dr. Pepper. Maybe it was the Big Mac that was settling in my stomach and fries that were going straight to my hips : ), whatever it was, I was surprised I had no thrist for the caffeine and sugar of soda pop. Will it make a big difference to my health? Probably not, but I am pleased with myself.

Now is there a spiritual lesson here? I say yes.  When we struggle with sin, especially a specific sin, the more we indulge in it the worse our spiritual lives get. The more we give in, the more we drink it, the more it becomes a habit and contributes to the deterioration of our spiritual health. Yet the opposite is also true. The more we cut ourselves off from it, the more we abstain from that which so easily entangles, the less directly appealing it is to us and the healthier our spiritual lives are.

The more we replace sin with God’s Word, with intimacy with Christ, the less of a thirst we’ll have for sin. One of the main drinks I imbibed over my ‘pop-fast’ was Powerade Mountain Blast flavor. What did I choose today instead of pop? That exact option. I discovered the Powerade was a tasty enough (and healthy enough?) alternative that pop doesn’t have the same appeal to me it once did.

Likewise, sin won’t have the same powerful pull on our hearts when we’ve focused ourselves on the grace, mercy, peace, and enduring faithfulness of our Conquering Savior.

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Worship Intern – The Chapel, Akron OH

December 17th, 2009

The Chapel is a non-denominational, multi-campus church of 10,000 serving the Akron, Ohio region. We are seeking candidates for an internship in Worship Ministries. The position includes a full scholarship to earn a masters degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School through their Akron Extension Site located at The Chapel, Akron Campus. The internship offers mentoring and practical work experience serving in the worship ministries at The Chapel (8 services, 5 styles). The employment package includes seminary education, a very modest salary, and health insurance.

Send a resume, including, if possible, links to online posting of worship leading, to Fran Hughes, fran.hughes@the-chapel.org.

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