On August 8, 2021, I presented my philosophy of ministry to the members of Forest City Baptist Church during the Sunday morning worship service. Below is a summary of what I said.
“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” (Proverbs 29:18)
There are many types of visions people have, but the “vision” referred to in Proverbs 29:18 is a divine communication; a prophecy received from God. When there is a lack of such communication from the Lord, the people “perish” (literally, to be let loose from God’s restraining protection).
Praise God that Forest City Baptist Church has a rich history of leaders with vision! Pastors Fred Howard, Gordon Le Grow, Mark Bohman, and missionary pastor Henry Giesbrecht have all contributed to the health of our church through their faithful preaching of God’s Word (God’s vision).
These are big shoes to fill but in the interim, I will do my best to continue presenting God’s Word and God’s will to God’s people. In doing so, I offer the following:
I. My ministry goals
3 major themes to aim for:
A. Enjoy community – We are a locally called out assembly (extended family)
B. Understand truth – Skillfully applying God’s Word to our daily lives
C. Find purpose – Rediscovering the God who we lost in Eden due to man’s sin
II. My ministry guidelines
3 standards to achieve my ministry goals:
A. Reverence – Must have a holy fear of God
B. Reliability – Must consistently stay true to God’s Word
C. Relevance – Must understand the community needs
Our church has a great past in its obedience to the prophecies of God’s Word, together, let’s keep the vision alive!
God’s blessing on us all as we work together,
Pastor Mike MacDonald