We would all agree with the heading for this past month of June 2018 in review. Training starts in the local church. The local church is both the biblical centerpiece if you will and foundation for pastoral training. Church leaders by God’s grace come forth from the local church and are called to the local church, to serve, to teach, to preach, to shepherd, to lead, to sanctify both themselves and their congregations as they strive towards Christ-likeness.
In Italy, amidst a historically weak evangelical church, the work of training church leaders involvesstrengthening local churches first and foremost. Training in this regard goes beyond the classroom and comes before the classroom. In other words, prior to even ever setting foot in the classroom to teach a syllabus to men gathered to learn, the training center leader and professor must be about the often very hard labor of strengtheningthe local church. He must by implication be himself a vital and active part of a local church… stimulating the members of the local body to love and good deeds, never forsaking the assembling together, but encouraging the body; and all the more as he sees the day drawing near (my paraphrase; Heb 10:24-25).
All of this further implies that a great part of his task truly extends to… doing the work of an evangelist (2 Tim 4:5).It is as simple and praticalas hosting an English Campfor the children of the community surrounding his local church. In many ways, training starts here! ITA starts here believe it or not!
We praise God this past month of June for the good work of hosting our sixth annual English Camp at Messina Bible Church (ITA local church headquarters) in partnership with Faith Community Church of Woodstock, Georgia, USA.
Our English Camp does so much in terms of setting our local church on display to the surrounding community as a model of Gospel-centered ministry. The members of the church come together as a great team of servants… serving both church and community. Numerous unbelievers come through our church facility doors at this time of year like never before. Families and children not only hear the Gospel throughout the week of ministry but they acquire… a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life (2 Cor 2:15-16).
The local church is as a result strengthened. By God’s sovereign choosing more men from among the families drawn to the church in salvation and faith become candidates for discipleship and, ultimately, pastoral training.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.