Philosophy of Ministry

My philosophy of ministry can be broken down into three words. I seek to edify, equip and engage:

Edify: As a man who has been called by God to love and serve Him, I recognize that my primary job is to expound the Scripture. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 states, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” As a teacher of God’s word; I will work hard to be a shepherd who takes care of the sheep. To those who need correcting, I will correct. To those who need teaching, I will teach. To those who need training in righteousness, I will train. To those who need Jesus, I will show and share Christ.

Equip: I must equip the saints for the work of the ministry. 2 Timothy 2:2 states, “And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” Ministry is about multiplication. As a pastor it is my responsibility to invest in faithful men who will be able to teach others. I will do this by mentoring a group of young men who appear faithful. I will develop relationships by meeting regularly, and taking the men I am mentoring with me as I travel and do ministry. I will also always be on the look-out for other faithful men I may pour into.

Engage: I must always be seeking to engage the culture with the Gospel. Paul models engaging the culture with the Gospel throughout the Book of Acts but specifically in Acts 17 on Mars Hill. Paul teaches us that the message must always remain the same but the method can change based on our audience. As a minister of the Gospel I must seek to communicate the message effectively. I must strive to understand the worldview, cognitive process, linguistic forms, behavioral patterns, social structure, media, and motivation of my audience to engage them with the Gospel. I must take seriously the message and those whom I am sharing the message to.