Pastors' Break Room

[Macrina]

I guess its my turn to tell about my ministry. God called me to the ministry not too long ago, and I immediately accepted the commission. I am now a non denominational minister of my own church, called Free Spirit Faith, which I created. I was ordained on April 22 of 2004 by Universal Life Church. I am pastring for a web church called Family In Christ (If you want to know more about Family In Christ ask angelface007). I am 19 years old and plan on ministry being my life.

FreeSpiritFaith,

It's good to meet you and hear about your ministry. How did you come to start your own church? How did you get it going? Are there things that we can pray for you about, as your church grows and develops?

I'd love to hear more about your ministry. And good for you for pursuing your call, especially at a young age. I encounter some surprise from others at my being a young minister, and I'm ten years older than you, so I can imagine you get similar reactions! But it's clear where your passion lies, and one can't just ignore a call, can you?

BTW, I'm not really familiar with the Universal Life Church -- what can you tell me about it?

 

[clonenomore]

...Prayers for you and your family. How are things taking shape these days?

Things are really coming together -- once I stopped wrestling with God, and let Him have the control.

Right now God has me making the preparations to plant a church, but I am still active in a teaching ministry at the UMC where I am currently a member. I have been putting together the core values, vision, and mission statements that God has laid on me. I am still working on certification as a Biblical Counselor. I am also working on starting a weekly seeker ministry at my church, that would be modeled after the programs at Willow Creek Church and Saddleback Church. This ministry is also modeld after the church that God has given me the vision to start, so this will be a good experience.

 

[Macrina]

Things are really coming together -- once I stopped wrestling with God, and let Him have the control.

Right now God has me making the preparations to plant a church, but I am still active in a teaching ministry at the UMC where I am currently a member. I have been putting together the core values, vision, and mission statements that God has laid on me. I am still working on certification as a Biblical Counselor. I am also working on starting a weekly seeker ministry at my church, that would be modeled after the programs at Willow Creek Church and Saddleback Church. This ministry is also modeld after the church that God has given me the vision to start, so this will be a good experience.

Sounds exciting! You have a lot of work ahead of you, but you have the vision and the dedication necessary, and you know Who to rely on.

I'd be interested to hear about your training in biblical counseling, esp. any resources you recommend. I have a degree in psychology, some minor counseling experience, and my biblical training from seminary, but I would really like to bring these things together in a way that will use all of it for the good of my congregation. Please feel free to share your insights and discoveries, b/c that's an area in which I would like to grow.

 

[Highland Watchman]

I guess this is my small check-up time. I have to make this quick because I am on rented time here... (my internet is temporarily down...).

Yeah, great to hear from all of you. I just came in to check up on things. God bless you all. Know I am praying for you and your ministries. Talk to you later!

 

[Macrina]

Hello all I am having a somewhat lazy Monday morning. My day off, so it's the one day I don't have to get moving right away. Although I really will get off my duff and out to the gym in a bit... just have to shake the cobwebs out of my brain first.

I hope all is well for my fellow servants. I am doing ok, but I do have a prayer request for my sister: She is having thyroid surgery tomorrow, and I would appreciate any prayers you could offer, especially prayers that she will be relaxed and confident, that my nephew (her son) will deal with his worry all right, and that the surgery will go well, of course. I pray that all will go smoothly, that they will not discover anything more serious while they are in there, and that her vocal chords will be protected during surgery, because she has a beautiful voice which she uses to lead worship for the glory of God.

Thanks, folks. I'll pop back into the break room later, after I've made some use of my day.

 

[FreeSpiritFaith]

Quote: FreeSpiritFaith,
It's good to meet you and hear about your ministry. How did you come to start your own church? How did you get it going? Are there things that we can pray for you about, as your church grows and develops?I'd love to hear more about your ministry. And good for you for pursuing your call, especially at a young age. I encounter some surprise from others at my being a young minister, and I'm ten years older than you, so I can imagine you get similar reactions! But it's clear where your passion lies, and one can't just ignore a call, can you? BTW, I'm not really familiar with the Universal Life Church -- what can you tell me about it?


i started my church because God wanted me to. As to what to pray about, i would say to pray that we gather more people who need the word of God in their lives. I dont really get too much comment on my young age. Universal Life Church is an online ordination site. it ordains ministers free of charge. Its based in Modesto, California.

 

[clonenomore]

I'd be interested to hear about your training in biblical counseling, esp. any resources you recommend. I have a degree in psychology, some minor counseling experience, and my biblical training from seminary, but I would really like to bring these things together in a way that will use all of it for the good of my congregation. Please feel free to share your insights and discoveries, b/c that's an area in which I would like to grow.

You might find this strange, but your undergrad in psychology can actually be a hinderance to you in nouthetics, or Biblical counseling. There is sort of a battle raging between psychologists and Biblical counselors. My undergrad was also psychology, though, and I am surviving.

I will get more information on great resources for this when I have more time.

 

[kingzjewel]

hey freespiritfaith!! i and my husband are also part of the ULC. nice to meet you

also macrina, if you want more info on the ULC, here's the link :
www.ulc.org/

 

[FreeSpiritFaith]

Nice to meet you too kingzjewel

 

[clonenomore]

I'd be interested to hear about your training in biblical counseling, esp. any resources you recommend. I have a degree in psychology, some minor counseling experience, and my biblical training from seminary, but I would really like to bring these things together in a way that will use all of it for the good of my congregation....

As promised, here are some great resources on nouthetics, or Biblical counseling:

First, the word nouthetics comes from the Greek word noutheteoe meaning to admonish, warn, or exhort. Noutheteoe is the word used in Romans 15:14:

I myself am also persuaded about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish others. (WEB)

Simply put, Biblical counseling involves lovingly confronting people, because we are concerned with them, in a way that helps them to make the changes that God requires.

The battle between psychology and nouthetics arises partly from the fact that psychology tends to call certain behaviors diseases, which then has the effect of absolving the person from responsibility for his or her actions. Biblical counselors realize that the Bible is the inerrant word of God, and therefore is all that we need to counsel. As I said, my undergraduate work was in psychology, so I had some difficulty with this battle of the diciplines. I still think that psychology has a place, but more as a descriptive field. I also realize that there are legitimate diseases that make people act differently than they normally would act, which requires medical treatment. Bipolar disorder jumps to mind. This is a disease that requires both medical treatment and therapy. Just my $0.02...

Possibly the 2 best known organizations are the International Association of Biblical Counseling (IABC) and the National Association of Nouthetic Counselors. I am currently working on certification through the IABC. The IABC website is www.iabc.net. The NANC can be found at www.nanc.org. Both are very informative websites.

Another website with some great articles and other types if info is the Biblical Counseling Association's site, www.biblical-counsel.org.

A great book to read on this topic is Counseling God's Way by Bob Hoekstra. Other authors to look for are Dr. Ed Bulkley and Dr. Jay Adams. Dr. Adams is a former clinical psychologist, who is now a leading proponent of Biblical counseling.

I'll post other resources as I get time.

 

[Macrina]

Clonenomore,

Thanks for taking the time to post all that information and the links! I'm looking forward to exploring those websites. And I'll see if I can find some of those books and read up on it.

It sounds like you and I have a similar approach to psychology -- that there is a medical side to it, but that some aspects of the field's philosophy are not biblical/Christian. The way I look at it, my psychology background has helped me to understand people, their struggles, their personalities -- and that helps me be a pastor, because I am better able to discern what is going on with them.

Also, knowing about the chemical/medical side of things (like you said, bipolar jumps to mind as a fairly common example), helps me to identify warning signs for when I need to refer somebody to a psychiatrist. I have been working with one individual who has come to me with things I was able to recognize as symptoms of an actual psychological illness, and that person is now on medication and improving. Part of being a pastor is knowing my limits and I know that I can't cure certain things, like, say, schizophrenia.

I think psychological training (in personality, biology, social psych, etc.) is helpful in that it makes us aware of certain issues that are out there and helps us to understand how some of these problems come about (like you said, descriptive). It the humanist philosophy that pervades much of *clinical* psychology that I object to... and yet there are good tools in that box, too, things ranging from active listening to contracting and who knows what else.

Ok, I'm really rambling now. I have to get back to work... Extra services this week, you know.

 

[Macrina]

Merry Christmas, fellow servants!

Wow, I don't normally get nervous before a service (hey, that rhymed!), but I'm a little antsy about the Christmas Eve service tonight. I'm such a newbie at this, and there are a lot of new and different things going on tonight, and it's up to me to get everything flowing smoothly. ... well, I guess I'm feeling okay about it. Just telling you folks I was nervous seems to have helped. If you read this in the next couple of hours, I'd appreciate a prayer or two. Thanks, and peace be with you.

 

[kingzjewel]

i know you will be fine and all will be great! cant wait to hear about it all

 

[Macrina]

Thanks! It went all right. People were confused when I asked them to form themselves into a circle. lol but we got it in the end. Now I'm tired... but I need to make a quiche for tomorrow and work on Sunday's service...

goodnight and Merry Christmas!

 

[P_Tanya]

What should be the youth pastor? How you think? It is very interesting to learn opinion of many people. Especially pastors.

 

[plmarquette]

born a Roman Catholic , work as an engineering technician [ construction inspection ];
have an associate's degree from a local bible school ; a correspondance Ba in Theology from Global Ministries and Relief , working on my Ma in Theology at present ...

born again 1992 / spirit filled in 1995 ; changed churches in 1995 to a Word of Faith / Protestant . Part of our intercesssory prayer team , children's ministry ( K- 6 ) ; go into county jail and teach a bible study once a month ; write a weekly letter to several prisoner's out of state ; Male , 53 , adopted , married with 3 children , live in Auburn , Illinois ...

 

[clonenomore]

plmarquette,

Sorry it has taken so long to welcome you, but here we go:


WELCOME!

 

[kingzjewel]

hey plmarquette! and everyone else who i havent talked to in a while. been busy.

pastor just informed me that he feels its time that me and my hubby step out in our preaching ministry ... i totally agree and so does hubby. also planning to do drama team run by me and coffeehouse run by hubby. first time: 26th feb 7pm vineland. im excited. we are planning to have a skit done by then.

also been into apologetics alot lately. learning so very much about everything. it's great! practicing guitar has come second to studying, but thats cool. i still have my callouses

son is thriving and getting more sassy by the second...he will be 2 :o the same day we are doing the coffeehouse. check out his life at eternalearning.blogspot.com or www.geocities.com/kingzjewel .

also working on websites for my father and the church. hoping to get this css and xhtml down. planning to get certified in web design shortly. father has his last radiation therapy on the 14th... had a tumor on his brain that followed the tumor he just got over in his lung. he is doing awesome. plan to see him play music with his band saturday night. check him out at www.cdbaby.com/cd/jqgigi he plays the blues.

grandmom just got on dialysis... praying for her.

will post church sites when i get them running.

like i said...busy busy busy.

 

[Highland Watchman]

Hey all.

I guess for an update of my earlier situation that I shared with you all with my frustration about no longer being the pastor of that one church that I was at, and I have been in a non-ministry slump ever since, which would be about 3 months or so.

Well, I have a ministry lined up now, starting in early March. A buddy of mine in Seminary travels around to many churches as an itinerant preacher, and I am going to be coming on as a protege and partner in his ministry. I am very excited. And it means I am moving back to Toronto! So now I know where I am going...

Also, by moving back to Toronto, I am going to look into returning to Seminary to get my MDiv. I still will be posting in the full-time ministry area, because I still consider myself a minister of the Word, and I have made several good friends here. I thank all of you for all of your prayers and support during this time.

 

[phoenix_kid82]

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