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FIELD NOTES – 18/9/M

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Field Notes – 18/9/M

10ofthose.com have got a good deal on a box of Reformation related books and tracts HERE which would make a good church bookstall.

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Another podcast that might be worth a listen – The Art of Godliness!

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“Productivity is effectively stewarding my gifts, talents, time, energy, and enthusiasm for the good of others and the glory of God.” (Tim Challies)

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What is 1 Peter about?

Jeremy Hobson:

“Strangers standing firm, experiencing suffering and anticipating glory.”

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Michael Horton:

“All of our faith and practice arise out of the drama of Scripture, the “big story” that traces the plot of history from creation to consummation, with Christ as its Alpha and Omega, beginning and end.

And out of the throbbing verbs of this unfolding drama God reveals stable nouns—doctrines.

From what God does in history we are taught certain things about

  • who he is
  • and what it means to be created in his image, fallen, and redeemed, renewed, and glorified in union with Christ.

As the Father creates his church, in his Son and by his Spirit, we come to realize

  • what this covenant community is and what it means to belong to it;
  • what kind of future is promised to us in Christ, and
  • how we are to live here and now in light of it all.

The drama and the doctrine provoke us to praise and worship—doxology—

and together these three coordinates give us a new way of living in the world as disciples.”

SERMON: PSALM 100

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Sermon I preached on Psalm 100 at Banstead Community Church on 17th September 2017.

Download MP3

1. Join in by being worshippers

2. Join in by being witnesses

More sermons can be found HERE

(Photo: yawer)

LATEST LINKS

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10 links to check out over the weekend…

(Photo: Ryan McGuire)

TRAINEE PASTOR PROGRAMME – WEEK 2

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Trainee Pastor Programme at Banstead Community Church – Week 2

Friday (8/9): Sermon Preparation on Galatians 1:1-10 // EverGreen [seniors’ ministry] // Church Bible Study

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Saturday (9/9): Men’s Prayer Breakfast // Day Off

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Sunday (10/9): Morning & Evening Services at Banstead Community Church

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Monday (11/9): Study Day

Tasks

#1 – Read Matthew 16:13-20, 18:15-20 and 28:16-20 and reflect on how these three passages fit together.

#2 – List all the different metaphors for the church and use them to answer the question – ‘What is the church like…?’

#3: Reading Assignment – The Heart of the Church by Joe Thorn

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Tuesday (12/0): The Ministerium [pastors’ gathering] // Kids Zone [after-school club] // Elders’ Meeting

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Wednesday (13/9): Weekly discussion with Pastor // Lunchtime Bible Club at Junior School // Sermon Preparation on Galatians 1:1-10

Discussion Topics

  • Rick Warren’s 5 circles of commitment as a helpful way of think about the people inside and outside the church and how it fits with the Bible’s categories of members or non-members.
  • Pastoral Visiting – who? how often? priority of members.
  • Productivity and our approach to getting things done.
  • Why I don’t like To Do list apps.
  • What you say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to and the danger of people pleasing.
  • Daily devotional time in the Word and prayer.
  • Using MailChimp to help your daily walk as a disciple of Jesus.

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Thursday (14/9): Jelly Tots [parents and toddler group] // Sermon Preparation on Galatians 1:1-10 // Church Prayer Meeting

(Photo: Cpl. Sarah Dietz)

THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION: 1689 BCF 3.6

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A key part of our elder’s meetings is time in God’s Word and prayer which I usually lead.

Here’s the next part of a series studying the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith.

Download my notes on God’s decree (Ch 3 Para 6) as a pdf

More notes can be found HERE.

(Photo: Signaleer)

FIELD NOTES – 11/9/M

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Field Notes – 11/9/M

Last Sunday’s Songs at Banstead Community Church: 1) Jesus, the Name high over all; 2) King of the Ages; 3) Now why this fear and unbelief?; 4) 10,000 reasons; 5) Guide me O Thou great Jehovah.

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It was great to see Chris Fry, who had just finished 2 years training at Banstead Community Church, inducted as Associate Pastor of Cheam Baptist Church yesterday.  I was asked to pray for him and his ministry there.

Our Lord and our God,

We thank you that the church is so precious to you that you have bought her with the precious blood of your Son, Jesus Christ.

That she is so precious that He would sacrifice everything, His own self, to save His people who were lost and rebellious and to bring them safely to be with Him in heaven.

We thank you that the risen and exalted Jesus, continues to show His love for the church by giving to her the gift of pastor-teachers, people who will keep watch and shepherd His people.

And it thrills our hearts this morning to recognise and affirm His gift to this local church of Chris – and we pray now for Him and His ministry here.

We pray that with the help of your Spirit, He would set an example in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity to the members of this church.

That He would devote Himself to prayer, the public reading of Scripture, and to preaching and to teaching.

That He would correctly handle Your Word and use it to instruct, correct, rebuke, and encourage with great care and patience.

May progress be seen in each of these areas as he gives himself wholly to these things.

Give to Chris the strength to handle the pressures of ministry, the wisdom he needs to apply your Word to the most confusing situations, and the trust that Scripture is sufficient to thoroughly equip him for every aspect of His ministry.

Protect him from Satan’s temptations and from the deceitfulness of sin.  From depending upon his own gifting rather than your grace.

Keep him close to you, growing in holiness and faithful to the precious truths found in Your Word. 

Help him to love and lead Anna and his children, Lucy, Chloe, Sophie, Rosie and Amy. 

Increase His love for the members of this church and the community in which You have placed him, and his willingness to share his life with them.

And we pray that with your mighty power would equip and enable Chris as best as he can, to show the wonder of the cross, and hold out the offer of forgiveness and eternal life to all who repent of their sins and believe in Jesus Christ.

So that when He, our Chief Shepherd appears, Chris will receive a crown of glory that will never fade away.

We ask these things for the glory of Your Name, the joy of Your people here in Cheam, and the salvation of the lost.

Amen

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“Systematic theology is the conclusion you draw once all the other disciplines have been utilised and integrated.” (Pete Sanlon)

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“Sin can certainly lead us to be workaholics, and we burn ourselves or our people out. But it can also lead to the opposite, a poor work ethic… As a church leader you often do a lot of the work outside of the view of your people, and that can be a temptation toward doing less and just trying to look busy.” (Ed Stetzer)

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Bob Kauflin has put together a 12 sessions training course as a supplement to his book Worship Matters.  All the videos and outlines are HERE.

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Colin Adams:

“I have always found it striking that out of all the things Paul could have said, he chose to emphasise preaching.

God’s people, it seems, are desperately in need of preaching.  

They may not even know it but the Word regularly explained and applied is the means of equipping them for doing works of service.”

LATEST LINKS

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10 links to check out over the weekend…

(Photo: Ryan McGuire)

LINE BY LINE: EPHESIANS 1:15-16

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At Banstead Community Church (in addition to our Sunday Services and weekly Prayer Meeting) we have a monthly Bible Study where we are working through a book of the Bible ‘Line By Line’ – currently it’s the letter of Ephesians.

Download the study on Ephesians 1:15-16

More Line By Line Bible Studies can be found HERE.

(Photo: Ben White)

TRAINEE PASTOR PROGRAMME – WEEK 1

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Trainee Pastor Programme at Banstead Community Church – Week 1

Friday (1/9): Study Day

Tasks

#1 – Read through 1 Thessalonians and make a list of reasons to praise God, sins to confess, what God has done for which we can thank Him, imperatives to pray for the church to live out.

#2 – Watch the following talks from 9Marks ‘First Five Years’ conference and produce an outline of each talk; noting down any particular highlights, any questions or points of clarification; and personal applications.

#3: Reading Assignment – Do More Better by Tim Challies

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Saturday (2/9): Day Off

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Sunday (3/9): Morning & Evening Services at Banstead Community Church

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Monday (4/9): Healthy Churches Conference with Jonathan Leeman at Duke Street Church

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Tuesday (5/0): Weekly discussion with Pastor // Study // Pub Theology Group

Discussion Topics

  • Liturgy used in Sunday worship services.
  • Addressing non-Christians in sermons.
  • What are the temptations that might cause pastors to lose courage in their ministry?
  • How do we balance church and family life?
  • Music at Banstead Community Church.
  • Who should read, pray, lead in worship services.

Tasks

#1: Reading Assignment – Chapter 27 ‘Baptism’ of Bible Doctrine by Wayne Grudem

#2: Reading Assignment – Do More Better by Tim Challies

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Wednesday (6/9): Lunchtime Bible Club at Junior School // Sermon Preparation on Galatians 1:1-10

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Thursday (7/9): Jelly Tots [parents and toddler group] // Sermon Preparation on Galatians 1:1-10 // Church Prayer Meeting

(Photo: Cpl. Sarah Dietz)

FIELD NOTES – 6/9/W

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Field Notes – 6/9/W

Glad to see that Paul Levy is carrying on my favourite blog…

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For youth leaders, there are a couple of new Bible teaching resources that have just come out which look good:

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“Not reading your Bible is less like breaking a rule, more like not drinking water.” (Josh Howerton)

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“It takes some people all the faith they’ve got that week to get through the church doors on Sunday morning.  Why would we want to offer them anything but good news and the comfort of Christ?” (Jared Wilson)

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Bob Kellemen:

In Christ, the Father says to us:

  1. “Forgiven!” (Justification)
  2. “Welcome home!” (Reconciliation)
  3. “Saint!” (Regeneration)
  4. “Victor!” (Redemption)

INTRODUCING THE TRAINEE PASTOR PROGRAMME

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At Banstead Community Church we have a trainee pastor programme.  It’s aim is to train and equip men for pastoral ministry.

Our conviction is that BOTH the local church AND a theological college are needed to give someone the best training they can possibly have to equip them for pastoral ministry.

A theological college is great for providing teaching in Biblical Studies (OT & NT surveys plus biblical languages); Biblical Theology; Doctrine, Church History & Apologetics and so on, but it is the local church that is the best place for them to learn about the church and how to pastor and preach.

So, our programme focuses on teaching the trainee pastor about the church, how to pastor and preach through a mixture of mentoring, reading, writing assignments, discussion, observation, and practical ministry experience.  [In the past we’ve set aside two days a week in the programme for the trainee to attend Oak Hill College or the Cornhill Training Course].

A few days ago our newest trainee pastor began, and I’m going to attempt each week to give a window into what his training actually looks like in practice.

(Photo: Cpl. Sarah Dietz)

FIELD NOTES – 4/9/M

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Field Notes – 4/9/M

Last Sunday’s Songs at Banstead Community Church: 1) O Lord my God (How great Thou art!); 2) The mystery of the cross; 3) Behold our God; 4) He will hold me fast; 5) I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene.

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Today I’ve been at the Healthy Churches Conference at Duke Street Church with Jonathan Leeman speaking on authority in the life of the local church.

In the opening session he made these 7 points which are helpful summary of what church authority is.

  1. The topic of church authority must begin with the priesthood of all believers.
  2. There are different kinds of authority in the church.
  3. The authority of the keys of the kingdom belong to the congregation as a whole.
  4. Church membership is therefore an office – a job. [Job responsibility #1: help protect the gospel; Job responsibility #2: help affirm gospel citizens]
  5. Elders and pastors have authority to teach and give oversight to the congregation.
  6. Congregational rule + elder authority = discipleship.
  7. When both elders and members do their job they protect, proclaim, and present the gospel.

I also appreciated his description of biblical church government as being “part monarchy (rule of the one), part oligarchy (rule of the few), part democracy (rule of the many). Jesus is King through his Word; the elders or pastors lead; and the congregation has final (human) say on certain crucial matters.”

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I’m really enjoying David Platt’s daily podcast – Pray the Word.

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Next year’s Catalyst Conference will take place on 12-14 June 2018 looking at Pentecostal Presbyterianism.  Speakers include Richard Gaffin and Sinclair Ferguson.  I’m looking forward to this!

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Karen Swallow Prior:

“Two teaching tips I offer most often:

1. Always over-prepare

2. Don’t be afraid of silence. It lets students think.”