I’ve been preaching and teaching for many years, but these roles never have been the primary focus of my ministry. As noted in a prior post (“Rediscovering Myself”), God has made it clear that this is going to change, so I’m now prayerfully searching for a church that would like me to serve as their primary pulpit teacher.
I’ve been pondering the privilege and responsibility that comes with such a role, and it seemed appropriate to lay down some principles that will guide me as I serve. So here are my personal “Principles of Biblical Proclamation”.
1. I believe the Bible is God’s inerrant and infallible Word.
2. The only wisdom I have to offer a church community is based on, and flows from, the eternal truth contained in the Bible.
3. Biblical proclamation - preaching, teaching, speaking, writing - requires me to diligently study and prepare, so that God’s truth can be faithfully passed on to His people (to the best of my finite ability).
4. The purpose of my study and proclamation is not simply to acquire and dispense knowledge. I must allow God’s Spirit to engage my mind and my heart, so that He can begin His transforming work within me. I then must share His truth in a way that engages the minds and hearts of the congregation, so that God can begin His transforming work within each person.
5. I preach and teach with the assumption that God’s purposes always will be accomplished when His Word is proclaimed. Therefore, people may be gripped by a particular point within a message in ways beyond what I can conceive. This serves as a humble reminder that ultimately He is the one who crafts the message and uses it to touch people’s lives.
6. Biblical proclamation is, at root, based on the good news that Jesus Christ gave His life for undeserving sinners and that faith in Him is the only way of salvation. Therefore, I must incorporate this truth implicitly – if not explicitly – into every message.
7. As I proclaim God’s Word, I must regularly share my own spiritual journey with the church. People will respond more effectively if they know that I am a “fellow traveler” in the life of faith, with my own set of successes, failures, questions, and struggles.
8. Effective proclamation must, over time, offer the church a balanced spiritual diet. This means I must proclaim God’s revelation under the Old Covenant and explain how it was completed and fulfilled through the New Covenant. I must call people to repentance and confession, and offer words of both encouragement and exhortation. In the area of application, I must address beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. And I must guide followers of Jesus in the delicate balancing act between “being” (life with Christ) and “doing” (our service for Christ).
9. The best way for me to fulfill #8 is to immerse myself in God’s Word and prayerfully seek His counsel on behalf of the church. I must be committed to preaching through all of the Bible - even the difficult and controversial passages - so that we will have the opportunity to hear all that God wants to say to us.
My prayer is that I can faithfully follow these principles to (a) help bring new people into the community of faith, and (b) help followers of Jesus experience an ever-deeper life with Him.
Bruce
About Me
- Bruce and Julie
- After seasons of working in both the for-profit and non-profit worlds, God called both of us into ministry. We have two over-riding passions: (1) to communicate - via speaking, teaching, and writing - God's truth as found in the Bible, and (2) to help men and women experience a faith in Jesus Christ that meets the deepest needs within their souls. + + + + Both of us are ordained ministers in the independent Christian Churches. Bruce is the Preaching Minister at Garden Way Church in Eugene, Oregon. Julie has earned a certificate in Spiritual Direction, has been a Women's Pastor and an adjunct college professor, and oversees a non-profit women's ministry called "the unfolding soul". Together we are developing a prayer garden at our home in Springfield called The Lavender Pavilion. + + + + We have been married for more than 30 years and have three adult children.
