Archive for category Ministry
Project 1189
Posted by Stephen C. Rice in Church Chat, Discipleship, Ministry, Prayer, Preaching, Worship on February 26, 2012
Several months ago, while I was on a morning run through Clear Creek Park, the Lord distinctly laid something on my heart. He emphasized that I was to lead our church to read straight through the entire Bible from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22—all 1,189 chapters. He also stressed that we should read from behind our pulpit in our sanctuary.
In obedience to His instructions, we are going to read through the entire Word of God beginning Sunday, March 11 and ending Sunday, March 25. Every person who wishes to participate in reading a portion of the Scripture, will be asked to sign-up for a time slot on the sheet posted in the Sanctuary. The weekday schedule will look like this:
Week of March 12-16 & March 19-23 / 10am-6pm
Pray about how the Lord wants you and your family to participate. Maybe He will lead you to read or just drop in and listen while others read—just obey Him as He leads.
Here are three important things I believe the Lord wants us to accomplish through PROJECT 1189:
- Renew our dedication as a church to hearing and obeying the Word of God
- Renew our commitment in our families to the Word of God
- Renew our passion as individuals to the Word of God
Resolutions for 2012
Posted by Stephen C. Rice in Discipleship, Evangelism, Ministry, Worship on January 6, 2012
My friend, Dr. Paul Chitwood serves as the Executive Director of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. He recently published a very well-written challenge that I would like to share with you. I echo the following words of Dr. Chitwood as we seek to magnify and honor the glorious name of the Lord Jesus in 2012:
With this first 2012 post, I’m hoping a New Year’s resolution list for Kentucky Baptists will be well received. I offer no earth-shattering new insights. I simply challenge us to be faithful to the basic call of Christ upon our lives and obedient to the fundamental teachings in God’s word. If every Kentucky Baptist would commit themselves to the following resolutions, our churches would flourish, every lost person in the Commonwealth could hear the gospel, and the cause of the Great Commission would be rapidly advanced.
First, would you resolve to walk closely with Jesus through concerted prayer and daily Bible reading? Our Lord exhorts us in John 15:4, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” The first call of the gospel is the call to be in Jesus Christ. He is the source of spiritual life and spiritual power. Apart from him, we will remain powerless.
Second, would you resolve to obey Jesus in all things? Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it” (Luke 11:28). Matters like sexual purity, financial stewardship, personal honesty, sobriety, and refraining from gluttony are not negotiable for those who have confessed Jesus as Lord of our lives.
Third, would you resolve to share Jesus with at least one lost person each week? The command to be witnesses and the promise of the Spirit’s empowerment to that end are clearly stated in Acts 1:8. As for the lost, “how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard” (Rom 10:14)? Yet, multiple studies and surveys reveal most of us never take the initiative to tell lost people how to be saved. Pray that God would give you the opportunity to share the gospel with just one person each week.
Fourth, would you resolve to love and serve Jesus’ bride with more passion than ever before? Your church isn’t perfect but it needs you. And you need the church. We simply cannot be faithful followers of Jesus apart from his church. Love and serve her.
Fifth, would you resolve to commit more of your resources to Jesus’ Great Commission? The sin of greed has captivated us. Rather than starting with a tithe and giving generously beyond that, the average church member gives less than 3 percent of their income. If we merely gave a tithe, church ministry budgets and the Cooperative Program mission budget would triple, resulting in an exponential harvest of souls in Kentucky and around the world.
New Member’s Class Video
Posted by Stephen C. Rice in Church Chat, Discipleship, Ministry on December 13, 2011
Dr. Mike James, Director of Discipleship for the Kentucky Baptist Convention, asked me to join him in a video discussion about the logistics of a New Member’s class. Click on the picture below for that video:
The “Skinny” on Spiritual Growth
Posted by Stephen C. Rice in Church Chat, Discipleship, Life Happens, Ministry on May 4, 2010
The last few weeks at Shelbyville First Baptist Church, Pastor Andy McDonald and I have been teaching our second-level foundational class called Maturity 201. The class includes some of the material written by Dr. Rick Warren as well as material I personally wrote for the class.
In Maturity 201 we discuss the important subject of spiritual maturity. Here is a brief excerpt from the class:
FACTS ABOUT SPIRITUAL MATURITY
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Spiritual maturity IS NOT automatic. A Christian believer must be disciplined and work at achieving spiritual maturity. We can’t just sit back and “hope” it happens. We have to develop and practice the spiritual habits that lead us to spiritual maturity. For more information on this topic, read my other entries under the “discipleship” category.
“You have been Christians for a long time now, and you ought to be teaching others, but instead … you need someone to teach you … When a person is still living on milk, it shows he isn’t very far along in the Christian life … He’s still a baby Christian!” Hebrews 5:12-13 (LB)
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Spiritual maturity is a journey. Ultimately, spiritual maturity will take a lifetime. It is a process–a lifelong journey of becoming more and more like Christ.
“Learn to be mature.” Proverbs 8:5 (GN)
“Continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 3:18 (GN)
- Spiritual maturity takes discipline. Spiritual maturity is not complicated, but it is not easy. It takes discipline to be spiritually fit just like it takes discipline to be physically fit.
“Take the time and the trouble to keep yourself spiritually fit.” 1 Timothy 4:7b (Ph)
“Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.” 1 Timothy 4:7b (NASB)
New Staff Positions @ Shelbyville FBC
Posted by Stephen C. Rice in Church Chat, Ministry on April 16, 2010
We are currently seeking to add a new full-time team member to our church staff. Our personnel team is receiving resumes for a new position called Minister of Children & Family Life. The position will combine the areas of children’s ministry with our recreation ministry. Obviously, it will take a special person to fill the shoes of those who have been doing these jobs with excellence on a part-time basis.
In addition to this position, we are also seeking a new part-time Food Services Coordinator. We have been blessed with a great leader in this area, so we have our work cut out for us in replacing her. This person coordinates our Wednesday Night suppers and caters meals for other church-related events.
Please be in prayer as we seek to find the person God’s wants for each of these important areas. If you are interested and would like to submit a resume, please send it as an attachment to srice@fbcshelbyville.com or mail it the following church address: Dr. Stephen C. Rice; Shelbyville First Baptist Church; 1516 Midland Trail; Shelbyville, Kentucky 40065. For more information, you can also go to our church website.
“And You Call Yourself A Church”
Posted by Stephen C. Rice in Church Chat, Ministry on March 19, 2010
Today we had a man stop by the church and demand we take care of him. His demeanor was intimidating and somewhat frightening. We tried to be gracious and tried to help him, but nothing we did seemed to be enough. He kept saying things like “you mean you call yourself a church and you’re not going to do this for me?”
Eventually we offered to provide him a hotel room for the night and a meal or two for the evening. Understandably, the hotel would not assign him a room because he had no personal identification at all. He called me from the hotel lobby to express more anger towards me because the hotel would not rent a room to him without identification. He refused my offer to take him to the men’s shelter. After trying to explain the circumstances to him again on the telephone, he spewed out another “you call yourself a church” and hung up the phone! Somehow he failed to thank me for the financial help I had already given him.
I wanted to be angry at him, but I felt sympathy for him. If it were not for God’s rich grace toward me, I could be in that same position. When you read this, say a little prayer for God’s blessings toward this man.
The “3-Minute Rule”
Posted by Stephen C. Rice in Church Chat, Ministry, Worship on March 2, 2010
Have you ever heard of the 3-Minute Rule? I believe every church could benefit greatly from practicing the rule after each worship service. Here’s how the 3-Minute Rule works. After the morning worship service ends, all the regular attenders spend the first 3 minutes talking with guests, newcomers, or simply people they do not know, before they begin talking with their friends. If possible, they introduce those they meet during the 3-Minute time to their friends with the hope of including them in the group. We should always keep in mind that . . . .
We are a culture craving relationship. In the midst of our crowded existence, many of us are living lonely lives. We live and work in a sea of humanity, but we end up missing out on the benefits of regular, meaningful relationships. (Andy Stanley)
I think we should practice a similar rule before the service as well. We could call it the 2-Person Rule. Strive to meet at least two new people before the service begins. Imagine how many people you would meet after a few weeks. Remember . . . .
People are not merely looking for a friendly church; they are looking to make friends at church.
What do you think? When’s the last time you met someone new at church and were genuinely interested in getting to know them? Make a genuine effort this Sunday to connect with others–it will be a blessing to them as well as to you.
Welcome Home
Posted by Stephen C. Rice in Life Happens, Ministry on February 10, 2010
One of the reasons I love walking through the door of our home is because our dog Gracee is always there to greet me. Whether I’m home for lunch or home for the evening, she is thrilled to see me. She often brings a toy along for the tail-wagging greeting in case I’m in the mood for a few minutes of play.
Interestingly, her feelings toward me are not based on my recent accomplishments, my standing in the community, or the strength of my credit rating. She just likes me because I like her. Forgive me if I’m taking this too far, but isn’t that an honorable approach.
As Christians, we are instructed to love those who love us, but it doesn’t stop there. We are even instructed to love those who hate us. Listen to this Bible passage and see if it challenges you like it does me.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.
You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:38-48, English Standard Version
Annual Theme: “GO”
Posted by Stephen C. Rice in Church Chat, Evangelism, Ministry on January 23, 2010
In all the years I have served as a senior pastor, I have never adopted a church-wide annual theme. Oh, I thought about it lots of times when I saw others do it, but I just never felt impressed by the Lord to do so. A few months back, God began to speak to me about adopting a theme that focused on evangelism and missions.
I thought of catchy themes, rhyming themes, and clever themes, but the Lord seemed to say “keep it simple.” After prayer I chose a one-word, two-letter, church-wide theme for Shelbyville First Baptist Church this year. It doesn’t get much more simple than that. Our theme is “Go”!
This year I pray that we will mobilize like never before as a church and as individual Christians. Personally, I am increasing my evangelistic efforts, I am scheduled to travel to Russia this summer to teach, and I am making plans to lead a trip to the Holy Land.
Please share your “Go” ideas here.
Haiti Relief Effort
Posted by Stephen C. Rice in Discipleship, Evangelism, Ministry on January 15, 2010
Our hearts and prayers go out to the people of Haiti. Please join me in praying for the people of Haiti daily and join me in asking God to show us what He would have us do to help. As expected, we have people from our church who are gearing up to travel to Haiti to help with disaster relief efforts. I will share information soon about opportunities to travel to Haiti and help if you are interested.
I encourage you to consider giving a monetary gift to help the people of Haiti. Here are a number of reputable ways you can give to the Haiti Relief Effort.
Southern Baptist International Mission Board
