A Reformed Pastor's Toolkit

Rick Warren has a minister's toolkit (Click here: Pastors.com | Encouraging pastors and church leaders), so here is one of my own.

Tool # 1 -- The Word of God rightly divided and proclaimed in the power of the Holy Spirit.  This will create faith!

Tool # 2 -- The Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper.  These will confirm and strengthen faith!

Tool # 3-- A biblically based, God-honoring liturgy. This will keep our focus on Christ, not ourselves.

Tool # 4 -- A pulpit.  Symbols are important!  This will demonstrate that we respect the Word of God.

And when I say "pulpit", I mean a big wooden pulpit (below), not some cheesy plexiglas one

Tool # 5 -- A Pastor's Study.  This is a place to prepare to preach and to pray, and a place to shepherd God's flock by applying the preached word to struggling sinners.

Tool # 6 -- Uplifting music from God's own songbook!  Let's sing the songs God gave us!

Tool # 7 -- Prostitutes and Tax Collectors.  You need people to whom to preach, and we all are tax-collectors and prostitutes at heart (or else we are Pharisees cf. Luke 18:9-14).

   

Did I miss anything?  What's in your ministry toolbox?

Now This Is Awful . . .

This has to be the worst church advertisement I have ever heard.  Not only is it blasphemous, this ad shows shows the lengths to the which "the end justifies the means" crowd will go.  The end, of course, is getting people to church so that, supposedly, they'll hear about Jesus.  The means is this clever, but absolutely inappropriate mockery of word and sacrament.  I can't help but think of Paul's words, "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you!" (Romans 2:24)

http://www.bradbrad.com/mt.mp3

H. T. to Drew Collins

Want to Turn Your Church into a Cathedral? What You Need Is a Relic!

If you want to turn your drab little church into a grand cathedral, what you need is a relic!  Saint's Alive might have just what you are looking for.  Click here: Introduction to Relics/ Saints Alive Kudos

Calvin had an interesting thought or two on this topic!  Click here: John Calvin: An Inventory of Relics

Does anyone know of any good Reformed relics?  I have a coffee cup that Mike Horton used.  I have a glass that R. C. Sproul drank from . . .  Any thoughts?

Ever Dreamed of Building Your Very Own Mega-Church? Now You Can!

If you are a fan of Sim City or Roller-Coaster Tycoon, you'll love this one! 

Ever wanted to get rid of the praise band and replace them with mariachis? 

Would you like to try a polka-liturgy?  Or a Disco service complete with Bee Gee sing-a-longs?   

Do you think you can do a better job in the pulpit than Joel Osteen or Rick Warren?

Now is your chance!  This is a great parody!  Thanks to Mr. Wolfe for sending this my way. 

Click here: Amazon.com: Mega Church: Networked Special Edition (PC Game): Computer & Video Games