50 Passages: Why Biblical Counseling?

“What are the foundational Scriptures upon which you founded and based your church's biblical counseling ministry?”

Collated below are the fifty passages listed most often.

Psalm 1:1-2
Proverbs 15:23
Proverbs 18:13, 21
Proverbs 25:11
Proverbs 27:6
Isaiah 9:6
Isaiah 11:1-4
Isaiah 55:11
Matthew 22:34-40
Matthew 28:16-20
Mark 12:30-31
John 1:1-18
John 6:32-33
John 8:38
John 10:10
John 14:15-31
John 17:1-26
Acts 2:40-47
Acts 20:17-38
Romans 6:1-14

Overcoming a Critical Spirit and Chronic Complaining

Do you find yourself with a negative disposition, always finding fault with something or criticizing someone? Is it difficult for you to see the positive in a person or a situation because the negative is always so glaring in your eye? Are you compelled to give your critical point of view for the good of all mankind?

If you have a critical spirit (which is distinct from having a Spirit-filled, discerning spirit; 1 Thess. 5:21; Acts 17:11) you are in danger. Not getting hit-by-a-truck-kind-of-danger, but a serious kind none the less—and that is spiritual danger. A critical spirit is from the dark side. It is meant to hurt and destroy its object.  It works against the purposes of God as set forth in Ephesians 4.

A critical spirit is a negative attitude of the heart that condemns, tears down, and destroys with words, actions, and attitudes. In stark contrast, constructive criticism involves choice words/actions that are meant to genuinely build up; (the Bible sometimes calls this "edification"). Pastors for example are commanded to "reprove, rebuke, and exhort" when feeding God's flock through biblical exposition (2 Tim. 4:1-5).  A critical spirit creates blind spots in a person’s own heart and mind causing them to believe they are being constructive. Chronic murmuring and a critical spirit are characteristics of the ungodly

Different Types of Critical Spirits 

1. SLANDERER

A slanderer is a person who makes false statements (often in the form of half truths) in order to damage a person’s reputation. He/she does not care about the truth or correcting an error. A slanderer creates error in order to inflict harm.

The Bible’s Perspective

Proverbs 10:18—“He who conceals hatred has lying lips, and he who spreads slander is a fool.”

Proverbs 16:28—“A perverse man spreads strife, and a slanderer separates intimate friends.”

1 Peter 2:1—“Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.”

2. SINFUL JUDGMENTALISM

A judgmental person has an excessively critical point of view, characterized by a tendency to judge harshly. Judgmental people have the reputation of being negative/critical.  He/she lacks empathy for others’ viewpoint/circumstances because he/she believes her point of view is the right one (whether it is biblically and factually substantiated or not). He/she believes she has the ability to know others’ motives. He/she has the amazing skill to point out others’ mistakes/weaknesses, while minimizing his/her own.  He/she rarely ever encourages those they work, minister, or serve with.  Sinfully judgmental souls believe they have a special gift for pointing out the (perceived) flaws and weaknesses of others and are more concerned about someone else's sanctification then they are their own pursuit of Christ-likeness.

The Bible’s Perspective

Matthew 7:1-5—“Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.  Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

James 2:13—“For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.”

3. The CHRONIC COMPLAINER

A complainer is a person who is habitually negative about others and circumstances of life. They are characterized by discontentment and ingratitude.  God severely judged the Israelites for habitual ingratitude (see Exodus/Numbers).  Moses became so depressed over the complaining spirit of the people he led in the wilderness that he asked God to end his life.

Biblical Discipleship and Counseling Requires Wisdom

"Not every person in every situation should be ministered to in the exact same fashion, and not every sermon preached in every place should emphasize the exact same truths. Take, for instance, Paul’s instruction in 1 Thessalonians 5:14: “And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.” These instructions provide an invaluable manual for ministry in the Body of Christ. Paul provides three different categories of people that need the truth of God’s Word applied to their life in distinct ways.

First, Paul says to “admonish the idle.” The idle are those who know the truth but refuse to respond to it. Much like a car that is stuck in idle, these individuals remain unresponsive to the truth of God in their spiritual lives. How do we minister to such people? We admonish them. These individuals have spurned the comfort of gospel truth and now need the conviction of reproach in their life. In fact, to comfort such a person in their disobedience would be a detriment to their growth. To put it bluntly, they need a brotherly “kick in the pants” to get them started.

On the other hand, Paul says to “encourage the fainthearted.” The fainthearted is someone who knows the truth and is struggling to respond. They are discouraged by the battle for spiritual growth, but they are still engaged with God’s truth. Whether because of their weakness, immaturities, trials, persecution, or afflictions, they are deflated in their spiritual life. This person does not need admonishment, he needs encouragement. He does not need to be held accountable to God’s requirements; he is well aware of his obligation before God. What he needs is a reminder of the grace God has supplied for him as he seeks to move forward in imperfect obedience. He needs someone to walk with him as he pursues the means of grace and strives for obedience when he doesn’t feel like obeying. He is neither ignorant nor indifferent to God’s truth—he is struggling to live by God’s truth and needs a brotherly embrace.

The Hidden Epidemic: Dangers of anti-anxiety medications

Those who struggle with fear, worry, and anxiety need to be lovingly cared for.  In a perfect world a mature biblical counselor would work in tandem with a top notch Christian physician to offer proper care for a believer who is hurting (we are after all body/soul creatures).

A secular news organization recently ran an article titled the "

The Hidden Epidemic: Dangers of anti-anxiety medications."  This story encourages its readers to understand the side effects and long term addictions that can arise from various 

psychotropic drugs....

 As reported by (KATV) Little Rock — Scott Graves was a man who seemingly had it all: a good job, a loving family. That was until he was handed a prescription for Xanax in 1994 after being diagnosed with a mental health disorder.

"For a long time, I kept it together," he said. "I took it as prescribed. And then it became where I couldn’t do anything without them."

For nearly 15 years, Scott was addicted saying, “I woke up with the pills. I spent the whole day with the pills. I went to bed with the pills. It was my life.”

It took one relapse and two suicide attempts for him to realize he had a problem. He was able to finally break free in 2016. “I was going to die. I didn’t want to, but I was going to," he said.

Scott isn't alone either. The struggle of addition to Xanax or other benzodiazepines, like Klonopin or Ativan, is all too real for more people than you might think.

“Benzos are in fact one of the most addictive prescription drugs that we have in the field today," said Tucker Martin, director of marketing for Recovery Centers of Arkansas.

Disciple and Counsel with Biblical Confidence

1.        "The gospel of Jesus Christ is the foundation of biblical change (2 Cor. 5:17; Rom. 5:1; 6:16-18; 8:13). The gospel brings spiritual new birth, and it orients, guides, empowers, and dominates all of the Christian life following regeneration (Col. 2:6).

2.       Change is always possible for believers in Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:6; Rom. 6:17-18). No Christian is so entrenched in sin, so dominated by his past or anything else, that he cannot be changed by the dynamic work of the Holy Spirit.

3.       The Word of God applied by the Spirit of God is the primary tool for change (John 17:17; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Ps. 119:1, 24, 133). Living and active, inerrant, God-revealed, Christ-commended, Spirit-empowered—when it comes to changing people, there is nothing like the Bible.

4.       The heart is the place where real, long-lasting change takes place (Rom. 12:2; 2 Cor. 10:5; Prov. 4:23; Mark 7:21-23; Matt. 12:34). The heart is where a person thinks, considers, analyzes, evaluates, feels, decides, and chooses—the mission control center of life, the real person on the inside, the inner man. Counseling is about changing a person’s heart or moment-by-moment thinking.

5.       God’s plan for practical daily change is: put off / be renewed / put on (Eph. 4:22-24; Col. 3:8-14). That plan includes the following components: put off, be renewed in your mind, put on true thoughts and righteous acts.

12 Truths for Depressed and Anxious Christians

"Remember These Truths.  Be sure that a theological error is not the root of your distress. Especially have a solid understanding of our so great a salvation and the riches of mercy revealed in Christ. It will be useful to you to understand these following truths, among others.

1. Our thoughts of the infinite goodness of God should be proportionate to our thoughts concerning his infinite power and wisdom.

2. The mercy of God has provided for all mankind so sufficient a Savior that no sinner shall perish for lack of a complete satisfaction made for his sins by Christ. No man’s salvation or pardon requires that he provide satisfaction for his own sins.

3. Christ has in his gospel covenant (which is an act of self-sacrifice) given himself with pardon and salvation to all that will penitently and believingly accept the offer. None perish that hear the gospel but the final, obstinate refusers of Christ and life.

4. He who believes the truth of the gospel so far as to consent to the covenant of grace—that God the Father would be his Lord and reconciled Father, and Christ his Savior, and the Holy Spirit his sanctifier—has true, saving faith and a right to the blessing of the covenant.

5. The day of grace is so coextensive or equal to our lifetime that whoever truly repents and consents to the covenant of grace before his death is certainly pardoned and in a state of life. It is everyone’s duty to do so, that pardon may be had.

6. Satan’s temptations are not our sins: it is only our yielding to temptation that is sin.

7. The effects of natural sickness or disease are not (in and of themselves) sins.

An Open Letter to Those Who Feel Unqualified to Offer Counsel

"Dear believer,

The body of Christ needs you. It needs your words and deeds. That is simply part of the deal when you follow Jesus. The apostle Paul wrote, “encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). You are already speaking encouraging words and building people up. Now keep doing it, more intentionally, more skillfully, more prayerfully—when a child scuffs her knee, when a friend is separated from a spouse, when depression strikes a person you know, or when someone has been diagnosed with cancer.

The Lord specializes in using people who feel weak in themselves.

If you feel inadequate to help others in need, especially those with more complicated problems, that is a perfect qualification. The Lord specializes in using people who feel weak in themselves, and your sense of inadequacy will probably protect you from saying something unhelpful. We are usually unhelpful when we are confident that we know what another person needs to hear.

You already know the basics of help and encouragement. First, you have to move toward the other person, which is sometimes the hardest thing to do. You have to talk together and hear what is important to the person. Next, let the person know that you have them on your heart—you are with them and are moved by what they are going through. That might be enough for one day. You have built up the body of Christ.

If there are awkward silences or if you are inclined to go further, you can ask, “Could you suggest ways that I could pray for you?” If you are concerned that such a question could sound like a spiritual platitude, remember that it is only trite if you are not really interested or are not actually going to pray. If the person is on your heart and you are praying for them, you have given them a great gift.

Convictions that Shape the Local Church and Biblical Counseling.

"With regards to biblical soul care well taught Biblical Counselors share 3 beliefs:

1) It is the church’s responsibility to counsel people through their struggles, rather than relying upon those outside the church.  

This does not mean one never goes outside the church for help or that some problems aren't both/and body AND soul issues.  Medical doctors have been trained with the physical body and biblical counselors have been taught how to care for the spiritual matters of the heart, soul, and mind.

2) Lasting life change is the goal of counseling, and the greatest change people need is to trust Christ enough to follow his ways. This decision of faith impacts all other decisions in life and helps them best deal with the struggles of life. Faith is never a secondary concern in counseling.

3) Christ models for us reliance upon the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures, and counselors should seek to increase that reliance as they help individuals grow in Christlikeness. We do not have the power or wisdom to change on our own. We need the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and the wisdom of the scriptures to change.

Within the church, these 3 beliefs are usually met with agreement. However, within many Christian counseling offices, these beliefs are often met with skepticism and resistance leaving them outside the counseling process.

Sadly, the gospel, the church, and the Holy Spirit are rarely discussed in many “Christian” counseling practices.  We talk to many pastors and churches who are troubled by this. They thought when they sought counseling at a “Christian Counseling” center that their faith would be part of the process and that their counselor would know how to direct them to the Scriptures for guidance.

So what do you do if you are troubled by this too?

Many churches are and have begun to respond. Rather than making a list of outside places where people can receive counseling/care, they have decided to equip individuals within their congregation to walk with the hurting. In order to consider this approach, you need to embrace four key convictions about Biblical Counseling that shape a ministry like this.

Key Conviction # 1 – Holistic Discipleship: Fulfilling the whole Great Commission

Why You Might Be a Better Biblical Counselor Than You Think

"Right after I finished college, I was asked to meet with two middle school aged boys whose father had recently taken his life. I was a young single man and I was nervous that I would say the wrong thing. These boys had already been in so much pain, and I didn’t want to make it worse. I had taken some training in Biblical Counseling, had a reputation for connecting with young people, but I had never walked anyone through an issue like this before. I didn’t know if they would sit quietly, cry, or be angry. I knew one thing though: God loved them and desired for me to demonstrate that to them.

I hatched a plan: “Scripture and Stickball”.

Each week we would look at one truth about God, talk about it, and go to the parking lot to play stickball. Our counseling sessions rarely lasted more than 20 minutes but that is all that junior high boys in that situation could probably handle. We talked about God’s love, sovereignty and assured them that we were there for them. I listened and answered questions they had and found another older women to work with their mom through her grief.

You might wonder if you or your church should consider developing Biblical Counselors. While counseling situations can be complicated at times, “Scripture and Stickball” works. Stickball is really an example of building a bridge into the life of a hurting soul for the purpose of sharing God’s love and truth with them. Stickball with a young mom might be help folding laundry and holding a grown-up conversation. Stickball with a college student might be an invitation to Sunday dinner and a conversation about their future plans. Stickball with someone stricken with cancer might be a ride home when the nausea is unbearable. Stickball with a grieving widower might an early morning breakfast at the local pancake house. Your stickball might be conversations and coffee, working on cars for single moms, hospitality, or inviting disconnected men onto a work team.

Do you know what your stickball is? God calls all of us to find our stickball and use our unique interests to make a difference.

Midweek Humor

HT: Pastor Ray

Intervening in Crisis Marriages

Photo Credit: Muzmatch

Intervening in Crisis Marriages by Dr. Ernie Baker.

"The situation could be a shock to the church or it could be a shock to one of the members of the marriage. Either way, something has happened that is now life-threatening for the marital relationship. Over the last year, I (Dr. Baker) have faced more of these relationships than any other time in ministry. As a result, I have spent a significant amount of time thinking of strategies for intervention. What can a church do? Is church discipline/restoration (Matt. 18:15-17; 1 Cor. 5) the only option?[1]

Before we get to some suggested steps, I’ll attempt to define a crisis marriage.  Definition of a Crisis Marriage: I am not using the term crisis marriage to describe a relationship that is having brush fires break out. The marriages I have in mind are full-blown wildfires. Divorce is threatened or papers have actually been filed. Violence has become public. An affair has been revealed. A struggle with a secret sin has become known. Therefore, the crisis marriage is a shock to you or to one of the partners and is causing stress on the marriage so that it is unraveling.

Motivations for Getting Involved: Because marriage represents Christ’s relationship to His Church, it is worth intervening sacrificially. A lot is on the line here, including the name of our Lord. Not only that, but also the health of the couple’s children is at stake. They hear that the gospel is about love and forgiveness and grew up believing their parents actually believed these things, but now they fight rather than offer love and forgiveness. The consequence—children mock Christianity and end up cohabiting because they don’t want the pain of a failed marriage. There are many other reasons to get involved with crisis marriages. For the love of Christ constrains us… (2 Cor. 5:14).

Principles to Help

Remember the advantages of having a one-anothering culture in the church — Within a one-anothering culture, it is much more natural to have the necessary conversations when these crises happen. It is also harder for the people involved to resist if there has been prior investment in the relationship. Maybe the first thing you need to work on in the ministry is one-anothering as a long-term solution to many soul care issues (see Rom. 12:4-21). Your appeal will be potent in the context of personal relationship.

10 Biblical Principles for Marriages and Marriage Counseling

Gospel-Centered Marriages and Marriage Counseling by Dr. Kellemen. 

"I’ve done a lot of marriage counseling lately. Consistent biblical themes keep arising. I’ve collated them into 10 foundational principles for marriages and for marriage counseling. The first 8 principles are for both the husband and wife. The final 2 are more specifically for the husband (# 9) and the wife (# 10).

Notice that the last two principles are where a lot of couples and a lot of counselors start—with biblical roles in marriage. Obviously, this is a vital biblical area. Yet, Paul did not start Ephesians with Ephesians 5:21. He started it with gospel-centered principles of salvation, daily Christian living, and relationships. Then, building upon those foundations, Paul moved toward the roles, responsibilities, and callings of husbands and wives. With these 10 principles, I’ve sought to do the same—laying out a gospel-centered foundation for marriages and marriage counseling. I now regularly hand out these 10 principles as a one-page guide for the couples that I’m counseling. Feel free to do the same—with small margins, you can make these 10 principles all fit on one page! To prove it, click here for your one-page PDF document. You can send it to others using this shortened link: http://bit.ly/MarriageMC10

10 Biblical Principles for Marriages and Marriage Counseling

1. Both of You: Keep Putting Jesus First; Keep Loving Jesus Most: Matthew 22:35-38

Love God most with your most: with all your heart, soul, mind, and spirit. Repent of anything you put on the throne above Jesus. Put Jesus before yourself. Put Jesus before your children, your work, your ministry. Put Jesus before your need to be right. Put Jesus first. Love Jesus most.

2. Both of You: Be Empowered, Changed, and Comforted by the Trinity—Be Filled by the Spirit, Empowered by the Son, and Comforted by the Father: Ephesians 5:18; 6:10-18; 2 Corinthians 1:3-8 

Paul surrounds his marriage counsel with Ephesians 5:18 and 6:10-18. Spouses change as they are filled by the Spirit (5:18). Marriages change as spouses become more like Christ in Christ’s resurrection power (6:10-18). In your marital wounds and hurts, be comforted by the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-8).

3. Both of You: Remember Who Your Enemy Is—Satan!: Ephesians 6:11-12 

Your struggle is not against your spouse. Your enemy is not your spouse. Your joint enemy is Satan! He wants to destroy your marriage. Join together as spiritual warriors to defeat Satan in the Lord’s mighty power.

4. Both of You: Take Personal Responsibility: Joshua 1:6-9; Philippians 4:9

You’ve been given more spiritual tools than most people on the planet. Use them. Be mature and courageous and do what God commands. What you’ve heard in the Word—do! Put it into practice!

What is "Biblical Counseling?" What is it not? (pt. 2)

By the grace of God, Lake Country Bible Church has well trained, ACBC certified biblical counselors and we are in the process of raising up more. These believers seek to use their spiritual gifts to help those in need for the edification of the church and the glory of Jesus Christ (1 Thess. 5:14; Col. 1:28; Eph. 4:11-16; Jude 22-23). Our leadership team is also committed to being "shepherd-leaders" and not just decision makers (1 Peter 5:1-4; 1 Thess. 2:8).

What exactly is true Biblical Counseling? What is it not? 

III. Counseling Practice

In light of these realities, ACBC endorses the following standards of belief and practice for its certified counselors and counseling centers that would care for people diagnosed with the complicated problems identified as mental disorders.

1. Biblical Counselors must acknowledge that human beings struggle with physical and spiritual problems.

2. Biblical counselors shall encourage the use of physical examinations and testing by physicians for diagnosis of medical problems, the treatment of these problems, and the relief of symptoms, which might cause, contribute to, or complicate counseling issues.

3. Biblical counselors shall help their counselees respond biblically to physical problems, but deny that spiritual interventions are the only proper response to problems with a medical element. They reject any teaching, which excludes the importance of the body and the goodness of God, which leads to the blessing of medical care.

4. Biblical counselors reject the notion that medical interventions solve spiritual problems. They embrace the use of medicine for cure and symptom relief, but deny that medical care is sufficient for spiritual problems, which require Christ and his gospel for ultimate relief and lasting change.

What is "Biblical Counseling?" What is it not? (pt. 1)

By the grace of God, Lake Country Bible Church has well trained, ACBC certified biblical counselors and we are in the process of raising up more.  These believers seek to use their spiritual gifts to help those in need for the edification of the church and the glory of Jesus Christ (1 Thess. 5:14; Col. 1:28; Eph. 4:11-16; Jude 22-23).  Our leadership team is also committed to being "shepherd-leaders" and not just decision makers (1 Peter 5:1-4; 1 Thess. 2:8).

What exactly is true Biblical Counseling? What is it not?  

I. Mental Disorders and Biblical Counseling

We live in a broken world full of people suffering with profound trouble and intense pain. One manifestation of that brokenness is the problem that our culture recognizes as mental disorder. Increasing numbers of people are diagnosed with these complex difficulties, which require wisdom and multi-faceted care. We confess that, too often, the church of Jesus Christ has not been recognized as a source for profound hope and meaningful help for such difficult problems. We further acknowledge that many Christians have contributed to a negative stigma attached to such diagnoses through simplistic understandings of these problems, and have offered solutions grounded in ignorance.

As an organization committed to pursuing excellence in biblical counseling the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors has, for decades, been calling upon faithful Christians to grow in the twin tasks of understanding complex problems and learning skills to address them in the context of counseling. As an organization committed to the sufficiency of Scripture for counseling we believe that the Bible provides profound wisdom to guide us in caring for people diagnosed with mental disorders.

One example of this wisdom is the biblical teaching on dichotomy. The Bible is clear that God created human beings to consist of both a body and soul. To be a human being is to exist in these two constituent parts, which are separable only at death. Even after death, Christians confess that the bodies and souls of human beings will be restored at the Last Day. This biblical truth points to the high honor and regard that God gives to both the physical and spiritual realities of humanity.[1]

A theological reality like this one requires Christians to honor both body and soul as crucial to human existence. Christians, therefore, should respect medical interventions as a fully legitimate form of care for those struggling in this fallen world. Examinations by medical professionals are crucial adjuncts to a biblical counseling ministry as they discover and treat, or rule out physical problems, which lead many to seek counseling help.

Another example of this biblical wisdom is the teaching in Scripture on the dynamic nature of problems that we experience in a fallen world. Human beings have difficulties, which always carry physical and spiritual implications. Both aspects need to be addressed in an appropriate fashion. Human beings experience problems with spiritual implications for which they are morally culpable and must repent. Human beings experience other physical and spiritual problems, which are not a consequence of their sins, are not their fault, but which are painful realities that attend life in a fallen world.[2]

This theological reality requires Christians to approach problems in a complex way, rather than a simplistic one. Christians understand that some spiritual realities will require a rebuke, but others will require encouragement in the midst of pain. Still others will require help in the midst of weakness.

II. Mental Disorders in Contemporary Culture

A Pastor's Job Description: What Do You Do All Week Long?

Photo Credit: mintools.com

"What do you do as a Senior Pastor all week long?"  I have also been jokingly asked, "What is it like to only work one day a week?"  Since no two pastorates are exactly alike every minister of the gospel will answer this question slightly different; (my weekly schedule has itself changed over the years based on a number of variables).   A pastor's official job description is set forth in the following Scriptural texts: Acts 6:1-4; Eph. 4:11-16; Col. 1:28-29; 2 Tim. 2:15; 4:1-4; 1 Tim. 5:17-18; Heb. 13:17.

Here is a basic breakdown of my roles and responsibilities as I seek to faithfully serve the people of God: 

1) Preaching and teaching (2 Tim. 2:15; 4:1-5; 1 Tim. 5:17-18).  Weekly I prepare the Sunday morning sermon exposition and the Sunday School hour (teaching time).  Our church has embraced the priority of PREACHING and values verse-by-verse exposition as the main spiritual diet (John 21:27).   In my early years I also taught a weekly bible study during our Sunday evening service.   I currently teach a combined adult SS class and deliver a weekly sermon exposition during our worship service.  I also teach the T & T students during the AWANA year and provide a short devotional during prayer meeting when Awana is not in session.  For many years I spent a lot of time preparing teaching material for our men's leadership training and development ministry; (see #6).  The congregation and lay leaders have always given me ample time (see Acts 6) for expository study (Tuesday-Saturday) and for in-depth expository preaching during the morning worship service!  For this I rejoice!

2) “Leader among leader” responsibilities (1 Pet. 5; Heb. 13:17; 1 Cor. 11:1).  The week before our monthly leadership meeting I put together the monthly agenda.   I have always had a great relationship with our chairmen.  The chairman and I talk on the phone or meet in person as much as is needed.   As I have stated many times before faithful lay leaders are the backbone of the church.

3) Worship planning.  I put together the order of worship for the upcoming month.  I generally do this the last week of the month.  I often correspond with our lay praise leaders and with our secretary as I complete this task.  Our liturgy planning includes Scripture texts, praise songs, special offertories, Scripture reading/readers, etc.  Thankfully, our congregation has not engaged in any fruitless worship wars during the time I have been here.  Our service includes Worship through adoration, worship through prayer and offering, worship through hearing God's Word read, and worship through the exposition of Scripture, and worship through the ordinances (communion and baptism).