Category Archives: church

Steps to ministry

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Many years ago, when I was just dreaming of entering the ministry (still in college), I got to meet Dr Edmund Clowney. He kindly autographed a book on ministry for me (the first one on the subject I ever read). He was a kind, godly man who took time for me — and left a good impression. (More recently, his IVP book on THE CHURCH has been very useful.).

Click on the photo for a TRIBUTE page for Dr Clowney (1917-2005).

Today I spotted this quote attributed to him. It’s right on the mark.
-pdb

“The stairway to the ministry is not a grand staircase but a back stairwell that leads down to the servants quarters.”
–Edmund Clowney

Pastoring myself….

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I was wonderfully blessed to read the following early this morning by an esteemed, long term Welsh pastor, Geoff Thomas (this is just an excerpt). You can read the whole of his article here, but I may be posting another excerpt later on…

WE PASTOR OURSELVES

Paul in his farewell to the elders in Ephesus exhorts them to keep watch over themselves (Acts 20:28). That is to be their first priority, and then he adds, ‘and all the flock over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God’, but the focus is first on the elders’ self-watch. What a tragedy to hear a man saying, ‘I watched the flock, but I failed to watch myself. I gave other people fine advice about problems. I even gave fellow ministers who called me for help wise counsels and yet I failed to exhort my own heart.’ Continue reading →