The Local Church: God’s Program for Evangelism and Discipleship

Dear Brother or Sister in Christ,

Is there a relationship between your local church and discipleship? I’m not asking about the discipleship program at your local church, I’m asking if God might mean for the church to be the discipleship program.

Is there a relationship between your local church and evangelism? Again, I’m not asking about the evangelism program(s) at your local church, I’m asking if God might mean for the church to be the evangelism program.

Is there a relationship between your local church and world missions? No surprise here: I’m not asking about how your church participates in missionary endeavors, rather, I’m asking if God might intend to reach those who have never heard through the planting of healthy churches on the mission field.

We would like to invite you to a Saturday morning seminar on “The Local Church: God’s Program for Evangelism and Discipleship.”

Jesus said that he would build his church, and we believe that the “program” he gave his disciples to use in their efforts to fulfill the great commission is The Local Church. If you are interested in thinking further about what this means for local church ministry, we invite you to join us on Saturday, November 10, 2007. Please see the attached flyer for details on when and where the seminar will be held (and how long it will last—we know you’re busy!).

We want maximum glory for God here in Houston, and we pray he will use us in hallowing his name and winning new worshipers for him. There is more work to be done in this city than any of our churches can individually accomplish. We want to come alongside you and join you in the pursuit of local church health. Just as great teammates make individual players better, so also our individual churches will be improved as church health spreads. What is good for the gospel is good for our local church. Each local church will thrive as other local churches flourish.

Would you prayerfully consider coming to this seminar to think with us about local church health?

That she might be without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish,

Jim

Dr. Jim Hamilton
Preaching Elder,
Baptist Church of the Redeemer
Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

For the glory of God, Baptist Church of the Redeemer seeks to obey Christ in the great commission task of making disciples by the power of the Spirit.

Redeemer

Institute Seminar

The Local Church:

God’s Program for Evangelism and Discipleship

Dr. Jim Hamilton
Asst. Prof. of Biblical Studies, SWBTS Houston
Elder, Baptist Church of the Redeemer

9:00 to 10:20am
1) What Is the Church?
Whose idea was the church?
Who do we let into the church?
Who should lead? (What is an elder, anyway?)
Who should serve? (Just what is a deacon?)
Who should be excluded? Why? (What does regenerate church membership mean?)
Does the church have any stated roles? (What is congregationalism?)
Where do we go for answers to these questions?
Can the church decide these issues for itself? (Does the Bible have anything to say?)
When is a church “apostate”? What keeps a church from being “apostate”?

10:30 to 11:50am
2) How Does the Church Militant Wage Her War?
Does Jesus care about any of this “church” stuff?
Did Jesus do “expository preaching”?
What if the leadership doesn’t teach the Bible? (Can formative discipline happen?)
What if the leadership won’t confront sin? (Can corrective discipline happen?)
What does it mean for the church to be God’s discipleship program?
What does it mean for the church to be God’s evangelism program?
Does this have anything to do with missions?
How should the church influence the culture? (Are we just another interest group?)
What difference does the church’s corporate witness make?

Date: Saturday, November 10, from 9am to noon
Place: FBC MC

For details, please see www.bcredeemer.org
Contact: Travis Cardwell (832) 655-2515, travis@bcredeemer.org