Randall House Minister's Manual NKJV Edition

Billy Melvin

• Publisher: Randall House
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN: 9780892656523
• eBook ISBN: 9781614840701
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Rituals & Practice

Randall House Minister's Manual provides a minister with the ideal resource for conducting most any special ceremony or church related service. Considered a staple product for ministry, the manual includes sections with instructions for the minister as well as a variety of services including dedications, ordinations, weddings, funerals, baptisms, and many more. You can also select from a section of scriptural benedictions as well as selected poetry for various occasions. The notebook includes a section of forms to record and track services and ceremonies performed for the minister's use. Many Scripture passages are typed out for easy use in services and ceremonies.

1

General Rules for Conducting Public Worship

1. Aim at quality rather than quantity. Never let a service drag. Close the meeting as soon as all the vital parts of the program have been covered.

2. Always offer good music. It is better to have no music than poor music. In fact, poor music distracts from worship. Most churches would be better off with one good soloist than with the second-rate quartets or choirs that they use.

3. Public prayer should be brief and inspirational. The Lord’s Prayer contains only seventy words, which can be uttered in less than thirty seconds. Dean Charles R. Brown says, “The Master condemned the long-winded, ostentatious prayer . . . He insisted that every prayer should be a simple, direct, and genuine transaction between the soul of the man and God.” Dwight L. Moody said, “If you can’t pray short prayers, why, don’t pray at all. These men who make long prayers are generally the ones that pray least at home. They are generally prayerless prayers, and they take the spirit right out of the meeting.”

The essential purpose of public prayer is to lead the congregation into a prayerful mood. Therefore, it must be inspirational. Dr. John Balcom Shaw gave the following suggestion to those who lead in public prayer: “Put your heart in command, not your mind; and let your lips breathe only that which rises up within you there. Spurgeon’s prayers were as wonderful as any I ever heard. They were unmistakably the outgoings of a soul in the presence of its God.”

4. Use the “grand old hymns” but have a warm welcome for the new ones too. It is important to get everybody singing. It can be done by selecting popular Christian hymns and songs, old and new, which, are popular because they blend good music with excellent biblical lyrics. Of the many thousands of Christian hymns and songs in the world only several hundred are universal favorites. Select your hymns and songs carefully and be sure they are accompanied by tunes that can be sung by the people.

5. Never permit your preaching to become a bore. Preaching is too complicated a subject to be discussed here. Let it be enough to quote from one of America’s most popular preachers. “The only kind of a sermon which a man can preach successfully, is the kind which suits his own personality.” Find out which kind of preaching you can do well enough to hold a crowd’s interest, then stick to it. The crowd will keep coming. Moreover, find out how long you can talk and still be interesting. Don’t speak a second longer. The average preacher is a twenty-minute man. He will not attempt long sermons if he is wise.

6. Make the communion service a distinctively family gathering with the Savior as the host. All those who know and love the Savior should be welcomed regardless of their formal creed or church connection.

7. Finally, put enthusiasm into every part of every service. In the different parts of the service there should be nothing dull or boring. Coldness and formality cause religious worship to have no value. Take time to put meaning into every act of worship—prayer, responsive reading, sermon, singing, and announcements. Remember the words addressed to Ian Maclaren, “Your best work, in the pulpit, has been to put heart into men for the coming week.”

2

Church—Pastor Relationship

Getting off to a good start

Before arriving on the field:

1. Respond to a church’s call with humility and enthusiasm, understanding the seriousness and privilege of ministry.
2. Ask for prayer.
3. Answer all letters. A general letter to all members of the congregation is a good idea.
4. Begin to pray for the church. Establish prayer list to pray for members by name.
5. Get an up-to-date copy of the church roll.
6. Begin to think through your planning for this particular church.

After arriving on the field:

1. Do not brag or promote yourself.
2. Under normal circumstances, don’t outline any ambitious program too quickly.
3. Be characterized by simplicity, humility, friendliness, and spiritual power.
4. Launch into the work as if you intended to stay the rest of your life.
5. If you want to make rapid progress, go slow.
6. Don’t make any major changes for six months. It will take at least that long to get to know the people and begin to earn their trust.
7. Get acquainted with the people in the church and community.
8. Be careful how you relate to and speak about your predecessor.

General suggestions for a happy pastoral relationship

1. Be a leader and not a dictator.
2. Recruit and equip other to help do the work. Don’t do everything yourself.
3. Insist on regular meetings with your deacons, trustees and other leaders in the church.
4. Don’t claim to know everything or insist that everything be done your way. Laymen can have good ideas too.
5. Commend your people as often as possible, and always when it is deserved. Don’t always address them as if they fall short of your expectations.
6. Spend sufficient time each week in the study of God’s Word. Your people will expect to be fed. Feed them.
7. Let the Holy Spirit, through the Word, guide people into steps of spiritual progress. Progress should not be dependant upon human effort apart from the work of the Spirit.
8. Make wise use of your time. Don’t waste it. It will quickly become obvious if you are not a hard worker.
9. Visit the families of your church as well as the prospects. Balance outreach and care for present members.
10. Never betray the confidence of a member. If you do, you have probably destroyed any possibility of a future counseling ministry.
11. Never allow yourself to be alone with any member of the opposite sex.
12. Take responsibility for the leadership and welfare of your home. Congregations will not long respect a pastor who is not the loving leader of his home.
13. Pay your debts. Failure to do so will soon kill any possibility of a successful ministry.
14. Keep the church fully informed about the finances. If a budget is adopted, honor it.
15. Set up a system of financial accountability to protect you and the church from the possibility of accusation of the misuse of finances.
16. Seek to keep finances from being an unreasonable burden or distraction in the life of the church.
17. Be known as a “man of God.”

When leaving a church

1. Never use a threat of resignation in an attempt to get a raise in salary or win a power struggle.
2. If you have enjoyed a good relationship with your deacons, it is usually wise to share your decision with them shortly before resigning.
3. Write out your resignation and read it to the entire church.
4. Once you have resigned—leave!

3

Christian Baptism

Suggestions

Prior to the baptismal service, the minister should speak with each candidate, explaining the significance and meaning of the ordinance. He should let the candidate know what to expect and confirm the time and the place of the baptism. The minister should take this opportunity to stress the importance of membership in the church. He should instruct the candidate to wear suitable clothing of a modest nature or an appropriate baptismal robe. The baptismal service should usually be part of, or follow a Sunday worship service, or be at a time and place which allows as many members of the church as possible to witness the baptism. It is wise to baptize an individual soon after his conversion.

One or more of the following Scriptures may be read before the minister descends into the water.

I

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.’” Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

—Matthew 3:1-17

II

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the Prophets: “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.” “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.’” John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

—Mark 1:1-11

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven an...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• 1. General Rules for Conducting Public Worship
• 2. Church—Pastor Relationship
• 3. Christian Baptism
• 4. The Lord’s Supper
• 5. Washing the Saints’ Feet
• 6. Dedication of Children I
• 7. Dedication of Children II
• 8. Dedication of Children III
• 9. Ordination of Ministers
• 10. Challenge to Minister I
• 11. Challenge to Minister II
• 12. Ordination of Deacons
• 13. Installation Service for Officers and Teachers
• 14. Marriage Ceremony I
• 15. Marriage Ceremony II
• 16. Marriage Ceremony III
• 17. Marriage Ceremony IV
• 18. Marriage Ceremony V
• 19. Visitation of the Sick
• 20. Comforting Scripture for the Bereaved
• 21. Funeral Service
• 22. Scripture Selections to Be Used at Funerals
• 23. Funeral Texts
• 24. Committal Service I
• 25. Committal Service II
• 26. Committal Service III
• 27. Committal Service for a Child
• 28. Ground Breaking Ceremony
• 29. Laying of Church Cornerstone
• 30. Dedication of Church
• 31. Dedication of Educational Building
• 32. Mortgage or Note Burning
• 33. Scriptural Benedictions
• 34. Selected Poetry
• 35. Minister’s Record Forms