Randall House Minister's Manual ESV Edition

Billy Melvin

• Publisher: Randall House
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN: 9780892656530
• eBook ISBN: 9781614840718
• Topic: Teología y religión
• Subtopic: Rituales cristianos y práctica

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 that 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 that 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 a 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 others 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, your 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 or accusation of the misuse of finances.

16. See 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, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’” Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “I baptize you with water for 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 fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with 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 Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’” John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

—Mark 1:1-11

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

—Matthew 28:18-20

Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condem...

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