by Bret Capranica | Apr 22, 2008 | Pastoral Ministry
My DMin work is on this very subject. Jeff Moody points us to Dr. Mohler’s recently posted article advocating the primacy of the local church in the training of men for pastoral ministry. Mohler on Church-Based Pastoral Training – SoCal Theologica: Theological Musings from the West...
by Bret Capranica | Apr 15, 2008 | Pastoral Ministry
As this post makes its way to THE CAPRANICA front page, I will be getting into Pastor James Billings’ car headed to meet Pastor Stacy Johnson (Lord willing and he is feeling better), and we will together make the hour and a half to two hour trip to LAX to catch a plane and an all day trip (with the time zone changes) to Louisville, KY, to attend the Together for the Gospel Conference. The link below is to the article C.J. Mahaney recently posted about pastors taking time to make such trips for team building. I couldn’t agree more with his comments. In fact, our team has tried to do exactly as he has suggested and take a trip or attend a class together each year for the purpose of building our relationships as a team and taking in some great material that helps sharpen us and our ministry. We will laugh together (we normally do – but these times will contain more than the normal hilarity), eat together (again, not uncommon for us – but our weight loss plans will be savagely abandoned this week), pray together, sing together at the conference, talk, talk and talk some more about every conceivable element of ministry and life that comes to our minds. Not everyone may appreciate our taking the time this week to go to Louisville. I know that we leave behind a needy flock that all three of us love passionately and will look forward to being with again this Lord’s Day. Our wives and children (well, for two of us), will be left behind and we...
by Bret Capranica | Apr 13, 2008 | Technology
Fred Butler points us to a host of helpful websites. Check them out. Hip and Thigh: Useful Websites
by Bret Capranica | Apr 12, 2008 | Preaching
Pastor Steve Weaver points us to a new resource that boasts downloadable copies of some of the commentaries recommended by the late great Spurgeon. New Website Featuring Spurgeon’s Recommended Commentaries – Pastor Steve Weaver’s...
by Bret Capranica | Apr 11, 2008 | Ordinary Pastor, Pastoral Ministry
This past Wednesday during my quiet time, I finished reading D. A. Carson’s book, Memoirs of An Ordinary Pastor. I cannot think of a book in recent memory that has moved me so emotionally. I see myself as an ordinary pastor. In fact, weeks before the book was published I wrote a post about being an ordinary pastor. I had actually put down in writing a plan for a number of “Ordinary Pastor” posts, but I put them all on the shelf until I could obtain and read through Carson’s book. The most compelling portions for me in the book are his stalwart commitments to work hard in study, evangelism, prayer and family. Reading of his unwavering commitment to his wife during her Alzheimer years challenged me now to be more devoted to my wife and children. Learning of his final years of life – how full they were of commitment to serving the church, study hard and give himself to future generations of pastors, inspired a sense of renewed devotion within me. D. A. Carson’s final words about his father cap off what is a most excellent book: Tom Carson never rose very far in denominational structures, but hundreds of people in the Outaouais and beyond testify how much he loved them. He never wrote a book, but he loved the Book. He was never wealthy or powerful, but he kept growing as a Christian: yesterday’s grace was never enough. He was not a farsighted visionary, but he looked forward to eternity. He was not a gifted administrator, but there is no text that says, “By this shall...
