Ministry Philosophy and Creeds
MINISTRY PHILOSOPHY
My ministry philosophy is based upon the primary focus to spend the whole of our lives sharing the gospel and growing in the knowledge and understanding of our Lord. The command to make disciples recorded in Matthew 28:19-20 and to do so as you go creates the framework behind a missional outreach lifestyle. In two short verses, the gospel writer records a high calling for believers to share the good news of Jesus Christ and to get plugged-in to God’s redemptive plan for the entirety of their lives. In these verses, discipleship is purposed as an intentional ongoing culture, not just an organized church led event, but rather as our only way of life! Let's have coffee and get to know one another!
At a corporate level, reaching out to the community in church-led outreach events is enormously important. In recent years, I have come to emphasize to our own church family the need to build relationships with the people that we meet every day. From coffee shops, libraries, stores and even at church functions, we must work to build stronger relationships with people that cross our paths in the community both inside and outside of our church walls. The simple function of inviting someone to church can knit people together in love and service of our Lord.
As a pastor and professor, I have a great concern with the level of Christian understanding that we as evangelical Southern Baptists impress upon our congregations from the pulpit. For the last several decades studies on the internal life of the evangelical church have shown that we are becoming progressively illiterate in our biblical understanding. In other words, our Christian culture as a whole has come to know less about the Bible and Christian doctrines over time. This movement is due in part from an absence of solid theological teaching of the Scriptures. For this reason, I spend a large portion of my time studying and writing sermons, articles, and my first book in an effort to bring Christians to a deeper understanding of the Christian faith. My book, Grounded: Anchoring the Evangelical Sermon in Theological Doctrine, was written with this specific purpose in mind.
My style of preaching would be considered expository by most textbooks and seminary professors. In his book, Faithful Preaching, Dr. Tony Merida offers three great examples of preaching styles. He says preachers typically handle the Scriptures like a swimming pool. The first way is when the preacher reads a passage of scripture and dives off into his sermon never returning to the Scriptures again. In the second style, they sprinkle Scripture across their sermon in an effort to give it credibility. Finally, the third, an expository sermon, is my style. This is where the preacher takes the congregation for a swim in the Scriptures, examining them in detail, all while connecting that theology in how we should live our lives in relationship to our Lord.
In closing, preaching, building relationships, making disciples and church life is something I am truly passionate about. The Christian faith challenges us to commit ourselves to a path of knowledge and obedience to our Lord. From a pastoral viewpoint, the biblical role of shepherding the sheep requires the pastor to grow the sheep through a steady diet of teaching God’s word. Sermons should inspire the congregation to give sacrificially and to encourage each other to devote our lives to the study of His word. Even so, God calls us to be a people who are dedicated to the ongoing culture of making disciples and for this reason, we give our all to Him.
For HIM I Give My All,
David Brown, Ph.D.
Pastor, Refuge in the Park
WHY THE APOSTLE'S CREED?
"Because we want to connect people with historical Christianity that Jesus passed down to apostles and the early church fathers and throughout history." David Brown, Pastor
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
WHY THE NICENE CREED?
"Until we understand the Divine relationship between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we will never understand any human relationship. Refuge Church's priority is building relationships with each other and those outside our faith in order to invite them into the fold of Christianity. For this reason, we affirm the Nicene Creed."
David Brown, Pastor
We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ the only Son of God, begotten from the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father. Through him all things were made
for us and for our salvation, He came down from heaven; He became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and was made human. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried. The third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead. His kingdom will never end.
And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life. He proceeds from the Father and the Son, and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified. He spoke through the prophets. We believe in one holy and apostolic church. We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and to life in the world to come. Amen.