At Justified By Faith Baptist Church in Indianapolis, IN, I, Daniel H. Weems, Sr. serve as an Associate Pastor. We are a new church plant about seventeen months old and have around fifty active members. I have been asked to organize and implement a soul care ministry within the church. My overarching goal for ministry is to restore my fellow man when he is overtaken in a fault (Gal. 6:1), fully knowing that all mankind have missed the mark at times (Rom. 3:23); I do my best to remind…
The German princes were crucial to the Reformation, creating the atmosphere which made Lutheranism successful between 1521 and 1555, because they carried forward Luther’s ideology making it reality. Their authority over Charles V, the new inexperienced emperor with the military support and influence over voting his seat in power allowed them to support Luther for example at the Diet of Worms in 1521 where Luther was given a hearing rather than excommunication due to the princely support. By 1531 the Schmalkaldic League was set up as a united defence alliance by Protestant princes and delegates of free cities in response to the threat of Charles V to eradicate Lutheranism. Although the league was defeated in 1547 during the battle of Muhlberg, it allowed Lutheranism to be established firmly therefore the Reformation could not be simply ended by brute force.. And in 1555 Lutheranism was recognised as a valid religion by Emperor Charles V due to the Peace of Augsburg which was primarily a princely movement. Although, it can be seen that there were more important factors creating the atmosphere such as Martin Luther, the initial driving force of the Reformation.…
In the sixteenth centenary the Roman Catholic Church was the ruling power in Europe. They had created an empire and controlled the land and the people. There was nothing more that people feared at this time than being excommunicated from the church. For this reason, people would not dare challenge the church as they feared going to hell. A man by the name of Martin Luther joined the Catholic church as he searched to find himself and save his soul. He quickly realized that the Catholic church was full of corruption and took a stand. Martin Luther wanted to expose the church and follow God the right way. Luther believed that faith alone and a change of heart was enough for a person to be saved from the hell. Martin Luther had a conservative way of thinking however he had many liberal ideas.…
The church was running about 120 people and was struggling. The church had just experienced a split. So Pastor set out to heal some wounds and help the church grow. He started soul winning classes, began preaching on why we use the King James Bible, and focused on money management. The church had accumulated over half a million dollars in debt, thanks to God’s goodness and Pastor Metsinger’s leadership, this debt was retired a little over a year after he got there. Pastor got back to the basics by teaching on Baptist distinctives, KJV truth, and basic discipleship. This helped remove some of the compromising culture that had set in before his arrival at South…
This mission reminds us that for the Kingdom of God to continue to break in, individual lives need to be changed, while being motivated and equipped for transformation. Our Book of Discipline offers this cue: “God has used our church to save persons, heal relationships, transform social structures, and spread scriptural holiness, thereby changing the world.” When we change lives and introduce people to the all-loving nature of God, we indeed transform the world. When making disciples, the Church welcomes people into community, educates them on God’s call for Christians, and equips them toward using their spiritual gifts to serve as change agents playing a role in bringing about the Kingdom of…
The head of the Lutheran Church is someone from the elected councils. It is an important difference from Catholicism because Catholics have the Pope as their head leader meanwhile Lutherans do not think it is necessary to have someone to assist God. An elected council is a group of members that discuss many problems or give suggestions on how to improve in certain areas. The Pope is the bishop of Rome as head of the Roman Catholic Church. Lutherans and Catholics believe salvation is achieved through faith, yet Catholics believe the good works are involved with salvation as well. Catholics accept all the sacraments and priests perform all seven sacraments or rituals. Lutherans accept some of the sacraments but do not perform a few because they believe that rituals do not erase sin, only God is able to do such thing. The Bible is a source of truth for both religions but for Catholics, church tradition is a source that has been practiced for centuries. Catholics have a priest to read and teach the bible for others, meanwhile Lutherans believe that they themselves should read and interpret the…
The worn path written by Eudora Welty (1941) is a great short story about Phoenix Jackson, an old African American woman who beats all odds to make a trip into town for medicine for her grandson, she overcomes many challenges that test her courage and will. Because of her loyalty and love, Phoenix has sacrificed her own well-being on this dangerous path for the well-being of her grandson.…
Sixth grade was nearing the end - my cousin who attended St. Joseph Central Catholic in Fremont, Ohio was signed up to serve a dinner for a fund raiser they were holding. They were in need of extra help so my cousin asked me to help out. The attraction to get people to attend the dinner was the guest speaker, who at the time I had know idea who it was and didn't even ask. I needed service hours for Confirmation so I told my cousin I would help.…
Finally, the day to be confirmed is here. The arrival at the Church makes a feeling oh-so holy. Every family member comes and compliments the fancy appearance of one’s outfit. There is a short walk inside to see peers taking part in the lifelong journey of Confirmation. The importance of picking a saint for Confirmation starts with understanding why Catholics pick them, how to pick a saint, and narrowing down the choices of saints.…
In my 8th grade year of middle school my best friend Elena and I decide to be baptized before entering high school with the purpose…
Rhetorical Analysis: Brit Melville employed personification and contrasting diction to exemplify the unbalanced relationship between the sea and the human race, which established that the sea would forever be unfathomable to landsmen and the landsmen would forever live at it’s mercy; thus warning those ignorant men that the dream of conquering the sea shall remain a dream. Melville portrayed the sea as a godly and omnipotent being, so immensely powerful that “no mercy, no power but its own controls it”. The word “own” embedded here implied that the sea obtained a mind of it’s own, a mind capable of acknowledging emotions and of dictating a brilliant race. By affirming the intellectual and humanistic characters of the sea, Melville informed the citizens clinging onto solid ground that they were far from being qualified for the battle against…
During the year of 2010, the summer before eighth grade year. I got the chance to participate in a five day youth mission trip in Galveston Texas with my church that went by the name of Oakwood Baptist Church. During the mission trip there would be many different activities that our church group would get to be a part of, such as an outdoor dodge ball tournament, indoor carnivals, and our very own Vacation Bible School. I was able to take part in this amazing adventure, and I couldn’t wait for it to begin.…
By the end of this interview, I learned more about my pastor than most people would have known. His story is not like most people’s; and he has definitely had a rollercoaster ride throughout his life. From going through a conversion experience, to raising a child’s life, and doing many extraordinary things, Fr. H truly is an inspirational figure in the…
I want to be Confirmed because it’s a way for me to feel closer to God and the church. Confirmation to me means accepting your responsibility for your faith and destiny, and becoming closer with God. I have done many things this year to start preparing for Confirmation. For example I have been going to church more often, praying every night, before I eat and before I go to bed. I have done some services for St. John the Baptism, for example I attended the picnic, I will also be attending at the fish fry this Friday. I know I haven't done a lot of services for this church but I have done more services in different other places. Doing services it has impacted me because I like to do good for whoever needs me, it has s also helped me realize…
The next part of the Service was more solemn as it was preparing for Holy Communion. This is where the Minister breaks the bread and gives the wine, representing the Body and Blood of Christ. I then went up to the sanctuary where I received a Blessing on my forehead from the Minister. Those that have been confirmed took the bread and wine. After the closing hymn, the Minister gave some notices and then dismissed us with the Blessing “Go in Peace to Love & Serve the Lord”. Our response, “In the name of Christ, Amen”.…