God’s desire is for every believer to be faithful in service to Him. Not all of us can teach; not all of us can preach; not all of us can sing; not all of us can repair hot water heaters at the church… but all of us can be faithful. I Corinthians 4:2 instructs us, “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” A steward is a servant who is entrusted with the property of another for the advancement of the master’s estate. As Christians, we are called to be faithful stewards in doing the work of the Master here in this world until we are united together with Him for eternity.
No church member is in danger of losing their church membership at PBC as a result of a lack of faithfulness; but all of us are admonished to be faithful in our service to Him. We should all wish to hear Him say of us, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” None of us should be lazy or selfish like the wicked servant that Jesus described in the New Testament when he called him “thou wicked and slothful servant.” We can all be faithful wherever God puts us to serve and should use the gifts, talents, and abilities that He has given us to share the Gospel with others and to live holy lives. To the degree that we are faithful, we can expect His blessings. To the degree that we are not faithful, we can expect His chastening.
Here are a few of the ways that all Christians can and should be faithful to the Lord and to their local church:
Sunday School is a valuable opportunity to learn the Word of God in a systematic way. At PBC, our Sunday School meets at 10:00 on Sunday mornings.
Worship Service is when the Word of God is preached to us. “Preaching” is different than “teaching” in that it is primarily intended to move or motivate us to a certain decision. The Bible tells us in the Old Testament that when Ezra and the scribes read to the people of Israel out of the Book, they “gave the sense of the meaning.” That is, they preached and expounded the meaning of the Word of God so that they people knew what it meant and knew how to apply it to their own personal lives. Our worship service at PBC is held at 11:00 on Sunday mornings and includes music, announcements, and the preaching of our Pastor.
Bible Study is an in-depth verse-by-verse expositional study of the Word which is intended to deeply root us in our knowledge and understanding of the Bible. Nothing else equips us to rightly divide the Word of truth like studying the Bible in this fashion. At PBC, this Bible Study is taught by our Pastor on Sunday evenings during our 6:00 service.
Financial giving is and always has been an important part of stewardship for believers of every age. The different types of giving of which the Bible speaks and which we encourage at PBC are:
- Tithes – this is literally a “tenth” of our income and is to be given for the upkeep of God’s house and for the work of the ministry of our own local assembly. Tithes existed before the Mosaic law, during the Mosaic law, and still are part of God’s plan of giving today. Without the tithing of God’s people today, there is no way to pay for the work of the ministry of our own local, New Testament church. Other forms of giving are optional in God’s plan, but tithing is a command from the Lord. It strikes at the very heart of faithfulness.
- Missions – just as the various local churches established by the Apostle Paul during his missionary journeys, so, too, should our church be involved with helping missionaries to go forth to other places and win souls, baptize, and plant local churches. At PBC, we support a growing number of missionary families monthly through our prayers and finances. No member is required to participate in giving to missions; but all members are encouraged to do so, even if just beginning to give toward missions. Missions giving is an offering that we give over and above our tithes, not instead of our tithes. More information about our missions program here at Pinnacle Baptist Church can be found HERE.
- Love Offerings – these are freewill offerings above and beyond the tithe that members give as the Lord leads them to do so. These offerings are generally given for a specific purpose that may include special projects from time to time as well as our Building Fund which is used for the upkeep and improvement of our buildings and grounds at PBC.
- Alms – this is an aspect of giving which is also found in both the Old and New Testaments and is money given to help the poor or needy. This giving is done through the local church which prioritizes the needs of church family members then other Christians in some way related to our church family or community.
Fellowship is an important aspect of being a part of a local church family. While it may be difficult for our online church family to participate in person for fellowship, we endeavor to make sure that every member feels connected and loved. This includes providing our online members an opportunity to ask Bible questions and reach out to Pastor and deacons whenever a need arises for counseling in a number of different areas. On our campus at PBC, we have Wednesday Night Fellowship every Wednesday evening at 7:00 which includes a devotion, singing, prayer requests, a time of fellowship with refreshments provided by families in the church, and a Christian film. We intentionally have a more informal meeting on Wednesday nights in the fellowship hall instead of the sanctuary so that our members can spend time fellowshipping together and then enjoying a Christian film together. We generally watch a 20-30 minute segment of whichever Christian film is being shown and then continue the film the following Wednesday night until it is completed. In addition to Wednesday Night Fellowship, the church holds missions conferences, revival services, Vacation Bible School, an annual homecoming meal and service, and various Bible conferences from time to time throughout the year which provide opportunities for fellowship and meals together in addition to the services. While we understand that our online members are not generally able to be with us for all of these events, everyone is invited to attend Sundays or special events when travel is possible; and we will always try to provide links to the Christian films that we watch together as a church family on Wednesdays so that you, too, can watch along with us and be encouraged.
Discipleship is training new believers in the basic things of the Christian faith and life. If you are a new believer, Pastor has an entire series to help you in your growth as a new Christian. If you are already an experienced believer, our discipleship training will equip you to be able to disciple new or spiritually immature believers as well. Our 13-week discipleship training, including Pastor’s lessons for all 13 weeks can be found HERE.
Soulwinning is the ministry of leading a soul to Christ. All Christians are commanded to win souls, but many are unsure of how to even attempt it. Our church and pastor are dedicated to equipping you to know how to win a soul to Christ, yourself. You can witness for Him wherever you might be; and we will provide you with the tools and training that you need to be an effective soulwinner.