Upcoming Seminar: Developing A Biblical Ecclesiology
I’ve been given the opportunity to present a seminar on the topic “Developing a Biblical Ecclesiology”. The seminar will be Saturday, March 21, 2009 from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. There will be no charge and breakfast will be included. The seminar will be held at the facilities of Bethel Hill Baptist Church in Roxboro, NC.
While I gave a similar lecture last year in a New Testament class, this seminar will be different. I will focus on the relationships between the church and God, between brothers and sisters in Christ, and between the church and the world. We will also discuss some of the implications of living out these relationships.
I hope many of my readers will attend this seminar. If you need more information, contact me at aknox@sebts.edu. I will post more information about the seminar as soon as it is available.
Hi Alan, so if I get you right, the church will gather to hear a lecture from you on how to be a church…. interesting.
Can I ask how this seminar approach fits in with your earlier post about “church meetings” where you write the following…
“These passages seem fairly simple and straightforward to me. It has also become clear (at least to me) that the modern pattern of church meetings does not match what we see in these passages from Scripture.
If only one person teaches (preaches), even if that person has been trained and educated, and even if that person is the most talented and gifted and mature, and even if that person has been recognized (ordained) as a pastor/elder/bishop, and even if that teaching (preaching) is biblical and powerful and Spirit-led, that church will not be as healthy and will not grow in maturity as much as it would be if many people exercised their spiritual gifts during the church meeting.”
So you will gather the church to give a lecture to tell them how they should not gather together to hear a sermon?
Fill in the gaps for me brother. 🙂
Joe (JR),
I understand your confusion. But, you’re missing one key part of this seminar. I will not be the only person teaching. In fact, I’m looking forward to hearing and learning from others during this time – especially when we eat breakfast together during the seminar and eat lunch together after the seminar, but also during the seminar.
I appreciate your concern for consistency, but I do try to live what I learn and write about here.
-Alan
Fair enough, I think that sounds like a good format and I see how you are working toward modeling what you teach… that is what I respect about you brother.
Let me ask you this.
What other NT giftings are encouraged during your seminar, or is it just talking?
Many churches do their Sunday teaching time and then have small groups that explore the sermon and Scripture during the week. They do exactly what you are doing in the seminar, but they just spread it out over the week. Many of these gropes even eat together 🙂 So do you find this to be an equally biblical approach to being the church?
PS
fly me in and I will be glad to eat and teach with you brother! 🙂
Joe (JR),
Yes, I think there will be opportunities for people to serve through many different gifts.
By the way, I didn’t answer your earlier question, but I think you know that I don’t have a problem with teaching – even a prolonged time of teaching. I simply don’t believe that should be the only gift operating when the church meets.
Actually, I don’t have a problem with “Sunday School” that allows different people to take part. However, I haven’t run into anyone who considers “Sunday School” to be church. I think that’s interesting. “Sunday School” looks more like church in Scripture, but its not church today.
I wish I could afford to fly you over here. I would love to have your input and participation.
-Alan
thanks. i agree with you about the Sunday gathering.
SS is good, but i prefer midweek gatherings because they reinforce the notion that church is not a sunday gathering alone, but a community that gathers frequently and for many purposes.
enjoy the seminar!
Joe (JR),
I prefer midweek gatherings as well, which is why I put “Sunday school” in quotes. 🙂
“a community that gathers frequently and for many purposes”… I like that.
-Alan