This page is intended to be a resource hub for information relating to being a member of Western Meadows Baptist Church. Bookmark it on your phone, tablet, or computer in order to return to it as needed or to send it anyone who might be interested in knowing more about our church. We have opted to use a webpage over something in print because of the ability to hyperlink sermons, articles, and other resources that are referenced throughout the teaching.

1. SESSION ONE: OUR VALUES
2. SESSION TWO: OUR LEADERSHIP
   1. Spheres of Authority (& Responsibility):
   2. Elders (aka Pastors or Overseers): Guardians of Doctrine
   3. Deacons: Guardians of Unity
   4. Members: Representatives of Christ
3. SESSION THREE: OUR DISTINCTIVES
   1. Theological Triage
   2. The Southern Baptist Convention
   3. Complementarianism
   4. Reformed Theology

SESSION ONE: OUR VALUES

• If you have not done so yet, you will need to share your testimony with an elder. 
• Discipleship
  • Discipleship means following Christ, and discipling is the process of helping others and being helped by others to be a disciple.
  • We often want a step-by-step that we can walk through and then repeat, yet Jesus’ strategy of discipleship is to create a new kind of humanity that lives life in such a way that it cannot help but attract either devotion or scorn.
  • The entirety of your life as a Christian is discipleship.
  • Discipling relationships can be peer-to-peer. They need not be exclusively a mentor-student relationship. Yet if two Christians are together without discipleship happening, then they are in sin.
    • How the early church discipled new Christians: Apostles’ Creed, Lord’s Prayer, Ten Commandments
    • New City Catechism, Baptist Faith & Message, 1689 London Baptist Confession
    • Other resources.
    • If you were to discuss the four values with someone else as a tool for discipling, you could ask four key questions:
      • Making Disciples: How did you become a disciple of Jesus?
      • Scripture: What does your time in God’s Word look like?
      • Prayer: What does your prayer life look like?
      • Community: What does being a part of WM look like?
  • Discipling also occurs on a community-level.
    • Discipleship is rooted in the church because Jesus came to build His church, to rescue for Himself a people for His own possession.
    • The communion of saints is an act of discipling. We might even say that it is the act of discipling. It is an act that reorients our affections. The very act of gathering together reminds us that we are not alone but a one member of a people.
• Missions
  • Further Reading: How to Support Missions & Be Missional at Home and Why Mission?
• Read my sermon on Making Disciples here.

• We believe in the authority and sufficiency of Scripture.
• Scripture is how we learn to obey all that Christ commanded us.
• Our devotion must be both personal and collective.
  • Personally, how can we teach someone else to follow Christ if we do not understand His Word?
    • Deuteronomy 6:4-9 | personal discipleship begins with your family
    • 2 Timothy 2:2 “and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” | then teach others.
  • Collectively, we gather together to hear the proclaimed Word.
    • This unites us as a collective people.
    • The placement of the Word as the center of our weekly worship also subtly reminds us of the Word’s central place within our lives as well.
• Read my sermon on Scripture here, as well as a sermon on the authority of the Word.

• Read Prayer by George Herbert
• “We know of John Knox as a preacher. However, it was not his preaching that Mary, Queen of Scotland, feared. She confessed, “I fear the prayers of John Knox more than all the assembled armies of Europe.” She may not have known the theological foundations of prayer, but she did know the effects of his prayers.”
• We cannot go into every harvest, but we can pray that God would send laborers into every harvest.
• How did the apostles spend their time in order to fulfill the Great Commission? They devoted themselves “to prayer and the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4).
• Corporately, we learn to pray together.
• Following a public prayer, we make it our own prayer through the affirmation of Amen.
• Praying for the church 
  • You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many. – 2 Corinthians 1:11
  • Ideas for how to pray for the church: 
    • pray for the service Saturday night as a family
    • pray for other community groups
    • pray for a greater love of God and his love 
• Read my sermon on Prayer here.

• Jesus certainly died for individuals, but He also died for His people collective.
  • 1 Peter 2:9–10 | But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
• Jesus commands us to love one another, which of course implies that we would actually be around each other.
  • John 13:34–35 | A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
• Community Groups
  • CGs are intended to dive deeper into the text of the sermon by facilitating time to discuss with one another.
• Practical steps forward
  • View the Lord’s Day gathering and community group as the overall structures for growing into community.
  • Make it a priority.
    • Joe Barnard | they had bought into one of the great myths of our society: that life is a buffet at which you can have whatever you want. This is a lie. Men cannot climb the corporate ladder, coach traveling soccer teams, visit all the national parks, teach Sunday school, get a black belt in jujitsu, and become mature spiritual leaders. Eventually, exhaustion becomes an insurmountable constraint and something gives. Sadly, for a lot of guys what gives is the closeness of their walk with God.
  • Be the kind of community that you’d like to see.
  • Be willing to receive what you did not expect.
  • Community is more than friendship.
  • Read Grimke quote and talk about Psalm 1.
• Read my sermon on Community here.

SESSION TWO: OUR LEADERSHIP

Spheres of Authority (& Responsibility):

• Individual
• Home
• Church
• Civil

• Only God has absolute authority, and we are absolutely responsible to Him.
• Our authority and responsibility over ourselves is most foundational.
• The home then follows as the foundational unit of society. (Read from Still Confessing)
  • Health, Welfare, Education
• What is the authority and responsibility of the church?
  • Ministering the Word, ordinances or sacraments, church discipline
• Civil government: The preamble of the U.S. Constitution does a good job of communicating these:
  • Establish justice
  • Insure domestic tranquility
  • Provide for the common defense
  • Promote general welfare
  • Secure the blessings

While there are only two offices of leadership within the church (elders and deacons), three roles of leadership exist: elders, deacons, and members. In this session, we will discuss briefly the responsibilities and qualifications for each. 

The most basic model of church leadership:

    Jesus [shepherd; head; husband]

                        |

    church [flock; body; bride]

Elders (aka Pastors or Overseers): Guardians of Doctrine

• Shepherd, Oversee, Model
• Ministry of the Word 
• Prayer
• God’s Steward

Deacons: Guardians of Unity

• Servants
• Ministers
• Guardians of Unity

Members: Representatives of Christ

• Collective Authority
  • Guarding Membership
    • Matthew 18:15-20 | If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.
  • Affirming Leadership
• One Another Commands
  • John 13:34–35 | A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
• Doctrinal Fact-Checking
  • Acts 17:11 | Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
• The Work of the Ministry
  • Ephesians 4:11–13 | And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
  • Serving
    • As a member, you no longer attend Western Meadows; instead, you are Western Meadows. Jesus spoke of the church as His body with each of us possessing a function, just like the organs and members of our own bodies. It is, therefore, not a matter of if you should serve but where you are best to serve. By God’s design, we each have various giftings, talents, and skills that together make the church function like a well-oiled machine. Prayerfully consider your role and service within the church.  
    • Here are a few examples of where you might serve your brothers and sisters in Christ:
      • children’s ministry – nursery – welcoming/greeting – coffee – worship – sound & media – youth ministry – community group study guide – visitation ministry – prayer – community group – meal preparations – service projects
    • However, we would encourage you not to view serving and ministry as program-based but as people-based. There will always be a limited number of roles to serve in, but there will always be an unlimited number of ways to serve others. Read A Ministry Mind-Shift for more on this understanding of ministry and service.
  • Discipleship
    • The most important thought to consider for your response to all of this is to strive to be obedient to the last commandment that Jesus gave here on earth: the Great Commission. Making disciples is the mission of every church and ever Christian.
    • To be clear, discipleship is not merely one of the aspects of a church member. In many ways, being a member is discipleship. At Western Meadows, EVERYTHING we do is centered on discipleship. We strive to be disciples through all aspects of life, through worship, serving, learning, teaching, sharing, and going. And in these things, we also seek to teach other disciples how to do them well.
    • Simply put, discipleship is not optional. It is the purpose of a follower of Jesus Christ! 
    • As a member of Western Meadows, you are agreeing that you understand your sole responsibility as a follower of Jesus is to pursue your life as his disciple in living, loving, and learning. You are also agreeing to be a part of a body, who takes very seriously the charge of our Savior: “…. go and make disciples of all nations…” 
    • The ways found below are not programs but aspects of your walk as a disciple here at Western Meadows.
  • Presence
    • Attendance is expected for Sunday morning service and a community group.
    • Chronic refusal to regularly be present at the Lord’s Day gathering will result in the revoking of one’s membership (although not before the steps of Matthew 18:15-17 are followed, of course). This may at first appear to be a harsh stance, but consider for a moment the organizations of the world. No one is ever considered a part of a basketball team without having to commit to practice times. You will promptly get kicked out of a theater production if you only attend ever other practice. And employees are fired from organizations when they fail to come to their job.
    • The church is not merely an organization, social club, or team, but that’s precisely the point. Too often, we readily accept the necessary commit for worldly matters of lesser importance, while shirking commitment to the things of God, namely being His church. As a member of Christ’s body, your fellow members expect your commitment to the church; in fact, they need it.
    • Here is a word from H. B. Charles on regular attendance:
      • A Christian was going blind and deaf, yet he never missed corporate worship on the Lord’s Day. Someone finally asked why he regularly attended church, since he could hardly see or hear the service. He answered, “I just want people to know which side I’m on.” In a real sense, regular church attendance is a statement to the world. It is an act of obedience that builds up other believers (Heb. 10:24-25). And it is a great encouragement to the pastor. It challenges us to prepare a better meal if you consistently show up with a good attitude and a big appetite.
    • Intentional Living
      • We have been called to be disciples for a purpose, and Peter calls that purpose proclaiming “the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness and into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 4:9). Thus, there should be an intentionality behind our every action of our lives. As followers of Christ, we do not simply work, hang out, eat meals, or any other of life’s daily activities; instead, we see everything as an opportunity for glorifying our Savior.
    • Prayer
      • Prayer is a necessity within the church. We do not rely upon the works or the power of men to make disciples of Christ; instead, we utterly depend upon the power of God to transform hearts. Thus, we urge you to actively, intentionally, and persistently pray for God to use Western Meadows.
    • Giving/Tithing
      • How are we to give biblically?
        • 1. Secretly (Matthew 6:2-4)
        • 2. Cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7)
        • 3. As the LORD leads you (2 Corinthians 9:7)
        • 4. Sacrificially (Mark 12:41-44)
        • 5. As a blessing (Acts 20:35)
        • 6. As an investment in eternity (Luke 12:19-21)
        • 7. To mirror God’s heart (John 3:16)
      • Though many have abused its teaching, the Bible has much to say about giving and generosity. There is no set biblical mandate for followers of Christ on how much to give; instead, we should constantly pray for the Father’s guidance as to how much we should offer to Him financially.

SESSION THREE: OUR DISTINCTIVES

The following beliefs are commonly held by the majority of the membership. While we gladly welcome those with other biblical viewpoints and perspectives into membership, we do expect unity to be maintained by not seeking to shift the church’s stances nor teaching against them.

Theological Triage

• Primary Doctrines (see the Apostles’ Creed)
• Secondary Doctrines
• Tertiary Doctrines

The Southern Baptist Convention

Complementarianism

• Views of gender roles
  • Chauvinism
    • Merriam-Webster: an attitude of superiority toward members of the opposite sex
    • Typically views men as superior to women (male chauvinism).
  • Feminism
    • Merriam-Webster: the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes
    • Taking care to define labels is crucial, especially here. Many people use feminism and egalitarianism as synonyms. Thus, take care to understand what ideas I am placing under the banner of feminism. 
  • Egalitarianism
    • Merriam-Webster: a belief in human equality especially with respect to social, political, and economic affairs
    • Does not see a distinction between the roles of men and women.
  • Complementarianism
    • Was set forth via the Danvers Statement
    • Views men and women as equal but with distinct and complementary roles.
• Explaining “hard” and “soft” complementarianism
  • Hard complementarians tend to view a woman speaking at all to the church on Sunday gathering as a sinful violation of 1 Timothy 2:12 (obviously with plenty of degrees and variations). 
  • Soft complementarians view 1 Timothy 2:12 as prohibiting elder-like practices of teaching and authority for women, while anything else is permissible. 
  • I prefer patriarchal complementarianism.

Reformed Theology

• 4 C’s | Credal, Confessional, Calvinist, Covenantal
• For an excellent exposition of The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, listen to George Higginbotham’s teachings here.
• Calvinist instead of Arminian
  • Calvinism
    • The five points of Calvinism can be summarized by the acronym TULIP. T stands for total depravity, U for unconditional election, L for limited atonement, I for irresistible grace, and P for perseverance of the saints.
  • Arminianism
    • The five points of Arminianism are Partial Depravity, Conditional Election, Unlimited Atonement, Resistible Grace, and Conditional Salvation.
  • My 2 Cents
• Covenantal instead of dispensational
  • Covenant Theology
    • Covenantal theology sees history as a series of covenants, particularly the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace. Other covenants are also emphasized (Edenic, Adamic, Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic, New). Covenantal theology also emphasizes the unity of God’s people throughout the Bible. 
  • Dispensational Theology
    • Dispensational theology sees history as a series of dispensations of God’s revelation to His people. The seven dispensations are Innocence, Conscience, Human Government, Promise, Law, Grace, and the Millennial Kingdom. This theology emphasizes Israel and the Church as two distinct peoples of God.
  • My 2 Cents
• Regulative instead of normative
  • Regulative Principle
    • This worship principle forbids anything in worship that is not designated by Scripture.
  • Normative Principle
    • This principle holds that, following the wisdom of the Spirit, anything may be done in worship so long as it is not prohibited by Scripture. 
  • My 2 Cents
    • Guarding the Sunday morning gathering
    • Music style and the value of hymns
    • You can listen to and familiarize yourself with the Western Meadows Song List at YouTube or Spotify.

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