Growing What Didn’t Get Zapped
By Donald A. Shirk Perhaps you are different than me, but when I became a believer I did not get zapped with a spiritual gift I never had before. I realize good and godly people hold different views on the acquisition of spiritual gifts. In this area I identify more with what Paul said about [...]
Members Who Are Not There
Many times people join a church, attend for a while, and then fall off the face of the earth. How do churches handle lack of attendance from their members? Do those people remain members and get counted among the membership? (For instance, a church has a regular attendance of 50, but has 250 members on paper.) Many churches [...]
Describing Church Membership Differently
It seems today that people are questioning the idea of church membership. People used to join without asking too many questions or wondering why they were doing it. Instead of just blindly accepting the practice of church membership, people are increasingly asking for a Biblical defense of the practice. This is more than just hesitancy to join. It [...]
Using Greek in Ministry
Did you study Greek in your theological or ministry training? Do you still use Greek in your ministry? If so, in what way? selected classic essays on using Greek in ministry.
Announcing: A New Look!
The Quest website is getting a face-lift! We are in the process of updating the theme. We appreciate your patience as we make the transition to the new design.
Contest Winner
The winner of our Quest blog post submission contest is Jamie Hart. Congratulations, Jamie! Thanks to those of you who participated. And keep those submissions coming—we want this blog to be a collaborative effort among all Regular Baptist leaders!
Why the GARBC Needs Old People, Part 4
One of the gifts of age is the ability to gain perspective. ”Perspective” is defined as “the faculty of seeing all the relevant data in a meaningful relationship.” In other words, it is the ability to put together the big picture from the relevant details of a situation or relationship. With age comes experience, and with experience [...]
Learning from History Comes through Age and Experience
Why does the GARBC need an intergenerational emphasis? Some reasons have already been articulated in recent Quest posts. (See “Why the GARBC Needs Old People,” Parts 1, 2, and 3.) This topic actually seems opposite of what most associations and churches discuss. Most churches and denominations discuss the need for, and plan to recruit, younger members. However, unless we [...]
Why the GARBC Needs Old People, Part 3
On Monday Nat Kealen reminded us that older people often possess wisdom that comes from having “been there, done that.” You might say that they bring a sense of perspective that is much needed in any organization, including the GARBC. Yesterday Will Hatfield explained that older people can challenge us to watch our pace. By [...]
Why the GARBC Needs Old People
Two weeks ago, we explored on The Quest why the GARBC needs young people. It seems only natural that we look at the topic in the other direction. When seeking counsel and wisdom, many young pastors in the GARBC look up to godly men who have been there before. These “older” men have experience and [...]
Contribute a Post, Win Logos!
We want to see more and more GARBC leaders contribute posts to the Quest blog that will help accomplish the purpose of the blog:
Why the GARBC Needs Young People, Part 3
David King’s article is a great summary of reasons why the GARBC needs young leaders. Here’s another reason. During the GARBC Annual Conference, we hear a list of leaders in GARBC ministries who have died this year. As the names were read, I realized how many men and women from the “greatest generation” have passed away. As these faithful men and women no longer lead, [...]
Why the GARBC Needs Young People, Part 2
On Monday Pastor David King gave three excellent reasons why the GARBC needs young people. Another obvious reason the GARBC (or any institution or movement, for that matter) needs young people is to replace those older servants whose work on earth is coming to an end. Charles Spurgeon notes,
Why the GARBC Needs Young People
“The glory of young men is their strength, and the splendor of old men is their gray head” (Prov. 20:29). About four years ago
Vacations and Sabbaticals
I have heard discussion from pastors, church members, and parachurch ministry leaders on the topic of how much vacation time a pastor should take and when (if ever) a pastor should be given a more lengthy respite in the form of a sabbatical. I’ll share my thoughts, and I’d like to hear yours as well.
Quest Dinner
Join the Quest at the GARBC Annual Conference on Tuesday, June 22, for a Chicago Style Pizza party! Sign up today.
Where Do You Go for Vacation?
Almost everybody has an ideal vacation—that perfect time and place that’s restful, rejuvenating, and enjoyable. This is often based on personality and experience that won’t change over the long haul of your life, but sometimes your ideal does change. My wife and I joke that our ideal vacation is reading books in the wilderness somewhere [...]
Who Has Time for a Vacation?
Pastoral vacations are tricky. Many times it is more work to go on vacation than to just stay home! You work double time to tie up loose ends before you leave, you bring your cell phone and laptop while you are on vacation, and then it takes you three weeks to catch up when you get back! I’m [...]
The Best $1 I’ve Ever Spent
The best dollar I may have ever spent was on a little blue book with the title A Service Manual for Ministers. I purchased that little manual on a whim and because it was only a dollar. First published by Regular Baptist Press, it’s now available through
The Beauty of the Bride
Weddings are usually a beautiful time, and a lot of time is spent on making things beautiful, especially the beauty of the bride. In fact, it seems there is often a lot of pressure on brides to appear as beautiful as possible for the wedding. Brides can feel pressure to use the world’s standards for [...]
Weddings: Using God’s Word as the Foundation
A marriage between a Christian couple whose foundation is based on God’s Word is a joyous thing. As a result, many Christians saturate their wedding ceremonies with Scripture. Even vows have come to include the Word of God. What a better opportunity to publicly declare a couple’s commitment and to proclaim Christ. Here’s just a small list of [...]
Premarital Counseling Resources
I remember getting asked to do premarital counseling for the first time. I was excited for the opportunity because it would force me to get some notes together that I could use again in the future. But I was somewhat at a loss for what to do. So I did what anybody would do. . . . I pulled [...]
Weddings: Whom Will Your Church Marry?
The summer wedding season is almost upon us, so this week on The Quest we are going to focus on questions and issues related to wedding ceremonies. I’m starting this off by asking the following questions and providing our church’s policy for each one. 1. Whom will you marry, or whom will you allow [...]
