is a minister in the Protestant Church in the Netherlands. In addition, Van der Spoel is known for the Passion for Preaching movement . He has his own communication agency, the Jethro Foundation , with which he wants to advise pastors.
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Take Care of My Sheep
0$5,07This first part of The Pastors’ Manual deals with what it means to be a pastor. Jethro’s first advice to Moses is: ‘You must be the people’s representative before God’ (Exodus 18:19). The pastor is called to carry his congregation to God in prayer and at the same time represent God to the church. This is a special position, in which the pastor speaks on behalf of both the church and God. The pastor’s entire life is marked by this responsibility. In this book we will look at how this ministry affects his spiritual life and his daily existence. We will also consider the task itself, typical pitfalls, and how to persevere as a pastor. While reading and studying this chapter, never forget the promise of our Lord in 1 Thessalonians 5:24: “The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it”!
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Passion for Preaching
0$5,07The second advice Jethro gives his son-in-law Moses is: “Teach them the decrees and laws”. In our contemporary language this means: preach to them the Word of God. Teaching and preaching are intertwined in the Bible and so Moses has the task of preaching. Today preaching is seen as one of the main tasks of a pastor. When the congregation has gathered to worship and listen to the Word of God, the preacher is there to explain and apply God’s words to His people. In preaching, God’s words as they are written down in the Bible come alive. In order to preach biblically and relevantly, the pastor needs to dig deep into the Word, bring it close to the hearts and lives of the people. He has to make sure that the Word of the Lord has touched his own heart as well. This part will show you how to do so.
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Teach Me Your Way
0$5,07This part is about the third word of advice Jethro offers Moses, in which he says: ‘show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave’ (Exodus 18:20). Here, Jethro is talking about the task of teaching the people of God. Teaching focuses on the practical application in daily life of that which has been preached. In the Bible, teaching always centres on practising what we preach.
In the worldwide church, this teaching is known as discipleship. How can we live our lives as disciples of Jesus? How can we grow in following Christ? What does it mean to be a child of the Father? These things require knowledge of what the faith is really all about, and instruction as to how to put this knowledge into practice day by day. Discipleship combines our creed with our conduct; it deals with what we believe and what we do. That is what this part of the Pastors’ Manual is all about: what do you teach your people in order to help them grow as disciples of Jesus. You can present the many questions in this section to your congregation when you teach them these lessons and you can also use them to go deeper into these lessons yourself.
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Shepherding the flock
0$5,07This part is about the third word of advice Jethro offers Moses, in which he says: ‘show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave’ (Exodus 18:20). Here, Jethro is talking about the task of teaching the people of God. Teaching focuses on the practical application in daily life of that which has been preached. In the Bible, teaching always centres on practising what we preach.
In the worldwide church, this teaching is known as discipleship. How can we live our lives as disciples of Jesus? How can we grow in following Christ? What does it mean to be a child of the Father? These things require knowledge of what the faith is really all about, and instruction as to how to put this knowledge into practice day by day. Discipleship combines our creed with our conduct; it deals with what we believe and what we do. That is what this part of the Pastors’ Manual is all about: what do you teach your people in order to help them grow as disciples of Jesus. You can present the many questions in this section to your congregation when you teach them these lessons and you can also use them to go deeper into these lessons yourself.
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Organizing the Church
0$5,07Wherever people come to faith, they begin to meet together and form a faith community. This began with the first Christians who came to faith on the Day of Pentecost. They came together in each other’s homes not only to receive teaching from the Scriptures and to pray, but also “to fellowship”(Acts 2:42). A few verses after this, we read that “All the believers were together and had everything in common” (verse 44). Believing is not something you do alone. The moment you come to faith in Jesus, you become a part of his body, a member of a very large, worldwide family. This family includes young and old, men and women, black and white, rich and poor. All these completely different people are bound together by the fact that each one has responded to Jesus’ voice, received the same invitation from God, and said ‘yes’. Each person who comes to faith gives his life to God and God then gives us to one another in order for us to follow and obey Jesus together and serve one another. These two aspects of Christianity are the pillars on which every congregation of Christ rests: honouring God and serving one’s neighbour.
