This is Part 2 of a 3 part series. You can find Part 1 here:

The Church & Victims Of Depression

Providing Training

In our last post in this series, we looked at promoting culture. This is almost like saying, “Imagine what could be,” and then making steps in the direction of what could be. However, such things will never be without those of us in church leadership providing training for the saints. This is Paul’s call to the Ephesian church, so every joint is outfitted with the training they need for redemptive up-building in love (Eph. 4:11-16). These verses teach us that ministry is a participation sport.

In my experience with Anita, I began to think that people who suffer with things like depression could only be helped by highly skilled professionals. Whilst professional involvement may be needed, this should not relegate the body of Christ to the sideline. The leadership of the church can empower the church to help and not harm people further. We harm them further when we toss out trite sayings like “Let go and let God,” or “If you were trusting Jesus, you wouldn’t be depressed.” Many of these types of responses see depression merely through the lens of sin rather than the lens of both sin and suffering.

If we as pastors are going to shepherd well, we need to think about how we can help our congregations incarnate into people’s sufferings.

We must help them to think biblically about the role of suffering in a Christian’s life. In some cases, such as my own, I had to begin studying these things at a deeper level in order to aid my congregation. Much of this training will boil down to helping the church walk in humility, preferring one another, and walking alongside one another. One way I have learned to help train my congregation is to apply the sermons with the understanding that 1 in 5 of my congregation will suffer from depression, and the other 4 in 5 will have the opportunity to walk with someone who suffers from depression.

If we bring this struggle out of darkness into light, the sufferer is better enabled to run to Christ, and the church can help point the way. This helps give the body of Christ something to grab hold of. And since we are more alike than different, the church will learn more about ourselves as well in addition to truths we already know, just applied more deeply.

Originally published on February 29, 2016

In this episode of the Leadership Collective Podcast, Ted & Rob talk candidly with Wayne Cordeiro about the nuanced process of structuring and organizing a healthy church board, identifying toxic board behavior, and prayerfully selecting board members.

References:

• Alliance Defending Freedom – adflegal.org
• Church Law Tax Report (Geographic Compensation Benchmarks) – churchlawandtax.com
• Leading With Questions by Michael J. Marquardt
• New Hope Oahu – enewhope.org

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The Leadership Collective podcast is a roundtable discussion with seasoned pastors, focusing on the nuts and bolts issues of ministry. Each month, we tackle the common challenges that leaders face and discover the practical lessons they’ve learned along the way.

CGN is a family of churches working together for Gospel-centered renewal.

One of the primary ways to see global Gospel-centered renewal realized effectively is in the formation of healthy, autonomous, Gospel-centered churches – both locally and overseas.

This fall CGN is excited to introduce and implement a new Church Planter Training Program called “Cultivate”.

The vision of Cultivate is to see these churches planted not haphazardly or in solitude, but in partnership with the local church. Thus, our mission is to create a program which empowers local churches to assess, train, and deploy new church planters and missionaries.

Coaching / Training
The process begins with a three-step assessment and is characterized throughout by a methodical, relational, and pastoral approach to training the “church planter in training” based on their unique needs, in order to equip them with the character, skills, and knowledge necessary to fulfill their calling. Training will take place via a curated experience using resources primarily (but not exclusively) from Western Seminary’s Center for Leadership Development (CLD), some of which will be designed and taught by CGN leaders. A team of CGN leaders will oversee this process in conjunction with the local church in which the church planter in training is based.

The training portion is a two-semester, eight month training, focused on the head and the heart with an optional summer internship (a four-week intensive experience) in an applicable context (e.g. urban, foreign, etc).

LEARN MORE

The Expositors Collective is a growing network of pastors, leaders, and laypeople which exists to equip, encourage, and mentor the next generation of Christ-centered preachers. We provide resources through our weekly podcast, our two-day intentional training seminars, and interactive webinars.

Our next Training Weekend for young preachers (men and women 18-34 years old) at Rocky Mountain Calvary in Colorado Springs on September 17-18, 2021 will be a hybrid event: both online and in-person. In this interactive seminar, attendees will meet in groups and build ongoing relationships.

Learn More and Registration

Upcoming Training Track: “Cultivate: Church Planter Initiative Roundtable”

One of our Training Tracks will be the Church Planter Initiative Round able, discerning together about our church planter process. Nick Cady is heading our new Church Planter program called Cultivate, as well as discuss together on how we can move forward with our new Church Planter program

Learn more and register at conference.calvarychapel.flywheelsites.com

#calvarycgn

Upcoming Training Track: “Spiritual Health for Spiritual Leadership”

Leaders, more than ever we need to lean on each other through these intense and chaotic times we live in. We want to use this Training Track, “Spiritual Health for Spiritual Leadership,” to gather together, fellowship, pray, and collaborate on how to provide resources for leaders in the network.

Learn more and register at conference.calvarychapel.flywheelsites.com

#calvarycgn

Conference dates and more information will be coming soon!

In light of COVID-19, the Calvary Chapel/CGN Conference “Essential Church: Identity, Power and Mission” will be moving to an online-only format.

We are disappointed that we will not be able to fellowship with you in person, but we feel moving to an online platform is the safest and most effective way to carry out the conference this year.

We are currently in the planning stages of building a livestream package for you, our ministry partners, to advertise your business or ministry on our conference livestream platform.

Stay Tuned for More Details!

Calvary Chapel Bible College Europe is on the move!

The Bible college originally began at the castle in Austria which was purchased by Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa more than 25 years ago. As nation after nation began opening up to the gospel with the fall of the Soviet Union, CCBCE then moved to Hungary with a strategic vision to bring the gospel to Eastern Europe. With many of these countries now having national pastors and leaders at the helm of mission-sending churches, the frontier of missions for CCBCE is now moving further East.

Where is CCBCE going?

The country of Georgia is located in the Caucasus mountains—a place where east meets west. Georgia is strategically positioned as a bridge between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Seventy-six percent of Georgia’s population belongs to the Georgian Orthodox Church. Georgia was the second country in the world (after Armenia) to adopt Christianity as the official state religion in 326 AD. Georgia borders Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia. It is in close proximity to Iran, Iraq, and Jordan where visitors from these nations are welcome to travel freely to and from Georgia for leisure, education, and business.

Doors are opening wide.

Georgia is surrounded by nations that have historically been difficult to reach with the gospel. And yet, the doors of many of these places are now shaking. God is doing a work throughout the world and we believe that He is going to continue using CCBCE to train pioneering leaders to venture into these places and beyond with the gospel. Five years ago, Jed Gourley and his family moved to Tbilisi, Georgia to plant a church. Now three and a half years later there is a growing body of believers. CCBCE will work in conjunction with and under the umbrella of Calvary Chapel Tbilisi.

When is CCBCE moving?

Calvary Chapel Bible College Europe will move this summer. Our Fall 2020 semester will begin in Tbilisi, Georgia, in September.

What will it look like?

The first year of classes will be an experience like no other. As foundations are being laid in this new country, opportunities for CCBCE students abound. By living in Georgia, students will interact with, and serve those who have access to places we as foreigners seldom do. Along with new opportunities that will arise being a part of this new church plant, students will be raised up and discipled in the Word of God through the Bible college programs. Calvary Chapel Bible College Europe will continue to welcome students from all over the world.

CCBCE Programs

ASSOCIATE OF BIBLICAL STUDIES: 2-year Calvary Chapel Bible College program with an emphasis on missions

SCHOOL OF MISSION: 1-year program of cross-cultural training and equipping for missions and church planting

A VISION FOR LIFE: 40-day summer youth discipleship program

Students can apply now!

We are now accepting applications for our Fall 2020 semester at ccbce.com

Yes, this is really happening! Beginning this fall, CCBCE is moving to Georgia. As you pray for us, should the Lord put it on your heart to be more involved in this endeavor, please feel free to contact us.

To God be the glory, great things He has done and wondrous things He is about to do!

Apply Now!

It goes without saying, but these are unprecedented times we are living in. Due to widespread concerns about the spread of the COVID-19 virus, churches near and far are closing their doors on Sunday and midweek gatherings in an effort to protect the most vulnerable members of their congregations from infection.

The current strategy most churches are employing to continue spreading the Gospel is doing “church-online,” streaming sermons from their churches or even living rooms to their congregations. This has been a great approach, but many pastors are wondering: How can we minister to people on a more individual level?

I’ve actually got some experience in this department, and so Kellen Criswell, our director over at Calvary Global Network, asked me to write an article about this very issue.

So with that, here are three simple methods for doing discipleship online.

1. Facebook Groups for creating an online community.

If your church doesn’t have a Facebook group, now is the time to get one. They are easy and free to set up, and they allow you and your leaders easy access to your people on a platform 90% of them probably already use.

The FB group creates an online hub for your people to connect with church leaders, and equally important, each other, in a spot that is isolated from the rest of the endless scroll of baby pictures and political rants that is FaceBook.

I’d say set up a group, appoint some of the leaders in your church as admins and moderators, promote it to your people, and start posting updates and encouragements. Link people to the content you are putting out. Let them know they can use the group to ask for prayer requests and to offer each other support during this time.

FB groups are, in my opinion, your best bet at a centralized spot for your body to engage with one another.

2. GroupMe, Voxer or Instagram Group Chats for small group discussion

For those who lead home groups and small groups, both GroupMe and Instagram Group chats are fantastic ways to keep quality conversations going. I’ll cover each.

GroupMe

GroupMe is a great free tool for group chats. You set up a new group and add people via phone number or email. You can engage with GroupMe chats through their website or their simple app. For those old schoolers who refuse to add “one more dang app” onto their phones, they can opt to receive the group messages as a group text thread on their phones. The app and web interfaces support features like sharing videos, audio and photos (great to pass along encouraging content during this time), and you can easily “like” people’s messages, a great way to make everyone feel connected.

Voxer

Voxer is a great app that functions as a group chat with the ability for people to push down a “talk” button like a walkie-talkie and leave voice messages as well. Excellent app for text and voice conversations.

Instagram Group Chats (Or alternatively, Facebook Messenger)

These are great, especially if your small group is comprised of a lot of millennials or gen z since they currently live on Instagram. Features are pretty much the same, but with the added bonus, you can also record vocal clips and send them into the group chat, in case you guys want to actually use your voices to talk as well.

My personal testimony of how this works:

In case you’re skeptical… I can tell you first hand how much these kinds of mediums can help you do ministry.

In 2017, my wife and I went on a two-month missionary journey throughout Southern and Northern Ireland. I was a youth pastor at the time at Calvary Vista, and though I had good people watching over my flock at the time, I still wanted to connect with my students!

So my wife and I formed a co-ed Instagram discipleship group chat with 12 students, six guys and six girls. Each day, we had a different person in that group share something God had put on their heart. The discussions were epic! Everyone was engaged and got a lot out of it, and we grew closer to those kids, as a result. We used to group chat not just to preach at them, but to empower them to encourage and edify one another.

Don’t knock it until you try it. You just might be blown away at how effective it is! My advice would be, just make sure you are being intentional with it and shepherding the chat as you go. Prompt good discussion. Ask leading questions. Encourage others to speak up. Don’t let it be something where they are just reading what you write. Invite them to be a part of the discussion.

3. Video Chat apps for face to face interactions.

Seeing people face to face can be a huge plus. Here are some of the apps we’ve found most helpful:

Zoom or Skype

These apps let you add your contacts and create an online video chatroom with both small and large groups. Zoom has a 45-minute limit, though before you have to restart the meeting, so keep that in mind!

Marco Polo

This is a really fun app for video chat. It works differently than the other ones mentioned in that everyone takes their turn to respond (which is actually nice, no one ends up talking over each other). So if you record a 10-second video, each person in the chat then can reply with their own message. The app informs you who is watching you live at the time of recording. It all works very seamlessly and intuitively, so much so that even my sweet grandma has become a pro at using the app!

Instagram Group Chats & Facebook Messenger

These two work like Skype and Zoom, but with the bonus of also being great for text messages and voice clips, as mentioned above. There’s a video icon in the top, right corner that allows you to turn the text thread into a video chat instantly. Each person’s phone then rings, allowing them to answer and join the video! These features make Instagram and FB Messenger great one-stop shops for small discipleship groups.

FaceTime (iPhone Only)

If all your group has iPhones, FaceTime can be a great solution as well.

I hope this list is helpful! If any of you reading this want further assistance on facilitating discipleship while online, I’d be honored to chat with you. You can email me at aaronsalvato@calvarychapel.flywheelsites.com.

Praying for all of you doing ministry out there in this wild, cultural moment. May God be with you as you navigate these new frontiers, and may He lead you to the best ways to reach the specific people he’s placed in your care.

_{CalvaryChapel.com does not necessarily endorse or agree with every message or perspective in the diverse web links attached to this article. By providing these web links, we hope to provide tools for you in ministry.}

In my last article, I wrote about how contextualization was not about the church becoming more worldly. We looked back at the creational mandate for how God calls us as born again believers to speak His Word to a fallen world.

Our goal is not to absorb the culture but to influence culture with the Word of God. Though His Word is unchanging, cultures can be effected by economics, environment, population demographics, art and politics. Our desire as renewed image-bearers is to speak in a way that can be understood. The Cross is the central point we hope to communicate, for there begins new life for all who believe. Yet, the world is not listening; it has its own ideas of self-improvement and redemption. Though their methods don’t lead to life everlasting, it would appear the West isn’t really looking for that. I think most of my neighbors would agree a prosperous existence on earth is quite fine. But we have come to realize there is so much more even in this temporal life that only God can fulfill.

How do we explain the need for regeneration to someone who has all this life can offer and isn’t looking for anything else? It’s not enough to speak their language; it’s not enough to be relevant. We must speak the truth in a way they can understand. We must tell the salvation story; to do so, we will “contextualize” it to meet the context of their understanding. But how does that work?

Timothy Keller brings to light the idea of “atonement grammars” in his book Center Church. The idea is that the Bible talks about salvation in different ways to help our understanding of it. Human language is limited in its capacity to express the fullness of God’s work, but in these examples or “grammars,” we can see that God has given us some tools to help in contextualizing the message of salvation:

“1. The language of the battlefield. Christ fought against the powers of sin and death for us. He defeated the powers of evil for us.

2. The language of the marketplace. Christ paid the ransom price, the purchase price, to buy us out of our indebtedness. He frees us from enslavement.

3. The language of exile. Christ was exiled and cast out of the community so we who deserve to be banished could be brought in. He brings us home.

4. The language of the temple. Christ is the sacrifice that purifies us and makes us acceptable to draw near to the holy God. He makes us clean and beautiful.

5. The language of the law court. Christ stands before the judge and takes the punishment we deserve. He removes our guilt and makes us righteous”

The advantage of having these grammars is positive communication. It requires knowing the person we are speaking with, perhaps their history, but certainly what they believe and how they view life. In a congregational setting, it requires knowing the people to whom we preach. If my church is close to a military base, the language of the battlefield will speak to their heart. But if my church meets in the University District of Paris (which it does), and I use that kind of terminology, I will only alienate the very people I hope to reach. I could speak to them about exile knowing most of them are far from home or the language of the temple, and they would recognize the ideas of purity and separation. Beyond a usage of common cultural idioms, which could open the door to relevance, knowing the culture where we minister and identifying our own cultural presuppositions will help to choose the atonement grammar necessary for my message. This is contextualization in the sense that doesn’t fear worldliness but seeks to bring the lost to Christ. In the end, it’s centered on the Cross even though I’m concentrated on how to communicate it without compromising the message. This is also the work of the missionary, but not just the foreign missionary, all who are sent out on mission.

Language is a powerful tool, and this is where movie quotes come into play. If a speaker is quoting his favorite Woody Allen film to high schoolers, chances are he’s not speaking their language. He might announce the Gospel in all its finer points, but has the audience understood?

My next point is similar—the importance of reading culture. Sometimes historical, sociological and demographic studies help because they spell out things that are not always obvious. Thank God for the internet that can make this information readily available in a pinch. Yet, even with these tools, there is nothing like going out and experiencing everyday life. How do people buy their groceries; what do they do in their free time; what are their political views?

To further illustrate, imagine an American who wants to go to France and share the Gospel. He speaks a level of French that would even impress Voltaire. But he wears a baseball hat with a political slogan, chews gum while he speaks, uses slang while keeping his hands in the pockets. He goes to a working-class neighborhood, whose only exposure to America is Fast & Furious and the French news. I’m afraid this missionary may have overlooked a few things. Communication is made into a cultural context which gives meaning to words as they are being heard. His message about the love of God will be compromised due to his nonverbal communication.

These cultural biases can hinder our effectiveness. I’ve known many missionaries frustrated but unaware of their own blindness to this issue. It’s been the cause of many well-meaning, socio-cultural blunders (of which I’ve made too). As we seek to reach the culture for the Gospel, we must confront our own presuppositions about the place where God has called us.

In the end, we choose to contextualize, not to become like the world, but to share the unchanging Word of God in a way that can be understood. That’s why we don’t need to fear contextualization to be the cause of worldliness in the church. If we stay true to our goals, it seems more likely that we will become more like Jesus. Yannick Imbert puts it this way:

“If God in the First Testament presents himself as his own defense, if he reveals himself and in that way explains himself to men, isn’t this also true of the coming of Christ? Even if speaking of Christ-like an apologist sounds surprising, it seems very well to be largely justified in view of his ministry told in the four Gospels.”

There is much we could say about incarnation as a physical example of contextualization. Jesus spoke the language of the people He lived among. He adopted their culture and yet challenged it with truth (Matthew 12:1-20; Mark 2:1-12). Even the Sermon on the Mount shows how masterfully He communicated in a way His hearers understood (Matthew 7:28-29). It didn’t make Jesus more worldly, though He was accused of it (Mark 2:16); it brought His divinity into contact with humanity in a way that causes us to fall down on our faces in pure adoration. I believe there is much we could learn from the Lord on this subject as we follow Him daily. Contextualization or relevance? May the Lord help us to be good observers of the mission field He has called us to, so we can know how to be relevant when contextualizing the Gospel.

As a community of churches committed to Great Commission engagement, we are excited to share how we carry out the Great Commission through our Training Initiative.

Training Initiative: Equipping current and next generation preachers, disciple makers and church planters for Great Commission engagement

One way we break this initiative down practically is through:

. Institutional Training

. Church-Based Training

. REACH Project (International)

. Global Conferences

This week, we are highlighting Institutional Training:

Formal training is conducted at various CGN connected institutions of higher education and specialized training around the world, including Bible colleges with programs designed to help students know Jesus and live a life that glorifies Him.

This week, we will be focusing on Calvary Chapel Bible College Europe, uniquely located to emphasize missions, church planting and ministry in Eastern and Western Europe. By attending the campus, not only will students gain a heart for missions, but they will also be given the opportunity to live out that heart. Learn more at CCBCE.com.

If you are interested in attending Calvary Chapel Bible College Europe, visit ccbce.com to view all info and application FAQ’s.

. Q&A Interview with Pam Markey of CCBC Europe

. “My Experience at CCBC Europe” by Jeremy Foster

We at CGN and CalvaryChapel.com were able to interview a representative of CCBC Europe, Pam Markey, about the college and biblical training opportunities under the CGN Training Initiative!

1. What is the vision of CCBCE?

The vision of CCBCE is to be instrumental in raising up, equipping and sending out Christians to fulfill the mission of God that is to take the message of the Gospel to all nations at home, near and distant. We seek to do this through a systematic study of the Scriptures, discipleship and practical opportunities to reach out into the world.

2. Is there a verse that sums up the vision of CCBCE?

While it is difficult to sum up the vision of CCBCE in a verse, 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 is one that is key when to understanding who we are in the light of the Gospel.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the ministry of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

3. What is the mission of CCBCE?

As part of our mission, we at CCBCE desire to:

. Instill students with a love for the Word and a deeper relationship with God.

. Encourage each one to have a personal encounter with Jesus.

. See them increase in the knowledge of God and His heart for the world that they too would have His love for the world. ( A love for the world and not of the world.)

. Help them go out and be a part of teams that plant churches everywhere i.e. at home and abroad

4. What are the CCBCE beliefs?

While our student body and guest teachers come from a range of church traditions, CCBCE is an evangelical institution that is part of the Calvary Chapel family of churches.

5. What is the history of CCBCE?

Millstatt, Austria: 1994 -2002

During the years while CCBCE found its home in Austria, it was mainly a place where mature believers came to grow deeper in their knowledge and understanding of the Word in order to be raised up as passionate disciples for Christ. A high priority was placed on principles of leadership as CCBCE began to take a much more serious approach toward the discipleship and raising up of pastors and ministry leaders throughout Eastern Europe.

Vajta, Hungary: 2002 – 2017

In moving to Hungary, the focus became more missional. When we first started the program in Hungary, there would be between 30-60 Hungarians onsite who were being raised up to go plant churches or become involved in ministry at their church. Even though there was an outreach focus in Austria, outreach became more of the lifeblood of the campus when it moved to Hungary. With so many church plants so relatively close to each other, it was very easy for the students to build and grow in relationship with local fellowships and help them grow, evangelize and become healthier in general. In moving to Hungary, we truly became a birthplace of missionaries.

Budapest, Hungary: 2017 – Present (2020: new announcement!)

Over our years in Vajta, the missional focus has only grown. CCBCE is a launching pad for missionaries, church planters and leaders in this generation. It became clear that the Great Commission lived out through this ministry would be best exemplified in the heart of one of Europe’s largest cities. Budapest provides many opportunities for our students to invest themselves in the many church plants in and around the city. We are encouraged by the different seasons and locations God has taken CCBCE. Join us as we embark on this new adventure in Budapest and see the ways the Lord might use us next in this city, nation, continent and planet!

CCBCE came to Hungary from Austria, as it was expanding in discipleship and church planting Europe. The desire was to continue discipling and equipping individuals to church plant throughout the world, including the Middle East, Asia, Africa and India, to mention a few. Geographically, it is in a unique location for training in cross-cultural ministry, since it is surrounded by seven countries with their different cultures only hours away in each direction including Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Ukraine and Slovakia.

6. What degree programs are offered at CCBCE?

Currently, we are offering two programs at CCBCE:

Option one: We are offering, a two year non-accredited Bible College education that Calvary Chapel has offered for decades with an added emphasis on cross-cultural evangelism and church planting.

Option two: School of Mission. This is a two-semester, plus 40-day program, which offers more focused training and equipping for those students who feel a specific call for cross-cultural missions and church planting. As part of the program, a 40-day practicum is completed by the student under the leadership of a church chosen in agreement with the student and the leadership of the college. This practicum can be completed during the winter or summer break between semesters.

7. How would you best describe the local culture for prospective students?

Our students enjoy the benefits of living in downtown Budapest, Hungary. Hungary has an incredibly rich history, and the capital of Budapest shows it off in style. Even though the city has a population of just under two million people, the city feels much smaller and more intimate. Our students enjoy the daily benefits of ever-growing coffee culture, the beautiful Danube river cutting the city in two, and an endless number of places to explore! Above all, we have the benefit of living in an environment where we get to take the classroom to the streets daily!

8. Are there outreaches/ministry opportunities students can look forward to engaging in?

Literally, every night students have the opportunity for ministry and outreach. By living downtown, as a major European capital city, our students have opportunities to live out what they are learning in class as soon as they step out of their apartments! From working with evangelism teams, ministering at skate parks, ministering to the homeless or serving in a number of churches, there is almost an endless list of ministry opportunities. Also, as a part of our school program, students are encouraged to go on weekend outreaches to local churches throughout Hungary and our neighboring countries.

While there, the students will work alongside the church and missionaries and help impact the community and encourage people to come to church. Additionally, each semester, all of our students go on a 10-day outreach to a number of locations throughout Europe. This semester, we have students ministering in Spain, Ireland, Ukraine, Hungary and Romania. It is always an exciting time as the students are stretched in areas of serving and ministry! The churches and missionaries that we partner with absolutely love having the teams come, as they are able to do larger events for the community, such as organizing and running a VBS for the kids in the community!

9. How can people apply?

The best and easiest way to apply is through the CCBCE website.

10. What is the best way to contact CCBCE?

For all questions and any general information, our registrar can be reached at office@ccbce.com.

_{Article updated on May 8, 2020.}

It was early September of 1996, and the fall semester at Calvary Chapel Bible College Europe was just about start. I was on a flight from Los Angeles, California, to Munich, Germany, flipping through a phrase book trying to learn how to say, “yes,” “no,” “please,” and “thank you” in German (my two years of high school Spanish were of zero help at this point.) I had no idea that I was just starting the ride of my life. I would stay at CCBCE (then at Schloss Heroldeck in Millstatt, Austria) for my final three semesters of Bible college and be in CCBCE’s first graduating class.

As a student of CCBCE, one of my favorite aspects of the program was the opportunity to get to know so many missionaries and church leaders in Europe.

—Servant leaders who have been out on the front lines doing hard work for years upon years upon years. I was also able to visit many different countries and see God working across Europe, to see Him move in various cultural contexts. I visited cities which had never seen a single protestant church—let alone a Bible-teaching one—in their history. This was true in hundreds if not thousands of cities across the continent.

After graduating, the staff asked me to stay on board and teach an elective class. (In retrospect, I’ve always felt bad for the students who took that class, but those who survived were hopefully no worse for the year.) After returning to the states, my wife and I spent some years ministering at Calvary Chapel Vineland, New Jersey, before heading back to CCBCE in 2004.

Upon returning to the college (now as an ordained pastor), I was given the great privilege of working with some of the most amazing men and women of God in the world.

The teaching staff of CCBCE has shared God’s Word with students who come from all across the States. We’ve had students from Nigeria, Ethiopia, Australia, India, Pakistan, South Africa, Japan and China; students from Brazil, Russia, Cuba, a great many European countries, and even from Canada, to name a few places. While living in Europe from 2004 to 2013, I was able to share God’s Word in 12 different countries. Needless to say, I’m spoiled.

Fast forward to today. I’m sitting at my desk in Rogers, Arkansas, where I pastor a fantastic little church. I’ve just returned from another trip to CCBCE, and I was—not surprisingly—thoroughly blessed by my time with the students and staff at the college’s current location in Budapest, Hungary. I’ve had the pleasure of being either a student, teacher, pastor or guest lecturer for more than 20 different semesters of Calvary Chapel Bible College Europe. I’ve been given a unique perspective to see so much of God’s work through CCBCE from the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s.

Over the years, literally hundreds of CCBCE’s students have taken their own missionary adventures to serve our great Savior across the planet.

Others have returned to their native countries—that much more prepared and equipped to do the work of the ministry—where they’re now teaching others about the love of God. It’s amazing to see how our college has impacted and is impacting so many lives and eternities in so many different places. Former “CCBCEer’s” have spent time ministering on every continent (except—to my knowledge—Antarctica). CCBCE’s reach includes the fact that we have former students dealing with Russian immigration and the polar vortex as they declare Jesus in—no kidding—Siberia.

It was Dr. Robert Moffat, who, in the early 1800s shared with Dr. David Livingstone what he often saw in Africa: “the smoke of a thousand villages,” where no message of the gospel, no missionary or no mention of Jesus had ever reached. What’s staggering is that there are seemingly thousands of cities across the continent of Europe where the same can be said still today.

There is much need, and CCBCE has continued to be a constant bridge for the gospel over the years.

Every semester of CCBCE’s history has included a variety of outreaches where students serve at various Calvary Chapels, meet some wonderful saints and share the good news of Jesus with the world. These students are given what I was given all those years ago: an opportunity to see God at work in ways that they’d never be able to see without first taking a step of faith, getting on an airplane and frantically flipping through a foreign language phrase book. I hope these students have stories of their own, and that they become just like me: super spoiled as they are given opportunities to be part of God’s great work through His people across the planet.

Legendary actress Sophia Loren was quoted as saying, “Everything you see I owe to spaghetti.” I’m not going to say that I owe everything to my time with CCBCE; that would be silly. I will say that God used all those semesters in so many ways to help shape me into who I am today. For that, I’m spoiled, and because of that, I’m grateful.

^{The Expositors Collective Seminar will be held on April 5-6 at Maranatha Chapel in San Diego. Visit expositorscollective.com for more information. This seminar seeks to present prospective expositors (18-34 years) the opportunity to experience a hybrid course in gospel-centered preaching/teaching.}

You are a living witness

Your story is just that, it is yours. When this simple truth is owned, something causes your story to have incredible power. You are a living witness of the power and ability of Jesus to transform a life. Your unique perspective sheds light on the glory of Jesus in a way that other people need to hear.

GOSPEL-CENTERED LIVING PRECEDES GOSPEL-CENTERED PREACHING.

As you become comfortable with your redemptive story, the more easily people will be able to see the immense glory of Jesus through your life. While admiring other preachers can be helpful, if you try to become them, you will lose credibility with your hearers. Do not be a different person when you are in and out of a teaching role. Be passionate, but express your personal passion for God. Be sincere, using your own voice and sharing your own thoughts. Be yourself, not someone else. Being comfortable in your own skin is gospel-centered living and gospel-centered leading. The heart of the matter is that gospel-centered living comes before gospel-centered preaching.

GOSPEL-CENTERED LIVING BRINGS BALANCE.

Finding our own identity in the forgiveness and justification we have in Christ enables us to share the two sides of this coin authentically with others. Through the cross of Jesus Christ, you are already made righteous, accepted, approved, beloved and adopted as a child of God. Growing in a strong identity in Christ enables preachers to proclaim the gospel with authority and power. Resting in the full approval of God through Jesus produces freedom from seeking the approval of others, enabling you to become the most authentic version of yourself.

FREEDOM IN PREACHING COMES FROM HAVING YOUR IDENTITY SECURE IN CHRIST.

If your highs are too high and your lows are too low after preaching, it is an indication that you are not finding your identity in Jesus, but in your performance or in the approval of others.

As preachers, we have to be personally experiencing the enjoyment of the gospel in our lives, in our minds and in our hearts. Once that is in place, it allows us to stop trying to be somebody we are not, to stop trying to perform and to be ourselves. Each one of us has been uniquely made by our Creator to be His work of art: His poēma (Ephesians 2:10). He delights in what He has made. He wants us to be who He has made us to be, and not somebody else. The more we grow in that area, the better we become at representing the gospel and truly expositing His Word.

^{Mike Neglia is a leader in the Expositors Collective and will be sharing at the next seminar on April 5-6 at Maranatha Chapel in San Diego. Visit ExpositorsCollective.com for more information and to register!}

When I was in school, I loved English class. I’ve been a bit of a bookworm for as long as I can remember, and the novels, short stories, and poems that we read together in English class were always a highlight. My favorite teacher was my fourth grade English teacher, and her name was (I kid you not) Mrs. Story. Her passion for reading and literature has doubtlessly shaped me in more ways than I know. But as much as I enjoyed the literature, novels and narratives – I never quite understood “How the English language works” part of the class. My eyes would glance over the pages as we began to diagram sentences and talk about the differences between verbs, nouns and participles.

Something I did not comprehend until the past decade is the difference between an indicative statement and an imperative statement.

Most languages allow for different “moods,” which means that there are different ways of communicating information based on what action the sentence is meant to do, once it is heard or read.

If a sentence is imperative, then it is commanding you to do something:

“Get your feet off the table.” “Clean your room” “Change your tone.” “Love one another.”

If a sentence is indicative, then it is telling you a truth:

“It is 2016.” “It rains a lot in Ireland.” “You are staring at a screen right now.” “Jesus loves you.”
Each of those first sentences is telling you to do something, and each of those second sentences is telling you an undeniable truth.

One of the most important principles, when we come to read scripture, is this: The imperatives in scripture are all based on the indicatives.

This is especially true in Paul’s writings. When we are commanded to love one another, we are reminded of Jesus’ steadfast love for us (John 13:34) (1 John 4:11,19). When we are commanded to forgive those that sinned against us, we are reminded that we do so as forgiven sinners (Ephesians 4:32) (Colossians 3:13). When we are commanded to welcome strangers, we are reminded that we were aliens when Jesus welcomed us (Romans 15:7).

As Sinclair Ferguson writes: “Before ever any demand is made, the gift is offered: the announcement of good news precedes the challenge… The great gospel imperatives to holiness are ever rooted in indicatives of grace that are able to sustain the weight of those imperatives.”

Getting this into our heads and hearts will change the way that we look at the Bible.

Instead of seeing scripture as a collection of commands and rules for how we are to live our lives – connecting God’s imperatives to His indicatives will unlock the wonderful truth that the Bible is a record of the mighty acts God has done for us! Just as the Lord first liberated the Israelite slaves from Egyptian captivity before giving them His commandments at Sinai (Exodus 20:2), so Jesus first pays for our sins, justifies us and sends us His Spirit to indwell and empower us before we are expected to obey His imperatives.

I love Chuck Smith’s famous adage, “Where God guides, God provides.” I have found it to be true in my own life and seen it be true in the lives of many of my friends. And what is true in the financial realm is certainly true in the spiritual as well. If God is guiding you into holiness or obedience (which He is), He will also simultaneously provide the means and the ability to walk in the direction He is calling you to.