Doctor of Ministry Progress

On 2 January, I leave for the next series of seminars in my Doctor of Ministry programme. These seminars focus on sermon delivery. My cohort have the opportunity to view one another's sermon DVDs and offer evaluations. I am looking forward to the challenges and helps the men will give me. Would you please continue to pray as I try to complete all the related assignments before I leave for Los Angeles?

Riverbend Bible Church – Staff Christmas Lunch

Pictured here is the great team of people (and their families) who serve as staff at Riverbend Bible Church and The Shepherd's Bible College. We enjoyed a summer lunch together reflecting on God's grace toward us in 2010. Pastor Russell Hohneck encouraged us to remain humble and to love one another so as to avoid a critical spirit. What a blessing to serve alongside such people. We're looking forward to an exciting year of ministry together in 2011.

The Master's Academy International – Regional Summit

Visiting faculty members from TMAI institutes in Japan, India, Philippines, and other related ministries in Australia and Singapore attended a regional summit here in Hastings, New Zealand this week. It was our joy to host these two days of meetings in which the various representatives discussed ministry training concepts and shared ideas on how to improve our training institutes.

The Shepherd's Bible College is thankful for the relationships formed at such meetings through The Master's Academy International network. Out of these summits flow a wealth of information-sharing, new ideas, and encouragements.

Please continue to pray for TMAI institutes around the globe which have the same focus and heartbeat as The Shepherd's Bible College.

The Shepherd's Bible College – 2010 Graduation

What a joy to see the 2010 class graduate this past Saturday. Dave Deuel, Academic Director of The Master's Academy International, brought a charge to the students and faculty. The graduates are all either continuing in ministry training next year or are pursuing ministry opportunities. Some plan to continue with the new Level 6 programme at The Shepherd's Bible College in 2011.

TSBC Graduation Ceremony

Please come celebrate with all those TSBC students who will receive their 2010 certificates of completion on Saturday, 11 December at 4:30 pm. Your presence will be a special encouragement to the graduates who will be awarded a Diploma of Biblical Studies.

Guest speaker, Dave Deuel, TMAI Academic Director, is visiting from New York and will bring a charge to the student body, faculty, and church family.

A shared finger food dinner will follow the service.

Register Now for New 2011 Courses

Here at The Shepherd's Bible College, we've been busy designing new courses for 2011. We've added two new instructors to our teaching line-up. And we've added a new block course location in Epsom, Auckland. These are exciting developments which are the first step towards offering an advanced diploma in addition to our already established programme.

Our current Diploma of Biblical Studies programme is designed for those who are involved in lay ministry. Graduates are prepared for service in the local church. The programme has a focus on personal growth and students are given opportunity to discern their own gifts and abilities.

The new Level 6 advanced diploma programme will be designed for those who want to be involved in bi-vocational ministry. Graduates will be prepared for leadership in the local church. The programme will have a focus on ministry ability and students will be given opportunity to grow as a servant-leader.

The new Level 6 courses in 2011 are:

• Biblical Counselling
• Greek
• Advanced Theology
• Missions
• Cults and False Religions
• Historical Theology
• Christian Ethics

For more information on these and our normal array of Level 5 courses, click on the graphic below. Then go to the TSBC website which contains descriptions for each of the courses, dates, times, and registration details etc.

To register for courses, click on the following link to complete online registration: Register

Updated 2011 TSBC Year Planner

The Shepherd's Bible College has published an updated 2011 year planner. Click on the image below . . .

TSBC Preaching Students

One of The Shepherd's Bible College's goals is to train preachers. This past Sunday at TSBC we heard the final three men complete their last preaching lab for 2010. What a joy to hear them exposit the Word of God and call their listeners to obedience.

Josh Powell (Wellington), Zohar Gonen (Israel), and Reuben Pickering (Cambridge) have all completed this phase of TSBC's homiletics training in expository preaching. They received very helpful feedback after each of their preaching labs and have worked on weaknesses throughout the process.

Thanks for praying for these and other TSBC students throughout the year.

Fellowship Group Leadership

This week the Cornerstone fellowship group leaders meet at our home for an end-of-year breakfast. This has been our tradition for a number of years now.

These are wonderful men to serve with! My appreciation for them has only grown as we have sought to serve the Lord together each week.


In recent months, we have spent some time to identify each other's strengths, weaknesses, and spiritual gifts. I will leave the weaknesses off this summary, but look below at how God has provided for Cornerstone and Riverbend Bible Church in these men! . . .

• Nigel: Passion and love for the Word of God, ability to teach with clarity, administration, commitment to discipleship, leadership, work ethic, self-discipline, perseverance with people.
• Denys: Gift of encouragement and exhortation, wise counsellor, one-on-one teacher, welcoming, gentle towards people, faithfulness in discipleship, committed to prayer.
• Gavin: Leadership, encouragement, teaching, worship leading, humility, gentleness, unassuming, ability to draw out people, faithful in ministry, quick to serve, team-builder.
• Grant: Teaching, encouragement, strength of conviction, humble, willing to listen, hospitality, asks great questions, effective home group leader, love for Word of God, commitment to leading family, calm in pressure situations.
• Mike: Reliable, loyal, keeps commitments, servant heart, teaching (boys rally), teaching (one on one).
• Jeremy: Evangelist, encourager, motivator, leader, proactive initiator, great faith.
• James: Generous, encourager, reliable servant, commitment to prayer, leader with a shepherding heart, integrity, teachable, humble.
• Reuben: Purposeful encourager, servant, insightful questions, teaching, sober-minded.

How can we not rejoice in the composition of Christ's church? The Lord designs people to serve in the church just as He wills and He provides the necessary strengths and abilities to do that (1 Corinthians 12:11, 18). In the end, God gets the praise.

TSBC Preaching Labs

TSBC's preachers-in-training undertake their third round of preaching labs this Sunday afternoon (14 November) in New Testament Epistle passages. Here is the schedule:

• Josh Powell - 3:00pm
• Zohar Gonen - 3:50pm
• Reuben Pickering - 4:40pm

If you're local, please come join us at The Shepherd's Bible College in Hastings. You'll be ministered to, and you'll have an opportunity to offer constructive feedback to the students.

Visiting RBC Home Groups

The elders at Riverbend Bible Church are endeavouring to conduct Q&A sessions with each of the RBC small group Bible studies. The idea is to let people ask about the church, future plans, philosophy of ministry, and also give people an opportunity to provide feedback to the church leaders.

So this past Wednesday night, a fellow elder and I went to our first home group. When we arrived, we found a desk set up with four folders positioned on it. Here's a photo of the four folders . . .


The folder entitled "Complaints" was the thickest. The "Gossip to Clear Up" folder was the next thickest and then "Questions". When we opened the "Compliments" folder, it was empty :)

Of course this was all in fun and the evening proved to be very encouraging.

Gracebooks NZ - Christian Resources

Today, the board of Gracebooks NZ met in Hastings to discuss the ministry of Gracebooks NZ. This is a Christian book, DVD, and CD distributing ministry that supplies sound biblical resources to New Zealand and Australia. Gracebooks has a bookstore in Hastings and a website on which all its resources are available to browse and purchase.

Periodically, Gracebooks makes selected titles available to its mailing list members at reduced prices. To get onto the mailing list, please e-mail Denys Tomaselli.

Gracebooks is a non-profit ministry which depends upon donations to ensure its continuance. If you'd like to support his vital ministry, again please contact the Director, Denys Tomaselli.

If you click on the icon above, you'll be taken to the Gracebooks NZ website. You'll find that Gracebooks sells its resources at affordable prices (often below normal retail prices), and if you are buying within New Zealand, SHIPPING IS FREE.

Here's a picture of today's meeting with board members and volunteer staff. . .


Please pray for the Gracebooks staff as they endeavour to serve the Christian community.

Sports Camp Ends

The Riverbend Bible Church 'Sports Camp' is all done and dusted for 2010. On Monday, the eight teams went home sunburned, tired from nonstop sport, sore with injuries, challenged about their walk with the Lord, invigorated by new friendships, and rejoicing in Christ. Mike Penberthy presented the gospel over the course of the weekend and spent a lot of time between sessions on the sports field talking with people about Christ. We are thanking the Lord for a very beneficial weekend.

Here are some photos of the various events. . .



Mike returned to the US yesterday and will be reunited with his family by now. Here is a photo of us with Sereena standing on a step :)

Sports Camp Begins

Former LA Laker, Mike Penberthy, kicked off our annual Sports Camp today with a stirring testimony of God's grace in his life. He reflected on what it meant to climb to the top of the basketball world, winning an NBA title alongside Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neil, only to discover that earthly achievement did not satisfy. Only Christ has brought meaning and significance to Mike's life. Only walking with the Lord has brought him true joy and peace.


Please pray for the remainder of the weekend. Sports Camp is designed to bring the gospel to young athletes who gather from all around the North Island of New Zealand. As I write, the teams are playing all manner of sports, outside my window, in the Hawkes Bay sun. Later, they gather again to hear more from God's Word concerning sin and salvation. We are asking the Lord to save many this weekend.

If you want to watch Mike's teaching sessions online, you can catch the video at: http://www.livestream.com/rbcnz

Oh, and here is a video clip of Mike Penberthy's LA Laker days. . .

Impact Bible Conference - June 2011

Plans are coming together for Impact 2011. The theme is "Stepping into Eternity". Two keynote speakers are planning to preach on the following topics/passages. What do you think? . . .

Bill Barrick's General Sessions:

• How Does Our Future State Impact Our Current Living? (2 Corinthians 5:6-10)
• What Is the Purpose of the Doctrine of Last Things? (2 Peter 3:10-18)
• How Does the Doctrine of Last Things Complete the Doctrine of First Things?
• Why Is Christ’s Coming the Focal Point of the Lord’s Table?
• How Does the Judgment Seat of Christ Relate to Our Glorification?

Jack Hughes' General Sessions:

• Present and Future Ministry of Angels to Believers and Unbelievers (Hebrews 1:14)
• A Trip to Hell – Exploring the Realities of Future Punishment (Luke 12:4-9)
• Investing in Eternity Now (Luke 12:33-34)
• What Will There Be for Us? – Heaven, an Unspeakable Reward (Luke 18:28-30)
• A Glimpse at the Resurrected Lord of Glory (Revelation 1:9-18)

We'll keep you updated with seminar options as they come together.

TSBC Preaching Labs

TSBC's preachers-in-training undertake their second round of preaching labs this Sunday afternoon (17 October) in New Testament Narrative passages. Here is the schedule:

• Mark 10:17-27 - Zohar Gonen @ 3:30 pm
• Luke 13: 1-9 - Reuben Pickering @ 4:20 pm
• Luke 14:25-35 - Josh Powell @ 5:10 pm
  

If you're local, please come join us at The Shepherd's Bible College in Hastings. You'll be ministered to, and you'll have an opportunity to offer constructive feedback to the students.

Sermon Series Finished

This past Sunday at Riverbend Bible Church, I finished preaching a four-week sermon series entitled "God's Gracious Hand Towards Sinners".

The four passages we covered were;

1. David's Sin (2 Samuel 11)
2. David's Rebuke (2 Samuel 12)
3. David's Confession (Psalm 51) - Seven signs of genuine confession
4. David's Lessons Learned (Psalm 32) - Six reasons to confess sin

If you interested in listening to the sermons you can get them here: RBC Sermon Audio

Also, if you want copies of the handouts and/or PowerPoint presentations that went with these messages, please contact me at my e-mail address, and I'll get those to you.

TSBC E-Quipper - October 2010 Issue

As the Rubber Meets the Road

By Russell Hohneck

My passion in ministry is that all theology works out in practice – it is the “rubber on the road” concept. Recently I experienced an incident where the rubber and the road were not working together. As I cruised along, the rubber didn’t stick and gravity brought us hard onto the road. The bike was totalled and I ended up a little worse for the experience.

The same result occurs when theology is gained for the purpose of learning and little attention given to how it is to be practiced. The Lord surely is the master at putting the two together. This is easily identified in the title by which the Lord is endearingly referred to throughout the Scriptures as “the Shepherd.” The greatest theologian then is known in terms of a very practical task. Shepherding the flock of God is the heartbeat of the Lord and biblical history and Scriptures are strongly marked with this analogy (e.g. Exodus 34; Psalm 23; John 10; Luke 15; Acts 20:28; 1 Peter; Hebrews 13:20). Even in heaven itself, Jesus will be known as the Shepherd:

“. . . for the Lamb in the center of the throne shall be their shepherd, . . . .” Revelation 7:17.

No wonder at the end of three years of training His disciples in theology and personal mentoring, Jesus says to Peter while probing Peter’s love and devotion for Himself , “tend my lambs . . . shepherd my sheep . . . tend my sheep.” Shepherding the flock is the heart of the greatest Shepherd and every theology and ministry needs to reflect that very practical “rubber on the road” shepherding if it is to be centered on Christ.

I believe that TSBC has this focus as it trains and equips people within the church. Theology and shepherding go hand in hand and TSBC is striving to bring the rubber of theology to the road of faith.

For further reading:“The Minister as Shepherd” by Charles Jefferson.

Sermon Series Update

At Riverbend Bible Church, we are two weeks into a four-week sermon series entitled "God's Gracious Hand Towards Sinners".

The four passages we're covering are;

1. David's Sin (2 Samuel 11) – Done!
2. David's Rebuke (2 Samuel 12) – Done!
3. David's Confession (Psalm 51)
4. David's Lessons Learned (Psalm 32)

If you interested in listening to the sermons you can get them here: RBC Sermon Audio

TSBC E-Quipper - September 2010 Issue

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children
by Joe Fleener

When you read a verse like Ephesians 5:1 what catches your attention first? For many of us it is the command, “be imitators of God.” I would like to suggest that the command is surrounded by some profound truths, that if missed will skew our view of God and His desires for us.

1. We are told in verse 4:32 that we are forgiven people in Christ!
2. We are told in 5:1 we are beloved children!

These are wonderful, life-changing truths; truths simple enough for a child to understand and yet deep enough to soak into our souls over a lifetime.

When was the last time you consciously and deliberately reminded yourself of the gospel of Jesus Christ?

The gospel is the truth, that the eternal, holy Creator of the universe, planned before the foundation of the world to provide the means for sinful men to be reconciled to Himself by sending His Son, the second person of the Trinity – fully God, into the world as the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ, who being fully man while still fully God lived a perfect, holy life fulfilling God’s just requirements, finally submitting Himself to death on a cruel cross being judged as a sinner, though innocent, in the place of sinners, satisfying the divine wrath of God, then raising triumphantly from the dead in three days conquering sin and death for all those who put their faith in Him and Him alone for their salvation.

Have you placed your faith in Christ and Christ alone for the forgiveness of your sins? Have you acknowledged before God that you are that sinner in need of His forgiveness which is only possible in the person and finished work of Christ?

If so, listen to this – “You’re forgiven! And if that wasn’t enough, you have been made His child! You are a son/daughter of the Living God!” As a child there is nothing you can do to earn more of God’s favour and there is nothing you can do to lose God’s favour! Rather than this being a license for sin, for those who know they are forgiven sinners, this is our motivation for child-like obedience.

You have a Father who loves you with an everlasting love! He has already provided for your greatest need, in Christ. Everything else is insignificant in comparison.

Wow! Now when you read the command in Ephesians 5:1, “be imitators of God,” what comes to mind? We imitate God because we love Him as Father!

Of course, I want to imitate my Father. This isn’t drudgery, this is a joy. Imitating Him is the most natural expression of thanksgiving I can offer as a forgiven, beloved child. And when I fail, which I will, I can run to my Father who forgives and, by His grace, gives me the desire and ability to glorify Him.

Create Your Own Website - Finalweb

Sereena has become a Finalweb reseller and now has the ability to help you with creating your own website. If you're interested in designing a website for your church, ministry, family, school, or business, take a look at her website at www.redbrickhouse.co.nz

There are many templates to chose from at very affordable prices. Sereena can help you through the process and show you how to maintain your website yourself. It's easy. Click on this picture . . .

TSBC Expository Preaching Training

This past weekend at The Shepherd's Bible College we conducted one round of preaching labs for seven students who had been attending the Homiletics 1 course this term. Homiletics 1 is a preliminary course in preaching that begins the process of expository preaching training.

Each student had spent the preceding six weeks preparing their sermons which culminated in an evaluation of their sermon delivery.

Pictured below are the seven students. . .


Left to right: Michelle Ward (USA), Zohar Gonen (Israel), Gareth Cross, (Melbourne), Warren Jardine (Melbourne), Sean Hofman (Auckland), Josh Powell, (Wellington), and Reuben Pickering (Cambridge).

The men preached to a group of assembled believers on Saturday and Sunday. Michelle preached her message to a group of forty ladies this morning at Riverbend Bible Church.

What a joy to be involved in such valuable ministry training! The students will continue the training process next term. For now, we take a two week break. Please continue to pray for them.

Preaching Series

I am preaching a series of sermons at Riverbend Bible Church over the next four Sundays. The series is entitled "God's Gracious Hand Towards Sinners" and will focus on how the Lord treats his chosen people with undeserved grace even when they fail Him.

The four sermons trace God's grace toward David as seen after David sinned against Bathsheba and her husband Uriah. The first two Sundays will provide the historical background to the narrative and the last two Sundays will outline the nature of genuine confession. The four passages we'll cover are;

1. David's Sin (2 Samuel 11)
2. David's Rebuke (2 Samuel 12)
3. David's Confession (Psalm 51)
4. David's Lessons Learned (Psalm 32)

Please pray that God will be glorified in the exposition of His Word and that His grace would be magnified in our understanding.

Short Term Mission Trip

I just returned from a week of teaching in South East Asia. Grant Watson and I were teaching a group of 30 pastors who had gathered to hone their skill in expository preaching.

What a joy to encourage these men by walking them through the four Gospels explaining their significance in knowing Christ, the gospel, and tracing the events that led up to Christ's death at Calvary. We focussed on each of the four gospelists' purposes for writing to their given audiences, the features of each gospel, and the circumstances that surrounded each gospel record. Then we walked through each book highlighting the significant themes.


The men responded with such joy and encouragement. We were very blessed.

The days were difficult as we taught in very hot and very humid conditions. We consumed a lot of water. My teaching notes now have sweat stains all over them.

Thanks to everyone who prayed for us. We stayed healthy and were able to get through everything we had planned. Our translator seemed to cope with our Kiwi accents. We have made some new friends with whom we will share eternity. Our families back here in New Zealand also seemed to manage without us.

God has been gracious to us.

Riverbend Bible Church - Satellite Photo

Google Maps have recently updated their satellite photo of Riverbend Bible Church. If you click on the photo below it will become enlarged – then look carefully – you can even tell which event was happening at the time when the photo was taken. Can you tell?





. . . Yes, it is Sports Camp 2009.

Sports Camp 2010

At Riverbend Bible Church we are eagerly anticipating our annual Sports Camp which is held over Labour Day Weekend (22-25 October). The weekend is primarily designed as an evangelistic ministry event centred around sport. Teams gather from around the North Island to compete against each other in sports such as rugby, soccer, netball, basketball, hockey, cycling, athletics, kayaking, softball, volleyball, beach volleyball, longball, cross country, and more.

The aims of Sports Camp are:
• to glorify and honour God in everything we do at Sports Camp (1 Cor 10:31; Rom 15:5-6).
• to evangelise the unsaved represented at camp (including both campers and referees) (Matt 28:18-20).
• to challenge and mature the Christian young people in the teams so they can grow in their walk with the Lord and be a witness to the unsaved in their team and in other teams (Eph 4:12-15; 1 Peter 3:15).
• to come alongside team leaders to encourage and support them in their youth leadership roles (Heb 10:24-25).
• to provide a safe sporting environment where, sportsmanship and participation is encouraged.

These aims are achieved by:
• faithfully preaching the gospel using the living and active Word of God.
corporately worshipping God through music and songs that glorify Him both in content and delivery.
• encouraging team leaders in God’s Word and in prayer, in order to promote a unified goal and purpose.
• providing opportunities for Riverbend Bible Church to interact with campers and share the gospel one-on-one.
• providing opportunities for Riverbend Bible Church and other helpers to serve during Sports Camp, thereby modelling a servant heart.
• maintaining a Christlike testimony in all aspects of planning and hosting Sports Camp.

The speaker this year is Mike Penberthy, a former Los Angeles Laker. Here is his bio:
At 6'3" (1.90 m), the NAIA powerhouse guard played for The Master's College in California where he gained much attention. Mike broke numerous school records (including most career points), and was later inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2005. Penberthy played 56 games for the Los Angeles Lakers over two years and was part of the 2000-01 championship winning team. After the Lakers, Mike played basketball professionally in Italy for eight years.

Mike attends Placerita Baptist Church, California – the same church that sent us last year's Sports Camp speaker, John Richard.

Here is some video footage of Mike's basketball days, if you're interested. . .

Man, Sin, and Salvation

Since Donald Stevenson, one of our teachers of theology, is currently in Zambia undertaking pastoral training there, Tony Nuñez taught our Theology 3 block course. Tony is a graduate of The Master's Seminary and is currently serving as Youth Pastor at Howick Baptist Church in Auckland.

The weekend intensive course covered topics like the origin and nature of man, the fall and its consequences, total depravity, the atonement of Christ, election, regeneration, conversion, justification, sanctification and glorification.

I sat in the block course for several hours over the weekend and enjoyed it very much. Students travelled from Hastings, Wellington, and Hamilton to be here.

Please continue to pray for our student body who sacrifice greatly to be a part of the training programmes.

Eschatology Weekend Seminars

This past weekend, I taught a series of seminars on the Book of Revelation and Eschatology (End Times) at Marton Bible Chapel. The schedule included eleven hours of teaching, starting Friday evening, and ending Sunday afternoon.
We began the weekend by asking, "Why study the End Times?" and answered with the statement: "We study End Times, not primarily to build a calendar, but rather to build a character." Hence, our goal for the weekend was to consider how we might be better prepared to meet our Saviour and how we might be faithful to the task of evangelism while we wait expectantly.

In the sessions that followed, we:
• Discussed and agreed to utilise the literal-grammatical-historical hermeneutic
• Compared the theological perspectives of Eschatology
• Surveyed the Book of Revelation
• Completed a chronological survey of the End Times by compiling selected Scriptures from throughout the Old and New Testaments

A team of TSBC students came with us to enjoy the seminars and to encourage the local saints. We all enjoyed our time Marton Bible Chapel.
Here is a photo we took from the top of the Wanganui tower . . .
Here's some of the TSBC students gathering at the foot of the tower . . .
And here is me with my sweetheart . . .

2011 Impact Bible Conference

Plans are coming together for Impact 2011. The dates are Thursday–Monday, 2–6 June. The speakers are Dr Bill Barrick, Dr Jack Hughes, John Richard, and Lisa Hughes.

The theme is entitled "Stepping into Eternity" and will focus our thoughts on the believer's glorification, the soon return of Christ, Heaven, and other future events. The goal is that we might be motivated to live holy lives while we wait for Christ and make the most of our opportunity to proclaim the Good News while we still can.


Dr Bill Barrick and Dr Jack Hughes will tackle this central theme, while John Richard will address the youth, and Lisa Hughes the women. I'll keep you posted as other elective speakers are added.

For now, here is the artwork for next year's conference. . .

TSBC 2011 Semester Schedule

Next year, we will transition to a two-semester schedule at The Shepherd's Bible College. This will replace the four-term schedule which has been in place for the past ten years. If you click on the graphic below, you will see the schedule in a larger format.

The key dates in 2011 are as follows:
• Orientation Day: 5 March
• First Semester Begins: 8 March
• Impact Bible Conference: 2-6 June
• First Semester Ends: 7 July
• Second Semester Begins: 9 August
• Second Semester Ends: 1 December
• Graduation: 10 December

TSBC E-Quipper - August 2010 Issue

Expanding The Impact

One of the great privileges for the believer is to see God’s work as it expands around the globe. In this edition we hear from Donald Stevenson, the Department Head of Theology, who is on an extended ministry trip in southern Africa. The Shepherd's Bible College (TSBC) is privileged to partner with local congregations throughout NZ and around the world. In addition, TSBC is a partner school of The Master’s Academy International (TMAI) which aids sound, biblical theological training around the globe.

Donald writes:

“My family and I arrived in Zambia via South Africa about a month ago. We are here furthering the partnership of our local NZ church with Samfya Bible School. This school exists to equip the rural Bemba people, a simple, yet loving people among whom the Church is thriving. The Bemba have a great need for sound biblical training and Samfya Bible School plays a key role. As we have fostered our relationship, we now see the opportunity to greatly help the Bemba through aiding their instructors and filling needs where appropriate and possible. Because of our partnership with TMAI, we were able to meet with men while in South Africa who can aid in the further equipping of Samfya’s instructors. We are a privileged family as we see the Lord orchestrating the growth of His Church as a congregation from NZ aids a school in Zambia which will be benefited from a partnership in South Africa. Now, more will be equipped to stand alone on the Word of God as the authority that will bring freedom from the ancestral worship and spiritism that cripples this land! Our God is faithful to build His church and we know that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. What a blessing to be a small part of seeing this happen.”

To keep up with the adventures and ministry of the Stevenson’s check out their blog: www.rbcinafrica.blogspot.com


Bibles and teaching resources from Riverbend Bible Church in New Zealand received enthusiastically.

TSBC Courses Underway

Classes began this week at The Shepherd's Bible College. Term three is now underway with the following courses being offered:

• NT Survey 3 (Pauline Epistles): Nigel Shailer
• OT Survey (1 Kings-Esther and Poetical Books): Joe Fleener
• Christian Living 4: Russell Hohneck
• Hermeneutics 2 (Interpreting different Bible genres): Phil Henderson
• Homiletics 1 (Preaching): Nigel Shailer
• Theology 3 (Man, Sin, and Salvation): Tony Nuñez

Please pray for each of these lecturers and their students.

Reasons to Preach from the Old Testament

Survey preachers from around the world and you would find that they preach from the New Testament far more often than they do the New. Here are some reasons why preaching from the Old Testament is justified and necessary:
• The Old Testament was the Bible of the early church
• The Old Testament is the God-breathed, inerrant, powerful revelation of God
• The Old Testament represents 77% of the Christian canon
• The Old Testament aids us in understanding the New Testament
• The Old Testament prevents us from misinterpreting the New Testament
• The Old Testament is vital for theological understanding
• The Old Testament proclaims truths not found in the New Testament
• The Old Testament offers practical insights for Christian living
• The Old Testament deals with life's great questions
• The Old Testament traces God's redemptive plan to its culmination
• The Old Testament provides a fuller understanding of Christ

New TSBC Faculty Member

Today we received word that our newest faculty member, Greg Stephenson, has been granted a visa to come to teach at The Shepherd's Bible College for one year. He will apply for that to be extended in due course.

Greg's primary role is to develop our two new programmes at level 6 and level 7. We believe these together with our existing level 5 programme will provide any even greater depth of training for those entering into bi-vocational and vocational ministry. Greg will also be lecturing in those programmes.

Greg, Traci and Micah come to us from their sending church, Christ Community Church in West Covina, California – a church whose sacrificial support means The Shepherd's Bible College can move to the next stage of ministry training in New Zealand. Greg has served in that church for the past eight years as Associate Pastor. During the six years prior to that he gained much experience in the area of facilitating international missions. Greg earned his Master of Divinity degree in 2001.

We are so thankful to God and to Christ Community Church for providing Greg and his wonderful family to come serve alongside us at The Shepherd's Bible College.

Please pray for Greg, Traci, and Micah as they make this transition into Kiwi life. They expect to arrive here in Hastings within the next 3-4 weeks.

Leadership Development at Riverbend

This year at Riverbend Bible Church we established a leadership development team comprised of six men who already serve in leadership roles within the church, but in whom we want to invest even more time. So every month we meet with these men as a part of our regular elders' meeting to discuss leadership principles, ministry issues, and church life.

Here is a picture of the men discussing how we can maintain a disciple-making focus in busy ministries that can so easily devolve into simple programme maintenance.

In preparation for the meeting we all read the first two chapters of The Trellis and the Vine: The Ministry Mind-shift that Changes Everything by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne. The book encourages ministry leaders to aim for the right balance of trellis work (i.e., property, programmes, administration, planning etc.) and vine work (i.e., disciple-making, evangelism, leadership training etc.). Both are needed and cannot be disregarded. Both need to kept in the right balance.

I recommend this book to you as a way to discuss ministry essentials with leaders within the church. It can be purchased here at Gracebooks NZ.

Book Review – "He Is Not Silent"

R. Albert Mohler, He Is Not Silent: Preaching in a Postmodern World (Chicago: Moody, 2008).


At first glance one might consider the 169 pages of He Is Not Silent: Preaching in a Postmodern World by R. Albert Mohler as just another book on preaching, but Mohler does not simply regurgitate familiar principles or praxis from well-proven books on expository preaching. Instead, Mohler calls preachers to preach the Word in postmodern times. There are the expected biblical imperatives, historical arguments, and biblical definitions found in most preaching textbooks, but Mohler goes further – He argues for a countercultural response to the attacks that postmodernism has levelled against expository preaching.

He Is Not Silent calls today’s preachers to keep on preaching no matter what postmodern trends surface. If you’re looking for a textbook on expository preaching there are more comprehensive books available, but Mohler is an accurate commentator of the times. His comprehension of postmodernism is what makes this book on preaching helpful at this particular juncture of church history. I enjoyed his cultural insights and am thankful for an evangelical leader who will not vacillate on the biblical mandate to ‘preach the Word’ especially in times such as these.

Purchase this book at Gracebooks NZ.

New TSBC Programmes Update

The Shepherd's Bible College programme development meeting went very well this week. Everything is 'big picture' at this stage, so please don't hold us to everything you read here. Here is what we are thinking at the moment. . .

Currently, TSBC offers a one-year Diploma of Biblical Studies programme which looks like this:

YEAR 1 - Level 5

• For those who want to be involved in lay ministry
• Graduates are prepared for local church service
• Overview courses
• Personal growth focus
• Help to discern gifts and abilities

The next two years of training are proposed to look something like this:

YEAR 2 - Level 6

• For those who want to be involved in bi-vocational ministry
• Graduates are prepared for local church leadership
• Equipping courses
• Ministry ability focus
• Help to grow as a servant-leader

YEAR 3 - Level 7

• For those who want to be involved in vocational ministry
• Graduates are prepared for full-time ministry & service
• Leadership courses
• Trainer/equipper focus
• Help to become effective minister & worker

Would you please pray with us as these ideas continue to develop?

TSBC E-Quipper - July 2010 Issue

What Happens When the Bible Comes under Attack?
by Nigel Shailer, Vice Principal

If God's Word is not God-breathed, it is regarded only as the product of flawed men who worked independently of any divine initiation and supervision. But the Bible says, "All Scripture is God-breathed," and, "No prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God" (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21).

If God's Word is not inerrant, it is questioned by moderns who do not trust it as a reliable source of truth. But the Bible says, "Thy Word is truth" (John 17:17).

If God's Word is not complete, it is considered 'old hat' by moderns who are looking for something more from God – a new revelation or a new prophecy. But the Bible says, "I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God shall add to him the plagues which are written in this book" (Revelation 22:18).

If God's Word is not sufficient, it is sidelined as a ministry resource and replaced by secular pragmatism, business philosophy, and humanistic psychology. But the Bible says, "His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence" (2 Peter 1:3).

If God's Word is not authoritative, it is thought to contain nothing more than helpful hints for better living – moderns can decide for themselves how they live their life. But the Bible says, "Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and observe it" (Luke 11:28).

If God's Word is not perspicuous (i.e., understandable), a final interpretation is not achievable – endless dialogue is entertained without any commitment to discover the intent of the original author. But the Bible says, "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15).

Will you join us at The Shepherd's Bible College as we affirm the inspiration, inerrancy, completeness, sufficiency, authority, and perspicuity of all sixty six books of the Bible?