About GNC

1
About GNC

• Part I Vision

2
Vision

• Here at Good News Church, we believe that our
  highest privilege, honor and goal is to glorify
  God through a biblically vibrant community. To
  this end, we are committed to cultivating the
  worship of God, nurturing of fellow believers,
  and evangelizing of all people. In fact, as Paul
  states, we feel compelled to do these things,
  because we share a conviction that God loves his
  people, Good News Church, and the world.

3
Worship

• We believe that the Bible is the word of God. To
  be sure this is a mystery of faith, but we
  believe that God has communicated to his people
  through an inspired original text.
• We believe that the hermeneutical goal of the
  Bible is the grace of God to his people in Christ
  and the demonstration of his glory.
• We believe that the bible is the authoritative
  rule of all life, including worship. This point
  is especially important in view of human autonomy
  and constant predisposition toward rationalism
  apart from Gods counsel.
• We believe that we have been created, redeemed
  and will be glorified to see the worth of God and
  to worship God for what he has done and who he
  is.
• We believe that this worship is general and
  specific. Worship encompasses all of life and
  also pertains to corporate Sunday worship.

4
Nurture

• We believe that in Christ we are a family and
  have the privilege of loving one another.
• We believe that we are able to have a special
  love for one another, because of the work of
  Christ. Moreover, Christs work is not only an
  example, but also creates an eschatological
  existence for his people.
• We believe that community is one of the most
  important aspects of the church.
• Love, patience, forgiveness, kindness, patience,
  as well as many other characteristics should be
  at the center of the community at Good News.

5
Outreach

• We believe that the church has a honor and
  responsibility to make Christ known through word
  and deed.
• Evangelism, missions, works of mercy, and
  everyday deeds of kindness should characterize
  the church.
• In particular, we believe that church planting is
  one of the best ways in which to reach people.

6
What is GNC doing about W-N-O?

• Worship committee
• Small Groups
• Other programs to foster fellowship
• Summer missions and long term missions
• Support Sang Mi and Pastor Bryan
• Church planting (Bergen)
• Individual initiative is key here

7
Practically what will this entail?

• YOU!
• Time quality time vs. quantity time.
• Energy there is nothing easy about worship,
  creating community and reaching out to the world.
• Money where our treasure is there our heart
  will be also.
• In the end, a lot of sacrifice.
• This is actually, paradoxically, gain.

8
Future Plans

• Stabilize GNC NB in the next two years.
• a. Worship
• b. Nurture
• c. Outreach
• d. Create a Laity centered Church
• e. Ordain officers of the church
• 2. Missions at home mercy ministry
• 3. Scholarship Fund to bless future ministers
• 4. Church Planting - federation
• 5. Global Missions Ivory Coast and China

9
GNC Bergen

• Same goals as GNC NB
• About 20 people on Sunday
• Mostly non-churched
• Short-term goal stabilize the church in W, N, O
• Begin to be outward focused community, church
  planting, and missions

10
Officers of the Church

• Part 2

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Officers

• Two truths in Christianity in terms of ministry
• All people are ministers in Christ. There is a
  priesthood of all believers. We are all
  eschatological Levites.
• There are certain people ordained for the task of
  running and teaching the church.
• If poorly administered, this can lead to
  friction, but if well administered, this can lead
  to a powerful church.
• Each should outdo one another in love and
  service.

12
Laity Centered in the end

• When the ordained gifts function properly, the
  church grows in maturity and paradoxically the
  church becomes more and more laity centered.
• However, it does not become so laity centered
  that it does not need clergy.
• A church without the clergy is an incomplete
  church.

13
Ephesians 411-16

• It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to
  be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to
  be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people
  for works of service, so that the body of Christ
  may be built up until we all reach unity in the
  faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and
  become mature, attaining to the whole measure of
  the fullness of Christ.
• Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back
  and forth by the waves, and blown here and there
  by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and
  craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
  Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in
  all things grow up into him who is the Head, that
  is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and
  held together by every supporting ligament, grows
  and builds itself up in love, as each part does
  its work.

14
Officers of the Church

• According to the Bible there are two officers of
  the church Elder and Deacon.
• The position of Elder is broken down into
  teaching and ruling.
• The chief function of the ruling elder is to
  rule.
• The chief functions of the teaching elder is to
  rule and teach.
• The qualifications of the elder are a.
  character, b. experience (testing), c. gifting
  (ruling)
• The deacon is a position of service and mercy.
• The qualifications of the deacons are a.
  character, experience (testing), c. gifting
  (mercy)

15
Male/Female

• Paradoxical
• Elders open to men by exegesis and analogy.
• Deacons questionable.
• a. PCA no
• b. My opinion yes
• 4. As PCA church we submit.
• a. creative reworking?

16
1 Timothy 29-15 315

• I also want women to dress modestly, with decency
  and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or
  pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds,
  appropriate for women who profess to worship God.
  A woman should learn in quietness and full
  submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or
  to have authority over a man she must be silent.
  For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was
  not the one deceived it was the woman who was
  deceived and became a sinner. But women will be
  saved through childbearingif they continue in
  faith, love and holiness with propriety.
• if I am delayed, you will know how people ought
  to conduct themselves in God's household, which
  is the church of the living God, the pillar and
  foundation of the truth.

17
Miscellaneous, but important points on officers
of the church

• We, as the church, do not create leaders, but we
  recognize them.
• Only God creates leaders with character,
  experience and gifts.
• Not all people will become officers and this does
  not mean that they are immature.
• The office of deacon is not a stepping stone for
  the office of elder. Are there exceptions?
  Possibly.
• Pray against power struggles and for humility.

18
Presbyterian Government

• I believe that the bible offers various forms of
  government.
• I am a Presbyterian, because it seems to be not
  only girded by a biblical framework, but also
  good reason.
• Presbyterianism is a system of checks and
  balances.
• The twin concepts of Presbyterianism is
  plurality and parity.
• There are several elders, churches, presbyteries.
  This is the concept of plurality.
• There is equality among elders, churches, and
  presbyteries. This is the concept of parity.

19
Presbytery

• We are part of the Metro-Presbytery.
• Former Emmanuel church is in the
  Philadelphia-Presbytery.
• There is equality among the presbytery and we
  check up on each others reports during the
  general assembly when all the presbyteries get
  together.

20
Local church

• The session is the nominated and elected body of
  leaders. The session is elected to rule and
  teach.
• What is the job of the session? Rule and teach.
• We rule according to two principals. First, the
  most important rule is the bible. Second, we rule
  according to the Westminster Confession, Book of
  Church Order and sanctified reason.

21
GNC Session

• Part 3

22
Theory Behind the Session

• There is the tension. What decisions do the
  session make and what decision do the session
  allow the church to make?
• When the Bible speaks, there is no vote, we just
  do it.
• Point 2 is not that simple, there is always a
  time factor. When is an important
  consideration.
• There is another category of questions (a rather
  large one) that the bible does not directly
  address. What should the session do in these
  situations?

23
Decision session or the church

• Sometimes the session makes the decision on
  behalf of the church.
• Sometimes the session allow the church to make
  the decision.
• What are the principles involved? Tough to say.
  Wisdom is the operative word.
• Seek counsel in the Book of Church order.
• Seek counsel from church history.
• Seek counsel from Presbytery.
• Some things we bring to the people a. Church
  time or place change b. Election of officers c.
  Hiring of pastor d. Finances?
• 8. Some things the session decides Special
  service, guest speakers, retreats, etc.???

24
Finances 1

• The session makes a conscious decision not to
  know the details of the offering for integrity
  purposes.
• The session has strong opinion on certain issues
  pertaining to finances missions. We try to
  follow a general rule of thumb that we do not
  fund short-term missions.
• The session also desires to fund missions as best
  as they can in a wise manner.
• The session does not want to spend the finances
  of God in a fiscally irresponsible manner using
  church money to fund staff dinners, stipends to
  teachers, etc. We want to be above reproach. In
  our day and age, the session feels that this is
  important.

25
Finances 2

• The session also wants people to have a voice in
  finances, but in an educated manner. Hence, we
  ask that people join committees and learn issues
  and study, so that finances will be spent in a
  proper manner.
• Some committee praise team, missions,
  fellowship, etc.
• The session along with a group of financially
  savvy men and women will overlook the budget and
  present it to the congregation.
• The financially gifted, committee leaders and the
  session will make the final decision.
• This manner seems wise, expedient and fruitful to
  the session.

26
What we expect in the future

• Lord willing we hope that we have several
  biblically vibrant churches in America New
  Brunswick, Bergen, NYC, California, etc.
• Lord willing we hope to raise both teaching and
  ruling elders to carry on the work of God.
• Lord willing we hope to forge ties to world
  missions and play a larger role the in Ivory
  Coast, and China.
• Lord willing we hope to be vital to our
  communities.

27
Importance of UNITY

• Satan and our flesh will attack the unity of the
  church, especially as we grow.
• We must guard the church and our heart.
• Let us purify our motives as we serve and love.
• And above all we keep the unity of the church not
  because we agree, but because of Christ.