These past couple years have brought about many changes to the Chappell household. We have seen many graduations, engagements, and weddings. And it has been a joy for my wife and I to see God’s plan for each of our children unfold in their lives.

In the fall of 2004, Jon Sisson traveled from the Philippines, where his parents were missionaries, to Lancaster to attend WCBC. While attending West Coast, Jon was a star athlete on the college basketball team, as well as an excellent student in the classroom. Jon and Kristi, our daughter, met during this time and have been dating for the last several years.

Last Thursday, Jon joined our family for dinner on the coast. After dinner, he and Kristi took a walk on the beach where he then asked for Kristine’s hand in marriage. It was a great night for our entire family. I’m proud of Jon and Kristi and of the testimony they have both had for the Lord. Please pray for them as they prepare to serve the Lord with their lives.

by R. Kent Hughes
published by Crossway Publishing

The existence and influence of the seeker-sensitive movement upon the American church is now no secret. For some twenty years, church growth experts have called upon pastors to amend and change the traditional worship styles and preaching dynamic, in order to “relate better to people.”

In my book The Saviour Sensitive Church I outline many of the weaknesses of the seeker-sensitive movement. One evidence of the failure of this movement is the fact that a lower percentage of people attend church in America today than ever. Those who do attend church are often unable to distinguish biblical principles, much less apply them to their lives.

It is always interesting to me when an author writes a book speaking to the issue of the lack of separation in the contemporary church. But I am specifically interested when the author primarily fellowships with those who are involved in the contemporary church movement.

The book written by Oz Guinness entitled Prophetic Untimeliness was unique in that it was a call from within, challenging the “evangelicals” to return to the fire and seperatistic stand of the reformation.

The book Set Apart by R. Kent Hughes is similar in its philosophy. In fact, Hughes says in the introduction of the book, “The contemporary evangelical church is not lacking for moral and spiritual instruction. It is lacking in his ability to remain uncontaminated by the unchristian thinking and morality of contemporary culture.” Hughes, then, begins to show how the contemporary church has been influenced by the philosophies of today’s society. Those philosophies include materialism, hedonism, viewing sensuality, pluralism, and even modesty!

In a sense, it was refreshing for me, as an independent fundamental Baptist, to hear someone from without our circle speaking against the influence of companies such as Victoria’s Secret or Abercrombie and Fitch on our nation and upon Christians today.

I highly recommend Set Apart as a book that will help pastors, parents, and educators identify some of the leading challenges against the church. In addition, the author gives good scriptural reference for combating the onslaught of wickedness in the day in which we live.

Over the last several months I have spent a good amount of time in the evening and early morning hours working on my new book entitled The Spiritual Leader.

The Spiritual Leader is a guidebook for pastors and Christian leaders as they lead God’s people. There are six sections to this book:

The Spiritual Leader’s Heart
The Spiritual Leader’s Ministry
The Spiritual Leader’s Pulpit
The Spiritual Leader’s Team
The Spiritual Leader’s Trials
The Spiritual Leader’s Triumphs

In many ways, this book is the culmination of the principles God has taught me through His Word, through years of reading, and through years of leading. It is my earnest prayer that God will use this book to be of help in the lives of the leaders here at Lancaster Baptist Church, West Coast Baptist College and, should He allow, throughout our country.

Here are a few chapter titles to show you the direction of the book:

The Spirit-filled Leader
The Servant Leader
The Spiritual Leader’s Friends
The Spiritual Leader’s Priorities
The Overseeing Leader
The Administrative Leader
Leading Through Different Stages of Growth
Overcoming Barriers in Ministry
Leading a Biblical Church Service
The Spiritual Leader’s Music Ministry
The Spiritual Leader and His Wife
The Spiritual Leader and His Children
The Spiritual Leader’s Staff
The Spiritual Leader’s Motivator
Leading Through Crises
Leading by Intervening
And many more…

Spiritual leadership is a life-long journey and all of us, to some extent, have the privilege of leading and influencing others for good and for God. We will formally introduce the book at this year’s Spiritual Leadership Conference and we are taking early orders through our website at www.strivingtogether.com.

Please pray that God will bless this book and that it will be used to encourage others for His glory!

Last weekend I had the privilege of celebrating Father’s Day with my family and church family here in Lancaster. The Lord truly blessed in our services as I preached on the subject “Consider His Lordship.” It was a blessing to see many fathers determining to follow the Lord as committed disciples of Jesus Christ. Additionally, there were a number of people who accepted Christ as Saviour at both morning services.

After the service, I had the joy of having lunch with my family. My wife is always such a blessing when it comes to creating family memories and remembering each special day. It was a blessing to have Danielle and Peter with us. Peter has been preaching in various churches as a representative of the college this summer, and they are now home for the next several weeks. Larry and Ashley are beginning their second year of marriage and it was a great joy to have Larry (our oldest son) preach in the evening service as a part of our Father’s Day.

Our daughter Kristine who just graduated from West Coast Baptist College, will be teaching in the junior high of Lancaster Baptist School this next year. She and her boyfriend Jon were so kind in their words to me as a father, and it has been a blessing to see God working in their relationship.

Our youngest son Matthew has been growing in the Lord this summer, and will be a sophomore this year at West Coast Baptist College. This week he will be helping Brother Schmidt and our son Larry at teen camp. His friend Katie was here visiting for the weekend from Washington state.

As life continues to go by, one realizes with even more emphasis the importance of fatherhood. I thank God for the wisdom He gave me in the early years in many areas. Yet I pray that God will help me be the right father for the rest of my life, that I may have the right influence on the heritage with which He has chosen to bless me.

Bill and Merri Ann Pursley have been dear friends and faithful members of our church for the past few years.  When I first moved to Lancaster twenty-two years ago, I began meeting members of the extended Pursley family who are long-time Antelope Valley residents.

Bill, who owns and operates a large landscaping company, has visited the church over the years and has been a contractor on a number of our building projects.  I had given him Gospel tracts and witnessed to him for years, but it wasn’t until two years ago that I finally had the opportunity to sit down and go over the Gospel one-on-one.  What a great delight it was to see Bill bow his head and receive Jesus Christ as his Saviour.

The next day his wife Merri Ann came into my office and said she would like to know more about Bill’s decision.  After a wonderful conversation, I was able to lead her to the Lord as well.

Merri Ann’s growth has been a tremendous blessing.  Over the past two years she has attended the ladies Bible study taught by my wife, Terrie, and has exhibited a great desire to learn, grow and witness to others.

Several days ago, Merri Ann was taken to Cedar-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills with an acute infection.  Suddenly and unexpectedly, the infection spread throughout her body.

This past Wednesday, after driving to the Los Angeles area through Hollywood Hills to the hospital, I finally stepped into the elevator and went up to the seventh floor of the acute care building.  As the doors opened, Bill was there in the waiting area.  As I walked over to him he said, “Merri Ann is with the Lord.”

It was certainly a shock to hear those words, yet as we contemplate their meaning, it was a blessing to know that she had been saved two years ago.  Please pray for Bill and the entire family as they walk through this valley.  It is my desire that we might be a blessing and an encouragement to them.

I was scheduled to preach in Brisbane, Australia, in the early part of the coming week.  However, due to the funeral services, I have asked Pastor Lloyd if I may be excused from the National Leadership Conference in Australia in order to be here for this time of need.  I appreciate so very much Pastor Lloyd’s graciousness, and I’m confident that God will bless the meeting there at the Good Shepherd Baptist Church.

Finally, may each one of us remember the important need of witnessing and sharing the Gospel while there is time.  We never know when God may call a friend or loved one home.