Last week I had the privilege of meeting with a twenty-six year old man in our church who is a graduate of a liberal arts college in the Midwest and has recently been working for an accounting firm here on the West Coast.

As we sat in my office, he shared his salvation testimony with me and also shared that God is beginning to burden him to teach the Word of God and possibly to consider a life of ministry. I told him that, along with the help of another staff member, I would like to begin a time of mentoring and development in his spiritual life. Here are the steps we outlined for his mentoring process this year:

1. Daily prayer for one another.
During this time, we will pray that God will keep his life pure, and that God will show him His perfect will regarding his future, including marriage, further education, and ministry opportunity.

2. Common study.
I assigned him several books to read and outline. He will share the outlines with me upon finishing each of the books. The books deal with subjects ranging from spiritual leadership and fundamentalism to contemporary theology.

3. Reading and memorization of Scripture.
I have challenged him with several portions of Scripture on which he is to meditate in the coming months.

4. Accountability.
He is to stay in touch with me (and one of our assistant pastors) via email and periodic appointments.

5. Evaluation.
We established our first evaluation meeting for two months from now. At that time, we will evaluate his growth, involvement in ministry, and his spiritual passion.

6. Greater Responsibility.
After each time of evaluation, we will give him greater responsibility. For example, he may become a substitute teacher and eventually teach children or youth, and some day, perhaps begin to preach.

7. Additional Reading.
Somewhere at the six to eight month mark, there is another set of books dealing with systematic theology that I plan on giving him.

8. End of Year Evaluation.
Toward the end of his first year, we will have a time of evaluation. This will more than likely be the time we will determine the type of ministry for which God is preparing him. He will either be a highly involved lay leader or possibly will begin preparing  for a life of full-time ministry.

9. Prayer.
This step will involve two to three months of prayer to truly seek the face of God concerning his life of service for the Lord Jesus Christ.

10. Usefulness.
This final step will involve greater usefulness. This is the time when he begins  a lifelong journey of serving the Lord in whatever capacity has been revealed to him.

Second Timothy 2:2 says, “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” The great joy of my heart and life is to see young leaders like this step forward and surrender their lives to Jesus Christ.

In the early years of our ministry here at Lancaster Baptist, we did not always have the budget to provide a hotel room for our guest speakers, so Terrie and I often hosted these men in our home. One of the men I looked forward to spending time with was Dr. John Goetsch who came every year to preach our Winter Revival meetings in January. One night after preaching the evening service he came back to our home and commented on the good spirit of the service. At the end of our brief conversation, he mentioned that he did not want to wake or alarm anyone when he got up early the next morning to run. I thought to myself, “Does he think I am some kind of sluggard? He is going to run—from my house. I have running shoes…” So I told him, “Well, since I’ll be up anyway, I’ll just go ahead and run with you.” Out of respect, he did not smile on the outside, but I am fairly certain he was smiling on the inside!

Now, my idea of running starts by just getting loose and walking a bit. That walking leisurely transitions into a slow-pace jog to get the cardio to ramp up! Eventually, that jogging leads to a full run which needs to notch back down to a jog, so the cardio doesn’t get stuck at that high rate! That is not how Dr. Goetsch views running. He does not care if his cardio gets stuck at a high rate. He runs seven miles every day!

Our morning run came a little too soon for me, but as we started, I was feeling pretty good. I was staying up with him and even pushing him a little. That lasted a good 100-200 yards, but then several parts of my body began to protest. I began to experience charlie-horses and cramps. My feet, ankles, legs, heart, and lungs conspired in mutiny. You might think that Dr. Goetsch stopped for a moment to help or say, “See you back at the house,” but as I began my walk back to the house, he never even looked back.

Sometimes the race of the Christian life gets tough. We can experience the aches and pains of trials and circumstances. We can be discouraged by media and the economy. But, by the grace of God, we can finish our race. God promises to supply us with the strength we need to fulfill the course that He has set before us, and He promises to run alongside to encourage and lift us when we fall.

So, the next time you experience those spiritual charlie-horses, go to the Cross, get to the altar, and spend time with God. Don’t give up! Stay in the race! And renew your strength in the Lord.

Ron Hamilton has done much in the way of promoting Christ-honoring music in fundamental Baptist churches across the nation.  Each time Brother Hamilton has the opportunity to visit our ministry, I am encouraged by his testimony as well as his godly philosophy of music.

Our kids grew up listening to Brother Hamilton’s Patch the Pirate tapes and CDs. These recordings taught and reinforced basic biblical principles in a fun and interesting way.  Whenever our family loaded up the car for a trip, we were always sure to include the latest Patch the Pirate CD!

This past Sunday, as Brother Hamilton was with us in our services,  it was a blessing to hear him speak again with the same spirit of humility he has displayed for many years. He was a great blessing to the families of our church and we appreciate his ministry in music.

I had the opportunity to meet up with our college basketball team this past Friday as they traveled on a two-game road trip.  My son, Matthew, is enjoying his second season of basketball with the West Coast Eagles, so I have tried to be at the games to cheer him and his teammates on. It has been a joy to watch him and his fellow players mature both on and off the court this season.

After our team had secured a victory, we gathered together at the local restaurant for a time of fellowship.  I was greatly encouraged by the godly testimony and spirit of each of our players and am thankful for this time I spent with them.

More than being impressed with their abilities on the court, I am proud of the obvious desire these young men have to serve the Lord. While they enjoy playing basketball, their primary focus is preparing to train for the ministry. In fact, when these men graduate, they will join the ranks of many other former players who are now serving the Lord around the world.

I am thankful for the privilege to help train these leaders for God’s work. Please pray for them as they finish their season and this semester for God’s glory!

One of the greatest blessings of recent days has been watching young couples, many of whom were once children of Lancaster Baptist, now raising a families of their own.  I am thankful that in the nearly 23 years that I have pastored, the vast majority of young people who have grown up in our church are still faithful to the Lord.  The biblical foundation they received from Sunday school teachers, youth pastors, and godly mentors has given them stability, maturity, and the ability to follow God’s plan for their lives.

Observing the young families at Lancaster Baptist Church has reminded me how quickly our children grow. As my wife and I departed for our annual Couples Retreat this past Friday, we realized that we would have three married children attending, as well! It is still hard for us to imagine!

As I reflect on the memories or our own children and the young people of our church who are now grown, one truth remains certain in my mind: we do not regret the investments we make into the next generation. Whether we make a difference for our own children or for the children in our church and community, the investments made will reap great dividends as we stay faithful to the Lord.