Hi Sean,
…I would
like to ask for your advice concerning studying for ministry. I believe I
am being called to pastoral or some form of lay ministry. I would like to
get some Biblical education behind me and am wondering on how best to do
this.
Ideally I would like to go TMS (The Master's Seminary in the U.S.) but
it just seems like a financial and logistical impossibility (I'm married, have
two kids, will be 34 this Sept., and am pretty much broke). I've
been looking for schools here but most seminaries look like places where
I'll have to fight for my faith rather than grow in it…Anyway, all
this to say that I'd like to pursue ministry but don't have
seminary credentials and think it'd be hard to get some, given
my present circumstances…What do you think would be a good path to take?
…Right now I'm...educating myself by reading as much as I can by
my favorite teachers and listening to hundreds of sermons (which is
basically what I've been doing for the last 15 years). I imagine
the best thing would be to study at the Expositor’s Academy. Can you
kindly pray with me and lend me your thoughts on this matter on how to
proceed?
In August I had the privilege of speaking at The Solo Christo
Singles Conference at Higher Rock Church in Quezon City. I was blessed to share from the Word on pursuing
a life partner. Those who attended
received the Word with eagerness and I was encouraged afterwards by several
texts and facebook comments. Here is one
of them…
Pastor Sean. How are you? Just to encourage
you. Your talk about unequally yoked relationships in our Single's Conference
has borne fruit. One of the guys in our bible study after hearing your talk
decided to break up with his nonbeliever girl friend the following day. He has
already heard many times of the folly of this relationship but he was hoping
for a "missionary" relationship. He already had this girl friend when
he became a Christian and he was pining that she also becomes a believer but it
didn't happen that way.
Praise God....take care...
On another note, we have been getting some encouraging notes from our son Kian. Although we miss him, we are very excitement
about his studies and enjoyment of The Master’s College. He
wrote…
I’m really loving it here and I love the reading. The books we are required to read are sooooo good. Sprinted through Genesis, literally 25
chapters due every other class period, but it was really cool reading it that
fast, and seeing the progression and the history in a plot form, rather than
out of order stories.
He
also said that the week of welcome or “WOW week” made a big impression on
him. He said that after all the fun
events each day a speaker would share a different distinctive of TMC. He was very impressed with their commitment
to The Word, Discipleship, Worship…and the challenge to live these distinctives
out.
How
you can pray for us:
- Pray for the Greene and Luciano families as they raise support to join our team in the Philippines.
- Pray that God would continue to give us wisdom and favor as we seek to follow His leading of our ministry.
- Pray for Kian as he studies at the Master’s College and that the Lord would continue to grow his faith and biblical worldview.
- Pray that the Lord would continue to guide Jessica and I as we shepherd the hearts of our children.
- Pray that God would raise more supporters for us to keep us on the mission field doing His work.
