Mission Orthodox Presbyterian Church

A recent sermon pointed out the role of John the Baptist as the ideal witness to the Savior -- a witness who pointed away from himself and toward Christ. As a church, we have been called to testify to that same gospel. Have you ever wondered how you might participate in that gospel witness?

Mission OPC is launching three new committees which are dedicated to spreading the good news of the gospel and to supporting those who undertake that work every day.

• The Evangelism Committee, led by V. J. Loredo, will focus on reaching the lost of the Twin Cities for Christ.
• The Outreach Committee, led by David Welliver, will tell others about what God is doing in and through Mission OPC.
• The Mission Committee, led by Randy Kreisel, will organize mission trips and share the work of our denominational missionaries with the congregation.

  Each committee chairman is eager to work with others from the church to proclaim Christ. If you are interested in serving, contact Pastor Shaw or one of the committee leaders.

Recently, many of you have been asking the same important question: what things must happen for us to become an organized and separate congregation?

To properly answer this question, we need to understand the goal or purpose of our church plant. We didn’t begin with the goal of establishing a separate congregation. The Biblical goal for Mission OPC is to become a functioning, mature, God-glorifying body of Christ. Organization as a new and separate congregation is only one part of that maturing process.

So what does a functioning, mature, God-glorifying body of Christ look like? Luke offers one description of this kind of church in Acts 2:42-47. A healthy and mature congregation shows a commitment to sound Biblical teaching, loving Christian fellowship, faithful participation in the sacraments, and regular times of congregational prayer (v. 42). Members of such a church will be quick to see those in need and provide relief (vv. 44-45). And, by God’s grace, a faithful church will be a faithful witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ (vv. 46-47).

Some of these traits have defined Mission OPC from its inception, but others have more recently taken root. We now enjoy many new opportunities for Christian fellowship and corporate prayer as well as for ministering to those in physical and spiritual need. These are all signs of a healthy, maturing body.

But as those characteristics continue to take shape in us, we need to also consider the necessary steps for becoming a new and separate congregation. In one sense, a Presbyterian church can never really be separate. We function in a presbytery in close relationship with other congregations. But when we become a particular congregation, we will no longer depend on presbytery or other churches for funding, officers, or decision making.

The process for particularization will look something like this:

First, the congregation must elect elders and deacons and a pastor to lead them. Next year, Lord willing, a leadership training class will be offered and open to all male members of the congregation. At the same time, I will preach a sermon series concerning the qualifications and responsibilities of church officers. Then the congregation will have the opportunity to nominate men for the office of elder and deacon. The current session will examine men and certify them, presenting them to the congregation for election.

Second, the congregation must approve a constitution and bylaws. These congregational documents express the relationship between the local congregation and denomination while also ordering the life of the church. For example, the bylaws set how officers will be elected, how long they serve, the date of the annual meeting, and the necessary quorum for congregational votes.

Once congregational documents have been prepared and approved by the session, and men have been certified for election, the session will call a congregational meeting. At this meeting, the members of Mission OPC will amend and approve congregational documents, elect officers, call a pastor, and request that presbytery organize them as a new and separate congregation. Following this meeting, the Midwest Presbytery Home Missions Committee will report to the presbytery that Mission OPC is ready to become a new and separate congregation of the Midwest Presbytery.

The presbytery will then approve the actions and recommendations of the committee. Soon after, the presbytery will call and conduct a service of recognition in Saint Paul. At this meeting, the new officers will be ordained and installed. And all the members of the new congregation will take the following vow: “in reliance upon God for strength . . . [we] promise to walk together as a church of Jesus Christ according to the Word of God and the constitution of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.” This service, and the time of fellowship following, will surely be a time to rejoice in God’s goodness to us.

You probably have other questions concerning this process, and I would encourage you to ask them. Over the coming months, you will hear more about plans for organization. And the session will present goals and timelines for the carrying out of this plan.

Ultimately, though, the triune God builds and establishes the church. Pray that He would raise up faithful men to serve as elders and deacons in the church. Pray that He would give wisdom to the session and the presbytery as they assist us in this process. But most importantly, pray that He would grow us into a functioning, mature, God-honoring church, a faithful witness in the Twin Cities.

Liturgy has become a bad word in many Reformed and Protestant circles today. Many evangelical Christians assume that liturgical form stifles the thanksgiving and praise that should characterize our worship.

Despite such common protests, the fact remains that every church has a liturgy. Liturgy is simply what people do when they worship. Therefore, every congregation must ask the question: “What is good liturgy?”

The session of Mission OPC has recently considered this question and decided that our worship should reflect our theology. Reformed worship should reflect our understanding of the sovereignty of God, the saving work of Christ, the powerful working of the Holy Spirit, the sufficiency of Scripture, and the sinfulness of man. And our worship service should be organized according to the doctrine of the covenant of grace. It should follow a gospel logic that confronts people with God’s greatness and their sinfulness, comforts people with Christ’s grace, and calls people to obedience.

With those presuppositions in mind, we have introduced a new order of worship in our morning services beginning on August 19.

The service begins with a focus on thanksgiving and praise as we enter through the gates into God’s throne room (Ps. 100:1; Heb. 12:22-24). We may only enter the courts of our great King by his invitation, so the worship service begins with God welcoming and calling us to worship. And with an understanding of his greatness, the saints approach the throne of grace in song and prayer. It is appropriate for our service to begin in praise, for we have come to glorify our God.

Reflecting on His greatness reminds us of our sinfulness before a holy and righteous God. David teaches us that only those who are perfectly righteous may ascend the hill of God and stand in His presence (Ps. 15; 24:3-4). Since we enter the holy of holies in worship, it makes sense to include a time of confession and repentance in our services. This time will begin with a reading of God’s law followed by a corporate prayer of confession and repentance.

After God declares his pardon to us, the congregation will respond by corporately confessing their faith in creed and song.

Reminded of God’s greatness, comforted by His forgiveness, we will then be fed by His means of grace. Our heavenly Father demonstrates His power to us through the Spirit and the Word. In this part of the service we will be strengthened by the reading of the Word of God. After praying for the illuming power of the Spirit, Christ speaks to us through the preaching of the Word. And, once a month, the congregation will be fed by the body and blood of Christ through our participation in the Lord’s Supper.

In the final part of the worship service, the people of God respond to His grace and mercy with activities of thanksgiving, obedience, and blessing. We sing in response to the Word preached; we go before the throne of grace in prayer, resting in the work of Christ; we bring our tithes and offerings with hearts that have been cheered by the generosity of our heavenly Father; and we close by singing in preparation for the service of the coming week. And the worship service closes with the benediction – God sends us out with His blessing in Christ.

There are many reasons for this change in our worship order. But primarily, we want our worship service to point people to Christ. Non-believers who worship with us should be confronted with Christ (I Cor. 14:24-25) and believers should be comforted by Christ. And it is my hope that the gospel will be presented, not only in the ministry of the Word and sacraments, but also in the order and structure of our worship service.

May we come to worship with a renewed sense of God’s mercy and grace. And may we respond with thanksgiving and praise as we gather before the throne of our Almighty Lord and King.