The Case for the Local Church
One of our second-year students recently asked me how he or any other new graduate could be most useful in the Kingdom. I suppose that is a matter of opinion that demands awareness, wisdom, discernment, and consideration for each individual given their personal abilities and situation. However, I think the answer I gave him could be easily applied to any new preacher, old preacher, or non-preacher. I told him that I thought the best way for a recent (or prospective) graduate to make a difference in the body of Christ was to invest himself in the local church. An investment of time, prayer, thoughts, effort, and money into the local church (2 Cor. 2:15) will yield eternal dividends because it is the local church that God chose to communicate the gospel with their community (cf. 1 Tim. 3:15).
For the preacher, gospel meetings are grand, but if your face never graces a flier, you can still do great work in the local church. Lectureships are places of learning and fellowship and friendship, but if you are never invited to speak at one, you are still loved and appreciated by God. Facebook can be fun and useful, but for the preacher who desires fame and notoriety, it is a fiend, not your friend. The brotherhood is beautiful, but your focus should be in your community and in your congregation (cf. Acts 14:23; Phil. 4:2; 1 Thess. 5:12; 1 Tim. 4:12; Tit. 1:5).
When someone graduates from preaching school, they can serve God in many ways. Therefore, my advice to every young preacher, new preacher, and prospective preacher is the same advice I would give to non-preachers: invest yourself in the local church. Plan to live in the community and build relationships and plant roots. Learn names and families and hobbies. Go to games, officiate weddings, and preach funerals. Love God’s people and the souls that surround you. Make this your priority. Invest in the local church because God will be glorified when you do (Eph. 3:20-21).