Ridgell's Originals

This year our eldership at Southern Hills is devoting one meeting per month to studying the Scripture together. We are inviting our ministry staff to participate in these with us. It is important to us as elders that we lead the congregation based on God's Word. It is too easy to make decisions based on our traditional view of what we think Scripture says. In the same way, it is easy to jump on the latest trendy opinion without solid Biblical foundation.

We are not studying any topics with an agenda to change... or to stay where we are. We do want to see what the Bible says, discuss what it means, and see if there are applications for Southern Hills today.

Among the topics we are looking at this year are baptism, elder qualifications and function, corporate worship (particularly use of instruments and acapella worship), women's role in the assembly, and the Lord's supper.

Some will be upset and afraid that we are studying these topics -- either afraid we will change or afraid we won't. So again ... no agenda. Just leaders who believe we owe it to our flock to lead by example in seeking to know God's will. We may in the future lead the congregation in these studies also.

The first topic is baptism. We have made it a big deal. We need to why. So tomorrow night we are reviewing what Scripture says about this subject. Later we will look at what it means. And then how it relates and applies to us.

I am excited about this. I may even share some of my thoughts and conclusions as we work thru these things.

Feel free to share your thoughts.