Financially Supporting Seminary Students

Hopefully, my next blog post will complete my thoughts on What’s Best Next, by Matt Perman. This week, I want to quickly share a few thoughts about a new fund the elders have established at Bethany Community Church.

One of the most basic responsibilities church shepherds have is to train other shepherds. The demands of leading the community of faith are simply too great for a small number of people to do them alone. As Moses’ father-in-law tells him when he sees Moses working from morning to night to judge the people, “What you are doing is not good. You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone” (Ex. 18:17-18). Moses’s father-in-law instructs him to train others to help bear the burden. This is good for both Moses and the people.

Paul tells Timothy to take the things he has learned and teach them to men who will also be able to teach others (2 Tim. 2:2). Paul understands that a growing church continues to need men who can shepherd to sustain the spiritual health of the body.

At Bethany Community Church, we are abundantly blessed with men who I believe God is raising up to help bear the burden of shepherding a growing church. And we have been blessed with women who are shepherding other women to help them understand the deep truths of the faith and how to apply them in their lives. These men and women, by God’s grace, will be great tools God uses not only at our church but also in other churches throughout the world.

As the elders have shepherded future vocational leaders through our Mathetes discipleship ministry, we have identified some who will benefit from seminary education. We have committed to do all we can to help them receive the training necessary to effectively minister, including financially supporting their training.

Several of you, having heard about individuals pursuing seminary, have asked if you could help some of our families who are in seminary with their living expenses. Those requests have thrilled me and I’m happy to say that the answer is, “Yes!”

Bethany has established a special fund you may give to that will help with the living expenses of our students. The fund is called the Ministry Education Fund. If you’d like to give to it, please indicate that on your check or envelope, along with what student(s) you would like to support. Due to tax law, BCC retains the right to use the funds for other students, but will make every effort to ensure gifts are used in accordance with the desires of the giver. 100% of funds go directly to students. And, by the way, if you have been giving to Bethany Community at all, you are already helping with seminary costs for these students.

Thank you for your faithful giving and care for future leaders of the church.

Daniel