Interview with Pastor Dave Patterson, Windham, ME.
Frequently, we hear stories about the impact of BILD resources from our church partners in North America and around the world. Here is a story of the simple, but profound impact of The First Principles Series on Bill, a 62 year old recent convert in coastal Maine.
This impact took place because Pastor Dave Patterson, Tom Szostak, and other church leaders took seriously the use of The First Principles in their church. The First Principles booklets are not just another Bible study tool. Rather, they are intended to help believers, new and old, to become established in their faith. In the testimony about Bill, you can hear how he was drawn to the family of God, as well as the impact of his life in the community.
Each Antioch School degree program includes a requirement for students to engage in a Teaching Practicum in which they teach The First Principles. This helps students become more established themselves as they are teaching others, but also extends the immediate impact of the Antioch School on the health of churches.
How extensively are you using The First Principles in your church? Are your Antioch School students fulfilling their Teaching Practicum requirements? If you need help in knowing how to use The First Principles, you should review the Teaching the First Principles booklet that was part of your Initial Training process, refer to the Practicum Manual, participate in the next Practicum e-Workshop, or send us an email.
Ultimately, it is not about fulfilling Antioch School requirements, but fulfilling the Great Commission and its mandate for us to teach them to observe all that Jesus commanded. Bill’s story is a great example of how this can be done, even in one of the hardest-to-reach parts of hard-to-reach New England.