By Pastor Jim Townsley
Central Baptist Church
Southington, CT

Some of the early challenges in planting Central Baptist Church still remain vivid in my mind. One of those challenges was grasping the spiritual status of several new converts and properly determining how to help them become mature.

The first time I invited members to come to an organized visitation I was pleasantly surprised when several new members attended. However, I was surprised by the young mother who came dressed in a miniskirt and the single man with long hair, whose appearance resembled Solomon’s portrait of Christ. I quickly realized that I needed some guidelines for members to follow. I don’t even remember how I handled the problem that first night, but I know what I did following that visitation night. The next day I called another preacher and inquired, “How do you get people to dress and look like Christians?”

Since that first awakening there have been many more instances where a new member didn’t understand the importance of Christian deportment. Several years later I recall an incident where a new convert came to weed the flowers around the church, dressed in a tube top and a pair of shorts. I am certain she did not intentionally try to dress immodestly; she had not yet been taught biblical principles of dress. The question every new church planter must ask is, “How do I set standards of service without offending my members?”

First, you must develop Bible standards as your own personal convictions. I am saddened by the many preachers who change their standards in mid stream. It is easy to dismiss a standard of conduct or dress by admitting you never really believed in it to begin with. If you were taught to follow a certain guideline as a young believer you should be careful to not abandon it too quickly. Seeking counsel from the one who taught you is a good place to begin. Seeking godly counsel from another respected Christian leader is also a prudent place to begin to set your own standard. It is always easy to lower one’s standard, but to regain surrendered ground is extremely difficult. Standards should never be established out of expediency, but always out of conviction from God’s Word.

Secondly, you must recognize the progressive nature of sanctification. Never become impatient when a believer is responding slower than you expect. People develop at different paces. Forcing a principle upon an individual, too forcefully or too quickly, can hinder the working of the Holy Spirit in their life. On one hand, you must set a standard; on the other hand, you must give them time to grow. Too much legalism is detrimental, while too much leniency is equally harmful.

Finally, you must develop a written list of expectations for leaders in your church. I believe the three aspects of that list should be: 1. A code of conduct 2. A job description 3. A dress code.

If you would like a sample of ours you can email my secretary and she will email you a sample copy. mail@centralbaptistchurch.net

Preaching standards from the pulpit is important, however becoming too specific is dangerous, because too many people today are so influenced by our modern culture that the necessary explanation could never be properly given in one sermon. Key words, such as modesty, holiness, and worldliness are important biblical terms that should be used often. But, the best place, in my opinion, to instill biblical standards is with your leaders. If key leaders of the church help set the standard many others will desire to follow their standard. Remember, no one can be too holy. Dismissing standards as legalistic does not solve the problem. Everyone needs something to follow that is clear and tangible. Every ministry needs to have written biblical standards and they should be maintained consistently.

It seems to me that the issue of consistency and clarity are the most important elements in establishing these guidelines. I recognize that everyone in my church does not share my beliefs concerning every standard our church has set. However, as the pastor of our church it is my place to set a high standard not a low one. People expect more from the preacher than do of themselves as they rightly should. Read previous articles at www.churchplantingrevival.com

With a Heart for God,

Jim Townsley