Dr. Wayne Baxter, Professor of New Testament and Greek at Heritage Theological Seminary believes that one important window into the life of a church is the pulpit.

From his perspective, there’s been a shift in preaching today from finding a foundation in God’s Word to something characterized as humanistic, self-help messages that squeeze God out of the picture and obscure the Christian’s need to receive God’s grace daily. He believes this trend has contributed to declining numbers in attendance, increasingly disengaged congregants, and theological and biblical immaturity in today’s church.

He says the answer to this growing problem in the pulpit is a move to expository preaching—preaching rooted in the Bible because it is only in Scripture that people can hear the life-changing sound of God’s voice.

“Preaching is ultimately about God and his mission, not us,” says Baxter. “Since God has preserved his Word for us, and the central message of Scripture is God, it behooves any would-be Christian herald to proclaim Scripture so that God and his glory might be encountered in the preaching of His Word.”

Out of a desire to help pastors, as well as Bible college and seminary students, prepare expository sermons that take what is learned from exegesis and apply that truth to the soul of their congregations, Baxter has written his latest book, Preparing Sermons from The Page to The Pulpit: Exegesis to Exposition in Seven Steps.

This step-by-step guide for current and future preachers sets out to help preachers better connect their study of Scripture in preparation to preach and the expository messages they craft. Baxter explains that, for a long time, he’s observed a gap between the pastor’s study and the pulpit, as many preachers struggle with how to connect their study of Greek and Hebrew to developing effective expository messages that both connect with the listener and are true to the text. He hopes that this book will help provide busy pastors with a step-by-step approach to aid them in moving from the exegesis of the text to the explanation of the text in the pulpit.

It's been a process of preparing sermons that Baxter says has helped him greatly in his preaching and expanding his vision of Jesus. He says that there is a danger when it comes to preaching that has a low view of Jesus, which misses who Jesus is and how he affects everything—how we view ourselves, sin, Scripture, life, and death. This exegetical-homiletical approach to preaching helps provide a high view of Christ that is needed in many pulpits today.

“A high view of Jesus—gazing at the Christ of Scripture—is life-giving,” says Baxter. “Christ-centred, expository preaching, arrived at through a careful exegesis of the text, imparts to the audience this crucial, life-giving vision of Jesus.”

Click here to purchase a copy of Preparing Sermons from The Page to The Pulpit.

To learn more about this new book, click here. 

Since London Baptist Bible College & London Baptist Seminary and Central Baptist Seminary merged in 1993, Heritage College & Seminary faithfully serves the church by equipping men and women for life and ministry. On Saturday, October 21, that priceless heritage was celebrated by staff, faculty, and past graduates during a 30th Anniversary Banquet.

Current and former staff and faculty, close friends of Heritage, and graduates had the opportunity to reconnect and reflect on the impact of the school on their lives through a program that celebrated the history of the schools throughout the evening.

The crowd enjoyed watching Drs. David G. Barker, Barry Howson, and Doug Thomson reflect on their time serving at Heritage and the impact it made on their lives and the lives of their students over a series of videos. Participants also enjoyed a time of worship led by this year’s One80 worship team—a musical group comprised of current Heritage students.

One of the many highlights of the evening was the opportunity to hear about the history of the school’s formation and the heart behind the ministry of Heritage from its two past Presidents. Rev. Marvin Brubacher shared a history of how Heritage College & Seminary came into being, which he described as a story that repeatedly pointed to God’s faithfulness to the ministry through all its ups and downs.

Chairman of Heritage’s Board of Directors Rev. Doug Blair also took to the stage to celebrate and honour the ten years of ministry of Chancellor Dr. Rick Reed. Dr. Reed then concluded the evening preaching from the Book of Ezra about Heritage’s continued commitment to training and equipping future leaders to serve the church as pastors, missionaries, and healthy members of the local church.

As we continue to celebrate how God has worked in the lives and hearts of many students over the past 30 years, we ask that you join us as we continue to pray for Heritage. Please pray that God will continue to send more students to the college and seminary to be equipped for life and ministry for years to come.

When reading the Bible, many questions arise when Christians reach the Book of Numbers. Its accounts of Israel are set in a time and place that seems very far away which can make it a challenge to discern its continuing relevance. Despite these cultural barriers, Numbers is still a book that offers Christians many valuable lessons to ponder.

To aid pastors in teaching this book to their congregations, Drs. Joel Barker and Steven West have co-authored a new commentary on the book of Numbers released by Kregel Publications.

This new commentary is part of the Kerux Commentary series. Each of these commentaries pairs two authors who provide an exegetical interpretation of the book alongside insights from a trained and experienced preacher to guide pastors as they prepare and deliver messages from each book.

Dr. Barker had the job of exegetically working through Numbers to help pastors understand its original meaning in preparation for teaching it in their ministry settings. As he worked through the book, he explained that despite being set in a distant time and place, it still speaks to themes today that are essential for the Christian life. One theme that stood out to him was how Numbers encourages Christians to remember what God has done to respond with thanks and obedience and learn from Israel’s frequent failure to do so.

“Christians today are called to remember what God has done for us by keeping the work of Christ at the centre of our lives. Our remembering should call us to gratitude and faithfulness to God’s call,” says Barker. “Unfortunately, like Israel, we are prone to forget what God has done or to focus on matters of lesser importance.”

“Numbers provides positive and negative examples for Christians about the need to be re-oriented in our faith by hearing the call to remember God and all of His goodness.”

Dr. West guides pastors on how they would preach sermons throughout the Book of Numbers in this new commentary. And, though he wouldn’t necessarily advise a pastor today to preach a long series through the Book of Numbers, he says that this oft-considered obscure book is crucial to understanding the unfolding of redemptive history. He explains that Numbers deals with vital themes of God’s character, promises, holiness and covenant faithfulness, as well as the sin of his people—themes that continue to be important and essential.

“The book shows us God’s glory and our need of Christ. It holds up a mirror to our hearts and magnifies God’s grace and patience while also revealing serious consequences for persistent sin and rebellion,” says West. “Human nature is the same today as it was back then, and God is eternally unchanging, so it’s not surprising there’s so much contemporary relevance and resonance.”

For more information on this new commentary on Numbers, click here.

To purchase Numbers: A Commentary for Biblical Preaching and Teaching, click here

We are excited to host our annual LEAD Conference once again at Heritage! Join us on Saturday, January 13, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Heritage College & Seminary.

This free event is geared toward training and equipping young leaders—whether you are a current Heritage student, a young person in Grade 11 or 12 who serves as a leader, or a youth pastor or director—to serve God and others well.

We would like you to join us as we learn from our main speaker for the day, Lincoln Nikkel, who serves as Owner/Operator of Chick-fil-A North Barrie. 

Register today! Find the Registration Form at the bottom of this page.

Workshops:

Stay tuned for more information on this year's selection of workshops.

Scholarships Giveaway:

Grade 11 and 12 students who attend will be placed in a draw for a chance to win a $ 1,000 scholarship toward tuition at Heritage. Two winners will be drawn during the event.

Event Details

Date: Saturday, January 13, 2024

Time: 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Location: Heritage College & Seminary, 175 Holiday Inn Drive, Cambridge, ON.

Cost: Free Admission

Who: LEAD is for current Heritage Students, as well as for Grade 11 and 12 senior youth student leaders and their youth pastors/directors.

Lunch will be provided for all participants.

About Lincoln Nikkel

Hey all! My name is Lincoln Nikkel. Born in Vancouver, BC. From a young age, I appreciated the intentionality of my family and the way that Jesus was the common denominator for how we made decisions day to day. Participating in various student leadership roles and participating in varsity athletics at Trinity Western University. There I graduated with a BBA in Leadership and Management, with a concentration in Biblical Studies. It became clearer in the later years of my degree of the need for godly leadership, in the world we live in. Starting my career in commercial construction, I was grateful to have the opportunity to lead multiple projects through the greater Vancouver area, before being introduced to Chick-fil-A, by a mentor who’s family I had built a close friendship with. He introduced me to the Operator model of business, the brand’s biblically based background, and the opportunity to pioneer a brand internationally that’s mission is to “Become the world’s most caring company”.

After being selected for and participating in Chick-fil-A Inc’s Leadership Development Program, I was selected as an Owner / Operator for Chick-fil-A North Barrie. My vison is develop and equip others in leading a joy-filled, purpose driven life. My hope is that God is glorified in the process and that my leadership only acts as a service to him, through serving my team.

Registration closes Wednesday, January 10, 2024

REGISTRATION FORM

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It’s hard to summarize just how much of an impact Dr. Doug Thomson has had on the church through his ministry at Heritage. For thirty-seven years, Dr. Thomson has faithfully served as the Director of Music and Worship Studies at Heritage and London Baptist Bible College and has trained and mentored many students who now are using their gifts to bless churches in Ontario, Canada, and beyond.

To honour his years of service at Heritage and ministry as a pastor, music leader, and faithful teacher, Drs. David G. Barker and Michael A.G. Azad Haykin have co-edited a book of collected essays entitled Life is Worship— a title that Dr. Barker says encapsulates well the heart of Dr. Thomson’s life and ministry.

“His oft-used phrase, ‘Life is worship,’ comes through in his walk with God, and then bleeds into how he sees music in the church and in people’s personal lives,” says Barker.

This compilation of papers—known as a festschrift—was written by several contributors who have worked alongside, or studied with or under Dr. Thomson throughout his ministry. Dr. Haykin describes it as a fitting celebration of Dr. Thomson’s ministry because each topic discussed reflects the thought and heart behind his work and service.

“This contains articles on worship from the entire range of Scripture, theology, and church history that serve to highlight key interests and concerns that have shaped Dr. Thomson’s ministry over the years,” explains Haykin. “The blend of both ancient and new patterns of worship, the centrality of doxology in the corporate gatherings of God’s people, the fact that worship is not merely a one-day-a-week thing but needs to suffuse the entirety of the life of the believer.”

Life is Worship covers a broad range of reflections on music, church worship, and biblical theology and includes sections related to Biblical, Historical and Theological Studies. With contributions from Heritage professors including Drs. Joel Barker, Wayne Baxter, and Barry Howson, alongside a biography from former student and Heritage professor Lee Brubacher, and an essay by President of the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies Dr. James R. Hart—the festschrift provides a collection meant to reflect Thomson’s passion for a biblical foundation for worship.

“Dr. Thomson brings a solid theological base to his teaching, as well as to his musical worship leading in the church. He understands good theology, and his leadership of musical worship in the church is never frivolous, and always thought through carefully,” says Barker. “I see this volume as must-reading for not just his students, but for all who would claim to be involved in biblical worship—whether a teacher, a student, or a participant in the act and acts of a life of worship.”

For more information on Life is Worship and to purchase a copy of the book, please click here.