Enterprise Baptist Church

Jordan Henderson - Youth Pastor

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Personal Statement & Philosophy of Ministry

By Jordan R. Henderson

            God spoke to the prophet Jeremiah and said, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart…” (Jeremiah 1:5).  God had been working on my heart since the day I was born and when I was nine years old the knocking was so loud and clear that I opened the door of my heart and He saved me from my sinfulness.  God continued to work on my heart and has called me into His service.  God knew me before I was born and set me apart, not as a prophet, but as a teacher and a minister of His word and to be a shepherd of teenagers in a local church.  The acceptance of this calling did not come easy. 

Throughout my teenage years, I was dedicated to my youth group and was one of the leadership students, but when I graduated high school and entered college, I began to wonder what God would do with my life.  I was still active in church, but not as involved as I was called to be.   At the age of 24, I started teaching a fifth grade Sunday School class and throughout that first year of teaching preteens, the calling God placed in my life became clear – God was calling me to teach students. 

After getting married, I joined my wife at the church where she was serving as a youth sponsor for events and began to assist in any way I could.  After sponsoring youth events for about a year, we were asked to teach the Junior High Sunday School class and then taught combined “youth” Sunday School class which consisted of both Junior and Senior High students.  The calling to youth ministry became clear to me on June 30^th, 2008, after returning home from a mission trip where I was privileged to teach high school students at a Vacation Bible School in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Since accepting God’s call to youth ministry, I have devoted myself to personal study in God’s Word and being mentored by a godly pastor.  I have a desire to continue my formal education to further my knowledge of the Word and theology through seminary, but am still praying and seeking God’s will and direction as to when and how that will occur.  I believe a formal education would be invaluable and beneficial in teaching students to “no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching…” (Ephesians 4:14). 

When it comes to ministering to students, I have learned they do not care about how much you know until they know how much you care.  I feel God has called me to be a minister to students, to love them, to show them how valuable they are, to show them they are precious in God’s sight, and to show them God knew them before He formed them in the womb.  The passage of Scripture that is shaping my vision for ministry is First Timothy chapter 4, verses 12 through 16:

12 No one should despise your youth; instead, you should be an example to the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13 Until I come, give your attention to public reading, exhortation, and teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift that is in you; it was given to you through prophecy, with the laying on of hands by the council of elders.  15 Practice these things; be committed to them, so that your progress may be evident to all. 16 Be conscientious about yourself and your teaching; persevere in these things, for by doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers.

            Students today live in a world where truth is relative, means different things to different people, and where their faith is challenged in the class room of their high schools not only by other students but teachers as well.  God has called me to equip students to be an example in speech, conduct, love, faith, and in purity (Ephesians 4:12 & 1 Timothy 4:12).  I am to set the example for the students, and to teach them how to be faithful followers of Christ and to be a light in a world that is growing darker (Matthew 5:14-16 & Ephesians 5:7-14).

All for His Glory,

Jordan "Big J" Henderson

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Jamie Sumner - Music Minister

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Worship!

Grow.

Do Life together.

Minister!

That's the goal. As we learn those four things we can encompass those around us with the love and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our traditional worship at 8:30 AM on Sundays is up tempo and prepares us for God's word. Hymns are selected to point us toward Father God. It's always exciting to draw on the hymns for inspiration and guidance.

Our Contemporary service from 11:00 AM to Noon combines ministry with doing life. It is a time to rejoice in our Lord, and then to get intimate with Him. Multiple voices and instruments add a wonderful blend to the opportunity called worship. Using contemporary worship, choruses, and original songs makes this an awesome change from the norm. Video clips and special music for all ages to enjoy.

Our evening service from 6:00 to 8:00 PM is a blended service using hymns and contemporary praise. Sound strange? It's not. It is the best of both styles and is still pointed toward our Messiah Jesus.

We all look forward to the next thing God does each week.

Jamie