Other Resources

Curriculum and courses developed by Pastor Ron Pearce are available for purchase from the church office.

1. The Growing Church Seminar (Leadership Training Course)

Leaders for Christ’s Church do not just appear; they must be developed and trained. Concepts of leadership are not learned by osmosis, but we must set aside specific time to teach biblical leadership to men who desire training. This is the purpose of the Leadership Training Seminar. This seminar is for church members who would like to learn more of what the church is and how better to serve Christ, and it is specifically designed to train a man for church office. During the ten sessions, we work through a syllabus covering many topics, read and discuss several books, and review the Westminster Confession and OPC Book of Church Order. We study the biblical concepts of what the church is and what church leaders are to be. The contents of the seminar are divided into three main sections:

What is the Church? (Whose is the Church? Three Duties of the Church, Biblical Church Order)
What is a Church Leader? (Called to Pray, to Teach, to Oversee, to Serve, to Defend the Faith)
What’s a Deacon to Do? (Explores the biblical office of deacon and mercy ministry)

Written and copyrighted by Rev. Ron Pearce. Contact the church office to purchase the curriculum.

2. Pastoral Intern Curriculum

Our eighteen month pastoral internship is primarily for the benefit of the intern. It is a time for a man to evaluate his gifts, calling, maturity, and whether or not this is the time for him to pursue the pastorate. It is a setting in which to determine and assess a man’s strengths and weaknesses in leadership as well as his ability to show discernment, encouragement, and initiation. It is a time for the intern to perhaps “heal” from seminary days that can often (sadly) erode personal confidence and people skills! To this end the internship is designed to be flexible, and its direction will be influenced by the intern’s past experiences, ministry, expectations, and needs. Together, he and the pastor(s) determine what areas to focus on for a man’s best development during the year.

The secondary focus of the internship is the intern’s contribution to the life of the congregation. The intern has the benefit of a fresh perspective, and he can help the session see itself from a new point of view. The session appreciates this input. May the Lord use these eighteen months not only to mature the intern, but give him the confidence that the Lord has providentially brought him to this particular congregation to serve. And may there be lasting fruit from his ministry.

Developed and copyrighted by Rev. Ron Pearce. Contact the church office to purchase the curriculum.

3. Premarital Counseling Curriculum (“I Don’t Do Weddings, I Get Marriages Started.”)

Pastors are not in the wedding business but pastors do desire to help couples get their marriages off to a great start. Having had the joy and privilege of counseling couples for over forty years, Pastor Pearce has gleaned wisdom and insight from counseling others and has incorporated it into the premarital counseling curriculum.

Every engaged couple needs premarital counseling:

Because of the culture we are living in. We are living in a sinful, self-centered culture where even people and relationships are disposable for the sake of happiness or self-fulfillment. Christians, saturated in this self-indulgent age, won’t get help from the world to have a good marriage.
To evaluate their birth families. A couple does not want to enter marriage repeating sinful patterns from their families of origin. But if not in premarital counseling, when else would a couple do the hard self-reflection to see one’s own sin and the sins of parents?
Because marriage is difficult. A couple needs to be as equipped as possible with solid teaching and practical skills. Marriage is hard because both parties are sinners with different needs, different backgrounds, and different expectations. A couple must not enter marriage naively; they must know the high calling that marriage is, and know that Christ will be all-sufficient. It’s only at the cross of Christ that a couple will have hope for marriage.
For assurance and encouragement. If a couple does not have premarital counseling they may enter marriage insecure about their marital roles and expectations.
For confirmation. Those especially who have been raised in good Christian homes have learned many of these principles. As the couple goes through familiar material they should be encouraged. They will be grateful to God for what they have already learned and they will have confidence that God will continue to teach them and give them grace to handle what marriage requires.