Descriptive Index
Site Map: Small Town Baptist .Net
The Small Town Baptist web site is a library providing free resources for those who serve traditional churches (more or less) in small town America. New pdf and audio files are regularly added in sections for Preaching, Leading Worship, Small Town Ministry, Strategies, and Beliefs & Doctrine. There are training materials and resources for Sunday School, Deacon Ministry, the Ministry of the Baptist Association, and Strategic Planning. The Doctrine section offers text and audio files on biblical beliefs including two lengthier sub-sections on the Trinity and on the Person and Work of God the Father. Another subsection includes devotional material in audio and pdf called "Recovering Church Health." While some of the material reflects our Baptist background, other evangelical believers will find almost all of our offerings helpful for use in their churches.
Preaching
Sermon Preparation, Selected Sermons
Sub-Section:Sermon Preparation & Planning Booklet: Preparing Sermons with Limited Time Audio Overview: Preparing Sermons with Limited Time Preaching "Food Pyramid" to Help in Sermon Planning Audio: The Preaching Pyramid Tool Explained Audio & Factsheet: Illustrating Sermons Audio: Leading Funerals Booklet: Fact Sheet & Funeral Messages Easter Sermons Christmas Sermons Preaching Tab: Small Town Baptist .Net
Worship
Leading Worship, Prayer, and Praise
Many are re-thinking how to lead worship, seeking ways to make it less about attending the "church show" and watching other people worship like a spectator - and more about the people gathering to worship. This page also provides resources for a prayer emphasis and corporate prayer.
Sub-Section: Leading Worship Booklet: Leading Worship What Worship Is and Our Role as Worship Leaders Where's the Gift of Music? Biblical Calls to Worship Audio: Leading Trinitarian Worship List: Biblical Trinitarian Praise List: Bible Belief Verse of the Week Article: Time of Confession Articles & List: Assurance of Forgiveness List: Bible-Based Prayers for Understanding List: Benedictions -Speaking Blessings Over God's People A Plan for a Themed Intergenerational Service Sub-Section: Praise Booklet: Describing God, on the arrtibutes of God Sub-Section: Leading a Praying Church Booklet: Leading a Prayer Emphasis Leading Guided Prayer Audio: Praying Your People Toward Prayer, Bob Weber Audio: How to Have a Devotional Time, John Fain Audio: How to Hear God, John Fain Audio: Reenergizing Our Quiet Time, Fain & Weber Worship Tab: Small Town Baptist .Net
Small Town Ministry
The Unwritten Rules for Ministering in a Small Town
If you grew up in suburb and have been called to a small town, this page might be especially helpful for you.
Advantages of Small Town Ministry Don't Let 'Em Get You Down Off-Site Links Small Town Ministry Tab: Small Town Baptist .Net
Strategies
Strategic Planning, Church Health, Sunday School, Deacon Ministry, Associational Ministry
Strategic Planning Ministry Project Planning Recovering Church Health Emphasis Ideas Booklet: Recovering Church Health Hear Booklet Devotionals in Audio World Evangelization Audio: Are You Willing to be Number 4?, Roy Fish One Sentence Testimonies Worksheet Audio: How to Talk with Children About Salvation Spiritual Gifts Booklet: How to Recognize Your Gift Booklet: What About the So-Called Charismatic Gifts? Ministry Teams Audio: Decentralizing Ministry Without Anarchy Building Programs The Building Process Balanced Space Space Evaluation Worksheets Spreadsheet: Worship Center Capacity, Pews Spreadsheet: Sunday School Capacities Capital Campaigns: An Introduction Sunday School Booklet: Adult Teacher Training Booklet (21 pages) PowerPoint: 1. Sunday School: Still a Good Idea PowerPoint: 2. Bible Study Tools PowerPoint: 3. Teaching the Passage PowerPoint: 4. Sunday School, Evangelism, & Disipleship PowerPoint: 5. Sunday School: Ministering PowerPoint: 6. Starting Classes Audio & Fact Sheet: Starting New Classes Like New Churches Audio: Types of Adult Classes Audio: Rebranding Sunday School is Not Enough Deacon Ministry Booklet: The Biblical Role of Deacons PowerPoints for Deacon Ministry Skill Training: PowerPoint:How to Give Your Testimony PowerPoint: Leading Public Prayer PowerPoint: Making Hospital Visits PowerPoint: Protecting Church Unity PowerPoint: Making Hospital Visits PowerPoint: Biblical Role of Deacons PowerPoint: Staffing the Church PowerPoint: Crisis Management Associational Missions & Ministry Devotionals: Church Members, the Association, & the Mission Prayer Guide for Associations: Look on the Fields Miscelllaneous Vacation Bible School: Observations & Suggestions Strategies Tab: Small Town Baptist .Net
Small Church Ministry Sub-Index
Ideas for Leading Worship & Ministry in the Small Church: Audio Session 1: You're Not So Small, Elevate the Fellowship Audio Session 2: What Worship Is & Our Role as Worship Leaders Session 2, continued: If You Can't Sing It, Say it! Audio Session 3: Vision and Your Church's Niche Audio Session 4: Options for Small Churches ih Critical Decline Audio Session 5: Pastoral Leadership in the Small Church Fact Sheets & Articles (some found also in other sections): Leading Guided Prayer Ideas for Livening Up the Worship Service in a Small Church Leading Guided Prayer Biblical Calls to Worship Bible Belief Verse of the Week Time of Confession in Worship Assurance of Forgiveness Benedictions: Speaking Blessing Over God's People A Plan for a Themed Intergenerational Service Sub-Index: Small Church Ministry
Recovering Church Health Sub-Index
A devotional booklet and ideas for an emphasis on strengthening church health. Each day's devotional is available in audio.
Doctrine
Helps for Understanding and Teaching Biblical Beliefs
The materials under this tab offer helpful resources for teaching biblical truths. Some will be helpful for the minister's personal edification. You may also want to take notice below of the sub-index on the Trinity and on God the Father.
Booklet: Know the Truth: 62 Questions & Answers for Families Verse List: Bible Belief Verse of the Week Sub-Index: The Trinity Sub-Index: The Person and Work of God the Father (Paterology) Audio: The Doctrine of Man Booklet: The Attributes of God Baptist Faith & Message 2000, compared to 1925 & '63 Doctrine Tab: Small Town Baptist .Net
Trinity Sub-Index
The Trinity1. A Young Couple (3:24) {audio} 2. We're Not Unitarians (5:43) {audio} 3. Let's Take a Fresh Look (2:45) {audio} 4. The Guardrails (4:16) {audio} {fact sheet} 5. Guardrail 1: There is One God (4:22) {audio} 6. The Oneness of God (4:33) {audio} 7. Guardrail 2: There Are Three Persons (3:20) {audio} {fact sheet} 8. Reasons We Miss the Three-ness (3:03) {audio} 9. What We Mean by Person (4:46) {audio} 10. Three Persons... Simultaneously (2:17) {audio} 11. Guardrail 3: Each Person is Fully God - The Father (3:41) {audio} 12. Jesus, the Son, is Eternal God (5:51) {audio} 13. The Spirit is God (4:39) {audio} 14. How the Incarnation Fits (4:11) {audio} {fact sheet} 15. How God's Plan Unfolded (12:29) {audio} 16. Christ-Centered or Triune? (4:15) {audio} 17. Guardrail 4: There Are Three Persons Eternally (6:01) {audio} 18. Guardrail 5: The Persons Are Distinct (3:35) {audio} 19. Guardrail 6: The Persons Mutually Indwell Each Other (3:57) {audio} 20. Guardrail 7: Inseparable Operations (6:29) {audio} 21. From the Father, Through the Son, By the Spirit (6:51) {audio} 22. There's Always That Guy (3:50) {audio} 23. Is Eternal Generation a Thing? (8:41) {audio} 24. The Procession of the Spirit (5:44) {audio} 25. Outward Missions Reveal Inward Relations (4:15) {audio} 26. The Persons of the Trinity Glorify One Another (4:45) {audio} 27. Why isn't the Spirit Mentioned? (3:56) {audio} 28. Leading Trinitarian Worship (5:34) {audio} 29. Preaching Trinitarianly (4:59) {audio} 30. Equipping Members to Worship Trinitarily (6:22) {audio} Glossaries
A Shorter Glossary of Trinitarian Terms {audio} {fact sheet} A Longer Glossary of Trinitarian Terms {audio} {fact sheet} Recorded Live: Some audio files have been edited by the speaker for length and polish.
Recorded Live: The Three-ness of God (30:26) {audio} {fact sheet} Passage List: Passages Mentioning the Three Persons {passage list} Recorded Live: Seven Guardrails in Understanding the Trinity (56:15) {audio} {fact sheet} Recorded Live: Eight Principles in Understanding the Incarnation (26:23) {audio} {fact sheet} Recorded Live: Nine Objections to the Trinity (33:15) {audio} {fact sheet} Recorded Live: How is God the Father... a Father? (9:27) {audio} {fact sheet} Recorded Live: God the Father: Source & Planner (30:26) {audio} {fact sheet} Recorded Live: Is God the Same in Public as He is in Private? (56:15) {audio} {fact sheet} Recorded Live: Relating to God the Father (17:17) {audio} {fact sheet} Trinitarian Worship
Trinitarian Praise: Bible-Based Trinitarian Praise (pdf)
God the Father Sub-Index
The Person and Work of God the Father (Paterology)1. What Can We Say About God the Father? (5:58) {audio} 2. Father as Metaphor (4:34) {audio} 3. The Father is Called, Simply, God (6:27) {audio} 4. How is the Father a Father? (6:03) {audio} 5. The Planning Father (6:05) {audio} 6. The Distant Father (3:10) {audio} 7. The Sending Father (3:30) {audio} 8. Access to the Father (5:43) {audio} 9. Access to the Father Experienced (5:51) {audio} 10. The Father Giving the Son (5:05) {audio} 11. The Father Raised Jesus from the Dead (6:02) {audio} 12. The Father Hearing & Answering Prayer (14:37) {audio} 13. The Father Adopting (9:19) {audio} 14. The Father and His Kingdom (8:11) {audio} 15. The Father Correcting (8:23) {audio} 16. Repentance Toward God (3:56) {audio} 17. Your Father (5:57) {audio} 18. The God & Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ (2:25) {audio} 19. Our God and Father (2:24) {audio} 20. The Father: Summary & Closing Argument (7:50) {audio}
Recorded LiveSome audio files have been edited by the speaker for length and polish. Recorded Live: How is God the Father... a Father? (9:27) {audio} {fact sheet} Recorded Live: God the Father: Source & Planner (35:54) {audio} {fact sheet} Recorded Live: Relating to God the Father (17:17) {audio} {fact sheet}
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All resources, whether audio, pdf, or web files, are free without further requests for permission to use.
"From www.smalltownbaptist.net" is all that is asked for attribution.
Unless otherwise noted: Articles, fact sheets, and audio are from Derek Gentle,
who spent 24 years of his ministry in Tallassee, Alabama.