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One of the ways seminarian can love the local church and serve her is by writing, a lot. The beauty is that as a seminary student you are already writing a lot. As you write, think of how what you’re writing can serve the Lord and His church body.
The local church can benefit from your studies and your conclusions. Why not turn that exegetical paper on Hebrews 6 into a 4-week Sunday School series? This can guard you against becoming an ivory tower theologian and cause you to apply the things you are learning in seminary at the local church level. What good is your studying if you don’t use it to equip the saints (Eph. 4:12-16)?
Here are three tips for you as you labor for the glory of God in your studies and your church.
1) When a professor gives you the freedom to choose topics or passages to write on, choose your topic or passage with your local church in mind.
If you are invested in the local church as you should be, you know the needs of that church. Include your professor in this as he will share your passion for God’s Church. Bring your pastor in on your research project and ask him what he believes the needs of the local church are. He will be blessed by your interest to serve the church he faithfully labors in.
2) Tweak old assignments and put them in book form and offer them to people in your church.
I can’t tell you the number of times I have handed out papers I’ve tweaked on the doctrine of repentance and the doctrine of justification so that those I love can have a better understanding of the Gospel. I’ve also written position papers on the charismatic gifts, the authority of Scripture, the Trinity, soteriology, and tons more and used them in my local church context. I’ve even handed them out as reading assignments for seminary classes that I have taught.
3) Submit your writings to websites and journals that can serve the broader church body.
The broader church can benefit from your God-centered, gospel passionate voice. Don’t be discouraged if you are turned down by editors. Keep writing and rewriting and submitting what you write for the glory of God and the edification of believers.
Seminarians should be good communicators of God’s Word. I find that writing a lot can help you to be crisp when communicating sacred truth.
