Personal Information for Fred D. Davis
I also find great joy in seeing the church grow. I was involved in starting a New Church Development in the Seattle area. In my current position, I serve a church that was organized one year before I came. During that time, membership has increased from 95 to over 300. Our budget has increased from $31,000.00 to $185,000.00. We have built a kitchen, paved a parking lot, added a second, contemporary service, initiated a Sunday School Program for all ages, fostered several small groups, built a new sanctuary/office/classroom building. We have formulated short and long range goals and some of those include the addition of full and part-time staff, additional programs and services, and the spawning of a Spanish Speaking NCD.
My work has always included active involvement in the establishment of new ministry. When I was at First Presbyterian Church in Renton, WA as an Associate, I asked to be on loan to the Presbytery as the Interim Designated Organizing Pastor. My work involved calling on prospective members, meeting with the Steering Committee to chart a vision for the new church and establishing an active and viable youth program. That was an exciting time for me and it gratifying to see the Maple Valley Presbyterian Church today as a viable and thriving congregation. When I came to Northminster, it had been chartered less than two years. Though they already had a building, the congregation was still in infancy and was needing a sense of stabilization and a vision for growth. Nearly all that has been done at Northminster over the last twelve years has been like the first steps of a baby.
Since then, I have also helped plan and organize the local Habitat for Humanity chapter, a ministry called Prison Family Services, an organization called Casas por Cristo and a local Young Life Area Program.
As the Pastor of one of the fastest growing churches in the Presbytery, I and members of the Session have been asked to consult with other Sessions and teach Seminars at Presbytery events regarding church growth and spiritual renewal. While we have tried not to take credit for what God has done here, we have also been conscious of the need for intentionality and planning. We have sought to provide clear opportunities for spiritual growth and renewal by modeling.
My goal would be to work in a church - either new or established - where that same kind of dynamism and growth could take place. At Northminster, the emphasis has not been on routine or tradition but on people, vision and faith. The consequent result has been numerical growth and spiritual growth in the lives of people who have come to understanding that being a Christian is not just religion but a relationship.
"Warm, friendly, energetic, outgoing and perseverant; a good listener and encourager." These are words that one college freshman used to describe me in her college writing assignment. She also wrote that "my brown hair, medium build and casual style" permit me to be one of the crowd.' My style is and has been that of a "shepherd among the flock". One parishioner once described me as the "blue-collar" pastor. Wherever people are doing jobs or mission, I like to be there in the midst of the people.
I feel that I am a person of ideas and vision. However, I am convinced that until people "own" the ideas and vision as their own, it will not come into reality. Therefore, I strive to be more of a player coach and an encourager. I believe that the role of the pastor is to equip the saints for the work of ministry. My goal is to get people off the sidelines and onto the playing field. This can best be done by example.
Theodore Roosevelt once said that; "The credit belongs to the man whose face is marred by dust sweat and blood; who errs and comes short again and again....who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly." A friend from seminary has made this motto one for his church and I agree; "Attempt to do something great for God while it is still impossible."
My role as a pastor is to pray for, provide an example for and encourage people to dare greatly for God; To do something while it is still impossible; trusting God to work through those efforts. But it cannot happen unless people are on the playing field getting dusty and sweaty. At Northminster, this style of leadership has enabled nearly 1/3 of our adult members to be involved in mission in the community. Together, we have been instrumental in starting a local chapter of Habitat for Humanity, A Young Life Program, and a ministry to families of inmates at a local prison. It has given the confidence to s small group of teens to undertake a mission trip to Mexico. It has served to energize numerous folks to try teaching and leading within the church. Together, we have had our failures. But we have gotten back up, and gotten back into the game. Our congregation has begun to learn and practice the vital exercise of prayer as the backbone which supports the rest of the organism.
I am Reformed in that I believe deeply in the tenets of the historic Reformed Faith. Some of those major points are:
Biblical truth remains constant but some of the time-tested models of Christian Education may need to be altered to accommodate the busy schedules and changing needs of people living at the end of the 20th century.
I believe that curriculum should stand the tests of Biblical truth, relevance, and usability. In my ministry, I have been exposed to and have used a number of different curriculums for children, youth, VBS, Confirmation Class, Small Group Ministry and Adult Electives. At the present time, Northminster Presbyterian uses Gospel Light Curriculum for our Children's Sunday School and Vacation Bible School.
It is solidly Biblical, has clear learning objectives and succinct, easy to use lesson planning tools. Children like the colorful visual aids and take home papers. As a Pastor, I am happy to say that our Sunday School has seen modest numerical growth since we have started using this material. More importantly, I hear how much teachers like it and how parents can go over the material later with their child.
For our Youth Program, we have used a variety of materials such as Image TV produced by NavPress, Youth Specialty Materials, Denominational materials, and relevant books. We try to use material that brings current issues and Biblical answers sharply into focus. For our Communicant's class, we use material that has been written and edited by an Elder in our church. It is a compilation of Bible knowledge, Church History, Denominational resources, and current events.
For adults, we have used a variety of material as well. One particularly stimulating series was the Shalom Study in the Kerygma Curriculum. We offer four electives each term; an inductive Bible Study, a Family Issues class using current reading materials and videos, a Practical Christianity Class (i.e. Stress Management, Christian 12 Steps, Current issues, Lifestyle Evangelism) and a Pastor's Class which covers basic Bible and Theology
My current Presbytery is geographically large and very sparsely populated. I have come to appreciate and depend on my connections to colleagues. I seek out their fellowship as a worthwhile and necessary part of my effectiveness. I also believe in my responsibility to serve the Presbytery, Synod and General Assembly when given that opportunity. Currently I serve on the Synod and Presbytery Budget Committee as well as the Design Team for the Celebration of Evangelism Southwest. I have served on the Boards of Presbyterian Campus Ministry and Camp Chimney Spring.. I have been Vice Moderator and Moderator of our Presbytery. I have been a delegate to General Assembly and a sponsor for our Presbytery's delegation to Youth Triennium. Our Session has signed the Commitment to Evangelism, The Commitment to Peacemaking ( a revised document that reflected our particular concerns) and The Witness for Biblical Morality. Members of our Session and I have spoken at Presbytery events and other Churches regarding church growth and spiritual renewal
Running, Golf, Bicycling, Skiing, Four Wheeling, Fishing and Backpacking
I can be heard weekly at Northminster Presbyterian Church in Las Cruces, NM. Sermon Tapes and Video Tapes are available upon request. Written copies of sermons my be obtained by accessing the Sermon Archive on Northminster's Web Page: