Equipping the Saints

by | Feb 24, 2016 | Uncategorized

By Bill Mellinger, Crestline First Baptist In the United States, and I sense most of the world, we have become an Internet, cell phone society. It is amazing how much computer power we have in our hands with a cell phone. Our cells, linked to the internet can make a...

Really? The Cell is the Church? (part 2)

by | Jan 19, 2016 | Uncategorized

By Bill Mellinger, Crestline First Baptist Did you know that Jesus only refers to the “church” two times in the Gospels? (See Matthew 16:18 and Matthew 18:17.) In Revelation 2 and 3, he also speaks to the seven “churches” of Asia. His first usage is following Peter’s...

Really? The Cell is the Church?

by | Jan 14, 2016 | Uncategorized

By Bill Mellinger, Crestline First Baptist When I first heard the phrase, “The cell is the church,” I questioned the statement. How can a small group be the church? Coming from a program-based model, I thought the concept was misguided. Isn’t the church much more than...

When Do We Cross the Finish Line?

by | Dec 8, 2015 | Uncategorized

By Bill Mellinger, Crestline First Baptist This week, there was a mass shooting in our community. As a chaplain with our County Fire Department, I was called to respond along with several other chaplains from a variety of agencies. First responders from the police and...

Tasks or People

by | Oct 19, 2015 | Uncategorized

By Bill Mellinger, Crestline First Baptist What is more important when you have a staff meeting? Is it the task or the people? Tasks matter, they help us to complete our mission. But, aren’t people the mission? At the time of worship, I am focused on the message...