Memoir

Ten Years at SEVBC, Part 3

By Joel Tetreau Thu, 07/09/2009 - 11:00pm

A Memoir by Pastor Joel Tetreau

The TetreausNew Relationships—The Growing Stage (2005-Present)

Numerical growth has been a blessing. On a few Sundays we’ve been close to 250. For the future we have just recently purchased a 1.5-acre lot to the east of us. That gives us a total of four acres we can develop. We are looking and praying about the future. If the Lord tarries and provides, we see the addition of an auditorium, an additional education building, a large outdoor basketball court (you can do that in Arizona), an additional child ministry facility, as well as other plant features that will allow us to max out as a congregation around 400. Frankly after that, unless the Lord radically changes our approach and philosophy of ministry, we plan to start new churches and plant them strategically here in the metro Phoenix area.

Here are a few ministry priorities:

Expository Preaching and Teaching

There is a misconception in some circles of ministry that if one is committed to expository preaching that you can’t present material on a thematic basis. While we have been committed to preaching and teaching expository-styled sermons from Thessalonians, Corinthians, Philippians, Romans (Pastor Gary) and now Luke, we have also taken time over the last few years to preach over the main themes of the Old Testament. In addition to our pulpit ministry, we work hard (in the main) to include a careful Bible-based teaching ministry from the children’s ministry all the way up to our Senior Saints ministry. We believe it is the Word of God presented that God has promised to use to build up the saints.read more

Ten Years at SEVBC, Part 2

By Joel Tetreau Thu, 07/02/2009 - 11:00pm

Read Part 1.

A Memoir by Pastor Joel Tetreau

The TetreausDiscomfort with Movements on the "Right" and "Left"

Historically speaking, all churches that are orthodox in their faith and militant about the gospel are in a sense fundamentalist churches. Fundamentalism has been right about many important things over the years. In its struggle with liberalism, it was right about a pure gospel. In its struggle with New Evangelicalism, it was right about the clear gospel. SVBC has an apreciation for its separatist heritage. From the very beginning we have been a bit different than your typical fundamental church. We are excited about historic Fundamentalism as an idea; however, we have not been nor continue to be as equally excited about Fundamentalism as a movement.

Too much modern-day Fundamentalism is riddled with leadership abuse, ecclesiastical politics, schisms over nonessentials, and the problem of equating men’s standards with the doctrines of God. So in a sense we find ourselves between two worlds. On the one hand we are uncomfortable with the main of Evangelicalism (especially New Evangelicalism) with its ecumenicalism and adoption of the world. On the other hand, we are uncomfortable with much of the fundamentalist movement and its propensity toward self-righteousness.read more

Ten Years at SEVBC, Part 1

By Joel Tetreau Thu, 06/18/2009 - 11:00pm

A Memoir by Pastor Joel Tetreau

The TetreausNote: Several months ago (Sunday, February 8, 2009), the congregation at Southeast Valley Baptist Church (SVBC) here in Gilbert, Arizon, surprised Toni and me for ten years of pastoral ministry. The gifts given and more importantly the love behind the gifts were an incredible blessing for both of us. It has been an incredible emotional journey as I reflect on what the Lord has done over the last decade here in Gilbert. In June, we celebrate ten years of official ministry as a congregation. The ministry here in the East Valley has been a blessing to our family, which includes our three sons, Jonathan Charles, Jeremy Austin, and Joshua James.

In light of our first decade of ministry here, I believe it’s good to reflect on what has happened. This article is kind of an autobiography in four parts, a type of memoir, but more importantly a testimonial to the goodness of God to both our family and the SVBC family.

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Ten Years at SEVBC, Part 4

By Joel Tetreau Tue, 06/16/2009 - 9:40am

New Friendships

While grateful for the friendships of the past, we are also grateful for new friendships the Lord has given us. Recent friendships include a close relationship with ABWE (Association of Baptist for World Evangelism) as well as Shepherd’s Home (Union Grove, WI). Very important from the standpoint of a congregation would be the renewed relationship of sister assemblies in which we can work together. I’m happy to say that the Lord is giving and growing our relationship with a variety of sister churches not only here in the Southwestern region, but also nationally and even internationally. The reason that is important is that the Scriptures clearly teach that there ought to be a testimony of unity, not just of separation. The Lord is bringing together a network of sister churches and partners in ministry. Many of the new relationships that have been a real blessing to our people are partially a result of the Internet. Not only are we using the Internet to broadcast our church services with audio and video, but the Lord has also used the Internet to connect us to a variety of new ministry friends and partners.read more