A Family Addicted to the Ministry

Today’s Passages – 1 Corinthians 15 – 16; Proverbs 4

(Second Milers also read – Psalms 16 – 20; Memorize – Isaiah 9:6)

“I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)” – (1 Corinthians 16:15)

Addiction is not usually thought of as a good thing, but I think that addiction to the ministry would certainly be an exception to the rule. We do not know much about this fellow Stephanan, save that he was on of the earlier converts in Achaia, which was where the city of Corinth was located. We also know from chapter one that Paul personally baptized “the household of Stephanas”. Other than that we only know that Stephanas was addicted to ministering to the saints, along with his house. That means that the whole family co-labored together in the ministry of the gospel.

The word “addicted” here is a word that means appoint or ordain, which means to set apart. This family was “set apart” for the ministry. Now there is no indication from the Scriptures that this family was serving “full-time”. In other words, this was not a missionary family that went to Bible school and was then sent out to serve the Lord in some foreign place. It seems from the context that this family was one of the first families to get saved in Corinth, and was one of the founding families of the church there. They were laboring together in their home church. Yet, they were addicted to the ministry there. I can see Mrs. Stephanas teaching a Sunday School class. I can see Mr. Stephanas working behind the scenes getting their meeting place ready to go. He’s tired because he worked all day at his secular job, but he’s so addicted to the ministry, he just has to spend some time after work down at the church. He’s got young Stephanas Jr. with him. He also teaches, and serves as a deacon. He’s hooked on the ministry. He goes soul winning and visits the sick. He just can’t break away from serving the people of God there at his local church.

I wish we had some more families, like the household of Stephanas that served God together in the ministry here at Jersey Shore. I thank God for every individual that comes to our church, but there is something very powerful and very wondeful about a family that serves God together.

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Phil Erickson

Pastor Phil Erickson has been the pastor of Jersey Shore Baptist Church since January of 2002. Having grown up in Ocean County, Pastor Phil has always had a burden for the south Jersey area. After graduating from Bible College in Longview, Texas, he and his family moved to Galloway Township with the vision of digging in and serving the Lord and the people of Atlantic County. Pastor Phil and Cindy Erickson have been married since 1985. They have four children and ten grandchildren. Their oldest son, Phil Jr. and his wife Katelyn are serving the Lord in Egg Harbor Twp., NJ. Their oldest daughter, Melissa, is married to Wesley Clayton who is in the Air Force and is currently stationed in New Mexico. Samantha, their third child, is married to Justin Mears and they are both serving the Lord at the church in Galloway. Hannah, the youngest, is married to Lucas McCollum, and they are also serving here in Galloway. In preparation for ministry, the Lord led him through a variety of educational experiences that have equipped him to serve the Lord and His people. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Georgian Court University, a Bachelor of Biblical Studies in Pastoral Theology from Texas Independent Baptist Seminary (formerly Texas Baptist College), a Master of Religious Education in Bible from West Coast Baptist College, and a Master of Biblical Studies from The Crown College. More recently, he completed a Graduate Certificate in Biblical Counseling and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Veritas Baptist College. He is thankful for these opportunities to study God’s Word more deeply, and counts it a privilege to use whatever knowledge the Lord has given him for the building up of His church. In addition to pastoring, the Lord has given Phil the wonderful privilege of teaching as an adjunct professor at Vision Baptist College in Berlin, NJ and Veritas Baptist College.