A Poem – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Hurting People
by Ted Stahl
There are hurting people in the pew.
Exactly now, what will you do?
Shake a hand and talk a few?
Simply start: “How do you do?”
There are hurting people in the pew.
Exactly now, what will you do?
Turn the blind eye? Never wave goodbye?
Still hurting, they leave, and you just sigh.
There are hurting people in the pew.
Exactly now, what will you do?
What would Jesus say when He sees?
You didn’t do it to them, you didn’t do it to Me.
There are hurting people in the pew.
Exactly now, what will you do?
Pray that you are not like these?
Or pray for mercy and shed some tears?
There are hurting people in the pew.
Now you know. What will you do?
In Acts chapter 15, Elymas the sorcerer was blinded for only a season for perverting the right ways of the Lord. It’s a new season. It’s time we opened our eyes and see… There are hurting people in the pew. Now you know. What will you do?
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.
