Through his study of the New Testament, Mike has determined at least four basic elements that define his philosophy of ministry:  Depending, Serving, Proclaiming, and Equipping.

Depending is the daily process of living life by faith — which involves humble dependence upon and reverent fear of God — and loving Him with all of one’s life. This involves time in both prayer and study of God’s Word. This also means denying self, embracing and submitting to God’s will, and, in loving obedience, following Him in holiness.  Apart from Him, we can do nothing.

Serving is the lifestyle of giving of oneself with a loving attitude and through loving actions in order to minister to the needs of others. This involves giving time, talents, resources, energy, and friendship and doing nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regarding others as more important than oneself.

Proclaiming is a verbal warning to the lost that we have sinned and fall short of God’s Holy standard and must repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand.  Sharing God’s moral law brings the knowledge of sin and shows man’s accountability to God for his deeds.  But, we must also magnify the love of God and His grace through Jesus Christ by the power of His Spirit. Jesus–the Way, the Truth, and the Life–as revealed in God’s Word, is proclaimed so that sinners may be born again by grace through faith as they repent of sin, confess Jesus as Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead.

Equipping is the process of teaching believers to obey the commands of Christ and, thus, prepare believers for the work of service in God’s Kingdom. It is the formation of disciples of Christ: individuals who daily walk in faith, humbly dependent upon the Lord, deny themselves, embrace and submit to His will, and, in loving obedience, follow Christ in holiness. This involves helping Christians grow in an intimate relationship with God in Christ, being conformed to His likeness through worship, prayer, Bible study, relationships with other believers, and sharing Christ with the lost. The process is accomplished through spending time demonstrating and verbalizing the teachings of Christ and involving these individuals in service, while overseeing their progress.  Leading someone to Christ is not the end of ministry, but the important first step. With a few equipped disciples, the Lord Jesus Christ can, and did, change the world.