by Winfield Bevins, Lead Pastor of Church of the Outer Banks in Nags Head, NC
Church Planting
There is a church planting movement happening right now in the United States and around the world. It is causing a rapid multiplication of new disciples of Christ across denominational lines and cultural divides. Experts say that church planting is the number one way to reach unchurched people and make new disciples for Jesus Christ. C. Peter Wagner says, "Planting new churches is the most effective evangelistic methodology known under heaven." Likewise, statistics show that it is much harder for traditional churches to reach the unchurched. Therefore, there is a great need to plant churches that reach the unchurched in our nation. Church planters are modern-day missionaries to ...
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3rd Wave: Growth and Development
We celebrated our 1-year anniversary on October 1st, 2006, which was an awesome celebration and milestone testimony for our church. Our attendance really began to grow after our 1-year anniversary. God continued to send people from across the Outer Banks to be a part of a postmodern church that was impacting peoples' lives with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Over the course of the next year, we grew over 100%. This season was dedicated to growing in a way that was healthy. Instead of merely focusing on growing numerically, we also focused on building relationships with those already in our church. One of the most important decisions we made as a young church plant at this time was to become official members of the Acts 29 ...
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Winfield Bevins
Surfing is a two thousand year old-past time that is the art of riding waves from the ocean that God created. It was the sport of ancient kings and is now a multi-billion dollar industry. My name is Winfield Bevins and I am a church planter and a surfer. I have the awesome privilege of serving as lead pastor of Church of the Outer Banks, which is located in one of the premier surf spots on the East coast. Surfing and church planting are my two great passions. I began surfing when we moved here to plant the church in 2005. Since that time my life has been profoundly impacted by both surfing and church planting.
Surfing and church planting are surprisingly similar. Churches grow in waves or stages. A church planter must understand that there is a process to church ...
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Five Lessons from Puritans on Family
by Winfield Bevins
What do a bunch of dead white guys have to say to me about my family issues?
Winfield Bevins, lead pastor of Church of the Outer Banks in Nags Head, NC, spoke at the Raleigh, NC Boot Camp recently about the pastor’s family and he drew from the timeless teachings of the Puritans to remind us about the value and importance of family ministry. According to Bevins, “Family worship was one of the hallmarks of the Puritan era and one of their greatest legacies for us today.”
Richard Baxter said, “We must have a special eye upon families, to see that they are well ordered, and the duties of each relation performed. The life of religion, and the welfare and glory of both the Church and the ...
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By Winfield Bevins and Scott Thomas
In the Book of Galatians, Paul gives a list of nine virtues called the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:16,22,25). The Holy Spirit endows the church with nine ethical qualities. Paul illustrates the difference between a person who is under the flesh and a person who is walking by the Spirit.
J. I. Packer reminds us that, “Holiness is the fruit of the Spirit, displayed as the Christian walks by the Spirit” (Keep in Step with the Spirit, Baker Books, 1994, p. 97). Therefore, the fruit of the Spirit is in stark contrast to the ‘works of the flesh.’ Business experts inform pastors with all kinds of strategies to lead the church. Most of them lack a biblical basis. Pastors must lead the flock with evidence of the fruit of the Spirit.
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