Eager and equipped to bring focused passion and purpose to a vital ministry, John Bennett is set to join the staff of Bradfordville First Baptist Church as Children and Family Pastor on April 27, 2015.
“Calling John to our pastoral team is a clear statement that children and their families are a priority at Bradfordville,” said Dr. Ronny Raines, Senior Pastor. “John brings a high level of education and experience to the position and we know his work will make a powerful and positive difference in the lives of many.”
A graduate of Western Kentucky University with a B.A. in Social Work, John holds Master’s Degrees in Social Work from the University of Louisville and Christian Education from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville.
He began his career as a Children and Family Therapist in 1986 then moved onto children and family ministry positions at Baptist churches in Lexington, Louisville, and Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Most recently, he served in consulting roles with Ministry Architects in Nashville, TN, and the Kentucky Baptist Convention.
“I had the privilege of working side-by-side with John at the Kentucky Baptist Convention, so I know first-hand the Spirit-filled commitment that he brings to God’s work,” said Dr. Raines.
“I’m excited about the opportunity that God has opened up for me to serve at Bradfordville,” said John, who was ordained in 2002 at the West Broadway Baptist Church in Louisville. “I look forward to getting to know the children and their parents, building relationships, assessing where we are now, and working collaboratively to map out a vision for the future of this important ministry.”
Through his many years of training and experience, John knows first-hand the challenges that lie ahead. “To be honest, a lot of what we see with churches around the country is ‘parental outsourcing’ where the Church is expected to shoulder sole responsibility for a child’s spiritual growth,” said John. “In reality, it has to be a partnership, where the Church empowers the parents with the resources and tools to shape their children to be all that God wants them to be.”
Another huge challenge is today’s culture and its emphasis on all things digital. “Frankly, we must understand and accept new ways of teaching the Bible to our children,” says John. “The electronic revolution has changed the way kids process information. The lecture format we used to use is simply ineffective. In working with today’s children, we must make our message experiential, interactive, relevant to their lives, and fun… without ever compromising the Word of God and what it means in each child’s journey of faith.”
John’s wife and ministry partner Angela has a Master’s Degree in Social Work and they have two children in college: daughter Rachel (21) and son Johnathan (18).