Ministry of Philosophy Paper

By

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This paper would not have been possible without the guidance and blessings of the Lord, who has given me the strength to strive towards making an effort for the betterment of mankind. This paper is for my grandmother, my mother, my wife and for my daughter Grace for their unconditional love and support I am eternally indebted, for my little angel Madison, all praise is to the Lord for His mercy.

DECLARATION

I adjudge that the entire content of this paper is entirely my own work; the content used in this paper has not been submitted before in any educational institution and represents my own opinion.

Signed __________________ Date _________________

Introduction4

Chapter 1: Biblical Foundations Informing Philosophy of Ministry12

Chapter 2: Theological Foundations Informing Philosophy of Ministry23

Chapter 3: Principles and Strategies for Ministry Practice29

Ministry of Philosophy Paper

Introduction

Personal background - From birth till my re birth

On July 8, 1980, a baby was born to Mr. and Mrs. Hilton, little did they know that what was meant to be their biggest joy was turned to their biggest fear: the baby had no heartbeat. No one had much faith that he would survive. But the baby's grandmother began praying to the Lord to protect that child and restore his heartbeat. That baby was me—Jawane Hilton, now a pastor of a thriving church in the city of Carson, California. I am here today to declare that prayer did and still does prevail.

My mother was a single parent and my father was never a part of my life; even though I knew who he was, he preferred staying out of my life. My mother had to keep multiple jobs in order to make our lives better. My mom is my hero. I literally saw her raise three kids by herself. At that time she worked for the School Board and Builders Emporium at the same time. Although we went to private school, I never knew we were poor, because we had all we needed. Because of my mom's busy work schedule she rarely had time for church. So my grandmother would take us.

If there is anyone I owe for completely changing my life it would be my grandmother. My family rarely attended church, but I can recall this was not the case with my grandmother. She had a deep, compelling faith that touched every aspect of her life, and mine as well. She always made an effort to give me a better insight on life. Her love for the church and her commitment to the Lord has always been the backbone of our family. Her faith in the Bible and in Jesus always had an impact on me.

South Central Los Angeles was a difficult place for a child to grow up. I was exposed to drugs and gangs at a young age. I believe that my rebellion stems from a lack of a male presence in my life. When I was nine years old I joined a gang, but after a short duration my grandmother brought me ...