As a very Young person I began to feel strongly that if God could send Jesus to die for me, that I could’t do any less than serve him with my whole life. As I attended my very first Michigan State Youth Convention of the Church of God in MI, and heard the preaching of the late Pastor Benjamin F. Reid, I made a confident and deliberate decision to give my life to ministry.
To that end, I attended Warner Southern College, and graduated with a degree in Pastoral studies, with a minor in Biblical Studies. Since then I have served churches in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan.
Preaching/Teaching is my first love and passion, and having sat through thousands of sermons over my lifetime, I have developed a passion to try and make my sermons INTERESTING! It always frustrated me as a kid when the pastor was speaking many eloquent words, but without any practical application or explanation. The Bible has a wealth of wisdom to share that is unparalleled but if we do not understand it, it is all worthless. I believe it is my responsibility to make my sermons as informative, practical, and interesting as I can, so that people enjoy the process of hearing from God’s word.
I have been privileged to have the opportunity to not only preach, but also lead worship at the several of the churches I have served. Music has always been a huge part of my life (and you should hear my kids sing…wow:) No bias there) and is now a big part of my ministry. I believe that Music in the congregational setting should be a corporate experience, and love to hear the people raise their voices and sing with all of their might. I believe that the primary job of a worship leader is to lead the people to sing, not to put on a concert. We always endeavor to do music that is singable for the average person, as long as they are willing to put forth the effort to learn it. Music is also how I best connect with God, whether in corporate worship, or off by myself.
Ministry is a rich, fulfilling, frustrating, energizing, wonderful, horrible, and awesome experience. There is never a dull moment when you are following God. It is the Great adventure that Steven Curtis Chapman sings about, and as long as God provides the opportunity, I will follow.
Sermons From Pastor Jeff in Podcast form:
Messages from Pastor Jeff Eckman and others that call the North Avenue Church in Battle Creek Michigan their home. Visit www.northavenuechurch.com for more information.