BRETT & NICCOLE LUKER

1. Describe your conversion and spiritual journey including how you discovered your spiritual gifts and call to ministry.

I came to Christ when I was six years old. I remember God speaking to my heart that I
needed to repent of my sins and place my faith in Christ during a Sunday sermon. It wasn’t until I was a senior in high school that I became more serious as a disciple of Christ. It was then that I began to practice the spiritual disciplines on a consistent basis which helped further my growth in Christ.

I was involved with a college ministry during my undergraduate, and I was given opportunities to teach and lead Bible studies. Through those opportunities, I found my gift and love for teaching. A couple of pastors mentored me during college and my love for God’s word and the understanding of it continued to grow, leading me to surrender my life to ministry during my sophomore year.

2. Describe your family situation, including sexes and ages of your children.

My wife, Niccole, and I have been married for sixteen years and have been together since high school. We love children, but it hasn’t been God’s timing when it comes to children.

3. What well-known preachers or Christian leaders, past or present, do you hold in high esteem? Briefly explain why for each.

I am a student of history, and I tend to read from old, dead guys, specifically the Puritans. Some of my favorites are Richard Sibbes, John Owen, and Jonathan Edwards. Richard Sibbes grabbed my heart when I read “The Bruised Reed,” a collection of sermons on the comfort of Christ for the weary sinner. Sibbes constantly reminds me of my need for Christ. John Owen’s theology and discussion on the pursuit of godliness continue to inspire me to make disciples of Christ.

I believe it is our duty to pursue holiness, and Owen does an excellent job explaining why believers need to be more like Christ. Jonathan Edwards is one of my heroes because of his profound devotion to finding joy in God alone. His sound intellect and treatment to live every day for the glory of God inspire me to continue to grow in my walk with Christ.

I also admire Martyn Lloyd-Jones for his devotion to preaching and great care for the gospel. His book “Spiritual Depression” was a huge help during a rough period of my life. I am grateful for his ministry.

4. Briefly explain the gospel message and how it can/should impact a person’s life.

The gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ. This good news is necessary for we are
hopeless without it. Due to the fall of Adam, all are born with sin, and that sin leads to death (Rom. 6:23). Sin has caused separation between us and God. No amount of work can redeem a sinner. Therefore, God sent his Son to shoulder the sins of the whole world, and through his death and resurrection, he conquered death and brought reconciliation between God and us. Therefore, to be saved from sin, we are called to repent and believe in the good news of Jesus Christ by placing our faith in Him as our Lord and Savior.

The gospel message brings hope to the entire world. Without Christ, we would be hopeless, as eternity with God would be unattainable due to sin. The gospel brings comfort and assurance to the believer as Christ paid for all sins, once and for all, assuring us that through our faith in Him, sin is forgiven and we are deemed righteous. The gospel reveals God’s love. God did not have to save us, but he did so through his Son. This act of grace reveals the love God has for his children by redeeming the unrighteous and making us righteous with Christ.

5. Describe the role prayer plays in your life. If you have any regular practices, please share them, explain why you implemented them, and the benefit they are to you.

For me, prayer is my lifeline to God. It reminds me that I cannot, nor should I, do anything without his guidance and direction. Prayer reminds me to rely on his sovereignty over my life. I am not perfect when it comes to prayer, but I continually ask God to remind me of my need for him. My regular practice is to pray during my morning quiet time, with people in the moments when they ask for prayer, and before most meals. I pray during my quiet time to ask God to reveal Himself to me while I read his word and what applications I can draw from it. During this time, I ask God to give me and my wife guidance and strength for the day.

When someone asks for prayer, we usually say, “I will be praying for that.” Unfortunately, we often forget. A few years ago, I stopped waiting and began praying with them in the same moment. This not only holds me accountable to pray for others but also reminds me that no matter what we are doing, we should always look to God for help.

Finally, praying over meals is a great reminder that even the smallest things we should be thankful for God. We can never be thankful enough.

6. What aspects of serving your church and community are the most fulfilling to you and why? What is the most draining and challenging?

The most fulfilling aspect is teaching. I have always been a student and have never stopped learning, and I get satisfaction from teaching others what I learn. I am also fulfilled leading others in worship. I have been a guitar player for 27 years and have helped lead or play on worship teams. Music brings a lot of joy, but also the words we sing and how we lift our hearts and thoughts to God in moments of worship are important, and I enjoy being a part of that.

I enjoy serving in our small group. Christian community plays a large part in my ministry philosophy, and building relationships and sharing life with other Christians is what I would love for every Christian to experience.

One aspect that is most draining and challenging is community service projects, as it requires me to get out of my comfort zone and do things I normally wouldn’t be doing on a weekday or weekend. However, the reward of one’s labor is worth the discomfort.

7. Have you officiated any weddings? How do you discern whether or not to perform a wedding ceremony for a couple? What are your premarital requirements?

I have had the privilege of performing two weddings. When it comes to discernment, I look to scripture, especially 1 Cor 7:1-16, as my guide for a couple. I do not have a problem marrying two non-believers, but I wouldn’t marry a believer and a non-believer. If there is unrepentant sin between the believing couple, I wouldn’t marry them. I believe marriage is a covenant between God and us, and that we should hold that covenant to be sacred. My views on this have changed over time, and I am stricter on who I marry than I was a decade ago.

My premarital requirements are simply that the couple go through premarital counseling with me.

8. Have you ever conducted a funeral service? Describe how you come alongside families in this time of grief, how you fashion your sermon for the gather, what kind of follow up you engage in, etc.

I have conducted several funerals. These funerals have been a little unconventional as I didn’t know two of the families, and one was my own. The two families I didn’t know, I came alongside them through prayer and providing comfort through sharing the gospel. My sermon begins with the celebration of the life of the deceased, but then I turn to sharing the gospel. I believe in times of grief, the hope of Christ is the best news anyone can hear at a funeral. Following up with families, I check in see how they are doing and how I can best come alongside them and shepherd them during that time.

9. Tell us about a failure in your Pastoral experience and what you learned from it.

During the interim period of my previous church, I pushed to move to a single service to help with staffing needs and bring our church together in unity, as we had plenty of space to fit our current needs. I initially received support from the elders and heard feedback from the congregation, but the motion was ultimately voted down. I learned that big changes take time, even if they are necessary. I learned to meet people where they are and that I needed to spend more time explaining why such a change was important and necessary during that season of the church.

10. Describe your leadership style (how you lead, what you do to facilitate teamwork, your approach/demeanor as a leader, etc.)

I lead by working with others. I am a team player and don’t like doing things alone. I lean heavily on the spiritual gifts of others, especially in areas where I am weak, to create a ministry environment that doesn’t seek the glory of an individual, but the glory of God. I am easy to get along with and invite input from others. I enjoy equipping and delegating roles and responsibilities, while providing oversight and leadership.

11. Tell us about a vision you had for a project or plan and how you saw it come to life.

I had a plan to begin discipling a group of men at my previous church, with the hope of them replicating the process. I began by having discussions with six men in my small group and asked them to dedicate one morning to meet as a group, to pray for each other, and to grow in godliness. I taught them about the importance of spiritual disciplines, and we kept each other accountable on Bible reading, prayer, and scripture memory. Once we were finished, these men were encouraged to seek out others they may disciple. A follow-up was done in the months that followed. This included accountability and continued prayer with these men.

12. Describe your preaching style and how it has changed over time.

I preach expository sermons, verse by verse with theological explanation, illustration, and application. How I prepare has changed over time. I used to only outline my sermon but now I write a manuscript. After reading through it several times and making marks and highlights, it becomes my outline. But this process allows me to give more thought to what I am going to say. This method of preparation has helped immensely.

13. How do you feel about the preaching requirements of this position. (Delivering a message from the word of God 4 or 5 times a year to 600-ish people gather in 2 services.) Discuss your feelings about being mentored/coached in this area.

I enjoy preaching. When my previous church was without a pastor, I stepped in to serve in the interim for seven months. During that time, I preached to 300+ people through two services. I welcome mentoring and coaching as I am always looking to grow in my craft of preaching and teaching.

14. Describe the most important aspects of Ecclesiology (Doctrine of the Church) and why you believe they are
important.

The most important aspects are Elder leadership, the ordinance of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and equipping the saints. I believe the leadership of the church is to be made up of qualified Elders (1 Tim 3). The role of deacons/deaconess are called to serve the church body.

Scripture is my guide when it comes to church polity. The church was given two ordinances from Christ, the baptism of believers and the observance of the Lord’s Supper. These are important as they are ordained by Christ and serve to honor and glorify him as we follow his example.

Finally, it’s important for the church to train and equip the saints. I believe this is done through the preaching and teaching of the word of God, discipling them to be like Christ, and be unified through community. I believe these are important in all that we do for His kingdom and for His glory.

15. Comment on our mission statement. We’d love to know what you think of it.

Discipleship and disciple-making are the core to everything that I have done in ministry. To see a church focus so much on Christ, discipleship, and spiritual growth is very encouraging. One of the reasons I love reading the Puritans is their focus on Christ and the need for spiritual growth. I am excited to see how your church has implemented your mission statement into other ministries of your church.

16. Which two of our Core Convictions do you most resonate with, and why? Which two do you least resonate with?

I resonate with “We believe the Bible” and “We develop godly leaders” because I believe the infallible word of God is essential to our knowledge of God and his plan of redemption. I hold the scriptures near and rely on them daily. I am a firm believer in raising up men and women within the church to be leaders in their homes, community, and their local church. Some churches rely on their staff to do all the heavy lifting, but I am glad to see you hold to raising up leaders for the work of ministry to be a core conviction.

I resonate least with “We reach out to others” and “All are welcome, but we design our primary gatherings for Christians.” I will say I resonate with all ten of your convictions, so these were difficult to pick. I chose them because they deal primarily with those outside of the local church. However, I do believe the support of missionaries and local mission work is important for the church. I do believe our services should be geared towards Christians, and not for non believers.

17. Describe your philosophy of ministry to adults.

My philosophy centers around teaching, discipling, and developing community among adults. I believe all Christians are called to be disciples of Christ and to pursue holiness, but this is difficult if done alone. Therefore, I encourage Christians to bond in community, to hold each other accountable, and to support one another. If someone is a new believer, I encourage them to meet one-on-one with a trusted mentor to disciple them to be like Christ. I believe times for deep theological teaching are necessary for spiritual growth, and it is a duty for Christians to know God’s word and to study it. I believe it is the responsibility of pastors to train and raise up leaders and encourage their congregants to read and study the Word.

18. Where do you fit theologically compared to our statement of faith?

I agree with your statement of faith. I am currently a member of an EFCA church that holds to the same statement of faith. I am unsure where your church stands on Calvinism or Arminianism, but I hold to the Reformed view of soteriology (salvation). I don’t believe this is a primary issue, and I don’t expect everyone to agree with all of it. My primary concern for a church and a Christian is if they believe salvation comes from faith alone through Christ alone. I believe in baptism by immersion and do not believe in paedobaptism.

19. How do you balance personal and family commitments with pastoral responsibilities?

I try to prioritize my life as follows: God first, family second, and ministry third. In previous positions, I made it a priority not to work on church matters on my days off unless it was an emergency or a special event was planned. Ministry can be demanding, so I make sure to spend adequate time with my wife daily and have “date nights” consistently.

20. What theological positions or beliefs do you hold that others might think are odd or at the least non-traditional?

I am orthodox and traditional when it comes to my beliefs. The only thing that some may find different is my view on Eschatology. I would consider myself a Pan-millennialist… it’s all going to “pan out” in the end. I tend to lean towards an Amillennial view, but I have not settled on one view or another. I believe worship should be focused on God and not ourselves, so I prefer worship songs that sing of his glory and greatness, which has led me to appreciate hymns, both old and new.