Blog Entries by Geoff Chang

Making the Ordinances Meaningful: Spurgeon on Baptism and the Lord’s Supper

April 18, 2024

For most churches, the challenge of church attendance is not practical but theological. Beyond busy schedules, online services, and all other contemporary challenges, many Christians today struggle with a weak understanding of what it means to belong to a church. One evidence of this weakness is in the way so many churches practice the ordinances.  So …

Keep Up the Prayer Meeting Pt. 1

March 4, 2024

The congregational prayer meeting was a key component of Spurgeon’s ministry. He believed that prayer meetings were “at the very secret source of power with God and with men.” Apart from earnest, consistent prayer, a congregation should have little hope that God would use and bless their ministry. Spurgeon always gave thought and planning to the …

Building a Culture of Evangelism

February 20, 2024

Spurgeon’s vision for the church was of an army engaged in the same fight that he was in, namely, proclaiming the gospel and pushing back the dominion of Satan through the salvation of sinners. But how did Spurgeon mobilize his church for evangelism? How can we build a culture of evangelism in our churches? In …

Principles from Spurgeon’s Sermon Prep Process

February 1, 2024

Known as the Prince of Preachers, Charles Spurgeon preached thousands of sermons over forty years of pastoral ministry. But preaching was only one part of his ministry. He also pastored a church of 5,000+ members, led his elders and deacons, performed membership interviews, chaired church meetings, gave oversight to two orphanages and the Pastors’ College, …

Preaching Advice for Busy Pastors

January 18, 2024

C. H. Spurgeon, maybe more than any pastor, knew how busy pastoral ministry can be. In addition to preaching four times a week, he led his elders and deacons in caring for a church of five thousand. Together, they visited members, interviewed membership applicants, led prayer meetings, chaired congregational meetings, pursued non-attenders, and much more. …

“The Glorious Work”: Spurgeon’s Letter to the First College Missionary

January 2, 2024

From the beginning, Spurgeon’s vision for the Pastors’ College was the training of pastors. But with the expansion of the British empire in the 19th century, along with advances in travel and communication, new opportunities for global missions arose. Spurgeon would never justify the violence and oppression of imperialism for the sake of missions. Still, …

The Great Difference in the Two Advents of Christ

December 22, 2023

Spurgeon lived during a time when the doctrine of the incarnation was being challenged. With the growth of German higher criticism, the authority and trustworthiness of Scripture were increasingly being questioned. The translation of David Strauss’ The Life of Jesus into English in 1846 led many to adopt a rationalistic understanding of the Gospels, stripping …

The Queen of Preachers?: Spurgeon, his Sister Eliza, and Women Preachers

June 6, 2023

Baptists these days are once again debating the Bible’s teaching on women preachers. But this is not an entirely new phenomenon. In Charles Spurgeon’s day, he saw the growing popularity of women preachers, particularly among the Salvation Army and Quakers. Such a practice was largely unheard of among Baptists. But there was one notable exception: …

Spurgeon Library Conference 2023: “The Gospel Devotion and Evangelical Activism of Charles Haddon Spurgeon”

May 9, 2023

The goal of the Spurgeon Library Conference is to look not to but through Spurgeon so that we might encounter the risen Christ and be encouraged and equipped in our service to Him. This year's theme was “The Gospel Devotion and Evangelical Activism of Charles Haddon Spurgeon.” Through these lectures, we consider Spurgeon’s example and …

“On the Borders of the Infernal Lake”: Spurgeon on Church Revitalization

April 3, 2023

When Spurgeon first arrived at the New Park Street Chapel in the winter of 1853, the church was dying. But in the coming years, through the preaching of the Word, God would do a remarkable work. With the thousands being drawn to Spurgeon’s ministry, church membership would grow dramatically, elders would be called, and the …