Links
Here are a few websites that have been helpful and informative to the leadership team at West Side Baptist. A short description follows each link, presenting them from our own perspective. These descriptions are entirely our own, and might not be satisfactory to those described. This list does not equal a blanket endorsement of all their content or the views they express. Please approach everything you encounter prayerfully and thoughtfully through the lens of scripture. We pray these will be of help to you:
Organizations:
The Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America (ARBCA) is "designed to advance Christ's kingdom by providing a fellowship in which churches of common confession may find mutual encouragement, assistance, edification, and counsel, and participate in cooperative efforts such as home and foreign missions, ministerial training, and publications, along with other such endeavors deemed appropriate by the Association."
Founders Ministries is dedicated to the doctrines of grace which motivated the founders of the Southern Baptist Convention. They provide information, encouragement and unity for Southern Baptist churches which still profess these great truths, and are calling the Convention to its roots.
The National Center for Family Integrated Churches is very important to West Side Baptist Church (see our doctrinal statements page). This crucial ministry is busy reforming families and churches together, precisely by urging them to work together as God intends. Their "First National Conference for Uniting Church and Family" is so essential we obtained written permission to make free copies for friends and church leaders in our area. If nothing else, wrestle with the issues presented here!
Care Net is an organization dedicated to saving unborn babies and their parents. They pursue this goal through counseling, education, and proclaiming the gospel in schools and pregnancy clinics across the nation. They are currently established in a new clinic in Watertown, NY, not far from Fort Drum. This is the first pregnancy clinic in the area and West Side Baptist is excited to be supporting it financially. Pray with us that they would eventually expand to include clinics in Potsdam and Canton, the two major college towns in the North Country.
Desiring God Ministries presents "God centered resources from the ministry of John Piper" declaring the infinite worth of God and the pleasure of knowing and loving Him. It offers "books, sermons, articles and more to help you find your joy in God". Would that every Christian would let this ministry put some fire in the belly!
The Home School Legal Defense Association has been used by God to defend and expand our constitutional right to raise our families as God requires. Their site is an indispensable source of information about home schooling, from its history to its future. Every home school family should consider joining this association, not only to support this worthy cause, but to avail themselves of legal help if necessary.
Alpha Omega Ministries is a ministry directed by James White, a Reformed Baptist apologist in Phoenix, Arizona. He has skillfully and kindly debated representatives of various false religions and perspectives. His ministry is an important source of materials to aid you in doing the same.
Churches. These are just two of a growing number of like-minded assemblies in other areas. We have included them for two reasons. First, their websites may be informative, and second, we know of them. We know of them through family and past attendance. Their inclusion here is without their knowledge or consent, and does not imply that they would agree with us. It merely means that we consider them brethren, and similar enough for close cooperation. We therefore recommend them to you who are in those areas.
Immanuel Free Reformed Church is located just north of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Grace Assembly is located in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Book Sellers:
Vision Forum is an aptly-named company, providing all manner of books, conferences, audio and video materials and more, aimed at taking dominion of the world by reforming the family. Though some of their materials may be considered over-priced, there may not be a better or more comprehensive source for such valuable teaching.
Calvary Press is "known world-wide for it's high quality, non-compromising Christian Books. At the heart of their publishing philosophy are the principles of the Protestant Reformation." Many of their titles are indispensable for the reformed churchman.
Canon Press, one of the literature ministries of Christ Church, Moscow Idaho, provides a print and audio feast. Doug Wilson and crew have been instrumental in much of our thinking in many areas. Aside from Presbyterian paedo-baptism, and some of its logical conclusions and out-workings, they base their teachings on scripture alone. Devour everything they offer on the family, education, apologetics and theonomy! Mr. Wilson has also been a pioneer of recent Classical Christian education, and despite his bias in favor of Christian day schools, all his teachings on this subject are quite good!
Veritas Press is a source for Christian Classical schooling materials. Their website and free print catalog are well organized and presented. We thank God for raising up such resources to assist His people in educating the young church in the paideia of God.
Christian Book Distributors is a well-known, mainstream company, with a large selection of books and other resources common to your average Christian paraphernalia shop. Their prices are usually good, though.
Of course, we often find Amazon.com, and Half.com to be the cheapest sources for used books, but when you want recommendations, harder to find books, or want to support the publishers that provide these great books, definitely visit the first three sites above.
Audio Resources:
Covenant Media Foundation provides, for a small fee, many valuable audio files. Founded to offer sermons and lectures by the late apologist and theologian Greg Bahnsen, it also includes many other resources. This man, like many reformed brothers, was Presbyterian, but was granted keen insight in many areas of our faith. The recording quality is sometimes very poor, but the content is brilliant and worth the effort!
Sermonaudio is a massive source for free sermon downloads from all over the world. The sheer number of inclusions here obviate the conclusion that some are worthless. But many are pure gold, and these are worth the panning. Anyone with the time and capability should be aware of this treasure-trove.
Word MP3 is another site offering sermons and lectures for a small fee.
The Genevan Psalter Resource Center is a website for resources and information relating to the Genevan Psalter, including any and all articles, sheet music, recordings, books, websites and metrical translations based on it. Though we do not use the Genevan Psalter, we do sing the Psalms regularly, and recommend this site to further your education in music and the Psalms.
Print Resources:
World Magazine should possibly be the first political periodical on every Christian's subscription list. Our families regularly share their copies from house to house. World's mission statement is: "To report, interpret, and illustrate the news in a timely, accurate, enjoyable, and arresting fashion from a perspective committed to the Bible as the inerrant Word of God." We commend them for operating regularly on mission!
The Reformed Reader website simply provides vast quantities of reformed literature, ancient and recent, for your perusal. If you have time to hang out here, why not do some reading there?
Credenda/Agenda Magazine, the other literature ministry of Christ Church, is another valuable magazine, not least of all because it's free (though worth its weight in donations!). They are "a religiously and philosophically Trinitarian Cultural Journal", to be read in good humor. Being produced by our Federal Vision brothers with whom you may differ, their writing must be analyzed biblically in full-blown Berean style, but there is nothing that would please them more!