Articles for tag: Elder

January 25, 2014

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

The Elder and Staff Relationships

By David Roadcup For centuries, the devil”s playground in a congregation has been the relational web between the paid staff and elders. Love, encouragement, support, understanding, and communication must flow between staff and elders. In many cases however, struggle, misunderstanding, lack of communication, and sometimes extreme frustration are more likely to be prevalent. Ministers need the relational support and undergirding of the elders. Elders need the encouragement and support of the paid staff members. It”s a two-way street. The need flows both ways. This issue is important in the life of a church because when unity is broken and a

November 4, 2013

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

Learning to Lead

By James Riley Estep,Â Jr. It”s a complaint commonly heard in some churches: “We”re having trouble finding men to serve as elders,” or “Younger men aren”t stepping forward to serve as elders!” Leadership is oftentimes more caught than taught. Solomon wrote, “Iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17). He understood what we now understand””leaders form other leaders.Â Recruiting and equipping elders in the church is not just a matter of programming, and the solution is not as simple as starting a leadership class. Leaders are formed over a lifelong process of experience, training, nurturing, and intentional relationship

June 24, 2013

Christian Standard

Church & Ministry Church Leadership Eldership

The “˜Up-frontness” of Eldership

By Chuck Sackett Sam compassionately shepherded a congregation I”ll call Countryside Church, but a massive heart attack cut short his ministry, forcing him into an extended rehabilitation, and ultimately, retirement. The elders, assessing the situation, determined that Sam”s wife could live in the parsonage until he was released from the hospital. However, the church would begin searching for a minister immediately, so she needed to vacate the parsonage upon his release. On the other side of the state, Doris served the children of a congregation I”ll call Community Fellowship. Her ministry was exploding with children. Tragically, her husband found her

March 24, 2013

Christian Standard

Church & Ministry Church Leadership Eldership

Four Vital Signs of a Healthy Elder Team

By Gary L. Johnson Effective teams are healthy teams. But how do elder teams function well together? What does a healthy elder team look like? The best answers to those questions can be found in the leadership lessons between Jesus and his team of disciples. As Jesus neared the end of his ministry, as described in Mark 8 and 9, he had significant moments with his disciples, revealing four vital signs of a healthy team. Vital Sign 1 A healthy elder team knowsÂ and pursues the mission. In Mark 8:31-38, Jesus explained to his disciples that he would suffer at

March 2, 2013

Christian Standard

Discipleship & Spiritual Formation

Wanted: Titus 2 Women

By Sheila S. Hudson When I was a rookie minister”s wife, a gentle lady named Merle took me under her wing. Merle was a retired schoolteacher “clothed with strength and dignity” who could “laugh at the days to come” (Proverbs 31:25). Her wisdom earned respect communitywide, while her “never-grow-up attitude” endeared her to believers and nonbelievers alike. Her husband was an extraordinary elder whose wisdom earned esteem in all arenas. Miss Merle modeled Titus 2:3, “Teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what

January 25, 2013

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

How Are We Growing Our Elders?

By Don Green Churches of all sizes need to establish a process for disciple and leader development that can equip future elders to function as Christlike leaders (Luke 6:40). To be healthy and effective, every church must ensure that mature disciples are being prepared to function as shepherding, overseeing, and leading elders and equippers (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 4:11-16; 1 Peter 5:1-4). Although adopting a disciple development process in a local congregation is no guarantee that effective leaders will be developed, it is an essential pathway to kingdom leadership development. During church consultations over the past 30 years I have often

January 12, 2013

Christian Standard

The Knife Wasn”t Even Sharp

By Robert Kitchen One day Vic came into my office to discuss a construction project at our church. Vic is a retired executive from a large machinery manufacturer, gentleman farmer, elder, and willing volunteer. Me? I”m a semiretired accountant, writer, woodworker, elder, and part-time business manager. I said, “Vic, you”re my friend and a willing volunteer. I need some surgery and I think you can do it. Do you have a pocketknife?” Vic knew my off-the-wall manner, so he played along. He pulled out his knife, held it to the light, and said, “It may need some sharpening.” I was

November 3, 2012

Christian Standard

Church & Ministry Church Leadership Eldership

Biblical Qualities of an Elder (Part 2)

By James Riley Estep Jr. With blamelessness, the center piece of our puzzle, in place, what other pieces fill out the portrait of a spiritual leader? After reviewing the lists in parallel, the other four major pieces come to light: Being “blameless” before God, others, family, and self. Blameless Before God How would you assess your relationship with God? This piece is best reflected in several qualities of an elder. Peter expresses this when he describes that an elder (shepherd) must be capable of being affirmed by the Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4). An elder must have theological blamelessness

November 2, 2012

Christian Standard

Church & Ministry Church Leadership Eldership

Biblical Qualities of an Elder (Part 1)

By James Riley Estep Jr. The New Testament qualifications for elders are like pieces in a puzzle. When we put them together we see a beautiful picture of God”s ideal for what an elder should be. I like puzzles. At first, there is chaos. 200, 500, 1,000 pieces scattered on the tabletop; but then it begins to take shape, drawing a portrait that is revealed one piece at a time. Everyone has a puzzle-solving strategy. Maybe it is to find the edges or corners first, or to focus on the central image. Whatever the strategy, its goal is to give

August 9, 2012

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

Producing the Next Generation of Elders

By John Ashenfelter How long do we want Christ”s churches to last? God built the church to last forever. But local congregations do not last unless Jesus is the cornerstone. To last, the leaders from generation to generation must be committed to and submissive to Jesus, his leadership, and his mission. Local congregations do not last without leaders who are submissive to the Word of God and to his Spirit. One characteristic of such leaders is their devotion to reproducing leaders with this commitment and submission. Churches are always just one generation away from disappearing. With the church”s future in

July 8, 2012

Christian Standard

Church & Ministry Church Staff

How a Good Team Is Getting Better

By Barton Shaw This is my sixth year serving as an elder in our church, Eastview Christian Church, Normal, Illinois, and I can honestly say it is one of the most challenging and rewarding roles I have. Over the years, I have had the pleasure to serve with 14 other men””all of them godly and devoted Christ followers whom I deeply respect. Though we are united in a common love for the church, it probably comes as no surprise that we are a collection of men from different stages of life with varied careers, temperaments, and perspectives. This is a

May 9, 2012

Christian Standard

Church & Ministry Church Leadership Eldership

Elder Governance: Everybody”s Concern

By Mark A. Taylor Some readers may feel this week”s articles don”t apply to them. “I”m not an elder, and I”ll never be one.” “I sometimes wonder what happens in those elders meetings, but not enough to think about how they could be better.” “Governance? What is elder governance? We just approve the bills and try to keep the preacher on the right track. Governance is too fancy a word for what we do in our monthly meetings.” But think carefully about Don Green”s ideas andGary Johnson”s experience, and you”ll see that elder governance can revolutionize how a church functions.

May 2, 2012

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

Elders, Submission, and the Rebel in Me!

By Jim Tune With so many poor models of leadership around us today, we may cringe when words like submission, authority, and rule come up. “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” With that line in the final chapter of Animal Farm, George Orwell delivered his critique of Karl Marx and the government of the Soviet Union. We know the story: animals rise up, a barnyard revolt is launched, and the animals displace the human owners of the farm and begin to run the farm for their own benefit. It was a paradise run by

March 16, 2012

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

A Call to Courage

By Susan Lawrence I”ve noticed something lately that deeply troubles me: a lack of courage among church leaders. Hear me out. I”m not saying church leaders aren”t godly people. I”m not saying I”ve lost all respect for church leaders. But as I talk to people around the country about a variety of situations in their churches, my uneasiness grows as I see a common thread. I”m sure it”s not new, but I”m confident God has brought several situations to my attention, so he could whisper something in my ear: “Be on guard.” After listening to a youth pastor”s accusations behind

February 13, 2012

Christian Standard

Care & Counseling Trauma

What We Learned

By Brad Neal I remember feeling the anguish surface again. The pain of dealing with a fractured ministry, and the resulting fallout, all came rushing back when it came time for public restoration. Was this the right course? Would members trust us? The easy path would have been just to leave it in the past. Take sin seriously. The restoration process takes time. In our case, two years. It takes time for the seed of repentance to bear the fruit of a changed life. It also takes time for those who are hurt to be ready to trust again

February 9, 2012

Christian Standard

Church & Ministry Church Leadership Eldership

Our Elders May Function Differently Than Yours

By Stephen Bond The Bible is surprisingly vague with regard to organization in the local church. It”s clear that God intends each local congregation to have a plurality of elders in leadership. We see this, for example, in Acts 14:23 as “Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church” (note that elders is plural). It”s also clear that mature Christian character is what matters most for elders. The qualifications for elders mentioned in 1 Timothy and Titus deal almost exclusively with character. Beyond those two broad characteristics””more than one elder, all of mature/good character”” the Scriptures are essentially

October 4, 2011

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

Commonsense Suggestions About Elders

By Chuck Sackett “A Parable of Two Churches“ (a sidebar) is my attempt to capture the past 37 years of observations and experiences. I”ve been privileged to be the preacher in three very different congregations. And while serving as a Bible college and seminary professor, I worked in various capacities with dozens of congregations. What follows are practical suggestions for how congregations can have healthy, effective elderships. These are simply reminders of the obvious. I”ve seen them work in a variety of settings, expressed in various ways, ending with varied results. Every church I”ve seen believes it is doing church

October 4, 2011

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

A Parable of Two Churches

By Chuck Sackett (This is a sidebar to Sackett’s main article, “Commonsense Suggestions About Elders.”) On the Isle of Parr The king of Salmonia established a colony on the island of Parr. In consultation with the king, the colony called a recent college graduate to provide guidance, interpret the city charter, and lead the community in growth. The young leader was enthusiastically received by the people of the island. People embraced the planner”s lofty visions and exciting goals. A dozen new families relocated to Parr. The colony was becoming a thriving community. That”s when the city council had its first

October 3, 2011

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

Fellow Elder

By Steve Reeves My wife and I spent Cinco de Mayo in a Midwestern city watching a wide variety of Americans dancing and celebrating. The event commemorates the Mexican army”s defeat of the French on May 5, 1862. I noticed that, generally, it took two to tango, but there were a few who tried to do the tango by themselves. So, understanding that there are two sides to every story, and it usually takes two to tango, I want to discuss a disturbing pattern among churches of all sizes. Here”s how it works . . . A preacher goes on

November 16, 2008

Christian Standard

Church & Ministry Church Leadership Eldership

Elders & Ministers: Speaking the Same Language

By Darrel Rowland Does this sound like where your church is today? “I”ve never felt hindered by any of the elder teams I”ve served with.““”Greg Marksberry, 24-year veteran of the ministry now with his third church, Heritage Christian in suburban Atlanta “There is peace, joy, and happiness in the (elders) meetings and in the church.”“”Robin Hart, minister for almost 25 years with Northside Christian near Akron, Ohio “Just as children with two mutually supportive parents gain an extra measure of confidence and security, a church with mutually supportive elders and ministers has a sense of well-being that cannot be fostered