TEACHING NOTES Introduction Over the last few weeks we have learned about the roles of servant-leaders in the church. Now that we know what these roles are and the qualifications required, we also need to understand why these roles are needed, what these servant-leaders will be doing, and how we are going to select people for these servant-leader roles. ‌ Session Outline: 1. ‌Why do we need these roles? ‌2. What will these servant-leaders do? ‌3. How will we choose them? ‌ Why do we need to choose leaders? ‌ Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no vision [guidance] the people are out of control, but blessed is the one who keeps [guards] the Torah [instruction of God].” ‌ 1. The Bible commands the church to choose leaders. ‌2. Without faithful leaders, the church strays off mission. ‌3. It is unbiblical, unwise, and unhealthy to have one leader. ‌ What will these servant-leaders do? ‌ Shepherds (overseers, elders): A shepherd of sheep is responsible to lead, feed, and care for his sheep. The same is true of the shepherds of the church. Shepherds in our church will be men who meet the qualifications of 1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9. ‌ Basic Responsibilities for Shepherds: ‌‌- Follow the direction of Christ and His Word. ‌- ‌Guide and guard the mission, teaching, and discipline of the church. ‌‌- Be willing and able to teach God’s Word to the church. ‌‌- Research and pray together over major decisions. ‌‌- Be in constant communication with the church family. ‌- ‌Be accountable to the church family. ‌ Deacons (servants/ministers): Deacons are those who serve the church by ensuring that ministry tasks are done and our people receive proper care. Deacons in our church will be married couples who meet the qualifications of 1 Tim. 3:8-13. Paul includes wives in these requirements, so this is why our deacons serve as couples. ‌ Basic Responsibilities for Deacons: ‌- Follow the direction of the shepherds. ‌‌- Be willing to work with shepherds on major decisions. ‌- ‌Responsible for various ministry areas and tasks. ‌- ‌Provide care to the church family. ‌- ‌Bring difficult or unresolved issues to the shepherds. ‌ How will we choose our servant-leaders? Many modern churches choose their leaders by holding an election. This allows the church body to recommend anyone to these roles and elect them. In our view, this is not only unbiblical but also unwise. Why? Because the majority can easily elect an unqualified person based on popularity or influence. Therefore, our church will adhere to the following process. ‌ Choosing Shepherds: ‌1. Qualified candidates are recommended. ‌2. The church will have time for input. ‌3. The church will meet to approve candidates. ‌ Choosing Deacons: ‌1. Shepherds will choose and approach candidates. ‌2. Shepherds will evaluate and present candidates to the church. ‌3. The church will have time for input. ‌4. The church will meet to approve candidates. ‌ Will there be a rotation of leaders? Many churches choose to have a forced rotation for leaders. For example, a person would serve for a specified time and then rotate out so others can serve in their place. While in some cases this system can work, we believe this is usually an unwise practice for the following reasons. ‌ Forced rotation of leadership… ‌- Forces faithful and qualified leaders out of service. ‌- Forces the church to choose leaders according to the calendar. ‌- Forces the church to choose new leaders when there may be none. ‌ Therefore, our leaders will rotate in and out of service as needed in a flexible manner. Leaders may be relieved of duty by resignation or by disqualification. Any leader in our church is subject to evaluation and accountability from all members of the church. If any member has an issue with a leader, that member must bring the issue to the shepherds. The shepherds are required to follow the teachings of Jesus on church discipline found in Matthew 18:15-20. Any charge against a shepherd must be based on evidence (1 Tim. 5:19). Shepherds who are guilty of a charge and persist in sin must be rebuked and corrected before the church (1 Tim. 5:20). That shepherd will then be removed from service and may only be reinstated, if at all, after a long process of evaluation. All our leaders are accountable to all the church. ‌ Recommended Candidates for Shepherds: ‌- Curt Whitfield ‌- Doyle Lundy ‌- Marty Albanese ‌- Ray Whitfield