One of the next important priorities for GCF is to establish deacons in the life of the church. On March 14, 2021 we were able to establish an elder team. Currently, we have a team of four elders overseeing the congregation of GCF.
However, there is more work to be done. I have come to see that establishing an elder team was the bare minimum that needed to happen for GCF to survive. I believe GCF now needs to turn our attention to raising up a team of qualified and willing deacons to serve the congregation so that it will not only survive but thrive.
I would like to begin a series of blogs on deacons to help us understand who they are and what they do in the life of the church.
In this blog let me provide three reasons why I think deacons should be near our top priority.
Number 1: It is Biblical.
Paul instructs Timothy to install elders who will help him pastor the church. For whatever reason, it seems the churches in our circles treat the installment of elders as non-negotiable and very sacred. When it comes to deacons a significantly lower standard is employed, almost as if Paul was demanding that elders were installed and suggesting that deacons should be as well.
Here is what Paul tells Timothy in 1 Timothy 3: 8-13
Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
Number 2: It is Practical.
Unfortunately the NT doesn't say much about who deacons are and what they should do. Well, maybe that is a positive as much as it is a negative. The less the Bible says about shouldn't be confused with importance or urgency. Just because it doesn't say much doesn't mean we can treat the installment of deacons as if is a suggestion. Rather, the lack of detail should mean a greater range of application. Not that we shouldn't apply deacons, but that when we do we have greater leeway in their roles.
Acts 6 is perhaps the clearest and only example of a situation where deacons are called to serve. The situation is that widows were not being served food and the complaints were piling up. The 12 disciples summoned all of the other disciples of Jesus and affirmed both the need to serve the widows and the need for them not to do it. Why? Because they needed to go on preaching and teaching the Word of God.
One doesn't have to be in the church for too long to realize that the need to preach and teach well is a pressing need and one that the church cannot compromise on. At the same time, the church must also meet practical needs that people have, basic needs like getting meals. The tension is that there is so much work and only so many laborers. If the disciples were to become divided in their focus everyone would lose. Thus, the solution was to assign (deacons) to meet the practical needs of those in the church who needed it.
When we boil down the role of deacons to the basic NT application I suppose we can say that a deacon is a helper in the church that works in coordination with the elders and they do practical work in the church that is needed and would otherwise take the elders away from what needs to be their primary focus: prayer and ministry of the word of God.
Number 3: It is Spiritual.
Deacons are called to be godly men and women. The qualifications are not too much different from elders. In fact, only the ability to teach the word of God is really omitted from deacons (hence, point number 2). In terms of character and maturity, elders and deacons need be in the same boat.
That is one way we can say appointing deacons is spiritual. There is another way that is more subtle and it has to do with the spiritual service and spiritual end that they serve. Serving the needs of people is a practical way Christ is glorified (See Matthew 25:31-45). Also, it is a spiritual net gain when the church operates well in their administration and communication. To make this point as simply as possible, people won't be helped with the church is disorganized. People won't get answers to their questions. Their emails won't be responded to. Needs won't be recognized and as a consequence the love of God might be articulated well from the pulpit but it won't be grasped in any practical way.
Thus, the connection between practical and spiritual is very tight and very crucial. If any church would like to love people and communicate the character of God it must get practical. And that is biblical.
Thanks for reading. I encourage you to tune into the upcoming posts so that we can pursue the establishment of this team in the life of GCF together.
In Christ,
Pastor Kevin
Comments
Post a Comment