Serving in a Local Church

Considerations concerning serving in a local church

As you read this lesson, be sure to hover over the the Bible verses to read them or look them up in your own copy of the Bible. When the Bible passage is longer, you need to click on “more” in the bottom right corner of the pop-up window.

Introduction

Welcome! The Bible has much to say about this interesting topic. You may find it helpful to invite a mature Christian from your church to study this topic with you. You may have a lot of questions that are not answered here. Maybe there are ideas here that seem hard to understand. Do not get overwhelmed! You can contact us with any questions that you may have. The elders of your local church can help you as well.

Remember that learning the information about this topic is helpful; but knowing the information will not truly change you. For you to benefit fully from this topic you must...

• First, be born-again by securing a personal relationship with God the Father and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, through faith. This information cannot change you until the Holy Spirit of God gives you a new heart that is able to apply this information to your life. To begin a personal relationship with God, you must understand and believe the following:

  • God is separated from you, because He is good, pure, and holy. 1 John 1:5-6

  • You are sinful, impure, and unholy because you do not measure up to God’s holiness. Romans 3:10-12 You are a descendent of Adam and Eve who rebelled against God. Romans 5:19

  • Your sinfulness provokes God’s anger and separates you from God because He is holy. Romans 5:12 As a result, you deserve to be thrown into the Lake of Fire forever. Revelation 20:14-15

  • God the Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth. Jesus is God in the Flesh. He lived a sinless life. He was nailed to the cross, shed His blood, and died on the cross in your place for your sins. He was buried, rose again and went into Heaven to prepare a place for all who believe. One day He will return for those who believe. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4

  • Only the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is enough for you to be accepted by God the Father forever the moment that you believe. John 3:16 God does not accept you because you try to be a good person and do good works. Romans 4:5 He accepts you fully and forever the moment you abandon your sins and call on Jesus to save you. John 3:36

• Second, as you understand, meditate on, and believe the information presented here about this topic, you must also do what the Bible says. James 1:21-22 Only by trusting and obeying what the Bible says regarding this topic will you experience the full benefits of this information. James 1:23-24 Trusting and obeying God’s Word will change you as you learn this information. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 You will be happy as a result of your obedience. James 1:25

• Third, seek and heed the advice of the elders/pastors of your church regarding this topic. Hebrews 13:17

• Fourth, depend upon the Holy Spirit to change you. Galatians 3:1-3 You cannot change without Him enabling you. John 15:5 He will change you in His time and way; but not apart from your faith and obedience to God’s Word. Trust Him to do His work in your heart. Philippians 2:12-13

• Fifth, allow the joy that you experience from obeying God’s Word to transform how you interact with others. James 2:12-20

As an elder

By being an elder of a local church, you are committing to:

• Be an example of Christ that is worthy of imitation.

• Ensure that Christ’s name is represented well by you to your family, the other members of the local church, and the community at large.

• Facilitate the enablement of church members to better represent Christ to their families, one another, and the community at large.

• Help lead the church toward Gospel maturity and Gospel effectiveness.

• Provide accountability for fellow leaders and members of the local church.

• Speak, teach, and explain the Gospel clearly and effectively.

• Provide biblical wisdom to maturing believers.

• Aid in the process of conflict resolution and church restoration.

• Provide guidance and direction for the overall ministry of the church.

• Ensure that the church strives to obey Christ’s commands.

• Ensure the church’s teaching is doctrinally sound and practically consistent with the Gospel and the teachings of the Bible.

Each elder is required to meet the criteria of 1 Timothy 3:1-8 and Titus 1:3-5 regarding character before God and reputation before family and community. Each elder is gifted differently, however, and called to serve God in differing ways from others. Each elder has a unique personality, experience, circumstance, passion, preference, culture, and maturity level.

All elders are to:

• Be able to teach, but not all are gifted at teaching.

• Shepherd the hearts of the flock, but not all are gifted at shepherding.

• Lead the church by their example, but not all are gifted in leading.

• Help the church to function in an organized way, but not all are gifted with administration.

• Be hospitable, but not all are gifted in the area of hospitality.

• Share the Gospel, but not all are gifted as evangelists.

• Help the Gospel spread across the world, but not all are gifted as missionaries.

• Ensure the church is worshipping in a biblical way, but not all are musically gifted.

Some elders:

• Are great at one-to-one conversations, while others are better at public speaking.

• Have the ability to remember scripture easily, while others are better at giving sound wisdom.

• Care more about doctrine than people, while others care more about people than doctrine.

• Have a vision for the future of the church, while others are focused on the present.

• Can handle serious counseling situations well, while others may excel at being present during times of grief.

These are some reasons why a plurality of elders is the best model for a local church. Each brings value to the leadership, but in different ways.

• What do you feel most passionate about doing as an elder?

• What do you think is the most difficult task for you to do joyfully as an elder?

• What are you willing to forfeit for the sake of the local church?

• What are you unwilling to give up for the sake of glorifying Christ?

• How does God want to use you to make the church healthier?

• How are you refusing to listen to gossip?

• How are you refusing to spread gossip?

• How are you holding members accountable for spreading gossip?

Tasks of an elder:

• Preaching the Bible

• Teaching the Bible

• Counseling believers

• Making Decisions

• Praying for church members

• Sharing the Gospel

• Attending meetings

• Keeping records

• Baptism and communion

• Maintaining the order of the church service

• Ensuring that the various ministries of the church are functioning biblically and effectively

• Assisting in the process of church restoration and discipline

• Attending to missions and missionaries

• Attending to various church groups

• Raising up more leaders

• Informing deacons of various physical needs within the church

AS A DEACON

By being a deacon of a local church, you are committing to:

• Be an example of Christ that is worthy of imitation.

• Ensure that Christ’s name is represented well by you to your family, the other members of the local church, and the community at large.

• Facilitate the enablement of church members to better represent Christ to their families, one another, and the community at large.

• Help the church meet physical needs which can impede Gospel maturity and Gospel effectiveness.

• Provide accountability for fellow members of the local church.

• Speak, teach, and explain the Gospel clearly and effectively.

• Aid in meeting the physical needs of church members during the process of conflict resolution and church restoration.

• Inform the elders of the local church members’ needs. Help organize and facilitate meeting those needs.

Each deacon is required to meet the criteria of 1 Timothy 3:1-8 and Titus 1:3-5 regarding character before God and reputation before family and community. Each deacon is gifted differently, however, and called to serve God in differing ways from others. Each deacon has a unique personality, experience, circumstance, passion, preference, culture, and maturity level.

All deacons are to:

• Be able to serve, but not all are gifted in serving.

• Lead the church by example, but not all are gifted in leading.

• Help the church to function in an organized way, but not all are gifted with administration.

• Share the Gospel, but not all are gifted as evangelists.

• Help the Gospel spread across the world, but not all are gifted as missionaries.

Some deacons:

• Are great at one-to-one conversations, while are others are better at public speaking.

• Have the ability to remember scripture easily, while others are better at giving sound wisdom.

• Care more about doctrine than people, while others care more about people than doctrine.

• Have a vision for the future of the church, while others are focused on the present.

• Are more focused on budget than people, while others are more focused on people than budget. Some want to save money; some want to spend money.

These are reasons why a plurality of deacons is the best model for a local church. Each brings value to the leadership, but in unique ways.

• What do you feel most passionate about doing as a deacon?

• What do you think is the most difficult task for you to do joyfully as a deacon?

• What are you willing to forfeit for the sake of the local church?

• What are you unwilling to forfeit for the sake of glorifying Christ?

• How does God want to use you to make the church healthier?

• How are you refusing to listen to gossip?

• How are you refusing to spread gossip?

Tasks of a deacon:

• Making Decisions

• Praying for church members

• Sharing the Gospel

• Attending meetings

• Keeping records

• Baptism and communion

• Maintaining the order of the church service

• Ensuring that the various ministries of the church are functioning biblically and effectively.

• Attending to missions and missionaries

• Attending to various church groups.

AS A MEMBER

By being a member of a local church, you are committing to:

• Be an example of Christ that is worthy of imitation.

• Ensure that Christ’s name is represented well by you to your family, the other members of the local church, and the community at large.

• Facilitate the enablement of church members to better represent Christ to their families, one another, and the community at large.

• Grow in Gospel maturity and effectiveness.

• Provide accountability for fellow leaders and members of the local church.

• Bring the Gospel to the lost.

• Learn from the biblical wisdom of other local church members and leaders.

• Aid in the process of conflict resolution and church restoration.

• Ensure that the church is striving to obey Christ’s commands.

• Ensure that the church’s teaching is doctrinally sound and practically consistent with the Gospel and the teachings of the Bible.

To be a member of a local church, one is not required to meet the criteria of 1 Timothy 3:1-8 and Titus 1:3-5 regarding character before God and reputation before family and community. It should be something, however, that the members are pursuing in their daily lives. They should submit to the leadership of the church and allow them to lead its affairs. Each member is gifted differently and called to serve God in varying ways. Each member has a unique personality, experience, circumstance, passion, preference, culture, and maturity level. This is why they need godly leaders to imitate, respect, and follow.

All members:

• Should become mature enough to teach the basics of the faith and disciple someone else, but not all are gifted as teachers.

• Are to shepherd the hearts of one another, but not all are gifted at shepherding.

• Are to live in a manner worthy of imitation, but not all are gifted in leading.

• Should grow in hospitality, but not all are gifted in the area of hospitality.

• Are to share the Gospel, but not all are gifted as evangelists.

• Are to help the Gospel spread across the world, but not all are gifted as missionaries.

These are reasons why a plurality of leadership is the best model for a local church. Each member needs godly leadership who can help equip them to mature in the faith. Each member brings value to the church, but in unique ways.

• About what do you feel most passionate, serving as a member of your local church?

• What do you think is the most difficult task for you to do joyfully as a member of your local church?

• What are you willing to forfeit for the sake of the local church?

• What are you unwilling to forfeit for the sake of glorifying Christ in your local church?

• How does God want to use you to make the church healthier?

• How are you submitting to the leadership of your local church?

• How are you refusing to listen to gossip?

• How are you refusing to spread gossip?

Tasks of local church members:

• Praying for other church members

• Sharing the Gospel

• Attending services and meetings

• Growing in the faith

• Being discipled

• Making disciples

• Using their spiritual gifts

• Investing their time and money into local church members’ health.

• Building meaningful relationships within the local church and outside of it.

• Assisting in the process of church restoration and discipline

• Attending to missions and missionaries

• Attending to various church groups

• Informing the elders and deacons of various physical needs within the church

AS A MINISTRY LEADER

By being a ministry leader, you are committing to:

• Foster unity between the church leadership, ministry leaders, and other ministry participants.

• Enable others to use their gifts to better serve the ministry that you facilitate.

• Invite oversight from the elders in your ministry.

• Seek to facilitate the ministry with excellence, integrity, and accountability.

• Look for opportunities to delegate your responsibilities for the purpose of encouraging other members to serve.

• Seek to develop someone else who can replace you.

• Keep the Gospel the main focus.

To be a ministry leader of a local church, under the authority of the elders, one is not required to meet the criteria of 1 Timothy 3:1-8 and Titus 1:3-5 regarding character before God and reputation before family and community. It should be something that the ministry leaders are pursuing, however, in their daily lives. Additionally, women ministry leaders are called to meet the criteria of 1 Timothy 3:11. Also, both male and female leaders should meet the criteria of Titus 2:1-8 and follow the principles of 1 Timothy 2:9-15; 1 Corinthians 14:33-40; and 1 Corinthians 11:1-19. They should submit to the elders of the church and allow them to lead its affairs. (including allowing them to provide oversight and accountability for the ministry of the ministry leader). Each ministry leader is gifted differently and called to serve God in varying ways. Each ministry leader has a unique personality, experience, circumstance, passion, preference, culture, and maturity level. This is why church members need godly elders to imitate, respect, and follow.

All ministry leaders:

• Should become mature enough to teach the basics of the faith and disciple someone else, but not all are gifted as teachers.

• Are to shepherd the hearts of those to whom they minister, but not all are gifted at shepherding.

• Are to live in a manner worthy of imitation, but not all are gifted in leading.

• Should grow in hospitality, but not all are gifted in the area of hospitality.

• Are to share the Gospel, but not all are gifted as evangelists.

• Are to help the Gospel spread across the world, but not all are gifted as missionaries.

This is why a plurality of leadership is the best model for a local church. Ministry leaders need godly leadership that can help equip them to mature in the faith. Ministry leaders bring value to the church, but in unique ways.

• About what do you feel most passionate, serving as a ministry leader of your local church?

• What do you think is the most difficult task for you to do joyfully as a ministry leader of your local church?

• What are you willing to forfeit as a ministry leader for the sake of your local church?

• What are you unwilling to forfeit as a ministry leader for the sake of glorifying Christ in your local church?

• How does God want to use you to make the church healthier through your ministry leadership?

• How are you submitting to the leadership of your local church in the ministry that you are leading?

• How are you refusing to listen to gossip?

• How are you refusing to spread gossip?

Tasks of a ministry leader:

• Concerning the facility

  • Technology

  • Grounds and maintenance

  • Building use

  • Security

• Helping Men’s, Women’s, Youth, and Children’s ministry

• Outreach

• Community groups

• Keeping records

• Attending services and meetings

Additional Thoughts

Concerning the disqualification of leaders:

• There may be times when a leader disqualifies himself from leadership. The response should be as follows:

  • Follow the protocol as explained in 1 Timothy 5:1-2; 1 Timothy 5:19-25; Matthew 18:15-20 and in the topic How to Reconcile with Others.

  • Recognize that disqualifying one’s self from leadership does not mean that:

    • It disqualifies one from being a child of God, nor does it disqualify him from loving and encouraging people in and outside of the church.

    • He is unforgiven by Christ.

    • He should be banned from the church. (That depends upon their repentance).

    • He is permanently disqualified from leadership.

    • His family has done something wrong.

    • The church has done something wrong.

    • He is irredeemable.

  • Reflection:

    • According to Scripture, did the leader actually disqualify himself?

      • If so, for how long is he disqualified from leadership?

      • If not, how can the church provide accountability with integrity, while not unnecessarily removing the leader from leadership?

    • What protocol does the church have in place to protect leaders from disqualifying themselves?

    • What protocol does the church have in place to navigate all the circumstances for when it is discovered a leader has been disqualified?

    • How will the church minister to, encourage, and help the disqualified leader as a brother/sister in Christ?

    • How will the church minister to, encourage, and help the family of the disqualified leader?

    • How will the church prevent itself from ostracizing the family of the disqualified leader unnecessarily?

    • How is Christ best represented and the Gospel adorned in the church and in the community- Restoring the leader to leadership or not? Is there a path to being restored to leadership? If so, when and how?

    • How is the church preventing the spread of gossip and slander in the community?

    • If the disqualified leader is unrepentant and banned from fellowship, how is the church helping facilitate accountability with other local churches?

Concerning your ministry outside of your local church:

• As a believer-priest (1 Peter 2:9-10), you are free to share the Gospel and minister to anyone anywhere and in any way that does not violate the Scriptures. In fact, you are commanded to do so. Matthew 28:18-20 You can serve in public, in homes, through parachurch organizations, and in the ministries of other local churches.

• Seek the advice, wisdom, and counsel from the elders of your local church regarding your ministry outside of the church.

• The spiritual wellbeing of you and your family should be overseen by the elders of your local church.

• Your personal ministry should not replace your commitment to your local church. Rather, it should flow from it.

• It should not prevent the elders of your local church from shepherding your heart.

• It should not limit your ability to edify the members of your local church

• It should not prevent you from actively and meaningfully contributing to the health of your local church.

Concerning transferring your church membership:

• There some good reasons for changing churches:

  • You are sent out by your church to serve at another church or in missions.

  • Another church has a greater need for your spiritual gifts.

  • It allows others to grow by stepping up to fill in where you were serving.

  • When it goes against your conscience to submit to the decisions of the leadership. It may glorify God best for you to leave the church for the sake of unity. This should be done only after receiving much counsel from the elders with a spirit of humility, grace, and a desire to edify.

• There are some wrong reasons for changing churches:

  • You are unwilling to esteem others as more important than yourself.

  • You want the entire church to cater to your preferences, and they won’t.

  • God moves the pastor elsewhere.

  • You are unwilling to repent.

• You should not leave a church without first seeking counsel from your elders. Allow them to shepherd your heart, reconcile with you, help you to reconcile with someone else, and/or assist you in finding another church where you can be edified.

• You should not leave a church without already knowing where you will transfer your membership with the blessing of your current elders.

• When necessary, leave on a positive note, and do not allow it to become a habit. If possible, don’t leave ministry positions vacant.

Conclusion

Now that you have studied this topic, we encourage you to...

• Ask us or any of your elders about any questions or concerns you still have about this topic.

• Pray for yourself to grow in maturity regarding this topic.

• Do your best to practice what you have learned.

• Tell someone else about what you have learned.

• Ask one of the elders at your church to help you overcome your weaknesses regarding this topic.

• Teach this topic to someone else.

• Consider reviewing this topic once a year.

• Commit to growing in this area together with other members of a local church.

• Trust the Holy Spirit to change you as He uses His Word, people, and circumstances to make you more like Christ.