Serving by the Strength God Supplies
In our February Summit Meeting, one of the things mentioned by the elder team was our plan for building a deacon team over the next 10 months. Our hope is that this team would further expand the ministry of service in our church. In the New Testament book of 1 Peter, we read about the importance of the ministry of service in a local fellowship:
“whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
Serving others is considered a high calling in the church of Jesus Christ. God is so involved in this kind of ministry, that he is supplying supernatural strength in order to assist those who serve in the church. The result of this kind of service is the meeting of important human needs and much glory for God. Part of what this service provides is a platform for the gospel to be proclaimed so that sinners can be saved and disciples can continue to grow through the teaching and shepherding ministries of the church. In this way, “serving” and “speaking” go hand in hand accomplishing the mission that has been entrusted to the church by God.
What is a Deacon?
The ministry of service is so important in the local church that there is an official designation given to some in the church who specialize in this kind of calling. This official church office is that of the “deacon”. The Greek word translated deacon in our English Bibles (διάκονος /diakonos) literally means servant and shows up 29 times in the New Testament. These servants that hold the church office of deacon are required to meet certain qualifications (very similar to elders) and are given special designation so the church can have an example to follow (again similar to elders) and lead in facilitating ongoing ministries of service being carried out by the membership. We see this designation in places like the opening line of the book of Philippians:
“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:”
Paul is designating three different categories of people in the church. “Saints” which is all the members of the church. “Overseers” which are the elders of the church tasked with overseeing, shepherding, and teaching. “Deacons” who are given the role of meeting the practical needs that are unique to a particular church. MERCYhouse has had many servants throughout the years that have met a number of needs both inside and outside the church and we expect that to continue with or without special designation. Though we’ve never set apart people as deacons in our church body, we believe that doing so is both biblical and potentially very helpful for furthering the mission of our church.
Who Can Participate in Deacon Ministry?
First, a candidate must be an official member of our church. This means you have officially joined the church by attending a MEET MERCYhouse class and joined the church membership by getting baptized here at MERCYhouse, OR by statement that you were baptized at another church of like faith and practice, OR by transfer from another Southern Baptist Church. If you have questions about membership, please see our membership page and/or reach out to our church office.
Next, a candidate must be biblically qualified to be a deacon. These qualifications are mostly related to character qualities that give evidence of spiritual maturity - see 1 Timothy 3:8-13. This is important because anyone that the church designates as a “leader” in the church immediately becomes an example that the church is encouraging others to follow. These Christlike qualities are evidence that the person being considered for a deacon role has lived a life of dependency on gospel grace that has resulted in a transformed life.
Unlike elders, who are only male, we believe the deacon role can be filled by both men and women. We believe this because of the mention of Phoebe as a Deaconess in Romans 16:1 and the vetting of women (or possibly the wives of male deacons) for deacon ministry in 1 Timothy 3:11. To see a more thorough treatment of this discussion regarding these scriptures see the “on biblical basis” section in this article from Tim Keller.
How do I pursue Deacon Ministry at MERCYhouse?
As an elder team, we want to encourage every member in our church to consider this very important ministry. We have a number of domains that are in need of attention. These include member care, benevolence ministry, community outreach, international missions, facilities management, and more. These are domains that are often being overseen and executed by staff and elders on a daily basis. The biblical model is for elders to give direction to these domains, but for deacons to be daily executing that direction. The fulfilling of these ministries of service free up staff, elders, and others to focus on their primary calling which is the ministry of the word and prayer (see Acts 6:1-7).
In order to take a first step toward deacon ministry at MH, we are inviting church members to participate in a 6 month training process. This process will include assignments of service, reading, and a monthly Saturday gathering on Zoom from 9-11:30am on the third Saturday of each month. We will discuss the possibility of changing this meeting time in our March gathering, but we found in our elder training that this is a time that almost everyone can make. Attending this training is not a guarantee that you will become a deacon. Completion if this training will be the first part of the vetting required to become a deacon at MH. This “vetting” process is also a time for you to consider what is entailed in deacon ministry to see if you are called to it. Either way the training should be a help to you in your walk with Christ and your ongoing ministry in the church. Once the training is completed, applications will be given to those who are biblically qualified and interviews will be conducted by the elder team. The final confirmation will be a vote by the membership of the church.
See below for a description of the training experience designed to entrust biblical content and foster ministry skills. This six-month training is offered to church members who are interested in growing in the ministry of service in general and/or may be interested in applying for a deacon role in our church.
Group Purpose: Growth!
No matter what happens, we hope that the people who participate in this experience will grow spiritually. This should benefit any disciple of Jesus whether they become a deacon in our church or not. We hope that each participant will grow:
In understanding of Christian doctrine and practice of spiritual disciplines ultimately leading to a more vital relationship with Jesus.
In understanding of roles and responsibilities of deacons and elders and how these roles complement one another.
In the practice of skills required for deacon ministry - caring relationally for people, meeting practical needs, and verbally sharing the gospel in the context of the ministry of service.
Reading
Christian Beliefs:Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know by Wayne Grudem
Healthy Church Series: Deacons by Matt Smethurst
Healthy Church Series: The Gospel by Ray Ortland
Side by Side: Walking with Others in Wisdom and Love by Edward Welch
Scripture Study: 1 Timothy, Titus
Assignments
Foundation for All Gospel Ministry
March 20
Introduction
Christian Beliefs: 1,2,3,4
1 Timothy 1
April 24
Christian Beliefs: 5,6
Healthy Church Series: The Gospel
1 Timothy 2
Biblical Qualifications, Roles, and Responsibilities of Elders and Deacons
May 15
Christian Beliefs: 7,8,9,10,11
Healthy Church Series / Deacons: How They Serve and Strengthen the Church (intro, 1,2,3)
1 Timothy 3
June 19
Christian Beliefs: 12,13,14,15
Healthy Church Series / Deacons: How They Serve and Strengthen the Church (4,5,6, Conclusion, Appendix 1,2)
1 Timothy 3, Titus 1
Serving The Needs of the Congregation and Beyond
July 17
Christian Beliefs: 16,17
Side by Side: Part 1 (We are Needy)
1 Timothy 4,5
August 21
Christian Beliefs: 18,19,20
Side by Side: Part 2 (We are Needed)
1 Timothy 6