Part 1 found here: Leadership Development
by Elliot Grudem
There are many reasons church planters don’t developing elders as soon as they should. One of the biggest hindrances is the lack of a plan.
To develop a plan for developing elders, you need to begin with the end in mind. That is, you need to answer this question: What kind of men do I want as elders in this church?
To answer that question, you need to think about three things:
Requirements from Scripture (For example, what do 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 say?)
Requirements from your Denomination or Network (For example, what does it mean to be an elder in a Presbyterian, Baptist, or an Acts 29 church?)
Requirements from your context and church (For example, what does it mean to be an elder at my church, at this ...
Keep Reading
by Elliot Grudem
A couple of years into my church replant I was talking to my father about the state of the church. (My father, Wayne Grudem, is a seminary professor who has trained pastors and scholars for Christ’s Church the majority of his life). He asked me when the church was going to get elders.
“I don’t know,” I responded. “It’s going to take some time.”“I don’t think it took Paul that long,” my dad replied.“I’m not Paul.”“I don’t think it took Timothy or Titus that long either,” he said.
His encouragement reminded me of similar encouragement I received from church planter and long-time Pastor Steve Smallman who helped me navigate my first year at the church. He reminded me that God ...
Keep Reading
Free Resource – Theological Clarity and Application: Equipping Leaders in Biblical Doctrine
The question I get asked most often by church planters and pastors of young churches is, “How can I train people in preparation for leadership in the church?” We often point them to Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology—referred affectionately among our tribe as simply, “Grudem’s.” Most people are not sure what to do with the nearly 1,300-page book with 57 chapters. The lay leaders with regular jobs are nearly traumatized when the 4-pound book arrives in their mail!
When Elliot Grudem gave me a copy of Christian Beliefs (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005), I immediately identified a valuable resource to help pastors walk their leaders ...
Keep Reading
Mission, Vision, Values of Church
We believe that the Christian faith is a call to Proclamation. Therefore, as we experience transformation through the Gospel, we are compelled to share God's story with the world, always pointing people to the sacred Scriptures as the final authority for faith and life.
We believe that the Christian faith is a call to Service. Therefore we submit our lives to Jesus as His servants and seek to imitate Jesus by serving others whom we value more highly than ourselves.
We believe that the Christian faith is a call to Community, not individualism. Therefore we embody the Gospel by living a shared life of intimacy, hospitality, and generosity as we establish a family of pilgrims on a journey of faith together.
What is your philosophy of community in your ...
Keep Reading
Briefly describe your story of your call to plant a church
I was called to help lead a large existing church into and through the deep change needed to help transform it into a missional church.
What were the biggest challenges you faced in planting your church (and/or currently facing)?
The biggest challenges faced were that of folks resisting changes to an established 30 year old church. Many of those folks ultimately left to attend churches that offered them more of what they were used to, thus making room for people coming to faith for the very first time. This addition of new believers in contrast to membership shifts and transfers has forced us to a deeper discipleship and formation praxis for new believers as well as those who have known Jesus for years.
How did you become ...
Keep Reading
