Deacon Training Palestine Baptist Association Highland Avenue Baptist Church November 1, 2014
Housekeeping • Restrooms • Emergency exits • Sections • Five, 30-minute sessions • 5-minute break between • Instruction by discussion • Lunch
Housekeeping • Sections • About 10 – 15 minutes of set-up • Followed by 15 - 20 minutes of discussion and question and answer • Take notes • Write down questions for discussion • Be involved • If we discuss situations of personal experience, please protect those involved and cover the situation in love and do not share outside.
Outcome of Training • Deacon strength • Church strength • Pastor strength • Kingdom growth
Outcome of Training • Deacon Strength • Important building block of the church • Share experiences throughout Association • Prepare for problems • Encouragement
Outcome of Training • Church strength • 6 of 16 PBA churches were without Pastors • Measuring health • Spiritual maturity • Encouraging • Physical needs
Outcome of Training • Pastor • Encouragement • Shared vision • Communication • Protection
Outcome of Training • Kingdom growth • Examples in action • Seeking the lost • Supporting the community
Prayer
A Question of Qualifications • Acts 6:3 • 1 Timothy 3:8-13
A Question of Qualifications • • Blameless Not given to wine • • Monogamous Not greedy • • Vigilant Not a brawler • • Sober (thoughtful) Not covetous • • Modest Not a novice • • Hospitable Not double-tongued
A Question of Qualifications • • Ready to teach Not greedy • • Patient Cherishes faith • • Rules house well Study • • Of good report Pray • • Grave (serious) Meditate • • Temperate (moderation) Pure conscience
A Question of Qualifications • How many of you meet all of these qualifications? • What are we looking for? • Who determines if someone meets these qualifications? • What about non-specific qualifications such as age, years saved, etc? • What about apprenticeships? • What about ordination?
A Question of Qualifications • What questions or experiences related to qualifications do you have?
BREAK • Be seated, ready to go at …
Servant-Leader or Savant-Slacker • Examples • Servants • Gospel proclaimers • Church directed functions
Servant-Leader or Savant-Slacker • Examples • Deacons should embody the character expected of all believers (1 Thes. 1:7-8) • Sheep follow sheep
Servant-Leader or Savant-Slacker • Servants • Benevolence • Church (Who?) • Community • Pastor
Servant-Leader or Savant-Slacker • Gospel proclaimers • Apt to teach • Phillip and Stephen • Examples of Commission • Local • Regional • Worldwide
Servant-Leader or Savant-Slacker • Church-directed responsibilities • Visiting • “Business” responsibilities • Other “constitutional” responsibilities
Servant-Leader or Savant-Slacker • How can you be an example without being a boaster? • How are you in the world (connected), but not of it (contaminated)? • What happens if you lose the respect of the flock? • How should we implement benevolence? • What are your pastor’s plans short and long-term?
Servant-Leader or Savant-Slacker • Are you or should you be an assigned teacher? • What is your personal mission plan for the next 12 months? • What have you done in the last 12 months?
BREAK • Be seated, ready to go at …
What doesn’t kill me makes me tired • I grew deeper in faith because • I matured in my service because • I grew deeper in love with God because
What doesn’t kill me makes me tired • I grew deeper in faith because • Events that re-enforced the reality of scripture in life • Events where re-assurance occurred after a tough decision • Events where there were no answers
What doesn’t kill me makes me tired • I matured in my service because • Hurdles you overcame • Local, regional, national, or international mission activity • Mentoring you have done
What doesn’t kill me makes me tired • I grew deeper in love with God because • Events where it felt like it was only you and Him • Events where nothing good was going to happen unless He intervened • Answered prayers where God made Himself obvious to you
What doesn’t kill me makes me tired • Brethern, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Galatians 6:1 • Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2
What doesn’t kill me makes me tired • How did you / would you handle • A man wearing a hat in the sanctuary? • Beverages in the sanctuary? • Mildly disruptive communications in the sanctuary? • A person or family monopolizing the Pastor between services? • Someone whose hygiene is disruptively offensive ?
What doesn’t kill me makes me tired • How did you / would you handle • A registered sex offender attending your church? • A divorce within the church? • Infidelity among church members? • An allegation of a serious crime? • Bribery?
What doesn’t kill me makes me tired • How did you / would you handle • An allegation that a child was mistreated? • A request to use you church for a same-sex marriage? • A threat of a lawsuit? • An outside speaker misusing the pulpit? • A pastor dismissing members?
What doesn’t kill me makes me tired • How did you / would you handle • Embezzlement by a church officer? • Embezzlement by a church staff? • Known instances of child abuse outside of the church? • Arrests of several of your teens? • “Service” animals?
What doesn’t kill me makes me tired • How did you / would you handle • A mother harassing her adult daughter for impropriety? • A pastor that you find out has a partner?
BREAK • Be seated, ready to go at …
What your Pastor wished… • As perfect as deacons are, occasionally we will not fulfill our Pastors expectations or we will say or do something (or not say nor do) something that causes him grief. • I hoped to receive some ‘blind’ observations to share • Are there any pastors here to share some ‘hypothetical’ situations
Questions, Discussion, Open Items • Questions you would like input from the group for • Situations that didn’t seem to fit another category • Needs • Church • Personal • Closing Prayer & Table Blessing
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