Caring for Souls Growing Disciples: A Resource for Church Elders

By Dan Hetherington

It is impossible for the pastor of a church to do all that is needed. Even if they were to try to accomplish this, without giving up their primary calling as disciples of Christ, it would be a futile effort. The ministry of the Church, therefore, is not only the responsibility of the pastor, but the whole company of believers. Elders are ordained to serve with the pastor as shepherds of the congregation, leading and equipping others to serve God, the church, and the community according to their gifts.

This book looks to provide a resource for all elders by looking to scripture for an understanding of eldership, defining this ministry for today, and outlining some of the duties that may be asked of them as they serve their local church.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Sep 27, 2020
• ISBN: 9781973673200

Dan Hetherington

Dan Hetherington worked in ministry for many years as a lay member of staff before being ordained in 2017. He is a local church pastor that is passionate about making disciples that can make disciples, and loves to help people develop deeper covenant relationship with God, one another, and with the community that surrounds them. Dan originates from England, and studied for his MA in Theology and Ministry at Cranmer Hall, Durham.

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Copyright © 2020 Dan Hetherington.

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Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible,

copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United

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ISBN: 978-1-9736-7319-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-7321-7 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-7320-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019913403

WestBow Press rev. date:   10/05/2020

Contents

Introduction

How to Use This Resource

Section 1:Defining Eldership for the Church Today

A Biblical Understanding of Eldership

The Ministry of an Elder

Stepping into Leadership

Accountability and Support

Boundaries in Ministry

Section 2:Remaining in the Vine

Work-Life Balance

Spiritual Disciplines

Section 3:Spiritual Gifts

Identifying Your Gifts

Knowing You Are a Gift

Section 4:Duties of an Elder

Caring for Your Own Spirituality

Staying Loyal

Mission and Evangelism

Church Governance

Church Discipline

Praying with Others

Visitations

Teaching the Faith

Leading Worship

Occasional Services

Closing Words

Acknowledgments

Endnotes

Introduction

It is impossible for the pastor of a church to do all that is needed. Even if they were to try to accomplish this, without giving up their primary calling as disciples of Christ, it would be a futile effort. The ministry of the Church, therefore, is not only the responsibility of the pastor but the whole company of believers.

Elders are ordained to serve with the pastor as shepherds of the congregation, leading and equipping others to serve God, the Church, and the community, according to their gifts.

Scripture tells us that the work of an elder is a noble task,¹ in which they are responsible for the spiritual care of others,² and for this reason, elders need to have a passion for the care of souls.

The saying is sure: whoever aspires to the office of bishop [or overseer] desires a noble task. (1 Timothy 3:1)

Now as an elder myself and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as one who shares in the glory to be revealed, I exhort the elders among you to tend the flock of God that is in your charge, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion but willingly, as God would have you do it—not for sordid gain but eagerly. Do not lord it over those in your charge, but be examples to the flock. (1 Peter 5:1–3)

As is the case with pastors and all who live a Christian life, the primary concern for an elder is his or her own personal walk as a disciple of Christ. This means that the need for daily prayer and Bible reading is paramount—your own active spiritual life is what will fuel you to function as an elder. You are called to follow the example of St. Paul as he led others, saying, follow me as I follow Christ.³ In other words, you are to be a sheep from the front and a shepherd from the back, reflecting that which you hear preached, and if preaching yourself, looking at your sermons as though speaking to yourself in the mirror.

The office of elder is not an honorary title but a call to live a life of spiritual leadership, and as such, it will demand of you sacrifice, perseverance, commitment, and occasional suffering as you follow the voice of God for yourself and the congregation you serve.

How to Use This Resource

This resource has been collated to provide elders and prospective elders with some background information on what eldership is (and is not) and to highlight some key areas for further thought. The first three sections are reference material to help you gain a greater understanding of eldership for the Church today, as well as some insight into caring for yourself spiritually.

The final section concentrates on the duties of the elder and offers some practical applications of how an elder may fulfill these duties. Feel free to use whatever helps and to change aspects of what is offered to fit to the context in which you find yourself ministering.

SECTION 1

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Defining Eldership

for the Church Today

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A Biblical Understanding

of Eldership

ELDERSHIP IS NOT a new thing when it comes to the family of God. There are references made to elders throughout scripture in both the Old and New Testament. However, this term has morphed from the Old Testament meaning, which referred exclusively to men of mature years in Jewish/Israeli culture—who were appointed into positions of leadership and subsequently given oversight into the way people operated and interacted with each other—to a completely different understanding based upon the New Testament model, which is not concerned with age but primarily with calling and gifting. This is the blueprint that the Church should use to determine the right people to consider for the role of elder.

In the Old Testament

In the story of the Exodus, we read that God placed elders among the people and that Moses, when becoming the leader of the Nation of Israel, relied on these people to provide wisdom, understanding, and advice.

Moses also selected elders to accompany him on missions. An example is Exodus 24:1–18, where he takes with him Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel to be worshipping at a distance as he ascended the mountain to spend time in the Lord’s presence and to hear from the Lord for the people. Here the elders are supporting Moses, offering up worship as Moses is climbing. It is as though this worship carries Moses up the mountain. He can hear them. He knows they are there, supporting him in his mission, while they are engaging in their own act of