Affirmation of Church Officers

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Our church is intended to be led by elders and assisted by deacons/deaconesses.

We say "intended to be", because, as of August 2022, our core group has not yet covenanted, and when it does, it will start by selecting and affirming one elder, before other church officers are affirmed, as soon as possible.

Recommendation and Vote for Mission

Upon unanimous recommendation by our elders, the church votes to decide whether it wants to invite biblically qualified males to serve as elders of the congregation. From the Bible, we understand that elders are shepherds expected to lead, pray for, and teach or counsel the local church.

Similarly, upon unanimous recommendation by our elders, the church votes to decide whether it wants to invite biblically qualified males (respectively females) to serve as deacons (respectively deaconesses) of the congregation. Deacons and deaconesses are expected to promote unity in and attend to practical needs of the local church.

Recommendation of elders (respectively deacons) is made based on qualifications and injunctions found in Acts 20:28-31, 1 Timothy 3:1-7, 1 Timothy 5:17-19, 22, Titus 1:5-9 and 1 Peter 5:1-5 (respectively Acts 6:1-6 and 1 Timothy 3:8-13).


Availability

Recommendations for eldership and deaconship takes into consideration nominees' availability for service. Elders are expected to meet regularly to pray for individual church members and coordinate other shepherding aspects of the local church. Elders are expected to spend most of their time in prayer and ministries of the word (counseling, preaching and teaching). Deacons, on the other hand, are not expected to gather together regularly or form a board. Each deacon or deaconess has specific responsibilities and reports to an elder tasked to lead that deacon or deaconess by providing both guidance and shepherding assistance.

Areas of need

Nomination of elders and deacons takes into consideration areas of need.

Areas of need for eldership

Areas of need for eldership include:

  • Missions Pioneering: to equip the church to invite pioneer missionaries and lead in pioneer missions.
  • Godly Counseling: to equip the church to seek, apply, and provide godly counsel.
  • Gospel Sharing: to equip the church to seek, apply, and share the Gospel, humbly and courageously.
  • Community Care: to equip the church to nurture and develop both community and holistic care for people. The Community Care Elder is responsible to provide leadership for CG Leaders.
  • Bible Instruction: to equip the church to seek, apply, and provide biblically-faithful instructions.

Areas of need for deaconship

Areas of needed service for deaconship may include: finance, communications, community group support, worship service planning, Arts (music and multimedia) support, hospitality planning, mission planning, facility care, compassionate outreach planning, children discipleship coordination and corporate prayer planning. When no deacon is available for a needed area of service, elders are expected to oversee that area of service.

Examples of specific tasks assigned to deacons and deaconesses are provided below.

  • Accounting: to plans and coordinate church-level financial accounting activities required for the church's mission. Based on recommendations by the elders, Accounting coordinators identify and collaborate with two financial assistants: one to assist in collecting and documenting offerings and expenses; another to assist in ensuring that the investment strategy voted by the church is executed.
  • Compassion: to plan and coordinate church-level compassion activities required for the church's mission. This may include developing a strategy to operate or support a food bank for individuals requiring financial assistance.
  • Community Group (CG): to work with another CG Leader to:
  • Invite people to join/start Life Groups (LGs);
  • Promote joint hospitality and joint mission by people involved in their CG's LGs.
  • Communications: to plan and coordinate church-level communications activities required for the church's mission. This may include developing a communications plan for effective partnership with church partners. This may also include providing efficient communications with business, government and church associations.
  • Prayer: to plan and coordinate church-level prayer activities required for the church's mission. This includes efficient dissemination of prayer requests and reports.