Is there a specific approach and structure to church leadership that we find in the New Testament? Different movements at different times in history have attempted to recover New Testament practice. For example, the Brethren were convinced, that this meant removing a paid class of clergy and replacing them with plural oversight. They also believed… Continue reading New Testament Church Leadership?
Tag: elders
What is eldership about?
I’ve recently joined the eldership team of our church. The process has been significantly different to my previous experience including when we joined our previous church and when I had a look around at potential church jobs back in 2021. This partly reflects the fact that I was not being considered for a paid role… Continue reading What is eldership about?
Pastors and planters -wives and families
Mez McConnell has written an article for prospective planters where their wives are less keen on the prospect of urban/estate church planting. What should they do. Mez’s essential point is that there needs to be complete unity in sharing the calling between husband and wife. I agree with this. In fact, I remember one planter… Continue reading Pastors and planters -wives and families
He’s the good good shepherd
I love Psalm 23 and it was really helpful to hear a speaker talking about this at a recent church leaders’ retreat. On Sunday I shared my own attempt at a paraphrase of the Psalm. It’s been particularly on my mind over the past few days as it seems to link with a few particular… Continue reading He’s the good good shepherd
Lack of consistency is often the killer
If you are thinking about introducing something new into your church, then before you do, ask the question “Can we keep this up week after week, through the winter and into the summer over the next few years.” You see, often we rush ahead with a great idea and either we do something as a… Continue reading Lack of consistency is often the killer
Safer Churches e-book
Here in one place are the studies and discussion questions helping us to think through what it means to plant safer churches Planting Safer Churches I would encourage Church leadership teams to work through these over a series of sessions. I am also currently preparing a series of YouTube videos to accompany the discussions
Pursue plurality and interdependence
I’m a firm believer in the importance of plural leadership. This should include a plurality of elders and a wider leadership team of godly men and women. The evidence for the need for plural elders is seen in Acts 20:17 where Paul meets with the elders (plural) of the Ephesian church. Then in Titus 1:5,… Continue reading Pursue plurality and interdependence
Are you ready to have the tough conversations?
If you are a pastor or elder in the church, then your responsibility is to provide and protect. We see this in Acts 20:28-31 28 “So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood[h]—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as leaders.[i] 29 I know that false teachers, like… Continue reading Are you ready to have the tough conversations?
Ministry nuts and bolts: Space to Grow?
The other day, I wrote about whether or not churches should expect to grow and if so whether pastors and elders are responsible for that growth. My view is that, Biblically we expect God’s kingdom to grow. That’s not the same as saying that every individual church will be growing all the time but it… Continue reading Ministry nuts and bolts: Space to Grow?
Ministry nuts and bolts: Who should be trustees on your church leadership
Most churches in the UK are set up as charitable trusts. There are a number of ways to do this but increasingly, the most common is as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. This then raises the question of who should serve as trustees for the church. There seem to be three main options that churches run… Continue reading Ministry nuts and bolts: Who should be trustees on your church leadership
Faithroots 