Your Calling as a Deacon

Gary Straub

Description

This resource for individual and group study explores what it means to be a deacon in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Addressing both the leadership and spiritual requirements of the position, Your Calling as a Deacon offers new and seasoned deacons the direction, understanding, and encouragement to serve God and church.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• Christian Church

Informations

• Publié par: Chalice Press
• Date de parution: 01 juin 2005
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780827244191
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Your Calling as a Deacon

Gary Straub James Trader II

SEE ALSO

Your Calling as an Elder Gary Straub

Your Calling as a Leader Gary Straub and Judy G. Turner

Your Calling as a Christian Timothy L. Carson (coming 2007)

© Copyright 2005 by Gary Straub and James Trader II All rights reserved. For permission to reuse content, please con- tact Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, [phone], www.copyright.com. Biblical quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from theNew Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permis- sion. All rights reserved. Quotations marked Message are fromThe Messageby Eugene H. Peterson, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved. Cover and interior design: Elizabeth Wright

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Library of Congress Cataloging–in–Publication Data Straub, Gary.  Your calling as a deacon / Gary Straub and James Trader II.  p. cm. ISBN 978-0-827244-11-5 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Deacons—Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 2. Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)—Government. I. Trader, James. II. Title.  BX7326.S77 2005  262'.14663—dc22  2004030148

Printed in the United States of America

PREFACE

Contents

1 Who Me, a Deacon? Why Me?

2 Deacons in the New Testament

3 The Heart of a Deacon

4 Discerning Our Gifts as Deacons

5 Finding Your Place in Ministry The Hurrieder I Go, the Behinder I Get

6 Encouragement for Discouraged Deacons

APPENDIX: Know Your Gifts

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Preface

When I wroteYour Calling as an Elderout on a rural retreat in Bald Knob, Kentucky, I had no idea about the potential impact. One unexpected, close-to-home impact was the declaration by a delegation of our indignant deacons: “So when are we going to do with deacons what we’ve done with elders?” This was a welcome word and fair question. Isn’t it time to dignify the office of deacon? After all the work being done these days to empower con- gregational elders, the deacons are not so quietly wondering, So what are we, chopped liver? Unfortunately, the office of deacon is often treated as a brief stop on the road to becoming an elder. This treatment is a bad leadership move. It sends the wrong message about the ancient and honorable spiritual office and work of deacons. Let’s be clear: Deacon’s ministries are focused on a different dimension than elders. This does not make their efforts in any way inferior. Future leadership in a postmodern era demands we define deacons as something more than elder wannabes. Being a deacon in tomorrow’s church will require what Leonard Sweet calls E.P.I.C. effort. This is Sweet’s way of imagining ministry that is: experiential, participatory, interactive, and connective. Deacons who practice this E.P.I.C. model of deaconing will have unique,

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