Guidelines for
Deacons, Deaconesses,|
Small Group Leaders, and those who
Lead Activities during the Week
Prayer: “Lord, please, help our congregation to develop
ministries with the same power you gave to the congregations in Acts,
and enable us to serve as they did.”
Believers often meet during the week to serve one another
and to help members of the community. They pray for people, make
disciples, and carry out many different ministries. Sometimes men or
women meet as a group. Large families, or two or three families, may
gather for family worship. Deacons and deaconesses sometimes lead these
meetings and oversee activities done during the week. Deacons often
lead groups that serve the needy.
1.
Appoint deacons or deaconesses, who will lead the work of
caring for the needy, and help the believers to do other activities
during the week.
·
Find the requirements for being named as a deacon or
deaconess in 1 Timothy 3:8-13.
·
Lay hands on deacons as the apostles did. Ask the Holy
Spirit to anoint them.
·
Find out which believers have urgent needs. Do the same
for folks outside your congregation.
·
Ask the believers to offer money, time, help or materials
that will help meet those needs.
Distribute to the needy.
Read Acts 6:1-7 to find what deacons did in Jerusalem.
·
What was the need that moved the new congregation to name
deacons?
·
What were the requirements one had to meet to be named as
a deacon and to serve the widows in need?
·
What happened as a result of naming persons full of
wisdom and of the Holy Spirit,? (Find the answer in verse 7.)
·
Romans 16:1 reveals that a woman, Phoebe, was also
called a ‘deaconess’, a servant of the congregation.
·
The word ‘deacon’ in the Bible means ‘appointed servant.’
2.
Make plans for what you and those you work with will do
next week
New Shepherd’s studies offer helps for doing the work
that corresponds to the week’s topic that is taught during worship.
These aids are found in the second part of each New Shepherd’s study,
under the title “Plan with Coworkers Activities to do During the Week”
or similar words.
Each study lists activities that you and your helpers
might do. Choose any that fit the believers’ needs. Disregard the other
activities.
Plan these activities with those you work with, some time
before the next main worship service, so you can explain to the people
during worship what needs to be done.
Write your plans on paper, and discuss them with the
shepherd of your congregation. Do this planning together with him and
other leaders when you gather to plan the next week’s worship and other
activities. Arrange with them to announce your plans at the next
congregational worship meeting. During this meeting, complete the plans
by agreeing on who will do what, where and when. Be very specific.
Plans might include activities to do any of the following:
·
Serve one another within the Body of Christ, as
Galatians. 6:10 requires.
·
Serve our families, as Ephesians 5:21 through 6:4
instructs us.
·
Cooperate with other congregations, as Paul did in Acts
15:40-41.
·
Serve our friends, neighbors, enemies and the community
around us, as Jesus commands in Matthew 5:13-14; 25:31-46.
·
Prepare others to serve along with you, as Paul told
Timothy to do, in 2 Timothy 2:2.
·
Plan any other things that need to be done.
Pray for the sick.
|