New Elder's Handbook , livre ebook

Cover
Endorsements
“It has been well established that New Testament churches were led by a plurality of elders and that such a model is ideal for today’s church. But wanting elders and having qualified elders are sometimes miles apart. This book bridges the gap by providing a helpful strategy and practical suggestions for current leaders to develop faithful leaders to help shepherd the church of God. Those of you who aspire to serve as elders will benefit greatly from this book.”
Benjamin L. Merkle , professor of New Testament and Greek, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
“I found this thoroughly biblical and eminently practical handbook a much-needed encouragement to be more intentional in this work, and I will profit from the clear model it presents.”
Bill Kynes , senior pastor, Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church, Annandale, VA
“ The New Elder’s Handbook offers a wealth of biblical wisdom and practical resources for disciple making and leadership development. I warmly recommend this helpful book to current and aspiring elders who desire to put into practice 2 Timothy 2:2 and entrust the gospel to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
Brian J. Tabb , academic dean, Bethlehem College & Seminary; elder, Bethlehem Baptist Church
“This is not just a how-to book on leadership. Rather, grounded in the Scriptures, it has a practical and pastoral focus, with learning taking place in community with others. I am elated this book is now available. Take up, read, apply, and see the leadership culture of the church be transformed.”
Greg Strand , executive director of theology and credentialing, Evangelical Free Church of America; adjunct professor of pastoral theology, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
“In The New Elder’s Handbook Greg Scharf and Arthur Kok weave together robust theological engagement with eminently practical wisdom on the means of selecting and developing faithful Christian leaders. This work provided a timely reminder of the importance of character and competency in Christian leadership and is a welcome addition to the much-needed field of Christian leadership.”
Malcolm Gill , lecturer in Greek, New Testament, and homiletics, Center for Preaching and Pastoral Ministry, Sydney Missionary & Bible College
“Anyone who wants to raise up future leaders should read this book, first because of the program it offers and second because of the method it champions. Presenting theological and practical questions to a small group of future leaders and challenging them to come up with biblical answers will produce rapid growth in the lives of those you mentor.”
Colin S. Smith , senior pastor, The Orchard Evangelical Free Church, Arlington Heights, IL
“I recommend this book to men with a desire to become faithful elders and to the pastors who want to help shepherd them in the pursuit of that noble desire. This handbook is eminently usable, biblically rich, and very tim ely. I look forward to using it with my current elders and to training and discipling new elders with it for the future health of our church.”
Glen Stevens , senior pastor, Salem Evangelical Free Church, Fargo, ND, and Moorhead, MN
“ The New Elder’s Handbook is an excellent resource for any church committed to the vital task of discerning and appointing qualified elders. Full of biblical wisdom and practical guidance, it not only casts a vision for this task but also offers a ‘structured journey’ (developed and used in a local-church context) that will help elders and prospective elders patiently discern God’s will together for the health of our churches.”
David H. F. Ng , program leader for Master of Missional Leadership, Melbourne School of Theology
“If you desire to see a thriving elder team in your local church, take advantage of the wisdom of this resource.”
George Davis , senior pastor, Hershey Free Church, Hershey, PA
“Greg Scharf and Arthur Kok lay out a plan for selecting prospective elders and then rigorously discipling them in Christian practice and doctrine. You will not find a more thorough plan for the theological preparation of those entrusted with being shepherds of God’s flock.”
Lee Eclov , senior pastor, Village Church of Lincolnshire (IL); author of Pastoral Graces
“Those seeking to be equipped as elders as well as those already called as elders will benefit from the study guides and the rich reference material cited by the authors. Throughout this book, the authors’ love of God, his Son Jesus Christ, his church, and his people shines brightly.”
Pete Alle , elder and church vice-chair, The Orchard Evangelical Free Church, Arlington Heights, IL
“I teach pastors and church leaders in East Africa. Churches are multiplying, but the leadership of many is seriously deficient. If this book were read and applied, it would make a tremendous difference in that spiritually vital and strategic region of the world.”
Jonathan Menn , director, Equipping Church Leaders–East Africa; author of Biblical Eschatology
“Many churches struggle to identify and train elders for the task of shepherding the church. Scharf and Kok offer a helpful resource that utilizes biblical examples and employs wisdom from pastoral experience to address this need. The health of the church is at stake, and this handbook is a valuable tool for the worthwhile task of raising up elders.”
Nick Gatzke , senior pastor, Old North Church, Canfield, OH
Title Page
Copyright Page
© 2018 by Greg R. Scharf and Arthur Kok
Published by Baker Books
a division of Baker Publishing Group
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.bakerbooks.com
Ebook edition created 2018
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4934-1589-2
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2016
Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.
Scripture quotations labeled NET are from the NET BIBLE®, copyright © 2003 by Biblical Studies Press, LLC. www.netbible.com. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations labeled NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
Contents
Cover 1
Endorsements 2
Title Page 4
Copyright Page 5
Introduction 7
Part 1: Vision 19
1. Who We Aspire to Be: What Characterizes Biblically Qualified Elders? 21
2. Understanding the Power: Ezra’s Example 33
3. Making Progress: Moving Forward in Growth 39
4. Maximizing the Process: The Importance of Community 47
5. Identifying Potential Elders 57
Part 2: Training 65
6. Seventy-Five Questions for New or Prospective Elders 67
Part 3: Two Additional Discipleship Resources 143
7. Learning to Follow Jesus: A Thematic Resource for Discipling Others 145
8. BA (Biblical Agenda) in Christian Living: A Bible Study Resource for Discipling Others 165
Acknowledgments 179
Suggestions for Further Reading 181
Back Cover 193
Introduction
The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.
1 Timothy 3:1
E very church needs qualified elders. They are a joy to a pastor, sharing the load of leadership and the privileges of shepherding. They are a gift to a congregation, guarding the flock and extending themselves in love. And they are God’s plan for his church. God loves the church so much that he gave his only Son to die for it. He does not entrust such a treasure to a single individual; he deploys a brotherhood, a cadre, a team so that the church is soaked in prayer, led in wisdom, and fed by the Word. Healthy, faithful churches always have a team of qualified, faithful leaders.
The essential nature of biblically qualified elders is clear in Scripture. Timothy and Titus were admonished by the apostle Paul to appoint qualified elders, and Paul also spelled out the qualifications (1 Tim. 3:1–7; Titus 1:5–9). The normal practice was to appoint elders in every town (Acts 14:23). This remains true today. Yet where do such men come from? 1 Often they emerge organically. Pastors or elders spot men who have credible faith, willingness to serve, and leadership gifts. But this does not always happen. What then? Or what if the number of qualified leaders is so small that serving elders feel they have signed up for a life sentence, with no one to take up this joyful yet sober responsibility after them? We know what happens: The expectations are lowered, and unqualified but available elders are appointed. Or perhaps the positions remain vacant, and God’s people suffer.
Is there something better? How can qualified elders be raised up ? How might someone pursue the office while guarding motivations, making progress, and trusting God to work? That’s what this book is about. 2
Raising Up Elders: A Pastor’s Testimony
As an ordained pastor, I (Greg) have functioned as an elder for over forty years, beginning in that role before I was, well, an elder. After seminary I was an intern and then a curate—what we might call an assistant pastor—at a historic Anglican church: All Souls, Langham Place, in London, England. Then I was called to serve as