Description
I’m excited to commend to you this Church Elders Field Guide. It’s done with the hope that God’s church thrives under the leadership of godly elders. The key issues addressed in this study guide have been
curated to help church planters in our network prepare new elders, so together they lead the church to even greater fruitfulness. These studies will also sharpen existing teams of elders to become even more effective in shepherding the flock they have been entrusted by God to oversee.
The Field Guide begins by addressing the biblical imperative that elders exhibit mature character as they live on mission to pursue lost sheep and shepherd those who have been found. Studies then deal with why it is crucial for elders to teach and equip Christ’s body, including why serving as mentors for emerging leaders is key. Those who reflect on the biblical texts about elders soon see that this team of leaders is charged to manage God’s household, which begins first with managing their own households well. This stewardship of God’s church requires unity between the team of elders and vocational staff, and wisdom for good delegation and decision-making practices. These issues and others are covered in the Field Guide so that the Spirit-empowered gifts of the body are activated and resourced, including seeing that financial resources are handled generously, prudently, and honorably. All eight issues in the Field Guide are critical ones for elder candidates and existing elders to cover.
