Leadership
What are warning flags to watch out for when considering a man as a potential elder?
9MarksIn general, a church should not affirm any man as an elder who does not meet the biblical qualifications laid out in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9. Here are several warning flags which a church should heed:
Apart from the explicit biblical qualifications, are there other important matters to keep in mind when considering a potential elder?
9MarksA man may appear to meet the biblical qualifications yet still be an unwise selection as an elder for a number of reasons:
What should I look for when considering who to nominate as an elder?
9MarksThe most important thing to look for in a potential elder is whether or not he meets the biblical qualifications.
What are common misconceptions about who should be an elder?
9MarksWhat is a church elder?
9MarksPractically speaking, how can a pastor plan services?
9MarksWhen planning services, each pastor should do whatever works best for himself. That said, here is the broad outline of how one pastor does it (Mark Dever, senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC).
What’s the goal of service planning?
9MarksThe goal of service planning is to craft a unified service that clearly communicates the gospel, makes the sermon the centerpiece of the service, and impresses people with the glory of God.
Why should a pastor or elder plan church services?
9MarksA pastor or elder should generally plan church services because the whole service is part of the teaching ministry of the church, which is entrusted to the elders (1 Tim. 3:2; 1 Thess. 5:12-13).
How can I grow my church?
9MarksWhat weight should pastors give to numerical growth?
9MarksWhat is success in ministry? How can it be measured?
9MarksThat’s a tough question to answer because competing principles are at play.
1. Measuring the supernatural? Supernatural fruitfulness cannot always be measured.
2. Success equals faithfulness. One of our most important criteria for success should be whether or not a man is faithfully preaching the Word and living a life of conformity to the Word.
What unique opportunities are afforded by pastoring a multi-ethnic church?
9MarksPastoring a multi-ethnic church affords a unique opportunity to:
What are some of the challenges of pastoring a multi-ethnic church?
9MarksIn a multi-ethnic church it can be particularly difficult to:
Should pastors try to be cool?
9MarksMany people assume that the best way to reach people is to be like them. So, if pastors want to reach cool people, they should try to be cool. But there are several problems with the idea that pastors should try to be cool: