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Featured Pastor/Deacon Study question

Discussion in 'Pastoral Ministries' started by JoeKan, Nov 12, 2016.

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  1. JoeKan

    JoeKan Member

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    Hello,
    I am wanting to start a study with our deacons about going deeper in our walk and service to the Lord. I'm needing some suggestions if you all may know of a good book with study guide. (I know the Bible is the best book). I was thinking of something like "The Man in The Mirror" or something like that.
    Any suggestions?
    Thanks for any help,
    Joe
     
    #1 JoeKan, Nov 12, 2016
  2. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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    How about having a Bible Study about the Biblical role of Deacons.
     
    #2 Salty, Nov 12, 2016
  3. TCassidy

    TCassidy Late-Administator Emeritus
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    Are you the pastor? If so, why are you asking us for something you should already know?

    If not, why are you going to being doing a study with the deacons?
     
    #3 TCassidy, Nov 12, 2016
  4. John Toppass

    John Toppass Active Member
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    Did you really just say that? It was an honest question, I have never known a Pastor that new everything but have known a few that thought they did. They seemed to move around a lot too.
     
    #4 John Toppass, Nov 12, 2016
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  5. TCassidy

    TCassidy Late-Administator Emeritus
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    Yes, I did. I seldom say things I don't say.

    Yes, it was. If you are a pastor, and depending on your level of education and experience, my recommendations would be quite different than if you were a layman wanting to teach the deacons.

    I wouldn't know. I don't know how much you know or what experience you have if you won't tell me. :)

    I don't move much at all any more. I am over 70 with a course of relapsing/remitting multiple sclerosis so I sit a lot more than I move around.

    However, after being called to be the senior pastor of our former church in San Diego I was there for almost 27 years. And was 25 years teaching at the same seminary. So, even when I could move, I didn't.

    In my 40+ years of ministry I have only served in 5 churches.

    Assistant Pastor, Youth Ministries. 1974-1980

    Associate Pastor, Military Ministry. 1981-1984

    Assistant Pastor, Church Administration. 1984-1985

    Senior Pastor. 1985-2012

    Pastor for Senior Saints. 2012-Present (My "retirement" job :D )

    I sure hope that is okay with you. I would hate to have to start over again.
     
    #5 TCassidy, Nov 12, 2016
  6. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    Start them with the Basics. Prayer is always the best place to start. Here is a link to a great study. If they get their prayer lives straight and it becomes an important part of the culture of the church then the deeper walk will automatically follow.

    http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/files/lwcF_PDF_PrayerMeetingGuide_Franklin.pdf

    Ignore any caustic responses in this thread. Don't be afraid to ask questions.
     
    #6 Revmitchell, Nov 12, 2016
  7. Baptist Believer

    Baptist Believer Well-Known Member
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    #7 Baptist Believer, Nov 13, 2016
  8. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    At our church, our pastors and deacons took about a year to go through some systematic theology books and did 10 units on the different doctrines. I heard it was excellent!
     
    #8 annsni, Nov 13, 2016
  9. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    I did. Honestly the whole thing seem to keep their attention, the problem though was when you ask them to actually expect them to put it into practice.
     
    #9 Revmitchell, Nov 13, 2016
    • Informative Informative x 1
  10. JoeKan

    JoeKan Member

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    Ok, thanks for all the help and advice. Rev. Mitchell, I'll look into that study, looks good. Mr. Cassidy, I've been pastoring for 20 years now but am always looking for fresh ideas from my brothers in the ministry.
     
    #10 JoeKan, Nov 13, 2016
  11. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    You are fine asking questions here ignore the negative nellies.
     
    #11 Revmitchell, Nov 14, 2016
  12. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    Boy the grammar in that was terrible. Need to proof my work, I do.
     
    #12 Revmitchell, Nov 14, 2016
  13. TCassidy

    TCassidy Late-Administator Emeritus
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    Excellent. Thank you for that information. As a pastor I would recommend a different approach than I would for a layman.

    Depending on how you view the ministry of deacons, there are a couple good resources available.

    If you see deacons as an extension of the ministry of pastoral care I would recommend the material available from LifeWay. http://www.lifeway.com/Article/pastoral-care-focused-deacon-ministry

    There is also a good training guide for deacons at http://vbmb-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Deacon-Training.pdf

    There is also some good materials available at http://www.bcpusa.org/wp-content/uploads/Deacons-Training-Manual-for-web-with-watermark.pdf

    But even though there is some good material in the last one, be aware the author takes a more limited view of the role of deacons in a Baptist church.

    But all in all that should give you a good place to start. I made it a point to instruct my deacons in what God expected of them and what I expected of them. Then worked on ways to make it all work.

    Keep us posted on how it works out for you. :)
     
    #13 TCassidy, Nov 14, 2016
  14. Baptist Believer

    Baptist Believer Well-Known Member
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    Happens to all of us. You communicated clearly enough. Thanks for the feedback. I'm going to provide our chair of deacons with the information.
     
    #14 Baptist Believer, Nov 14, 2016
  15. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    Start out with JI Packer Knowing God, then graduate into something like abridged versions of either Dr Grudem or Erickson Systematic Theolgy...
     
    #15 Yeshua1, Nov 14, 2016
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  16. Johnf

    Johnf Member
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    We just finished this study. Our church is small, about 125 Sunday school attendance. Our deacons are all in their 70's and up and the church is looking for new men to step in. The younger generation 30-60 was invited to go through the study with the current deacon board. We have just hired a pastor after 10 months of searching and according to our bylaws only the pastor can recommend new deacons. There is a DVD that goes along with the study that I would recommend getting

    http://www.lifeway.com/Product/the-deacon-i-want-to-be-learner-manual-P005201386

    You don't learn if you don't ask questions. If you don't want to learn any longer, you should probably just stop.
     
    #16 Johnf, Nov 16, 2016
  17. John Toppass

    John Toppass Active Member
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    I did not mean just because a Pastor moved often that it was a bad thing. If God wants you to move, then you better move. Often though, pastors move to "greener pastures" and forget to check with God if that is the pasture they should be in.
    It seems you have done well, but I am not the one you will need to hear that from. I pray that we both hear that from Him.
     
    #17 John Toppass, Dec 2, 2016
  18. JonC

    JonC Moderator
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    I liked this one:
    http://www.zondervan.com/the-complete-green-letters
     
    #18 JonC, Dec 2, 2016
  19. TCassidy

    TCassidy Late-Administator Emeritus
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    Whenever my students asked me how to know when it is time to move on I would always tell them three things:

    1. Stay where you are until you are convicted that to stay one more day would be a sin.

    2. If you are in the will of God where you are, why leave and go somewhere you wouldn't be sure?

    3. If you are in a subordinate position stay where you are until you have your pastor's blessing to move on.
     
    #19 TCassidy, Dec 2, 2016
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