6 Attributes of Effective Elder Boards – Rick Thompson, Acts 6

Rick wrote the book – Effective, Empowering Elders

 

One of the first glimpses of a board and a congregational meeting in the New Testament

• Effective Elder Boards Pray – v. 4 - if elders don't guide and drive the ministries of prayer and the Word, it won't happen…guard it, develop it
  
• Effective Elder Boards Guide Process – v. 1-2 – got the disciples together to bring solution to their problem
  
  • Discuss
    
  • Dialogue
    
  • Decide
    
• Effective Elders Empower Others – v.3-6 -
  (See Vines on "to mend nets" from Matt. 4:21 7 & Mark 1:19 – not necessarily torn nets, but nets that need tightened and perhaps need arranging to more effectively catch fish).
  
• Effective Elder Boards Govern with Proposals – v.3-6…we don't know how long it took the apostles to come up with their proposal, but we read it like it was automatic. It could have taken days or weeks for them to make a unified proposal. The proposal pleased the whole group.
  

  "Vision is insight into God's Purposes"
  

  • Bringing about changes in the Life Cycle and Stages of Congregational development usually requires "s-curve" changes to redirect your direction. Examples include:
    
    • Changing to small groups from Sunday Schools
      
    • Changing location or building
      
    • Changing styles
      
• Effective Elder Boards Govern by Policies – (v.3-4)…men full of the Spirit and wisdom (their policy). The board does not manage or perform the operations, they set policies.
  
• Effective Elders Boards Protect the Church
  
  • They protect vision and values
    
  • They protect the elder board and its values as these determine the health of the church
    
  • They protect their pastor
    
    • 3 Kinds of men who will be our pastors (insights from Driscoll)
      
      • Priests – love people
        
      • Prophets – love the world of ideas
        
      • Kings – big picture, see organizational development, may struggle with relationships, may not be best preachers, but can certainly lead