"THANK GOD FOR LEADERS!"

Members of the Lewisville church who read this will be aware of the fact that our elders have announced that we will begin an elder selection process at the end of September.

It is an exciting time in the life of any church when new leaders are selected.  I want to encourage every member of the Lewisville church to pray seriously about this monumental moment.  We would also request the prayers of our brothers and sisters around the world.

We also want to encourage every member of the Lewisville church to be engaged in this important event of selecting new leaders.  Suggest names of qualified men who can serve. Talk to the men who will be presented as possible elders.

There are some who live under the misconception that elders should be perfect.  Certainly God has distinct life qualifications for the men who will serve as shepherds. (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-11)  However He has never demanded perfection from these men.

If we are looking for sinless, perfect men, we will never have any leaders in the church.  Yes, we need men who stand above the crowd, but may God help us to be gracious as we observe their lives.

We are aware that there have been men who serve as elders who take an authoritarian approach to leadership. There are those who have abuse their positions, but my personal experience with shepherds has been a tremendous blessing to my life.

I have known some preachers, as well as other Christians who are always critical of elders. They believe that every time there are communication problems it is the fault of the elders. They are convinced that every time a preacher leaves a church it is because of the elders.  Some believe that every church issue is because of problems with elders.

The Word of God teaches that every Christian has some obligations to shepherds. We are to be subject to them (1 Peter 2:5). The writer of Hebrews reminds us to imitate the faith of those who lead us (Hebrews 13:5). Late he adds that we are to obey the (Hebrews 13:17). We should do everything we can to help insure that their work is joyful (Hebrews 13:17).

I have been involved in hundreds of elder’s meetings through the years.  It has been a tremendous blessing to pray with elders, discuss the Lord’s work with them, work with them on solving problems, dream with them, and laugh with them.

I am thankful for every mean I have ever known who serves as a shepherd in God’s Church. I love each one of them and thank God for their labor of love among His people.  Please allow me to suggest a few ways that each of us can make their work more joyful and meaningful.

PRAY FOR OUR LEADERS BY NAME. Paul instructed the church to pray for all of those who are in positions of authority (1 Timothy 2:1-2).  When you pray in your home please mention your elders by name. Pray that God will bless them in their work. Pray that they will be encouraged. If our children hear us praying for our shepherds they will know how much we love the church. It would also be wonderful if we pray for their families. These men sometimes must take precious moments away from their families to help ours.

PERSONALLY ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO LEAD. There are some who never speak to elders unless it they are being critical or negative.  Some criticize church leaders in the presence of their children and others.  We should take time to let our shepherds know how thankful we are for the sacrifices they make. We could bless their lives by writing them a note or just speaking a kind word of encouragement to them.

PRESENT OURSELVES AS A CO-WORKERS. There are many Christians who will not be involved in the life of the church. They want to be spectators and not participants. It is easy to be an armchair quarterback. It is easy to sit back and tell others what should be done and how it should be accomplished.  The greatest work we can do in the life of the church is be involved and encourage others to be involved.

PREPARE OURSELVES AND OTHERS FOR LEADERSHIP. There will always be a need for more leaders in the church. We need young men who will aspire to be leaders. We need parents who will encourage their boys to want to be shepherds. A great deal of work has been done through the years to train preachers. We need to do the same work when it comes to training young men to be shepherds.

Dear Father, we are thankful that in Your infinite wisdom you saw the need for shepherds in the church. Help us to pray for the men who lead us and for their families. Help us to encourage them in every way we can. Dear God, please raise up more godly men to help lead Your church.  May those of us who are parents and grandparents speak kindly about our leaders to our families. Father, please bless your church with peace and harmony as we seek to glorify You in everything we do.