This is an important Sunday at New Work Fellowship. This Sunday Marc Namie will be affirmed as an elder. He and Erin have spent the last year going through a process of stepping into this role of leadership. It really does take a year to walk through this process-from nomination from the church, a season of prayer by the pastors/elders through the first steps, then several meetings examining faith, family, and giftings. Then there is a period of months of serving before being affirmed.

Also this Sunday we'll begin the process again-who else has the Lord gifted with Leadership to serve his church?

So today, I ask you to pray for "expanded Leadership". This week I was reviewing the Old Testament story of Moses hitting the Burnout wall. (What? Are you surprised? Did you think that only people in the Twenty-first Century experienced burnout? Not so!!!).

Read the passage with me. Exodus 18. (Specifically 18:13-27). Would you pray that the Lord would reveal to me and us what the implications are for New Work Fellowship?

The truth is even the most wonderfully gifted pastor cannot carry the entire load of ministry (although I've known more than a few who tried to). Jethro was right! (This Jethro is not to be confused with Jethro Bodine of Hillbilly fame). Even Moses couldn't do it all.

And that is why at New Work Fellowship, we have a plurality of leadership. You do not have "one" pastor. You have a team of pastors and elders who strive to follow the Lord and lead the church. But the principle remains true even for a leadership team-they cannot do it alone.

In what ways could we experience an expanded ministry at New Work through expanded leadership? Will you pray for your leadership? Will you pray for future leadership? Will you pray for leaders who are tired?

The more we move forward together as a church, and draw more people into roles where they can use their God-given gifts and abilities to accomplish God's purposes-the more we will see God's good plans unfold before us. But it all starts with leadership, won't you pray for your church leaders?