September 4, 2014

 

Dear MLEPC Members and Friends:

 

This Saturday, September 6, our three elected boards--the Session, the Deacons, and the Trustees--will meet together for a fall planning day retreat. We have twelve people serving on the Board of Trustees with primary responsibility for church finances, property, and supervision of the support staff. We have twenty-six individuals serving on the Board of Deacons with twenty-four adult deacons and two high school youth deacons. They give care and support to so many individuals and ministries at MLEPC. And we have eighteen Ruling Elders serving on Session, providing for the overall vision, guidance, and coordination of our life together as a church family.

 

I draw our attention to these boards for two reasons, the first of which is to highlight the word "serve." When our MLEPC Nominating Committee contacts individuals to ask them to consider coming on Session, Deacons, Trustees, the question asked is, "Would you serve on the board?" We intentionally want these people first and foremost to consider their role as that of a servant. It is not to receive a recognized title as an elder, deacon, or trustee. It is not to leverage influence or position in order to get what they want for themselves or even for the organization. No, it is to serve--to serve to the glory of God the Father, to serve in the name of Jesus Christ, and to serve according to the enabling power provided by the Holy Spirit. It is to serve our community of believers who gather together to worship and then are scattered to do ministry for Jesus. It is to model service that reaches beyond our walls to proclaim the Good News to the world in our words and actions. So, this week, I ask us to pray for our elders, deacons, and trustees that every one of them--each man and woman--will do their work joyfully with a servant heart.

 

The other reason I make mention of these elected elders, deacons, and trustees is that they at the same time are called to be primary leaders among us. In fact, we gather together for the fall planning day to seek God concerning how we can best lead our congregation for the rest of 2014, then into 2015 and beyond. We meet to pursue a bold agenda in reaching upward, reaching outward, and reaching inward to the glory of God. And we want to know how we can improve in coordinating the work of each board so that our congregation moves forward with a united vision and purpose. So, this week, I ask us to pray for our elders, deacons, and trustees that every one of them will do their work boldly with a courageous heart.

 

In asking you to pray for our elected leaders this week, I in fact am appealing for God to make them lead and serve as did Jesus. Has anyone ever been as bold and courageous in leadership as was Christ? Has anyone ever been as humble and selfless in service as was Christ? Our Lord perfectly embodied what it is to live as a servant-leader. And we want our elected board members to follow in His steps, growing in servant-leadership. As they do so, how blessed we shall be when this attitude that was in Christ flows out to us all as the Body of Christ at MLEPC.

 

So please pray for our servants on the Session, Deacon Board, and Board of Trustees. Please pray for our leaders on these three boards. Please pray that God will make them His true servant-leaders for our congregation as we enter the autumn season.

 

Pastor Tim

 

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