ELDERS IN A CHURCH COME ALIVE
10 reflections for elders
by David Merritt
based on the book and DVD series
Your Church Can Come Alive by Rowland Croucher


(Originally published by UNITING CHURCH PRESS MELBOURNE)
CONTENTS

Using these reflections


1. The goals of the church



2. Communicating good news



3. Making faith real



4. Taking risks



5. Getting things done in your church



6. Encouragement



7. Worship



8. Teaching



9. Being effective leaders



10. Empowering others



USING THESE REFLECTIONS


Elders have some of the most important tasks in the church. These tasks include understanding what the church is for, how its purposes can be achieved, and how the church can really care for people.

Elders share the faith to which the church witnesses but they also have a special responsibility for how the church communicates that faith and passes it on from generation to generation.


These ten brief reflections are for elders and Councils of Elders to encourage and assist them to be effective in carrying out their tasks.


Individually, the reflections can be read and used to stimulate thinking about what it means to be an elder and how best to serve people in your church.


For Councils of Elders the reflections can be used as an opening or closing part of meetings. The reflections are deliberately brief and practical so that they can fit realistically into the crowded agendas of meetings of Councils of Elders. If time is taken to share our common understanding of what the church is, it will become easier to deal with the other agendas; and we will deal with them with deeper faith and greater understanding.


Each of the ten reflections in this book is based on a chapter from Your Church Can Come Alive by Rowland Croucher. That book has thirty-six chapters or sections. This guide selects just ten key areas of the church's life for consideration by elders. You may like to plan your own reflections based on some of the other chapters.


The cover of Your Church Can Come Alive describes it as a book about promises - of new life, new meaning and new power for people involved in all aspects of the church. It is also about practical help and strategies that help leaders to be effective.


These reflections will help you discover ways of making these promises come true. They will also assist you to become a more effective elder, for your own personal enrichment and for the good of the church you are called to serve.



David Merritt
Reflection 1


THE GOALS OF THE CHURCH Your Church Can Come Alive, pages 8-11


The main thesis of this book is that worship, community, formation and mission are the four (and the only four) ends for which the church exists. The means whereby these ends are reached include leadership, money, buildings, music, programs, constitutions, committees, etc. When 'means' and 'ends' become confused, or the time, attention and importance given to 'means' outweighs that devoted to the church's 'ends' the church becomes sick and often, after a generation or two, dies. (Pages 8-9)





How much of the activity, energy and budget of your church is directed to the four ends or goals of the church:
a.. worship b.. community c.. formation d.. mission?
Is it desirable for your church to be clearer about the distinction between means and ends? Have there been times recently when there has been confusion of ends and means?


Do the exercises on page 11.


A final reflection
'Church renewal is the process whereby church people, systems and structures receive new life, meaning and power.' (Page 9)


Reflection 2


COMMUNICATING GOOD NEWS Your Church Can Come Alive, pages 23-25



The church utters billions of words and few are listening. We must be both message and audience-centred. The receivers of our message see and hear what they want to see and hear: simply sending out messages will not guarantee a response. Unwanted communication is filtered out through selective attention, and the message may be understood differently to the meaning in the mind of the sender. So: give the message you want, but it's got to be packaged the way they want! (Page 24)





Can you think of times when the good news of the gospel was communicated to you with special effectiveness? What made that communication effective?


How good is your church at listening to people?


Read what Rowland Croucher writes about creating 'an open society' within the church. See page 24.


How good is your church at communicating with people? Do members know what is happening? Do they have a chance to express their ideas?


A final reflection
'Communication is more than words. "Behold how these Christians love one another" is the most powerful message of all to people outside the church. (John 13:34-35).' (Page 24)


Reflection 3


MAKING FAITH REAL
Your Church Can Come Alive, Pages 30-33




Ask 'How is your faith growing?' and many congregations can't answer. They follow the ABC of church adherence - attend, believe, contribute - but are still spiritual pygmies. (Page 30)





Can you think of people in your church or whom you know elsewhere who have a strong faith?


Do the ten features of people with strong faith described on pages 32-33 ring true to your experience as an elder?


Rowland Croucher suggests eight ways for a church that is alive to be stretching people's faith. Read page 33 under the heading 'Making faith real'.


Which of these is your church already doing? Helping to make faith real could be a description of one of the main tasks of elders in a congregation. Are there any of these eight suggested actions that could receive increased attention in your congregation?




A final reflection
'What you need to begin the Christian life is not great faith in God but faith in a great God! You don't have to have all the answers.. Use the little faith you've got, not someone else's faith you haven't got.' (Page 31)


Reflection 4


TAKING RISKS
Your Church Can Come Alive, pages 18-20




In Antioch the evangelists 'jumped the culture barrier' and for the first time reached out to Gentiles. They were prepared to do something that had not been done before! When a church is hog-tied to precedent ('we've not done it that way before') prepare for that church's funeral! (Page 18)





Can you think of important changes in the life of your congregation in the past two years? What were some of the results of those changes for the people of the congregation?


In this brief chapter, Rowland Croucher encourages respect for the past without letting it prevent us taking risks now. Read pages 18-19 and note some of the rather colourful descriptions of attitudes to change:


a.. pain in the neck nostalgics (from constantly looking backwards) b.. this-is-not-the-way-we-do-it-around-here immaturity c.. hippies who only have a present d.. idealists who only have a future

If you had to invent or choose a term for the attitudes about change that pose a problem in your congregation, what would you choose?


As people in your church need support to take risks following Christ today, what do they need from the church?


A final reflection
'It's not change that's the big problem for most people - it's change they can't control or that comes too quickly'. (Page 19)


Reflection 5


GETTING THINGS DONE
IN YOUR CHURCH
Your Church Can Come Alive, pages 39-43

Many pastors and leaders think that if you want to involve someone in the life of the church, invite him or her to join a committee and they'll feel wanted, active, part of the group. That's a fallacy. For one thing, many amateurs run church committees and run them very poorly, creating frustration in those who give high priority to spending time fruitfully. Further, the best happenings in life involve openness, warmth, trust and spontaneity - most of which may be missing when a group meets as functionaries rather than as brothers and sisters. (Pages 40-41)



How well do the committees in your church function to carry forward the purposes of the church?of church?


Read pages 40-41. Do any of the negative or positive things said about committees apply to your Council of Elders? This is the committee or council with the greatest responsibility for ministry in the local church. How you work together is important both for individual elders and for the vitality of the church.


Rowland Croucher says that every church has people who are 'permission-withholders'. Is your church a glorious exception?


The author suggests that committees may be process-oriented, ideas-oriented, or action-oriented and that you had better decide a committee's purpose before you launch it. (Page 42) Does this description of different types of committees suggest a useful approach to how your Council of Elders uses committees in your church?


A final reflection
'No one should be a committee member, except as an occasional advisor, who does not already belong to a Bible study/prayer group.' (Page 41)




Reflection 6
ENCOURAGEMENT
Your Church Can Come Alive, pages 44-46




Barnabas' name was Joseph, but was changed to 'son of encouragement'. He must have been the sort of person who left a trail of encouraged people behind him wherever he went. The various episodes in the New Testament where he appears from time to time bear this out. When he arrived he certainly 'barnabised' them (Acts 11:23) (Page 44)





Can you think of people in your congregation who deserve Barnabas' nickname - the encourager?


In this chapter, Rowland Croucher argues strongly for a ministry of encouragement. 'May Barnabas' tribe increase in our churches: God knows we desperately need more church members like him.' (Page 46)


Is this a need in your congregation? How could elders increase the ministry of encouragement in your congregation?


Pray the prayer on page 46.
A final reflection
The Bible teaches that every Christian must be involved in the process of building up one another in Christ. (1Thessalonians 5:11, Hebrews 10:24-25). One thing stands out as being very important in this ministry - the 'body of Christ'. Every member contributes to its success. (Page 45)


Reflection 7
WORSHIP
Your Church Can Come Alive, pages 79-82

The earliest Christians had very little that was tangible beyond their worship assemblies and traveling disciples who had been with Jesus of Nazareth and the risen Christ. They had no buildings, no sacred Christian book, no defined creed. What they had were burning convictions and . loyalty and commitment . (Page 79)

What are some of the significant aspects of worship for you?


Is there a need in your congregation for encouragement to people to participate in worship? See the suggestions about some possibilities at the bottom of page 80.


There is a suggestion on page 81 that congregations need a program of education about worship. Would this be useful in your congregation?


Rowland Croucher writes of 'seeing something very beautiful going on in some congregations after the worship service has ended'. (Page 82) What happens in your church at the conclusion of the worship service?


A final reflection
'To affirm, "You, our Lord and God, are worthy!" (Revelation 4:11) is the highest privilege we have, "the most momentous, the most urgent, the most glorious action that we can take place in human life" (Karl Barth). Worship is responding to the Greatest Worth of all - the Living God .' (Page 79)


Reflection 8


TEACHING
Your Church Can Come Alive, pages 72-78




Paul and Barnabas majored on teaching (Acts 11:26). The church at Antioch had a list of their teachers (Acts 13:1); does yours? The religion of Israel was a teaching religion (see e.g. Exodus 18:20, Deuteronomy 6:1); the law of Moses was first a lesson, then a command. Jesus was a rabbi, a teacher (e.g. Mark 1:38) and commanded his followers to go into the world and teach all nations (Matthew 28:19-20). The early Christian churches took seriously the function of teaching (Acts 13:1, 1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 4:11, 2 Timothy 1:11). (Page 73)





Can you remember a teacher who influenced your faith?


What priority does your church give to the teaching ministry of the church? Read pages 75-76 where Rowland Croucher writes about teaching children. Have elders considered the strategy of the church for teaching children?


Read pages 76-77 about teaching adults. How well does your church provide for the study needs of different kinds of adults?


A final reflection
'Children and youth are important, but it's useful to recall Jesus didn't start a youth movement. The church was started by adults; it was organized by adults; and throughout the world the church is growing to the extent that it is reaching out to adults.' (Page 76)


Reflection 9


BEING EFFECTIVE LEADERS
Your Church Can Come Alive, pages 68-71




All human groups need leaders. Effective leaders know where they are going: they have strong beliefs and values. Good leaders exude and inspire confidence, are willing to take risks and make sacrifices. Good leaders have one key aim: to be a servant to maximize others' potentials for the good of the whole enterprise. Good leaders can verbalise their strategic vision for the organization. They are effective communicators, moulding people's ideas. (Pages 68-69)





When you think of leadership, who comes to your mind as an outstanding example?


The paragraph at the top of page 70 refers to three leadership styles - authoritarian, consensual and laissez-faire. In what ways are these leadership styles present in your congregation?


Rowland Croucher lists five factors that contribute to a climate in a church where people are motivated to Christian service. See the bottom half of page 70. What are the implications of these factors for the work of elders?


Leadership in the church is important and often challenging. What would help elders in your congregation in their leadership role?


A final reflection
'Leaders are people who get things done through others (who also want to get things done).' (Page 68)






Reflection 10


EMPOWERING OTHERS
Your Church Can Come Alive, pages 116-119




The biblical models are clear: Moses was told by his father-in-law 'you're killing yourself!'(Exodus 18:18) In essence his good advice to Moses was: your task is to pray for these people to God; teach them God's law; and appoint others as co-leaders. When Jesus was recruiting disciples to lead his church he had the same three priorities: prayer, teaching (by instruction and modeling), and training for ministry. It's amazing how much Jesus delegated to his disciples so early in their relationship 'Go and preach, heal the sick, bring the dead back to
life . drive out demons' (Matthew 10:5-8). Just the simple stuff ... to start with! (Page 117)





Can you remember someone who empowered you to be a leader - who encouraged you, taught you, and set you free to do something that you found worth doing?


In your congregation, how widely are the gifts and abilities of members of the church used?


This chapter in Rowland Croucher's book often refers to the work of pastors but most of the points could also apply to elders. It is possible for elders to concentrate on doing the main tasks themselves or to concentrate on empowering others to do those tasks.


How well do elders in your congregation empower others for service to Christ? Are there some ways of giving more attention to this important equipping ministry (Ephesians 4:12)?


A final reflection
How about doing in your congregation what Jesus did with his disciples? Or what Paul suggests Timothy do: 'take the teachings . and entrust them to reliable people, who will teach others also' (2 Timothy 2.2). (Page 118)

SPECIAL RESOURCES FOR ELDERS
From Uniting Church Press
A Handbook for Elders
Ian Tanner 136 pages
Practical suggestions to help elders be effective in their ministry. Includes simple check lists and examples of visiting cards and leaflets.


The Forgotten Factor
Geoffrey Barnes 64 pages
A fresh look at affirming the role of the laity in the life of the people of God.


Venture into a Vacancy
Brian Nicholls 48 pages
A handbook offering guidance to elders, particularly where there is a ministerial vacancy in a parish. Deals with a range of practical issues likely to arise during and after the vacancy.


Understanding the Uniting Church in Australia
Keith Pearson and David Merritt 16 pages
An introductory booklet detailing the beliefs, worship, organizational structure, mission, relationship to other churches, membership and vision for the future of the Uniting Church in Australia.


Building on a Solid Basis
D'Arcy Wood 64pages
A guide to the Basis of Union setting out clearly the basic beliefs, commitments, and organization of the Uniting Church in Australia.