|
| |
 Go to
the Deacons' Page
First Christian Church of
Peoria Elders' Page
Many of the files on this page are PDF files and you will need Adobe Acrobat
Reader on your computer to open it. If you you don't have Acrobat Reader and
would like to download it from the Adobe Site click the link below. This is a
free download.
2007 Elders Schedule
PDF file
What is an Elder of the Church?
1 Peter 5:1
1 And
now, a word to you who are elders in the churches. I, too, am an elder and a
witness to the sufferings of Christ. And I, too, will share his glory and his
honor when he returns. As a fellow elder, this is my appeal to you: 2 Care
for the flock of God entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not
grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to
serve God. 3Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but
lead them by your good example. 4 And when the head Shepherd comes,
your reward will be a never-ending share in his glory and honor.
Elders were
church officers providing supervision, protection, discipline, instruction, and
direction for the other believers. Elder simply means “older.” Both Greeks and
Jews gave positions of great honor to wise older men, and the Christian church
continued this pattern of leadership. Elders carried great responsibility, and
they were expected to be good examples.
Peter, one of
Jesus’ 12 disciples, was one of the three who saw Christ’s glory at the
Transfiguration (Mark 9:1-13; 2 Peter 1:16-18). Often the spokesman for the
apostles, Peter witnessed Jesus’ death and resurrection, preached at Pentecost,
and became a pillar of the Jerusalem church. But writing to the elders, he
identified himself as a fellow elder, not a superior. He asked them to “care for
the flock of God,” exactly what Jesus had told him to do (John 21:15-17). Peter
was taking his own advice as he worked along with the other elders in caring for
God’s faithful people. His identification with the elders is a good example of
Christian leadership, showing that authority is based on service, not power
(Mark 10:42-45).
Peter
describes several characteristics of good leaders in the church: (1) They
realize they are caring for God’s flock, not their own; (2) they lead out of
eagerness to serve, not out of obligation; (3) they are concerned for what they
can give, not for what they can get; (4) they lead by example, not force. All of
us lead others in some way. Whatever our role, our leadership should be in line
with these characteristics
|
FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF
PEORIA 