What Is An Elder? On October 5, we plan to vote as a congregation to change our church bylaws regarding the ministry of the elders. We believe the current bylaws impede us from following God’s instructions regarding the ministry of the elders and that a new structure for the elders will help us to become more faithful in our pursuit of God’s design for leadership in the church. For instance, our current bylaws require us to vote three new elders into office in April of each year. This requirement has often hindered us from taking the necessary time to assure that the elder candidate is fully prepared to be an elder prior to taking the role of an elder. We desire to more faithfully apply God’s rule in 1 Tim. 5:22 as He commands us, “Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands.” Our changes will allow us to ordain new elders into this important role after they have been fully equipped and after the congregation has had ample time to evaluate the elder candidates prior to a vote. Two questions are key in our thinking about the restructuring of our ministry to elders: 1. What is an elder? 2. What does an elder do? This month, I will focus on the first question. “What is an elder?” The Identity of an Elder An elder is a recognized, God-called servant-leader in Jesus’ church, equipped with the head, heart and hands of a spiritual shepherd, who serves alongside other elders in the church. Let us consider this definition more closely. An elder is “recognized.” In the New Testament, the existing church leadership formally recognized each new elder through a ceremony that included the public laying-on of hands. (1 Tim. 5:22)
Dr. Ritch Boerckel An elder is God-called. The calling of an elder is not from man, but from God. Pastors/elders are sovereign gifts from God to His church. (Eph. 4:7, 11) God uses human instruments to recognize and affirm His calling upon an elder, but God is the one who calls men to this ministry. An elder is a servant-leader. The elder team possesses spiritual authority in the church, but it is authority that is used to serve others in the church. (1 Pet. 5:1-3) The elder does not use his office to receive from others, but to give to others. The elder does not lord it over God’s people, but he sacrificially loves God’s people. An elder serves in Jesus’ church. The local church is precious to Jesus. Jesus promised to build her so that the gates of hell would not prevail against her. (Matt. 16:18). The local church is Jesus’ precious bride whom He loves so much that He gave Himself up for her on the cross. And He did this so that He might one day present the church to Himself in all of her glory as a spotless bride (Eph. 5:25-27). God directs for elders to be appointed in each local church so that they can serve Him in caring for His people. (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5) An elder is equipped with the head of a spiritual shepherd. Jesus taught us that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, all of our soul, and all of our mind (Matt. 22:37). The elder must model obedience to this command over a long period of time to be qualified to lead others. Christianity builds all of life on the foundation of God’s truth as revealed in God’s Word. The elder’s mind must be saturated with Scripture so that sound doctrine and truth saturate his whole person. Only in this way would an elder be “able to teach” (1 Tim. 3:2) and Continued on page 2.
Elder cont’d from page 1 able to warn God’s flock against “wolves” who teach false doctrine in the church (Acts 20:26-31). An elder is equipped with the heart of a spiritual shepherd. He loves God with all his heart and he loves people with deep spiritual concern for their soul. The elder’s ministry is primarily one of love. The elder is a man whose heart has matured in Christ-like character through his walking in love over a long period of time (1 Tim. 3:17; Titus 1:5-9). He joyfully obeys God in all things. He is willing to lay down his life for God’s sheep. He does not serve out of obligation, but out of genuine affection for God’s people. Paul gave voice to the elder’s heart when he wrote to the Thessalonian believers, “But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the Gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.” (1 Thes. 2:7-8) This loving heart readies the elder to labor day and night in order to bring spiritual blessing to God’s people. An elder is equipped with the hands of a spiritual shepherd. The shepherd must be
skilled to do the work of an elder effectively. He must be skilled in teaching God’s word (1 Tim. 3:2), in gently correcting those who believe false doctrine (2 Tim. 2:25), in confronting those who teach false doctrine (Titus 1:9), in counseling those in distress (Rom. 15:14), in comforting those in despair (2 Cor. 1:37), in leading the whole church in worship to God (Heb. 13:7, 13; 1 Tim. 5:17), and in witnessing to the lost (2 Cor. 5:20; Matt. 28:19-20). The goal of the work of the elders’ hands is to present every member of the church as mature in Christ (Col. 1:28). Without skilled hands, the elder is unable to effectively help the church to glorify God. An elder serves alongside other elders. The elder does not possess authority as an individual, but is a member of a group of other elders who together serve the church. The Bible clearly teaches that each church should have more than one elder. The Bible uses the terms “pastor,” “elder” and “overseer” to refer to what we call the elder ministry. The Bible does not separate staff elders from lay elders in the work of shepherding the church. Both staff elders and lay elders act as one team working together for the glory of Christ.
July 2014 Sun
Mon
Tue
8:15 & 11am Worship
7
9:45am SS/ABC
13
8:15 & 11am Worship
14
9am VBS
9:45am SS/ABC Parent/Child Dedication Class
20
8:15 & 11am Worship
21
7pm Women Helping Women
8:15 & 11am Worship 9:45am SS/ABC
Sat
3
4
5
8
9
10
11
12
6pm Adult Soccer
6:15pm Youth Group
15
16
17
18
19
6pm Hats of Hope
12pm Youth Lunch at Park
22
23
24
25
26
9am Men’s Study
9am VBS
9am Men’s Study
6pm VBS Training
9am VBS
6:15pm Youth Group 6:30pm Choir Rehearsal
28
Fri
2
9:45am SS/ABC
27
Thu
1
9am Men’s Study
6
Wed
29
9am Men’s Study 6pm Adult Soccer
30
6:15pm Youth Group 8:15pm Youth Open Gym b-ball
7pm Kim Sauder Bridal Shower
31
Office Closed Happy Independence Day!
7:15pm LinC (off-site)
9am Youth Bike Ride (off-site)
1pm Jr. High Pool Party (off-site)
8am Membership Class 10am Family Bike Ride (off-site)
Join the Worship Team Registration for the fall semester (which meets Mondays, 6-9pm from September 5 to December 8) opens August 5 at peoriagospelinstitute.org.
Worship Team Vocal and Instrumental applications are available for the 2014-2015 team! If you have an interest in singing on the Worship Team or being a part of the Worship Band, please pick up an application from the church office or the choir room. Applications must be turned into the church office by Sunday, August 31.
Systematic Theology I Instructor: Dr. Ritch Boerckel, Senior Pastor, Bethany Baptist Church Tuition: $60 per person plus cost of book Delight in Discovery Instructor: Jason Alligood, Senior Pastor, Fellowship Bible Church Tuition: $60 per person
Please contact Pastor Fred (fred@bethanycentral.org) or Kari Rabenhorst (kari@bethanycentral.org) with questions. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Psalm 100:2
Intro to Biblical Counseling Instructors: Pastor Joel Smith, Associate Pastor of Biblical Counseling, Bethany Baptist Church and Pastor Kevin Sauder, Associate Pastor of Christian Education, Bethany Baptist Church Tuition: $60 per person Be watching the Gospel Institute website for possible new classes in development for the fall!
Prime Time Fellowship Wednesday, July 23 10:00am At the Peoria Riverfront Museum All those age 55 and up are invited to a morning at the Peoria Riverfront Museum (222 SW Washington Street, Peoria). We will meet at the museum at 10:00am. The morning will include coffee and pastries, a presentation on Ripley’s Believe It or Not, and time to view the exhibits and gallery. Admission to the museum is free for seniors for this event. Free parking is available in the museum parking garage located off Water Street. Bring your parking voucher in for validation at the museum ticket booth. Following our time at the museum, you are invited to enjoy lunch together at a restaurant near the museum at your expense. Please RSVP to the church office at 692-1755. Please see Pastor Lyall for questions or transportation assistance.
What's more amazing than Robert Ripley's legendary compendium of oddities, anomalies and fantastic feats? The science that underlies them! Go places you've never imagined and explore the real science behind the unbelievable. The Science of Ripley's Believe It or Not!ÂŽ 6,000 sq. ft. exhibit is an adventure that takes you through the remarkable realms of scientific discoveries and real artifacts.
Child Dedication Class Women’s Ministry Work Nights: Sunday, July 13 at 9:45am Hats of Hope Parents interested in child Tuesday, July 15 dedication should plan to from 6-9pm attend this class which covers what child Women Helping Women dedication is as well as basic parenting Monday, July 21 principles and an overview of resources from 7-9pm Bethany offers. Call the office to sign up. Kim Sauder Bridal Shower Thursday, July 24 at 7pm LinC Friday, July 18 at 7:15pm Bill Akright will be speaking. Location TBD.
Kim is engaged to Jimmy Houck. They are registered at Target, Macy's, and Bed, Bath & Beyond.
Discovering Church Membership Saturday, July 26, 8-11am
July Birthdays & Anniversaries
If you are interested in joining the church or learning more about Bethany, plan to attend this class. Call the church office at 692-1755 to sign up.
A list of July birthdays and anniversaries is available in the June 2014 issue of The Broadcaster. To access the list online, visit www.bethanycentral.org/resources.
Youth Events In July July 9: July 12: July 16: July 23: July 25: July 30:
Youth Group (6:15pm) Jr. High Pool Party (1-4pm) Youth Lunch at BBC Soccer Fields (12-2pm) Youth Group (6:15pm) Youth Bike Ride (9am-Noon) Youth Group (6:15pm) and Open Gym (8:15-9:30pm)
For additional information on youth events, contact Josh Beakley (josh@bethanycentral.org) or Aaron Boerckel (aaron@bethanycentral.org).
Children’s Ministry Teaching Schedule July 6
SS: Paul is an example of Christ (Acts 20-23) CC: John's Birth was Predicted (Luke 1:5-25)
July 13 SS: God Keeps His Promise to Protect Paul (Acts 27) CC: Mary Visited Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-56) July 20 SS: Paul Testifies to the Gospel in Rome (Acts 28:11-31) CC: John Was Born (Luke 1:57-80) July 27 SS: John Testifies to the Exalted Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:1-20) CC: Jesus Was Born (Luke 2:1-20) VBS Training: Help us offer a safe, fun, Gospel-centered, effective VBS by attending a training session for VBS volunteers. The final session will be offered July 9 at 6:00pm. If you have questions, contact Wendy Kirkpatrick at wendy@bethanycentral.org.
Vacation Bible School July 14-18 9:00-11:45am Open to kids entering Kindergarten through Sixth Grade. Avoid the walk-in lines! Register online at www.bethanycentral.org. Online registration closes July 10.
Family Bike Ride Saturday, July 26 at 10:00am Meet in the south parking lot of Junction City Shopping Center near the new pedestrian bridge. The bike trail is very child-friendly. The path is completely paved and the bridge over Knoxville is complete. Choose your own distance. Pack a picnic lunch or enjoy one of the Junction City eateries after your bike ride. If you have questions, contact Pastor Lyall (lyall@bethanycentral.org).
The Bethany Family Campout at Lake Bethany is coming soon! Enjoy fishing, fellowship, food, fire and more (these are just the “F’s”) all under the stars created by God on the fourth day (Gen. 1:15-19). If you have talents or ideas you would like to share with other campers, please let us know using the Sunday communication card and we will follow up with you. Watch for additional information which will be coming soon.
Taste of Bethany—August 17 On Sunday, August 17, representatives from the ministries of Bethany will fill the café and gymnasium with updates on what God is doing in and through the people here. Mark your calendars, and prepare to be greatly encouraged!
7422 N. Heinz Lane Edwards, IL 61528
The Broadcaster
PERMIT NO. 917
PEORIA, ILLINOIS
P A I D
U.S. POSTAGE
NON-PROFIT ORG.