Suggestions for Elders’ Meetings
I recently received a request from an elder for suggestions for improving elders’ meetings.
Here’s my reply:
Here are thoughts on good rules and an agenda for an elders’ meeting.
- Rotate facilitators.
- Shepherd each other. Ask, “How has it been at your house the past 30 days.” Each elder and preacher responds. Tell the good, bad, and ugly. “Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep.”
- Pray for each other.
- Twenty minutes of Bible study. Guidelines for Meetings
- 15 minutes of development. Buy a book that can improve your effectiveness. Suggestion: Get Fit: Church Growth Through Church Health, by Aubrey Johnson. Read a chapter section and ask, “Is this something we need to implement that would be helpful.” He has some suggestions for elders’ meetings.
- Decide if we’ll chase rabbits discussing weather, sports, politics, and other non-meeting topics before, after, or during the meeting. Hold yourself accountable to respect your agreement.
- Decide how much time you’ll spend discussing deacons’ work and how much deacons’ work you’ll do. Don’t do more deacons’ work than you have agreed to do.
- Keep a Grass-Catcher List to keep things from falling through the cracks: Grass-Catcher List
- Set a time limit. End the meeting when the time is up. In one congregation, we reduced the time from midnight+ to 10:30 and earlier when we set a 10:30 time limit. We met after Bible study on Wednesday night. We accomplished the work we needed to do in less time.
Two main principles:
- Take care of each other.
When shepherds shepherd shepherds, shepherds will better shepherd the sheep. When shepherds don’t shepherd shepherds, shepherds probably won’t shepherd the sheep.
- Hold each other accountable for doing what you agreed to do.
When overseers oversee overseers, overseers will better oversee the church. When overseers don’t oversee the overseers, overseers probably won’t oversee the church.
What suggestions do you have for improving Elder-Preacher meetings? Comment below —
Gleaning Mustard Seeds with Jerrie Barber podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2369804
Channel 5 News, Wednesday, September 18 2024, 79-year-old preacher runs barefoot 15 miles a week; meet Jerrie Barber: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDFXkTGnp1w