Foundations of Christian Leadership, Mentor's Guide, MG07

/ 1 3

F O U N D A T I O N S O F C H R I S T I A N L E A D E R S H I P

The Christian Leader as Deacon Diakonoi

page 315 1

Welcome in the strong name of Jesus Christ! After your reading, study, discussion, and application of the materials in this lesson, you will be able to: • Articulate the foundations of Christian leadership as it relates to the offices and functions of leadership in the local church (deacons, elders, pastors, and bishops). • Define one of the foundations of Christian leadership from the standpoint of the ministry of deacons, or, in the Greek, diakonoi , giving evidence of the meanings of the term diakonoi in the Greek NT. • Trace the origins and development of the role of the deacon from its parallel role in the Jewish synagogue, the hazzan . • Lay out clearly the key issues related to the call to the diaconate, or ministry of deacons, and the various biblical criteria and qualifications connected to being a deacon in the Church of God. • Outline the authority of the deacon’s office in both Scripture and history, and elaborate on some of the functions of this important ministry among the people of God. • Unpack the data on three images or models of the deacon’s role, i.e., the roles of servant, steward, and assistant. • Define the kinds of issues and concepts involved in equipping deacons for urban congregations, as well as the various principles and practices associated with the office. • Recognize the importance of the diaconate for urban congregations, both in terms of meeting practical needs as well as dividing the labor amongst the leaders to ensure that the congregation’s full priorities are not neglected.

Lesson Objectives

page 317 2

1