Foundations of Christian Leadership, Mentor's Guide, MG07

/ 7 7

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

B. The kind of elders needed for urban congregations

1. Persons of credible character and proven ability to lead: we need individuals of integrity and dignity .

2. Team players : we need individuals willing to cooperate and work alongside others.

3. Experienced individuals: we need individuals whose walk with Christ is rich enough and long enough that they can rule matters in the life of the body.

2

4. Those possessing the ability to spiritually nurture and give pastoral care to the members of the community

5. Those who can serve as examples and models of authentic Christian discipleship in the midst of the challenges of urban life

C. How do we find and equip elders of this kind for our congregations?

1. Pray for them.

2. Clearly define in our congregations the need for distinctive leaders who can provide oversight to our assemblies (i.e., every congregation must have clearly defined structures of governance: who is in charge, and what are their bounds of authority and responsibility, cf. Acts 15.2).