Practicing Christian Leadership, Mentor's Guide, MG11

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P R A C T I C I N G C H R I S T I A N L E A D E R S H I P

responsibility to lead people in their worship, praise, and thanksgiving to God?

2. In what ways does God provide the believers in the Church with his grace through an effective ministry of the Word and the sacraments? What are the implications of this for the people of God and the Christian leader? 3. Explain the significance of the following statement: “It is your solemn duty and privilege to ensure that the people of God in your assembly are nourished, enlightened, and equipped through a deep and satisfying knowledge of the Word of God.” 4. List four ways in which you as a practicing Christian leader might help those under your teaching to grow in their knowledge of and nourishment upon the Word? 5. Describe the reasons why the practice of the sacraments are significant for the growth and maturity of the body of Christ. 6. What principles should we keep in mind as we seek to understand the role of Baptism in the Church? What principles should inform us as we minister the Lord’s Supper? 7. List four ways in which you as a practicing Christian leader might help those under your teaching to grow as they celebrate together the Lord’s Supper? Which of these ways is most important for you in your ministry today? This lesson focuses upon the role of the practicing Christian leader as a representative of the Lord, one who is called to speak and act on behalf of the purposes and interests of the Lord. We demonstrate this representation first and foremost in our ushering people into the presence of God through our leading them in worship, through the nourishment of the Word of God in the lives of believers in the body, and through our ongoing celebration of the sacraments in our services of worship in the Church. The biblical understanding of representation is the fundamental concept in practical Christian leadership: the leader does not represent himself or herself but the authority and purpose of the Lord.

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Summary of Key Concepts

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