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Deacon Ministry

"The greatest among you will be your servant." Matthew 23:11 (NIV)

Richard Hottle

Deacon Ministry Leader

Deacons are to recognize their roles as ministering servants of the church. They are to be members whose character and qualifications shall be specified in 1 Timothy 3:8-13, Acts 6:1-6, and Titus 1:6-9.

* The Deacon Ministry is an elected position.

Relations of a Deacon:

A Deacon's Relationship to his Lord:

  • Certainly the deacon's primary relationship is to his Lord. Without that vertical relationship, the horizontal relationships will be distorted. A deacon should be more concerned about his walk with God than anything.

A Deacon's Relationship to his Family:

  • The New Testament mentions a deacon's responsibility in relation to his wife and children. Therefore, a deacon should give his family first priority in his devotion, care and ministry.

A Deacon's Relationship to the Elders and Pastors:

  • A deacon should serve under the leadership and spiritual direction of the Elders & Pastors and be loyal in prayer support, encouragement and fellowship. Ripley Church looks to the Elders & Pastors for giving overall leadership and administration to the church and its ministry. The church, therefore, expects the deacons to respect the offices of Elders & Pastors and to welcome the unique opportunity to learn from and serve with them. As a deacon functions in the practical ministry of the church, he partners with the Elders & Pastors in ministering to the members of the church. Deacons are servants first and last.

A Deacon's Relationship to the Church Ministry Teams:

  • A deacon should participate, either as leader or member of a ministry team. Considering the deacon’s SHAPE (Spiritual Gift, Heart, Ability, Personality, Experience), the deacon should select an area to assist in ministry.

A Deacon's Relationship to the Church Membership at Large

  • The deacons are to be active in ministry to the church family, promoting peace, harmony and a spirit of cooperation among the membership. Deacons are to be problem solvers and preservers of church harmony. Every deacon carries two imaginary buckets: one of water and one of gasoline. He determines in many situations whether he will help put out the fires of disharmony or if he will fuel the problem.

General Responsibilities of a Deacon

The deacon ministry team will serve under the leadership of the Elders & Pastors and assist them in performing duties. The deacons will support and work with the Elders & Pastors as follows:

  • Lead the church in the achievement of its mission.

  • Minister the gospel to believers and unbelievers.

  • Care for the church's members and others in the community.

  • Have a consistent commitment to stewardship by being an example giving to the church.

  • Demonstrate Christ-like consecration, loyalty, prayer support and faithfulness to the local church program.

  • Visit the sick, needy and membership of the church.

  • Encourage and strengthen new converts and the spiritually weak.

  • Regularly attend deacons' meetings.

  • Model the behavior of what it means to be a faithful member of RCC.

  • Model the behavior of Christ to the world outside of RCC – to family, to business, and to community – so that your life draws others towards the church rather than away from it.

Ministry Leader Name

Ministry Leader Title

Ministry Resources

Ministry Description (PDF)

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