Ministry Description-Elders

Goal of Position:    Assist and support the pastors. Provide spiritual leadership that helps church establish the Kingdom of God in San Bernardino.  This is to be done by empowering the members to worship, connect, grow and serve.

Responsible To:    Head Elder, Pastors

Ministry Description:   The ministry to which a person is called when he or she becomes an elder can best be described in the following ways:

    Worship:

Worship leadership. Elders assist in leading out in worship regularly in Sabbath Worship.  They assist in communicating the worship theme of the day and in their involvement do all they can to help establish the Kingdom of God in San Bernardino and beyond.  Elders actively pray for the moving of the Holy Spirit before and during the worship services that God will have His way and the Kingdom of God will be established during the service in the lives of the people.
    
    Connect:
    Visitation. Elders join with the pastor, deacons, and deaconesses in visiting church members, the sick and shut in. They are to pray for and offer encouragement to both members and the pastors.  They are ever looking for opportunities to establish the Kingdom of God in San Bernardino and beyond.  
    
    Grow:

A spiritual mentor. Elders lead by example.  They are constantly modeling to the congregation ways to establish the Kingdom of God in San Bernardino.  First Timothy, chapter 3, describes the Christian life of an elder in these words: “. . . above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle. . .” An elder should model, by his or her devotional life, Christian personality and spiritual interest, a higher ideal for each member to reach. The elder should reflect the fruits of the Spirit in his or her relationship with others: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. 


    Serve:

Commitment. Elders are committed to the outreach of the church. The congregation needs to know that its leaders have a clear vision of the mission of the church, namely to “establish the Kingdom of God in San Bernardino and beyond.”  Elders should enthusiastically model a commitment of his or her time to outreach ministry, others catch the same spirit and commit themselves to the mission of the church.  Elders should schedule time for ministering to the unsaved. 
 
Church Administration. Elders should always attempt to make a positive contribution to the organization and progress of the church. Elders will serve in an advisory capacity to various departments, committees, and projects. In doing this, elders provide unity among the various programs of the church, communicates progress to the church board and encourages a unified mission of establishing the Kingdom of God in San Bernardino and beyond.  


Time Required:    About 12-14 hours monthly, which will include serving during Sabbath worship service as assigned.  Serve for communion once a quarter, which may includes about 3 hours in practice and visitation. Attend and sometimes lead out in prayer meeting. Light visitation as needed.

Training Provided:    Elders Certification Training will be provided.  Other materials available as needed.

Qualifications/Special Skills:    Have some of the following in their gift mix: Gifts of caring, discernment, wisdom, encouragement, leadership, shepherding and service.  Works well with people and is spiritually mature.  Conflict management abilities helpful.  Must return a faithful tithe.