INTRODUCTION
In the first booklet, we discussed the gospel, namely, what God has done in history, to redeem men through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The plan of redemption was written well before the world was even created (Revelation 13:8).
And although a good God created a good world full of good things, the fact that man sinned and rejected His goodness did not take our omniscient God by surprise.
God always had a plan to gather a people for Himself. Beginning with the garden, we see God’s story does not end where it starts—giving men the punishment they deserve. Instead, God gives them a promise of a Savior (Genesis 3:15) who would one day restore creation to all the goodness God desired.
A local church is not an organization, a meeting, or a building. A local church is its members, who are living as a local expression of Jesus' Church in the world.
To understand what it means that we call ourselves Redeemer Church, it is essential that you know what we believe (according to scripture) that a local church is, how it is organized, and how we live this out as a community of believers.
In this booklet you will find what we believe about the church. You are introduced to the bride of Jesus--the church. With this in mind, the purpose and aim is to explore what the Bible defines a church to be. We will also seek to understand what Jesus has sent His church to do.
This booklet seeks to answer questions such as:
What is the church? What is the mission of the church?
What is an elder? What is a deacon? Who is accountable for the church?
Who is responsible for the ministry of the church?
And although a good God created a good world full of good things, the fact that man sinned and rejected His goodness did not take our omniscient God by surprise.
God always had a plan to gather a people for Himself. Beginning with the garden, we see God’s story does not end where it starts—giving men the punishment they deserve. Instead, God gives them a promise of a Savior (Genesis 3:15) who would one day restore creation to all the goodness God desired.
A local church is not an organization, a meeting, or a building. A local church is its members, who are living as a local expression of Jesus' Church in the world.
To understand what it means that we call ourselves Redeemer Church, it is essential that you know what we believe (according to scripture) that a local church is, how it is organized, and how we live this out as a community of believers.
In this booklet you will find what we believe about the church. You are introduced to the bride of Jesus--the church. With this in mind, the purpose and aim is to explore what the Bible defines a church to be. We will also seek to understand what Jesus has sent His church to do.
This booklet seeks to answer questions such as:
What is the church? What is the mission of the church?
What is an elder? What is a deacon? Who is accountable for the church?
Who is responsible for the ministry of the church?
WHAT IS A CHURCH?
A Local Church
A local church is a specific assembly of God's people. In the Scriptures, we see that there is a formality to the relationship; there are those who are in the church and those who are not in the church. A biblical church organizes itself around Jesus, His gospel, and joyful response to Him.
The Members of a Local Church
To become a member of a local church, a regenerate, baptized believer first makes a profession of faith and declares that they desire to join a local church formally. In so doing they are stating that they are giving of themselves to help their fellow members follow Jesus. Likewise the local church is saying they will affirm that person’s profession of faith and give of themselves to help that member follow Jesus.
Covenant membership is a matter of taking responsibility for a people and that people taking responsibility for the individual. This responsibility includes:
WHAT WE DO
Our strategy is to gather together on Sundays to worship Jesus, study the Scriptures, and partake of the Lord’s Supper together and then scatter throughout the week as intentional missional communities.
Sundays Worship Gatherings
We assemble on Sundays to worship Jesus through singing the Word, the preaching of the Word, the reading of the Word, taking communion (the Lord’s Supper) together, and to experience fellowship through that time of corporate gathering.
The liturgy, meaning order of worship, at Redeemer Church is a way of telling the gospel story. From the beginning with our call to worship to the end where an elder gives the benediction, it is saying that God gets the first Word and the last Word. He speaks to His people through His Word.
Our liturgy is a reflection and illustrative telling of the good news, that by His grace Jesus Christ saves sinners like us from death to life. This is the story of God making all things good, the world and humanity turning against Him, and God’s persistent undeserved love rescuing His people through His Son, Jesus Christ, who offers forgiveness to all who call on His name and is making all things new in Himself.
Every Sunday when we gather to worship, we rehearse the story of the gospel together in our order of worship (liturgy) to teach us the gospel afresh. In this way, our hearts are refreshed as we are reminded that Jesus redeems us and shapes us into a new people for His glory and the good of the world.
Gospel-Centered Community Groups
Gospel community groups are one of the means by which we live out what it looks like to be a missional church in our everyday lives. Redeemer Church is a family of disciples making disciples. We do not separate discipleship from mission nor from evangelism.
We define a gospel-centered community group as:
a community of Christians, living together on mission with God,
in obedience to the Holy Spirit, who demonstrates the gospel tangibly and declares the gospel boldly.
Gospel community groups are the way we connect deeply with others in our church as we work together to further the gospel. These smaller groups of people (around 5-15) provide an opportunity to know others and be known within Redeemer Church.
Through these relationships, we mutually challenge and encourage one another to truly believe our identity in Christ and live life in a way that demonstrates to the world who God truly is. Each community group meets regularly to eat, learn, pray, and be together on mission. The purpose of each group is to grow and multiply in a way that leads to the gospel being shared throughout our county.
What it means to be a missional community group:
What it means to be a relational community group:
What Is the Church?
The church is more than a place where Christians happen to hang out on Sundays. It is more than a once-a-week event, more than a religious outing, more than a Christian club. The church was not an addendum to God’s plan for salvation, in fact, the church plays a key role in God’s mission for the world.
Jesus loves the Church. In fact, He loved it so much He gave up everything for her. Not only did he promise to build the church through His death, but He also promised that His love would continue to make the church more beautiful (Eph. 5:25-33). In other words, it is impossible to love Jesus and not His bride--they are inseparable. Jesus did not die for a person, He died for a specific group of people—the Church—through which He continues to restore the world with the gospel.
The universal Church (with a capital C) is the fellowship of believers, the family of God (a family of families), where the presence of God’s Spirit chiefly dwells, and where the wisdom of God is uniquely made manifest.
According to Scripture, the universal, invisible, and spiritual church consists of all true Christians around the world; past, present, and future.
The church is both universal and local, both invisible and visible, both spiritual and physical. The local, visible, physical church refers to an assembly of disciples saved by Jesus, unified by their gospel identity, sent into the world on mission to proclaim the gospel, led by biblically qualified elders, committed to proclaiming gospel truth and living as a gospel community in the world.
What defines a local church?
Those who have put their faith in the head of the Church have become part of His body. Through our shared identity in Christ, God brings us together into one family through adoption.
And as brothers and sisters, He intends to build us together, encourage us together, grow us together, and sanctify us together so that we look more individually like His Son and corporately like His people. And while there is much we can do as the church, there are a few things God has commanded we must do.
A local church is a specific assembly of God's people. In the Scriptures, we see that there is a formality to the relationship; there are those who are in the church and those who are not in the church. A biblical church organizes itself around Jesus, His gospel, and joyful response to Him.
The Members of a Local Church
To become a member of a local church, a regenerate, baptized believer first makes a profession of faith and declares that they desire to join a local church formally. In so doing they are stating that they are giving of themselves to help their fellow members follow Jesus. Likewise the local church is saying they will affirm that person’s profession of faith and give of themselves to help that member follow Jesus.
Covenant membership is a matter of taking responsibility for a people and that people taking responsibility for the individual. This responsibility includes:
- Faithfully assembling with the church (Hebrews 10:24–25, Acts 2:42),
- loving one another (John 13:35, Ephesians 2:19–21, Galatians 6:10),
- seeking unity (Romans 12:16, Philippians 2:3),
- building up the body (Ephesians 4:25, 1 Thessalonians 5:14),
- celebrating/mourning together (Romans 12:15),
- and following godly leadership (1 Corinthians 11:1, Hebrews 13:7, 17)
WHAT WE DO
Our strategy is to gather together on Sundays to worship Jesus, study the Scriptures, and partake of the Lord’s Supper together and then scatter throughout the week as intentional missional communities.
Sundays Worship Gatherings
We assemble on Sundays to worship Jesus through singing the Word, the preaching of the Word, the reading of the Word, taking communion (the Lord’s Supper) together, and to experience fellowship through that time of corporate gathering.
The liturgy, meaning order of worship, at Redeemer Church is a way of telling the gospel story. From the beginning with our call to worship to the end where an elder gives the benediction, it is saying that God gets the first Word and the last Word. He speaks to His people through His Word.
Our liturgy is a reflection and illustrative telling of the good news, that by His grace Jesus Christ saves sinners like us from death to life. This is the story of God making all things good, the world and humanity turning against Him, and God’s persistent undeserved love rescuing His people through His Son, Jesus Christ, who offers forgiveness to all who call on His name and is making all things new in Himself.
Every Sunday when we gather to worship, we rehearse the story of the gospel together in our order of worship (liturgy) to teach us the gospel afresh. In this way, our hearts are refreshed as we are reminded that Jesus redeems us and shapes us into a new people for His glory and the good of the world.
Gospel-Centered Community Groups
Gospel community groups are one of the means by which we live out what it looks like to be a missional church in our everyday lives. Redeemer Church is a family of disciples making disciples. We do not separate discipleship from mission nor from evangelism.
We define a gospel-centered community group as:
a community of Christians, living together on mission with God,
in obedience to the Holy Spirit, who demonstrates the gospel tangibly and declares the gospel boldly.
Gospel community groups are the way we connect deeply with others in our church as we work together to further the gospel. These smaller groups of people (around 5-15) provide an opportunity to know others and be known within Redeemer Church.
Through these relationships, we mutually challenge and encourage one another to truly believe our identity in Christ and live life in a way that demonstrates to the world who God truly is. Each community group meets regularly to eat, learn, pray, and be together on mission. The purpose of each group is to grow and multiply in a way that leads to the gospel being shared throughout our county.
What it means to be a missional community group:
- They view themselves as a sent people who are missionaries where they are at in their everyday lives.
- They are committed to having spiritual conversations that lead to sharing the gospel of Jesus and the Word of God with one another.
- They are committed to regular, passionate prayer for one another.
- They are committed to intentionally living among one another.
- They are serving one another in tangible ways.
What it means to be a relational community group:
- They are committed to sharing the gospel of Jesus and the Word of God with one another.
- They are committed to regular, passionate prayer for one another.
- They are committed to intentionally sharing life with one another.
- They are committed to holding each other accountable. They serve one another in bearing burdens.
What Is the Church?
The church is more than a place where Christians happen to hang out on Sundays. It is more than a once-a-week event, more than a religious outing, more than a Christian club. The church was not an addendum to God’s plan for salvation, in fact, the church plays a key role in God’s mission for the world.
Jesus loves the Church. In fact, He loved it so much He gave up everything for her. Not only did he promise to build the church through His death, but He also promised that His love would continue to make the church more beautiful (Eph. 5:25-33). In other words, it is impossible to love Jesus and not His bride--they are inseparable. Jesus did not die for a person, He died for a specific group of people—the Church—through which He continues to restore the world with the gospel.
The universal Church (with a capital C) is the fellowship of believers, the family of God (a family of families), where the presence of God’s Spirit chiefly dwells, and where the wisdom of God is uniquely made manifest.
According to Scripture, the universal, invisible, and spiritual church consists of all true Christians around the world; past, present, and future.
The church is both universal and local, both invisible and visible, both spiritual and physical. The local, visible, physical church refers to an assembly of disciples saved by Jesus, unified by their gospel identity, sent into the world on mission to proclaim the gospel, led by biblically qualified elders, committed to proclaiming gospel truth and living as a gospel community in the world.
What defines a local church?
Those who have put their faith in the head of the Church have become part of His body. Through our shared identity in Christ, God brings us together into one family through adoption.
And as brothers and sisters, He intends to build us together, encourage us together, grow us together, and sanctify us together so that we look more individually like His Son and corporately like His people. And while there is much we can do as the church, there are a few things God has commanded we must do.
WHAT MUST A CHURCH DO?
Not all local churches look, sound, or gather the same. The visible (local) church may look different and can look different in some ways. There are, however, some basic important things that a church must do.
Protestant Reformer John Calvin identified two distinctive characteristics of a church (in His Institutes, IV.i.9):
Protestant Reformer John Calvin identified two distinctive characteristics of a church (in His Institutes, IV.i.9):
Wherever we see the Word of God purely preached and heard, and the sacraments administered according to Christ’s institution, there, it is not to be doubted, a church of God exists. … If it has the ministry of the Word and honors it, if it has the administration of the sacraments, it deserves without doubt to be held and considered a church. For it is certain that such things are not without fruit”
Calvin’s 16th century description matches the practices of the 1st century church in Acts 2:42-47.
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
What must a church do?
1. A church must preach the gospel
Preaching is a priority because the Word of God is a priority. Paul reminds the Romans of the essential role of preaching in the life of the church as he says, “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’ But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?’ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Rom. 10:14-17)
We preach God’s Word because there is power in it. We preach God’s Word because it is central to every aspect of our lives. We preach because God’s Word has always been His chosen instrument to transform His people into His likeness for His glory--it is the power of salvation for all who believe. (Romans 1:16; Isaiah 55:10-11).
2. A church must practice church discipline
At its core, church discipline is a rescue mission where the covenant members (with the support of the elders) are working to confront and restore a believer to fellowship and unity. *[This is discussed in the 4th and final booklet].
In Hebrews 12:6 we see that those whom God loves, He disciplines. Discipline is a challenging process of God correcting His people’s thoughts, words and behaviors so they can fulfill their calling to become more like Him. God disciplines His people through a variety of means.
3. A church must administer communion
Through this powerful active experience, we come to know Jesus intimately in a way that sets us apart from the world as genuine believers (Luke 24:25). Not only are we memorializing His death for us, we are proclaiming it. Not only are we proclaiming, we are participating in the benefits of that death. As we receive physical nourishment, the meal gives us spiritual nourishment. As we take the bread and cup individually, we do so in unity with one another.
Together, we affirm Jesus’ love for us and the blessings that come from that love. Together, and all at once, we affirm our sinfulness and our faith in Jesus to cleanse us from all sins. It is a meal like no other, one filled with joy, thanksgiving, and a deep abiding love (John 6:22-59).
As we celebrate the Lord’s Supper together we celebrate new life, renewed life, shared life, and eternal life in Christ.
4. A church must baptize disciples
Once a person trusts in Jesus Christ as their Savior and receives the seal of faith in the person of the Holy Spirit, the Bible calls us to make our private commitment a public declaration. Simply, baptism is a visible representation of the invisible change that has occurred in the individual as a result of belief in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
A believer is someone who realizes that their sin separates them from God. They know they will never be good enough to reach God through their good works or religious activities. They depend on Jesus Christ's death on the cross alone to pay the debt for their sins, declare them innocent, redeem them from slavery, appease the wrath of God on their behalf, and ultimately, bring them back into right relationship with their Creator.
Baptism is a physical act with spiritual meaning. The act of baptism is the literal immersing of a believer under water and then bringing him forth out of the water. Symbolically, the person being baptized is plunged beneath the waters and brought forth in the same way that Jesus was buried in the earth and raised on their behalf in forgiveness of their sins. It symbolizes a union with Christ in His death and resurrection. (Rom. 6:1–9; Col. 2:12).
In short baptism is:
As Bobby Jamieson states in his book (Going Public, p38), “After trusting Christ, baptism is the first thing faith does. It’s how faith shows itself before God, the church, and the world. Baptism is where faith goes public.”
This is the New Testament pattern that we find particularly in Acts 2:37-38.
37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins…”
After these new converts (disciple), Acts 2:41 tells us that, “those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls."
What were they added to?
The church, the family of God. Even the last half of Acts 2 shows us the following pattern of those believers in community together.
This means that upon a profession of faith a person should be baptized and invited into membership in the local church, where they experience the fellowship of believers and the benefits of the covenant community.
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
What must a church do?
1. A church must preach the gospel
Preaching is a priority because the Word of God is a priority. Paul reminds the Romans of the essential role of preaching in the life of the church as he says, “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’ But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?’ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Rom. 10:14-17)
We preach God’s Word because there is power in it. We preach God’s Word because it is central to every aspect of our lives. We preach because God’s Word has always been His chosen instrument to transform His people into His likeness for His glory--it is the power of salvation for all who believe. (Romans 1:16; Isaiah 55:10-11).
2. A church must practice church discipline
At its core, church discipline is a rescue mission where the covenant members (with the support of the elders) are working to confront and restore a believer to fellowship and unity. *[This is discussed in the 4th and final booklet].
In Hebrews 12:6 we see that those whom God loves, He disciplines. Discipline is a challenging process of God correcting His people’s thoughts, words and behaviors so they can fulfill their calling to become more like Him. God disciplines His people through a variety of means.
3. A church must administer communion
Through this powerful active experience, we come to know Jesus intimately in a way that sets us apart from the world as genuine believers (Luke 24:25). Not only are we memorializing His death for us, we are proclaiming it. Not only are we proclaiming, we are participating in the benefits of that death. As we receive physical nourishment, the meal gives us spiritual nourishment. As we take the bread and cup individually, we do so in unity with one another.
Together, we affirm Jesus’ love for us and the blessings that come from that love. Together, and all at once, we affirm our sinfulness and our faith in Jesus to cleanse us from all sins. It is a meal like no other, one filled with joy, thanksgiving, and a deep abiding love (John 6:22-59).
As we celebrate the Lord’s Supper together we celebrate new life, renewed life, shared life, and eternal life in Christ.
- NEW LIFE – Communion reminds us of our redemption from slavery to sin. It is a declaration of the eternal truth of the gospel; of the fact that Jesus died in our place for our sins, and he was raised to give us a new life. Jesus is not crucified every time we take communion, rather, we remember the work is finished. The shame has been taken, the guilt removed, we are free! He suffered once for all, for our sins past, present, and future. We have been freed from our sin, saved from God’s wrath, and adopted into the family of the King who is now reigning in victory.
- RENEWED LIFE – Not only is it participating in what God has done, but in what He is doing. It is the very place where we recognize our sanctification—that we are a redeemed work-in-progress. We do not repent once, we confess and repent all the time. The act of communion, unlike any other time or event in our lives, calls Christians to put their sin to death in light of the fact that Jesus died, compelling us to examine ourselves and repent before partaking.
- SHARED LIFE – This is a meal where we share in our unity. We participate together in Christ’s death for the Church—for us. We see our life born together, our life growing together, our sin affecting each other, and our faith working itself out together. This is the beauty of the gospel, the unity of God’s people. We worship together with our voices in song; we worship together through hearing the Word of God proclaimed; we worship together through the giving of our offerings; and we worship together through taking communion—Jesus dying for the church, forgiving the church, caring for the church.
- ETERNAL LIFE – Finally, Jesus told his disciples to do this in remembrance of Him. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 11:26: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” It is not only our life, our growth, our unity, it is our HOPE. This one meal points us toward the future marriage supper where we will sit with Jesus and feast with Him.
4. A church must baptize disciples
Once a person trusts in Jesus Christ as their Savior and receives the seal of faith in the person of the Holy Spirit, the Bible calls us to make our private commitment a public declaration. Simply, baptism is a visible representation of the invisible change that has occurred in the individual as a result of belief in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
A believer is someone who realizes that their sin separates them from God. They know they will never be good enough to reach God through their good works or religious activities. They depend on Jesus Christ's death on the cross alone to pay the debt for their sins, declare them innocent, redeem them from slavery, appease the wrath of God on their behalf, and ultimately, bring them back into right relationship with their Creator.
Baptism is a physical act with spiritual meaning. The act of baptism is the literal immersing of a believer under water and then bringing him forth out of the water. Symbolically, the person being baptized is plunged beneath the waters and brought forth in the same way that Jesus was buried in the earth and raised on their behalf in forgiveness of their sins. It symbolizes a union with Christ in His death and resurrection. (Rom. 6:1–9; Col. 2:12).
In short baptism is:
- an act of obedience to the command of Christ, fulfilled by individuals who have received His forgiveness and submitted themselves to His leadership (Matt 28:19-20).
- a symbolic representation of repentance and purification. In essence, baptism is a public funeral symbolizing the individuals’ crucifixion with Christ and a public celebration of a new life in Jesus Christ who now reigns as Lord and King in the life of the individual (Gal. 2:20).
- a public identification with Jesus. It is symbolic of how God has marked you and proclaimed you as His, as you proclaim His faithfulness (Acts 10:48; Romans 6:3; Gal. 3:27).
- a biblical rite of initiation into the universal church (1 Cor. 12:13) as well as membership in the local church (Acts 2:41).
As Bobby Jamieson states in his book (Going Public, p38), “After trusting Christ, baptism is the first thing faith does. It’s how faith shows itself before God, the church, and the world. Baptism is where faith goes public.”
This is the New Testament pattern that we find particularly in Acts 2:37-38.
37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins…”
After these new converts (disciple), Acts 2:41 tells us that, “those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls."
What were they added to?
The church, the family of God. Even the last half of Acts 2 shows us the following pattern of those believers in community together.
This means that upon a profession of faith a person should be baptized and invited into membership in the local church, where they experience the fellowship of believers and the benefits of the covenant community.
HOW IS THE CHURCH LIKE A FAMILY?
Many view the church as an institution that is attended by many and directed by few. But actually, the church is to be like a family where we are committed to one another. It is not to be marked by fake fellowship or forced relationships, but rather, by a deep devotion out of our love for Christ Jesus, our Savor (1 John 4:19-21).
How is the church like a family?
The church is by definition the family of God, and by nature a family of families living out their shared belief in the gospel together. Having been made in the image of God, the relationships within the church should imitate the eternal relationship shared by the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In essence, the people of the church live in loving submission to one another, fulfilling their God-given roles, using their God-given talents, gifts, and experiences to glorify God. Through the life of the church, the world should hear, see, and experience the “manifold wisdom” of God.
How is the church family to be organized?
In Ephesians 3.8-10 the apostle Paul states his two-fold job description:
"To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places."
Paul states that his job is to 1) preach to the Gentiles and 2) bring to light what is the plan (oikonomos) of the mystery--which is Jews and Gentiles worshipping together.
The word for plan, often translated administration, comes from two words:
OIKOS meaning “House” and NOMOS meaning “LAW”. Together, the word for plan means house law or management of a household.
Through his letters, one of Paul’s primary concerns is to give instructions for proper living within the household of God (a local church family). He writes to young pastor Timothy (in 1 Timothy 3:14-15):
I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.
In other words, God intends for the church to be organized and He has not left us without guidelines on how to do that.
Who is the head (Shepherd) of the household of God?
Paul makes it clear that Jesus Christ is the head of the church; the one who plants, builds, and sustains it until he sees fit to return for his bride (Matt. 16:18, Eph. 1:9, 1:22-23, 4:15, 5:23, Col. 1:17, Heb. 3:1, Rev. 2:5). Jesus is the Lord of the universe, and He is the Lord of the Church.
What are the roles in the household and who does the chores?
Viewing the church as the “household of God” helps us to understand what the life of the church is supposed to look and feel like. This concept also helps the church to function properly and to be effective in the ministry it has to do.
The ordering of the church is not simply a matter of personal preference. Harmony and fruitfulness in our individual lives, our family life, and the life of our church are all dependent upon following God’s principles.
Scripture teaches that God has organized the community of a local church into different roles, each with different responsibilities. Specifically, Paul states that the church is full of members, deacons, and elders (Phil. 1:1-2).
All support one another in fulfilling the “work of ministry”.
Elders
As a church, we understand pastor and elder as synonyms. We understand from the Scriptures that pastors are to serve as servants of Jesus and under-shepherds of the flock, who in a plurality exhibit godly care over Jesus' people.
Biblical leadership is different than that of the world. The pastors are not CEO's seeking to benefit from their leadership. First and foremost, the pastors are seeking to follow Jesus and give of themselves to see the local church flourish. They are shepherds who care for God’s sheep.
Elders lead and manage the church family to which they have been entrusted, shepherding and caring for believers, being careful not to lord their office over them, but rather seeking to be an example in family, in community life, and in character.
These men must be skillful handlers of the Word of God and use it to protect the church by defending sound doctrine as well as refuting those who contradict (Titus 1:9). They must be vitally involved in recognizing, developing, and the commending of new leaders and young “ministers of the gospel” as their lives are tested and giftedness made evident. They are responsible to recommend more elders, deacons, and new members.
Biblical passages such as 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 describe elders’ responsibilities explicitly. Other tasks can be inferred through various passages describing the leaders of the church. The Scriptures illustrate how Elders serve by leading, with their primary focus as the spiritual oversight of the congregation. In addition to being called and qualified, an elder must competently and consistently accomplish the biblical duties of an elder/pastor as listed by Scripture:
Elder Led/Congregational
We see a model in the Scriptures by which the pastors lead the church with the members. At times, it is necessary for the elders to make a decision and then bring that decision to the membership for affirmation. This would include major decisions and the admittance and removal of members. *[We will discuss this further in the next two booklets].
Plurality of Elders We believe that the Bible teaches a plurality of elders, in which all the men who serve in this office have equal authority. The New Testament gives clear evidence for a plurality of eldership in churches. There is a cooperative team as opposed to polarization around one man (Acts 11:30, 14:23, 15, 20:17-38, 21:17-26; Phil 1:1, 1 Tim 3:1-7).
First Among Equals: We also see a concept in which there is a first amongst equals, meaning the preaching pastor has the responsibility of leading in the vision and direction of the church based on the reality that he is the one primarily responsible for the preaching and the teaching from God's word. Likewise, at Redeemer Church, the lead pastor, who serves as the primary teaching pastor, also is responsible for the staff and operations of our church.
Male Eldership: We hold to a complementarian view, meaning that we believe the Bible clearly teaches two important truths. First, that men and women ought to be partners together in every arena of ministry. Second, that all ministries in the church are open to all qualified men and women with the singular exception of the office of elder and deacon. This should not be received as a condemnation of women in leadership, rather, embraced as an upholding of biblically assigned roles (Titus 1:6, 1 Tim. 3:2).
Who is qualified to be a pastor/elder in the household of God?
Elders are faithful and godly men that meet the Biblical requirements of eldership. Paul warns us in 1 Timothy 5:22 to not be quick or hasty to install elders, as these are the leaders of the church, examples in every aspect of life. They are ordinary men; but they are ordinary men called to an extraordinary task.
We believe the utmost care, caution, prayer, and assessment must be undertaken to assure that only called, qualified, and competent men are appointed to this position of leadership. The guidelines for selecting “qualified” men who fulfill the biblical requirements are listed below.
How is the church like a family?
The church is by definition the family of God, and by nature a family of families living out their shared belief in the gospel together. Having been made in the image of God, the relationships within the church should imitate the eternal relationship shared by the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In essence, the people of the church live in loving submission to one another, fulfilling their God-given roles, using their God-given talents, gifts, and experiences to glorify God. Through the life of the church, the world should hear, see, and experience the “manifold wisdom” of God.
How is the church family to be organized?
In Ephesians 3.8-10 the apostle Paul states his two-fold job description:
"To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places."
Paul states that his job is to 1) preach to the Gentiles and 2) bring to light what is the plan (oikonomos) of the mystery--which is Jews and Gentiles worshipping together.
The word for plan, often translated administration, comes from two words:
OIKOS meaning “House” and NOMOS meaning “LAW”. Together, the word for plan means house law or management of a household.
Through his letters, one of Paul’s primary concerns is to give instructions for proper living within the household of God (a local church family). He writes to young pastor Timothy (in 1 Timothy 3:14-15):
I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.
In other words, God intends for the church to be organized and He has not left us without guidelines on how to do that.
Who is the head (Shepherd) of the household of God?
Paul makes it clear that Jesus Christ is the head of the church; the one who plants, builds, and sustains it until he sees fit to return for his bride (Matt. 16:18, Eph. 1:9, 1:22-23, 4:15, 5:23, Col. 1:17, Heb. 3:1, Rev. 2:5). Jesus is the Lord of the universe, and He is the Lord of the Church.
What are the roles in the household and who does the chores?
Viewing the church as the “household of God” helps us to understand what the life of the church is supposed to look and feel like. This concept also helps the church to function properly and to be effective in the ministry it has to do.
The ordering of the church is not simply a matter of personal preference. Harmony and fruitfulness in our individual lives, our family life, and the life of our church are all dependent upon following God’s principles.
Scripture teaches that God has organized the community of a local church into different roles, each with different responsibilities. Specifically, Paul states that the church is full of members, deacons, and elders (Phil. 1:1-2).
All support one another in fulfilling the “work of ministry”.
Elders
As a church, we understand pastor and elder as synonyms. We understand from the Scriptures that pastors are to serve as servants of Jesus and under-shepherds of the flock, who in a plurality exhibit godly care over Jesus' people.
Biblical leadership is different than that of the world. The pastors are not CEO's seeking to benefit from their leadership. First and foremost, the pastors are seeking to follow Jesus and give of themselves to see the local church flourish. They are shepherds who care for God’s sheep.
Elders lead and manage the church family to which they have been entrusted, shepherding and caring for believers, being careful not to lord their office over them, but rather seeking to be an example in family, in community life, and in character.
These men must be skillful handlers of the Word of God and use it to protect the church by defending sound doctrine as well as refuting those who contradict (Titus 1:9). They must be vitally involved in recognizing, developing, and the commending of new leaders and young “ministers of the gospel” as their lives are tested and giftedness made evident. They are responsible to recommend more elders, deacons, and new members.
Biblical passages such as 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 describe elders’ responsibilities explicitly. Other tasks can be inferred through various passages describing the leaders of the church. The Scriptures illustrate how Elders serve by leading, with their primary focus as the spiritual oversight of the congregation. In addition to being called and qualified, an elder must competently and consistently accomplish the biblical duties of an elder/pastor as listed by Scripture:
- Prayer and Scripture study (Acts 6:4)
- Ruling and Leading the church (1 Timothy 5:17)
- Managing the church (1 Timothy 3:4-5)
- Caring for people in the church (1 Peter 5:2-5)
- Giving account to God for the church (Hebrews 13:17)
- Exemplary living (Hebrews 13:7)
- Rightly using the authority God has given them (Acts 20:28)
- Teaching the Bible correctly (Ephesians 4:11; 1 Timothy 3:2)
- Preaching (1 Timothy 5:17)
- Praying for the sick (James 5:13-15)
- Teaching sound doctrine and refuting false teachings (Titus 1:9)
- Working hard (1 Thessalonians 5:12)
- Rightly using money and power (1 Peter 5:1-3)
- Protecting the church from false teachers (Acts 20:17-31)
Elder Led/Congregational
We see a model in the Scriptures by which the pastors lead the church with the members. At times, it is necessary for the elders to make a decision and then bring that decision to the membership for affirmation. This would include major decisions and the admittance and removal of members. *[We will discuss this further in the next two booklets].
Plurality of Elders We believe that the Bible teaches a plurality of elders, in which all the men who serve in this office have equal authority. The New Testament gives clear evidence for a plurality of eldership in churches. There is a cooperative team as opposed to polarization around one man (Acts 11:30, 14:23, 15, 20:17-38, 21:17-26; Phil 1:1, 1 Tim 3:1-7).
First Among Equals: We also see a concept in which there is a first amongst equals, meaning the preaching pastor has the responsibility of leading in the vision and direction of the church based on the reality that he is the one primarily responsible for the preaching and the teaching from God's word. Likewise, at Redeemer Church, the lead pastor, who serves as the primary teaching pastor, also is responsible for the staff and operations of our church.
Male Eldership: We hold to a complementarian view, meaning that we believe the Bible clearly teaches two important truths. First, that men and women ought to be partners together in every arena of ministry. Second, that all ministries in the church are open to all qualified men and women with the singular exception of the office of elder and deacon. This should not be received as a condemnation of women in leadership, rather, embraced as an upholding of biblically assigned roles (Titus 1:6, 1 Tim. 3:2).
Who is qualified to be a pastor/elder in the household of God?
Elders are faithful and godly men that meet the Biblical requirements of eldership. Paul warns us in 1 Timothy 5:22 to not be quick or hasty to install elders, as these are the leaders of the church, examples in every aspect of life. They are ordinary men; but they are ordinary men called to an extraordinary task.
We believe the utmost care, caution, prayer, and assessment must be undertaken to assure that only called, qualified, and competent men are appointed to this position of leadership. The guidelines for selecting “qualified” men who fulfill the biblical requirements are listed below.
Deacons
The name deacon, or diakonos, is translated to mean: "servant", "minister" or "messenger." Deacons are explicitly mentioned in two places in the New Testament, both in relation to elders, because the two groups of leaders work so closely together to serve the church (Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:8-13).
It is by our understanding and conviction of scripture, especially in reading Acts 6 and 1 Timothy 3, that the office of Deacon should only be held by qualified godly men.
The scriptures do contain the usage of the word ‘deacon’ when referring to some women in the body of Christ, but we do not believe that should be taken as a practice of them acting in the particular office of Deacon, but as serving or deaconing in the broader sense of the word.
Deacons serve the church, being faithful to carry out the responsibilities entrusted to them by the church and its elders, recognizing that at times they will be given special tasks of meeting community-wide needs and finding solutions to problems.
This demands character, faithfulness, and not being double-tongued (1 Tim. 3:8-13; Acts 6:1-6). Deacons are an example to the church and heralds of the mission, possessing a clear understanding of the faith, living consistently with the truths, especially in ordering their lives and families in accordance with God’s principles.
Members
One does not have to be an elder or a deacon in order to contribute to the “work of ministry.”
In fact, the life of the church is more dependent upon individual members living a gospel-centered life than its leaders running programs, starting ministries, or teaching Bible studies. Some members will be called to godly leadership, but all members are called to godly living.
The gospel-centered family is a God-given model for the Church family. Therefore, Redeemer Church believes that building strong families with godly men, women, husbands, wives, mothers, fathers and children is essential to the health of the church and the effectiveness of our mission.
As we consider how the church is a family, it is important to think then on what must happen in a healthy family. We never want to assume healthy, but rather, we must seek it out and examine the scriptures for instruction.
What things should happen at a healthy church?
*Things underlined are critical for a local group of believers to be a church.
The name deacon, or diakonos, is translated to mean: "servant", "minister" or "messenger." Deacons are explicitly mentioned in two places in the New Testament, both in relation to elders, because the two groups of leaders work so closely together to serve the church (Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:8-13).
It is by our understanding and conviction of scripture, especially in reading Acts 6 and 1 Timothy 3, that the office of Deacon should only be held by qualified godly men.
The scriptures do contain the usage of the word ‘deacon’ when referring to some women in the body of Christ, but we do not believe that should be taken as a practice of them acting in the particular office of Deacon, but as serving or deaconing in the broader sense of the word.
Deacons serve the church, being faithful to carry out the responsibilities entrusted to them by the church and its elders, recognizing that at times they will be given special tasks of meeting community-wide needs and finding solutions to problems.
This demands character, faithfulness, and not being double-tongued (1 Tim. 3:8-13; Acts 6:1-6). Deacons are an example to the church and heralds of the mission, possessing a clear understanding of the faith, living consistently with the truths, especially in ordering their lives and families in accordance with God’s principles.
Members
One does not have to be an elder or a deacon in order to contribute to the “work of ministry.”
In fact, the life of the church is more dependent upon individual members living a gospel-centered life than its leaders running programs, starting ministries, or teaching Bible studies. Some members will be called to godly leadership, but all members are called to godly living.
The gospel-centered family is a God-given model for the Church family. Therefore, Redeemer Church believes that building strong families with godly men, women, husbands, wives, mothers, fathers and children is essential to the health of the church and the effectiveness of our mission.
As we consider how the church is a family, it is important to think then on what must happen in a healthy family. We never want to assume healthy, but rather, we must seek it out and examine the scriptures for instruction.
What things should happen at a healthy church?
*Things underlined are critical for a local group of believers to be a church.
- Preaching and teaching of all of God’s word (Acts 20:27; 2 Timothy 4:2)
- Worship of God (Colossians 3:16; Ephesians 1:12, 5:16-19)
- Evangelizing of lost people (Matthew 28:19)
- Helping those in need (Luke 6:35-36; Acts 11:29; 2 Corinthians 8:4; 1 John 3:17)
- Baptizing of new Christians (Matthew 28:19)
- Building up of God’s people (Colossians 1:28; Ephesians 4:12-13)
- Unity and love among God’s people (John 13:34-35)
- Service by God’s people (1 Corinthians 12:4-6; Ephesians 4:12; I Peter 4:11)
- Partaking of communion (1 Corinthians 11:17-34)
- Church discipline (Matthew 18:15-17; Galatians 6:1-5) *[This point (of church discipline) is outlined in greater detail in the 4th booklet]
- Effective prayer (Acts 2:42; Romans 12:12; Ephesians 6:18)
- Biblical church government (Philippians 1:1)
- Holiness among God’s people (John 14:15, 17:23; Hebrews 12:14)
- Deep and sincere love for Jesus at all times (Luke 10:27)
- An unwavering commitment to the gospel of grace (1 Corinth. 15:1-8)
- Evidence of the power of God (Romans 1:16)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- What thought, idea, or statement in this booklet stuck out to you?
- In your own words, what is the church?
- If you are a believer who has made a profession of faith, have you been baptized? (If no, why not? If yes, how would you explain to someone why you were baptized?)
- Why is it helpful (and biblical) to view the church as a family or the “household of God”?
- What characterizes “biblical eldership?” How did this description compare or contrast with your previous understanding or experience?