Feature: Six Pastors Tell How Harmony Came to Their Boards
Are pastors and elders the natural prey of each other?
Can deacon meetings be friendly?
Must peace at the conference table await the Millennium?
In churches large and small, east and west, denominational and independent, pastors and lay leaders who have tired of the a war are finding a better way. Part of the thaw is due to procedural change, while other aspects can only be attributed to a deep, internal work of the Holy Spirit.
Not all of the following ideas can be copied in every church; none of them is the "the only way." They are merely examples of what is working in a half-dozen situations.
Mornings Are Better
• Dick Emery, Wesleyan Church of the Valley, Bonita, California: "A key to our growth" (from 50 to 250 in six years) "has been the consistent steps of faith in which our board of administration has led the way. And I really believe that meeting on Saturday mornings, when everyone is fresh, instead of an evening after a long day of work, has be a factor. "We are all just a lot more positive in the mornings. We gather at 7:00 for breakfast in the fellowship hall on the sec ond Saturday of each month. We eat together, we talk, we spend about 15 minutes in prayer and sharing, and then we get to our business. By 9:00, we're finished. I am convinced it would take us longer in the evening, and the atmosphere would be entirely different." First Things First
... "In this way, we come to know one another more closely. We understand each other better; we grow closer in Christ. And the business that follows doesn't become so formal." • Duane Coller, Open Bible Church, Boone, Iowa: "When the board of elders meets, it is first of all a time of fellowship, prayer, and teaching. Before we discuss any business, we come together in ...
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