Thanks Eli - I'm glad it works out in practice...

2012-01-10T07:23:04.294-08:00

Thanks Eli - I'm glad it works out in practice (at least some of the time) in the way we'd hope.

One of the hardest, but best, things about being in a church with robust plural eldership and committed members is that, on the whole (!) people love each other enough to be able to say what they really think! I think that breeds a right security in Christ.

One of the joys of being an elder at CCL is that (so far!) we really thrash things out in our meetings and then unite around whatever answer we have come up with and remain friends. As I'm hoping to say in my 3rd post on this issue it's really important that the staff elders recognise the more "congregational" perspective of the guys with secular jobs and that those guys recognise the theological and ecclesiastical expertise that comes with the staff elders dealing with these issues all the time.

That's really interesting. Food for thought. ...

2012-01-10T06:15:46.217-08:00

That's really interesting. Food for
thought.

It's worth saying that over the last few years at Christchurch, it's been great to see the church elders who are not on the staff team using their power wisely.

I think the general consensus within the membership is great thankfulness that we in fact do have elders who are not on the staff team, who are, dare I say it, sometimes able to see things from a different perspective to the elders who are on staff. It's great to know it's not a dictatorship!

I think it would be fair to say we are also grateful for the willingness of the eldership & staff team to sometimes to be willing to drop an idea/vision that they've worked really hard for ages on, because for whatever reason it's not what the church membership wants.

It's moments like that this remind me that God became a servant. That Jesus serves us first,before we serve him. It's great to see the eldership wanting to serve us, rather than their own ideas or egos. It's an immense blessing and challenge to me as I think through my service at church.

Comments on Andy's Study: A small worry about church plants... (part 1)

Thanks Eli - I'm glad it works out in practice...

That's really interesting. Food for thought. ...