ELDER’S LEADERSHIP CERTIFICATION
LEVEL - 1
The Church and Its Organization
Purpose of the Church
The church is God’s idea:
• The church is a divine plan.
• God works in an organized way.
• The church was founded by Christ.
“People who want to be part of God’s plan, but not part
of an organization, do not understand how God works.”
What is the Church?
Bible images to represent the church:
• A holy nation.
• A covenant people.
• The body of Christ.
• The family of God.
“The church is not a museum, but a living workshop.”
What is the Church?
Bible images to represent the church:
• A household of faith.
• The bride of Christ.
• A royal priesthood.
“Every church member, in receiving the Holy Spirit,
receives a spiritual gift to be used in soul winning ministry.”
Organization of the Church
Bible Models:
• Israel model: The 12 tribes and theocratic
nation.
• Body model: The body of Christ and its
members.
• New Testament model: Eklesia.
Organization of the Church
The Seventh-day Adventist organization:
• Prophetic origin: Revelation 12:17 and 14:12
• Prophetic message: Revelation 14:9-11
• Great Commission: Matthew 28:19, 20
Organization of the Church
Four forms of church organization:
• Papal: The Pope has supreme authority.
• Episcopal: The final authority rests with church bishops.
• Congregational: Full authority within its domain rests
with the local congregation.
• Representative: Authority rests with church members.
Organization of the Church
Levels of SDA church organization:
•
Local Congregations: Includes organized churches and
companies.
•
Local Field: Conference/Mission.
•
Union: Conference/Mission.
•
General Conference: The 13 Division world field.
Importance of the Church Elders
The Old Testament Elders:
• An elder doesn’t refer to “the elderly”, but does
imply one of maturity and experience.
•
Moses: Counsel from Jethro (Exodus 18).
•
The 70 Men: Qualifications (Numbers 11).
“In the King James Version, the term ELDER
is used 194 times.”
Importance of the Church Elders
The New Testament Elders:
• Apostles: They were ordained and were responsible for
the overall teaching, planning, administration, and
evangelism of the church. They were generally itinerant
workers.
• Elders: They were ordained lay persons. They exercised
their spiritual gifts in the local congregation. They
provided a ministry that gave strength and direction to
the local church.
Importance of the Church Elders
The Seventh-day Adventist Elders:
The need of effective pastor-elder teams are necessary
today more than ever. We have to learn to depend more
upon the ability and skills of well-trained lay people rather
than upon the talents and skills of the professional pastor.
Importance of the Church Elders
The Seventh-day Adventist Elders:
There are approximately 25,000 ministers available to serve
more than 17 million Seventh-day Adventist members in
more than 120,000 congregations. Only through the faithful
ministry of local church leaders can churches thrive.
CHURCH MANUAL
“In the work and organization of the
church, if a pastor has not been provided
by the conference or mission, the office of
elder ranks as the highest and most
important.”
The Need of the Church:
Training is the greatest need of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church in the world
today: (1) Because of the rapid growth, (2)
the decline of economy, (3) and the new
mentality of our generation, it is imperative
to change our philosophy of pastoring the
local congregation.
Church Resources for Elders
Elder’s Handbook
• Covers the duties, responsibilities,
and challenges of the local church
elder. Each chapter includes a
study guide, group discussion and
personal evaluation questions.
Church Resources for Elders
Church Manual
• The Church Manual is the most
significant policy book of the
denomination. The standards and
practices of the church are based
upon the principles set forth in it.
Church Resources for Elders
Elder’s Digest Magazine
• A quarterly resource for local
church leaders. Each issue
includes an interview, four
sermons, question and answer
column, helpful articles, and
insights to improve your
leadership skills.
Church Resources for Elders
Elder’s Handbook PowerPoint
• This CD contains 15
PowerPoints for elders
training seminars. It is based
off of the Elder’s Handbook.
Church Resources for Elders
Elder’s Leadership Certification
• This CD contains 15
PowerPoint seminars,
handouts, certificate and
other resources for elders
training.
Church Resources for Elders
Elder’s Guide
• This CD contains a complete
8-year worship program for
each Sabbath, including
sermons, children’s stories, call
to worship, hymn suggestion,
and scripture reading.
Church Resources for Elders
SDA Believe Evangelistic Kit
This CD contains 28
PowerPoint presentations and
study guides for each chapter,
as well as resource materials
for promoting evangelistic
events.
Church Resources for Elders
To purchase these resources, please contact the
Ministerial Association secretary of your field or go
to www.ministerialassociation.com.