ELDER

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ELDERS LEADERSHIP CERTIFICATION LEVEL - 1
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The Church and Its Organization
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Purpose of the Church

• The church is Gods 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 Gods plan, but
  not part
• of an organization, do not understand how God
  works.

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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.
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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.
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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.

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Organization of the Church

• The Seventh-day Adventist organization
• Prophetic origin Revelation 1217 and 1412
• Prophetic message Revelation 149-11
• Great Commission Matthew 2819, 20

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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.

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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.

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Importance of the Church Elders

• The Old Testament Elders
• An elder doesnt 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.

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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.

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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Church Resources for Elders

• Elders Handbook
• Covers the duties, responsibilities, and
  challenges of the local church elder. Each
  chapter includes a study guide, group discussion
  and personal evaluation questions.

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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.

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Church Resources for Elders

• Elders 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.

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Church Resources for Elders

• Elders Handbook PowerPoint
• This CD contains 15 PowerPoints for elders
  training seminars. It is based off of the Elders
  Handbook.

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Church Resources for Elders

• Elders Leadership Certification
• This CD contains 15 PowerPoint seminars,
  handouts, certificate and other resources for
  elders training.

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Church Resources for Elders
Elders Guide

• This CD contains a complete 8-year worship
  program for each Sabbath, including sermons,
  childrens stories, call to worship, hymn
  suggestion, and scripture reading.

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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.
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Church Resources for Elders

• To purchase these resources, please contact the
• Ministerial Association secretary of your field
  or go
• to www.ministerialassociation.com.