I’m curious how others approach training and supporting elders and deacons in their churches. What has actually been helpful for you when it comes to identifying, recruiting, and training elders and deacons? Do you use a specific curriculum or have you build something specific for your church? How do you handle the nomination or discernment process? Have you tried mentorship or having people “shadow” the role before stepping in? What onboarding looks like for you, and how do you continue supporting people once they’re in the role?
Looking forward to learning from the Network community about how you approach recruiting, training, and supporting elders and deacons!
Comments
We attempted to create training plans for several leadership positions in our church. We know they're not perfect, but we thought they were better than nothing. You can find them here, including plans for training elders and deacons.
We onboard new elders and deacons 3 months before they are installed, so that they get a sense of how things work, and so that they have a say in the budget they will be responsible for.
We spend time in council praying and listening for God to lead us to those who display gifts for serving as an elder or deacon. Then we offer to connect them with a mentor who will take them through the training. Currently, we have two people serving on council, one elder and one deacon, who were mentored and trained and are now serving.
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