Being a church together can be complicated. In one sense, it is very easy, with people gathering together because of Jesus. But as more people meet, things need to be done and organized, people need to be cared for, and ministries need to be co-ordinated. That’s where deacons come in.
Acts 6:1-7
is most helpful to us. The early church faced a significant problem – some widows were not receiving food and it was due to language and cultural differences. The apostles asked the congregation to choose 7 faithful godly men to co-ordinate this important task. The end result was that the apostles could concentrate on telling people about Jesus, while important work was getting done fairly. The church grew instead of this issue becoming something that distracted from the proclaiming of the gospel.
In the church today, deacons are still important. We need to be careful to choose responsible faithful men for this task. And we also need to recognize that if the church is to be able to reach many people with the news about Jesus, many will need to be involved in different ways. How can you help?
(Based on Sunday teaching, 21 Feb 2010).