Thankful for the Elders

We've got an elders meeting here at MVBC on Thursday night. I'm very thankful for these brothers and for their service. Here are ten reasons why:

1. They pray faithfully for the body. We do this nearly every time we gather together to pray, and I know they do it privately as well. Elders are to be committed to the ministry of the Word and to prayer. These brothers are.
2. They empathize with the body. When we talk about how these members are doing, I can tell that they really care. They want to see people loved and served and growing in the Lord. They have gone through trials themselves, and they know how to empathize with others. It's a beautiful thing to see.
3. They model Christian discipleship. By God's grace, these men are striving to follow the Lord in private and in public. I'm happy for members of the church and the community to look at them to see an example of what it means to be a Christian.
4. They hold an office other men in the body should aspire to hold. These men are modeling leadership. Pastoral ministry is not simply for those who are paid. The office of pastor/elder is open to all men that the church views qualified and elects. 
5. They multiply the pastoral efforts of the body. We can't hire enough staff to meet our pastoral needs. Over this past year, our elders have begun to reach out with greater and greater frequency to members in need.
6. They go after the lost sheep. This is a way of multiplying our pastoral efforts, but it deserves special attention. There are members of the church who have stopped coming. Maybe they have moved away, maybe something happened. Our elders are working hard to reach out.
7. They encourage the pastoral staff. Our elders are a real encouragement to me. They want to know what's going on, they want to know how to pray, they care about missions more than they care about money. What an encouragement this is!
8. They encourage deacons and ministry leaders. Our elders are sensitive to the fact that the Lord has raised up lots of servants here at MVBC. So they are working hard to know our deacons and ministry leaders and make sure they are equipped and encouraged to do the work they've been assigned to do.
9. They labor to know and teach the Word. Some of our elders teach during Sunday school class. Others have spoken on Sunday evening. Most all of them regularly lead in prayer. All of them are men the congregation could turn to for practical, biblical counsel. Over the course of the past year we have thought through Scripture together, read the Bible, read good Christian books and articles. I love to see their hunger to grow.
10. They help keep the gospel central. To a man, our elders know that if we assume the gospel of Jesus Christ, we have lost the fight. I'm thankful for these men eager to contend for the faith once for all entrusted to the saints.

There is a lot of work to be done. I'm thankful for the elders and for the body of MVBC as we partner together in ministry.