Elder Training

 Men of Christ Community,

As an elder team, we want to consistently train and raise up new potential elders. At the very least, we want to see as many men as possible be elder-qualified, even if they are never called to be elders. In light of this desire, our elder team asked me to put together a robust elder training program.

Not only would such a program help develop future elders, it would also help many of the men in the church grow closer to Christ and one another as they walk together through the content.

Most of the qualifications for being an elder are simply marks of character, but there is one skill: the ability to teach. This does not mean the ability to communicate well from the pulpit (although that helps!). Instead, it means one has a good grasp of theology and the Scriptures and knows how to apply theology and the Scriptures in the context of congregational care. Our hope is that this training program would help equip you in those very areas - theology, the Scriptures, and congregational care.

Should you participate in this program, it does not mean that you would be asked to be an elder (perhaps that comes as a relief!), but it does mean that we would intentionally invest in your growth and discipleship during this season.

This new elder training program is designed to last about a year, so the first round will start this June and end next Spring. It is a significant commitment, but we believe a noble calling like eldering is worth significant preparation. The basic structure will look like this:

 

Section 1 (June): Church Eldership

4 sessions exploring the biblical concept of church elders

Objective: Understand the role, the qualifications, and purpose of church elders

Resource(s) used: Jonathan Leeman’s Church Elders

In-class commitment: 4 1-hour sessions

Out-of-class commitment:

  • Read Church Elders (approx. 120 pages) - you will only need to read a couple of chapters per week

  • prepare a personal testimony

 

Section 2 (September-November 2026): Theological Foundations

10 sessions building a theological foundation around the EFCA Statement of Faith

Objective: Gain a clear articulation of orthodox doctrine so that we can both divide truth from error and understand where we need not divide

Resource(s) used: Evangelical Convictions (a great book that unpacks the EFCA statement of faith) and a corresponding study guide that includes short videos and questions

In-class commitment: 10 1-hour sessions

Out-of-class commitment:

  • Read Evangelical Convictions (approx. 250 pages, but you will only need to read about 20-30 pages per week)

  • Watch a 20-minute video each week from the EFCA theology series

 

Section 3 (January-April 2027): Biblical Interpretation/Teaching

9 sessions learning how to rightly read, interpret, and apply the Bible

Objective: Learn how to rightly handle and teach the Bible

Resource(s) used: Simeon Trust First Principles class (note there is a $20 fee for the class)

In-class commitment: 9 90-minute sessions

Out-of-class commitment:

  • Watch a 45-minute lecture each week from the First Principles class

  • Prepare 1 Simeon Trust worksheet (about a 2 hour time commitment)

    • This part of the class is the most intense, and I understand that it is a decent amount of work. However, each person that has gone through the class has raved about how it has helped them rightly handle the Word.

 

Section 4 (April-May 2027): Congregational Care/Biblical Counseling

4 sessions discussing case studies on congregational care/exploring biblical counseling models

Objective: Learn how to care well for our church

Resource(s) used: Paul Tripp’s Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands

In-class commitment: 4 60-minute sessions

Out-of-class commitment:

  • Perhaps selections from Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands by Paul Tripp

 

Please take some time to pray about whether participating in this cohort would be a faithful next step for you. If you're interested in being a part of the cohort or at least talking more, please let me know by May 11.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to me. You are a blessing to me and our church!

In Christ,

Pastor Mark