Let’s take our Bibles together and turn to 1 Timothy 3:8-13. The title of today’s message is “Elders and Deacons (Part 2).” I taught this last Wednesday on the topic of elders from 1 Peter 5. You can access that on our church website. Today, I’m going to be teaching on deacons in the church. 

And today is a pretty exciting day in the life of our church. I know it’s hard to believe sometimes, but we are actually a pretty young church. We’re only about four years old. And God has definitely blessed our church in these four years as we have matured, and also as we have gone through the challenge of losing a founding pastor. 

And we find ourselves today in a great place. Today’s a memorable day, because we are installing deacons for the first time here at VBVF. And some of you might ask what does an installation look like? Are you going to bring the deacons up here and have them say, “I do solemnly swear to take VBVF to be my lawfully wedded church… to have and to hold till death does us part.” No. We’re going to present Adam and Sarah and Albert to you. We’re going to pray for them. And then we’re going to cut them loose to serve in our church. That’ll happen at the end of our service. 

But first, I’ve been tasked by our elders to teach on the topic of deacons. What is a deacon? How do deacons serve in the church? How are they different than elders? And what qualifications are necessary for deacons? Well let’s talk through that together. 

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And you might have noticed as Mike just read through 1 Timothy 3:1-13, there is a lot of cross-pollination between the list for elders and the list for deacons. The lists are very similar, and the character qualifications are almost exact in a few categories. Yet there are some conspicuous absences between the two lists as well. 

For example the elder list includes the ability to teach (3:2). The elder list also includes “hospitality” as a qualification (3:2). These are more skills than reflections of character, but nonetheless they are requirements for elders but not for deacons. And that doesn’t mean that deacons cannot teach. And it doesn’t mean that deacons can’t be hospitable. Actually we’re all called to be hospitable in the body of Christ. But elders have to have these skills in place, because elders are responsible for the overarching leadership of the church. Deacons are not. Their leadership responsibility is more service than authority. They are more helpers than overseers. 

And this is clearly demonstrated in the etymology of the word “deacon.” The Greek διάκονος simply means “servant.” In fact, Paul uses that word διάκονος twenty-one times in the NT, and most of the time it’s simply translated “servant.” Paul uses this word διάκονος for himself (e.g. Eph 3:7; Col 1:23). He uses that word for Jesus (Rom 15:8). He even uses that word to describe the “servants” of Satan (2 Cor 11:15). And out of those twenty-one uses of the word, only a handful of them are used to describe the office of “deacon.” I’m going to call this the capital-D usage of “Deacons” (1 Tim 3:8, 12; Rom 16:1; Phil 1:1). An example of this is in Philippians 1:1 when Paul greets both the overseers and the deacons in the church. 

So even though “deacon” at its most basic level means “servant,” there was such a thing in the first century world as a group of deacons (i.e. deacon board). And this was an official group of servant leaders within the church. And there is a sense in which all Christians are servants. We are all “little-d deacons.” There is a sense in which we as elders are even “little-d deacons.” But there also needs to be sanctioned and appointed “capital-D Deacons.” And when we are talking about “capital-D Deacons,” we are talking about individuals whose primary function within the church is service-oriented, whereas elders are leadership-oriented. 

Let me illustrate it this way. Elders are servant LEADERS in the church. We take our cue from Jesus who served and even washed his disciples’ feet. Deacons, on the other hand, are SERVANT leaders in the church, emphasis on SERVANT. Here’s another way to say it. Elders serve in the church by leading. Deacons, on the other hand, lead in the church by serving. 

And when I look out on the landscape of the church, I see two primary mistakes that are made with the office of deacon. One mistake is that churches make too little of the deacons. I heard a pastor say once that “deacon” simply means “servant” in Greek, and since all members of the church are “servants,” we are all deacons. Well that’s not exactly the picture that God’s Word paints. Yes, we are all deacons (servants) in a general sense, nevertheless there is an office of deacon within the church with specific roles and non-negotiable character traits. The requirements for deacons are quite extensive in this passage. That should tell you right there that not all members of the church should be considered deacons.

So the first mistake churches make is that they make too little of deacons. They focus on the “servant” part of “servant leader” and ignore the “leader” part. The other mistake is the exact opposite. It’s when churches make too much of deacons. They overemphasize the “leader” part of “servant” and underemphasize the “servant” part. I’ve seen some churches where “deacons” are treated like de facto elders, especially when churches are soft on eldership. Sometimes it seems like elders and deacons are involved in a power struggle over who’s leading the church. It’s like a two-headed monster. It shouldn’t be that way. Elders/overseers lead the church. That’s clear in 1 Peter 5:1-5, Acts 20:17-38, and elsewhere (see Acts 14:23; Tit 1:6-9). Their primary function is authoritative leadership over the entire church. Let me put it another way. When the church goes south in purity or doctrine or direction, God holds the elders responsible first. The sword cuts both ways. God endows the elders with greater responsibility, greater authority, and consequently greater accountability.

So God gives some stiff requirements of elders in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and also Titus 1:6-9. But he also gives some stiff requirements of deacons too in 1 Timothy 3:8-13. And that’s because deacons are over some of the practical matters in the church. And poor leadership in these areas can reflect badly on the church. 

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So here are those non-negotiable requirements for a deacon in the church. Go ahead and write these down as we go through them. Here’s the first. 

Non-negotiables for the office of Deacon (3:8-10, 12-13): 

1.   Honorable in conduct 

Paul says in verse 8. 

8 Deacons likewise must be dignified,

Not undignified. Not dishonorable. Not disrespected in the church. Deacons like that compromise the health of the church. Deacons must be “dignified.”

By the way, the word “likewise” here is important. Paul is saying that in the same way that an elder must have the requirements mentioned previously (3:1-7), the deacon likewise must have these characteristics that follow. And the first of these is the word σεμνός in Greek. This word is similar to the word translated “respectable” in verse 2 for an “elder.” The deacon must be respectable, dignified, honorable, principled. 

The ESV has translated σεμνός with “dignified.” That’s an okay translation. I’ve said before that the ESV is my favorite translation, but I think that σεμνός is better translated as “honorable.” The focus here is not on poise or posture or dignity per se, but honor and trustworthiness. This involves someone who is respected within the church body. We don’t need deacons who are all pomp and circumstance. The word “dignified” can sometimes give off that nuance. We need deacons who are trustworthy and honorable. 

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Secondly deacons must be… 

2. Disciplined in speech 

Paul says... 

8 Deacons … must be dignified, [and] not double-tongued, 

Will Rogers said once that a good man is not afraid to sell his family parrot to the town gossip. And that’s because he’s got nothing to hide, and he’s not double-tongued. He doesn’t speak out of both sides of his mouth. 

The word for double-tongued is δίλογος meaning “double-talking.” It encapsulates a number of different sins of the tongue: gossip, slander, dishonesty, insincerity, hypocrisy, etc. James tells us, “The tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness…and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:6-8). A loose-lipped Christian can cause a lot of damage in the church. But this is especially true if that loose-lipped Christian is a leader in the church. 

The issue of speech comes up with the list for elder as well. Elders are to be not quarrelsome, gentle, sober-minded, self-controlled. All of these require a taming of the tongue. The difference between what’s required of an elder and a deacon is instructive. The elder requirements are nuanced for matters of authority and leadership and discipline of the church flock. The “double-tongued” prohibition for deacons deals more with matters of gossip and hypocrisy. Sure these categories have some overlap, but I think that Paul envisions the elders doing more confronting and disciplining and therefore they need a greater measure of self-control when it comes to speech. 

I knew a person once—we’ll just call this person Sam—who had an issue with a gossiping tongue. And after being confronted about some serious sin in his life by the elders, he told them that he would consider their comments and also, he promised to not talk about the matter with other people in the church. Come to find out a few weeks later, Sam had talked to just about every person in the church that he knew and even some people outside the church. That is the epitome of what Paul describes here as “double-tongued.” 

Now this happens from time to time in the church with immature believers. Gossip and loose lips unfortunately are not unheard of in church circles. And church leaders must handle these matters with wisdom and discretion and sometimes confrontation. But a church can’t afford to have an immature believer like this serve as a deacon or an elder. In fact, let me say it stronger than that: God forbids it! And I know why. There are few things more destructive to a church than sins of the tongue. 

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Write this down as #3. Thirdly deacons must be… 

3. Self-Controlled with drink 

8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, 

There are few things more destructive to a church family than a slanderous tongue. Similarly there are few things more destructive to a family than a man or woman who is enslaved to alcohol. I know something about this. I have two grandfathers who were alcoholics. One of my grandfathers got help. He went to A.A. And he was sober the last twenty years of his life. My other grandfather just about drank himself to death. In fact, his leg was so gangrenous from his chronic drinking that they had to amputate it. He just kept on drinking. And he was, at one time, a leader in his church, if you can believe it. 

Paul says here that a deacon must “not be addicted to much wine.” Now I’ve heard some smart-alecky Christians say stuff like this, “I’m not addicted to wine, I’m addicted to beer, so I’m good to go with this expectation.” Anybody ever heard something obnoxious like that? Some people think that they can ignore the perlocutionary force of the biblical text by hiding behind a hyper-literal interpretation. That’s not gonna fly with the Lord. 

We see from other places in Scripture that God prohibits drunkenness from all Christians (e.g. Gal 5:21; Eph 5:18). Drunkenness is an affront to God. It’s a violation of the temple of the Holy Spirit to be controlled by any substance. And let me say this morning that if you are struggling with an addiction to alcohol this morning… or marijuana or prescription drugs or other addictive substances… Please don’t excuse your sin. Please don’t think this is a standard that is only applicable to deacons or elders. This is God’s standard for all Christians. If you are struggling with an addiction, I plead with you, for your own sake and for the sake of your family, get help! Come ask for help at the end of this service. 

Now let’s keep in mind here that Paul is not advocating for an absolute prohibition against alcohol. In fact Paul will tell Timothy a little later in this book to drink a little wine with his water for medicinal purposes (1 Tim 5:23). People who think “wine” in the Bible is just “exaggerated grape-juice” have to do a lot of exegetical gymnastics to get to that interpretation. Being “not addicted to wine” is not the same as teetotalism. I’m not a teetotaler, and I don’t expect that of our deacons. You don’t fix sin issues by imposing man-centered legalism. Be careful of that. 

Our expectation of our deacons as elders is not that they abstain from alcohol altogether. Some may choose to do that, and that’s okay. But if they do drink, our expectation is that they drink with moderation. You got to treat alcohol like a loaded gun. It’s not inherently evil, but it can be extremely dangerous. There’s a lot more that I could say about that issue, but I’ll save it for another time.              

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Write this down as #4. Deacons must be… 

4. Trustworthy with finances 

Look at the end of verse 8. 

8 Deacons … must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, [and] not greedy for dishonest gain.

Deacons must not be greedy for wine, and they must not be greedy for dishonest gain! There is a passage in Acts which many people view as the precursor to the office of deacon (6:1-6). And I think that there are definitely parallels. In the early church, the apostles were getting bogged down with requests for benevolence. So they appointed seven men “of good repute” to help with the daily distribution of food for the widows. And these seven men were no slouches. These men included Stephen the saintly martyr and also Philip the great evangelist. And this goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway. These men were trustworthy with finances. These men would’ve been greatly hindered in their benevolence efforts if they were untrustworthy with finances.   

And nowhere in that passage are these seven men referred to as deacons. They are not called διάκονος, but they are called to διακονέω (6:2, ESV “serve tables”). And their role was to distribute benevolence to those in need. 

Now listen, One of the great errors that countries make when they provide aid or benevolence to people in need is that in the area of distribution. Sometimes they give the food to disreputable governments and disreputable leaders who hoard the resources for themselves. Or they drop aid from a helicopter into a village which means, in many cases, the strongest individuals get all the food and divvy it out for their own financial gain. It’s a difficult situation. I’m not saying I have the answer to how benevolence should be done on an international scale. Thankfully I haven’t been tasked with that. But I do know how benevolence and finances should be done within the church? Entrust it to leaders who are trustworthy. Install leaders who are devoid of greed and dishonesty.  

By the way, greed has nothing to do with affluence or wealth. I know wealthy people that are greedy, and I know wealthy people that are generous, kind, and trustworthy. I know poor people who are generous, kind and trustworthy, and I know poor people who are greedy. Wealth is not an indication of greed. Greed is an indication of greed! And it’s imperative for churches to install leaders who can steward God’s resources appropriately.  

And by the way, this expectation is not limited to deacons. Paul says that elders should not be “lovers of money” (3:3). Elders are told to not pursue “shameful gain” in 1 Peter 5:2. The KJV says elders should not be “greedy of filthy lucre.” And that’s because elders handle money. And sometimes elders get paid for preaching and teaching (1 Tim 5:17). And we have plenty of evidence in our modern-day world of preachers preaching in order to enrich themselves. And we also have examples of church leaders (elders, deacons, etc.) embezzling church funds and stealing the Lord’s money. Can I just say that it’s embarrassing when I hear about churches who misappropriate God’s funds in the church. That brings disrepute upon God and his church. And those who are guilty of that will answer to God for their actions. And that’s why elders need to be, in the words of Paul, “free from the love of money” (1 Tim 3:3, NASB95). And deacons need to be “not greedy for dishonest gain.” They need to be trustworthy with finances.

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Write this down as #5. Deacons also need to be… 

5. Confident in faith 

Look at verse 9 with me.

9 They [the deacons] must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 

There’s a lot of talk today about “mystery.” Everybody’s into “mystery” these days. And by that, they mean that something is mysterious and unknowable. Well that’s not what Paul means here by “mystery of the faith.” The Greek word for “mystery” here is μυστήριον. And in his commentary on 1 Timothy, Bill Mounce says that this word “refers to knowledge that is beyond the reach of sinners but has now been graciously revealed through the gospel” 

So we’re not talking about something that is mysterious and unknowable. We’re talking about something that is discerned by believers and revealed to believers. The mystery of the faith is real and knowable and Jesus existed in time and space. And according to 1 Timothy 2:5-6, “there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all.” 

And Paul says here that if a person is to serve within the church as a deacon, he or she must hold fast to this mystery with a clear conscience. There can’t be any waffling or vacillating back and forth between belief and unbelief. A deacon is not allowed to piddle around with other religions or false tenets of theology. They must hold fast to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.    

And by the way, a clear conscience is achieved when faith is married to faithfulness, that is when faith in Christ is married to Christ-likeness. When someone can show a track record of uncompromising faith and faithfulness, then that person can be considered for deaconship. 

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Speaking of a track-record, Paul says in verse 10.

10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless.   

Paul said about an elder that they “must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil” (3:6). Also Paul told Timothy to not be hasty in the laying of hands (1 Tim 5:22). So there must have been some kind of evaluation process for elders. Well there is a corollary expectation of a deacon. 

Write this down as #6. Deacons need to be… 

6. Blameless after a period of testing 

Look at verse 10.

10 And let them also be tested first; 

Deacons need to be tested first. Deacons need to be observed and scrutinized for a period of time.

10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 

Some people may ask, “Why didn’t you have deacons as soon as this church got planted?” Well it takes time to assess the viability of deacons. They need to be tested. They need to be observed. They need to be vetted. And we’ve done our best to do that as your elders. We’ve interviewed each of our deacon candidates. We pressed them with questions on theology and practice. And we presented them to the church about a month ago. All of this was in an effort to test them and scrutinize them. Not in an invasive way. To be honest, each of our deacons have appreciated our process of questioning and vetting. It gave them confidence about serving in this way. 

And let me say this too. Character takes time to discern. There is a mistake that people make often in our society in judging a person’s character; it’s called the “Halo Effect Fallacy.” And it involves judging a person’s character by first impressions. People who are quick to dismiss a person because of a negative first impression are guilty of a Halo-Effect or first impressions bias. Likewise people who are quick to praise a person’s character based on a first impression are also guilty of this fallacy. Discernment takes time. 

When I was in seminary, I was warned by some of the veteran pastors I interacted with to be careful of first impressions when you enter the ministry. Because it’s often the people who try to woo you the most, who prove to be the most difficult people within the church. The truth of the matter is that character takes time to discern and there needs to be a period of testing.  

And let me say this too. You see that word “blameless” at the end of verse ten. That blamelessness is a reflection of their conduct and also their responsibilities in the church. This blamelessness can’t mean sinfulness. That’s not realistic. Robert Yarbrough says it this way, “[‘Blameless’ or ἀνέγκλητος] means innocent of provable charges of sub-Christian belief or behavior, to put it negatively. Positively, deacons should display lives that exhibit a full range and depth of Christian faith and practice. When and if Timothy establishes that they do, he can ‘let them serve as deacons.’” 

One of the things that we were looking for in our deacons is people who were not only blameless in conduct, but also were faithful with the responsibilities they had been given. Have they been faithful with their ministry responsibilities? Have they been faithful serving in children’s ministry or on the security team or in care ministry? Have they proven their commitment to VBVF and the people that make up this church? For the three people who are being installed today the answer to those questions is “yes.” They have been faithful with a few things, and so we are confident that they will be faithful with much.

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Write this down as #7. Deacons also need to be… 

7. Proven as a leader in the home

Look at verse 11 with me.

11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 

I’m going to come back to that verse in just a second, but for now look with me at verse 12.

12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 

This last statement in verse 12 has more to do with a deacon’s home life than a track record of service within the church. Notice the same qualities for an elder apply for the deacon. The elder must be “the husband of one wife.” In other words, he needs to be a “one-woman man.” He needs to be committed to monogamous, heterosexual, and non-promiscuous marriage. And if that man is single or a widower, he needs to be chaste. 

I do believe that men who are single can serve as elders or deacons, just like I believe that men who don’t have children can serve as elders and deacons. But they need to be committed to monogamous, heterosexual, and non-promiscuous marriage. And if that man does have children, he needs to lead that home well. The one who is faithful with little with be faithful with much as Jesus told us (Luke 16:10). 

By the way, these are not just characteristics exclusive for deacons. All within the church should be striving to reflect the character traits. These are standards that all of us should be striving for. I like to think of these non-negotiable traits in 1 Timothy for deacons as fruit of the fruit of the Spirit. What is the fruit of the Spirit? “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal 5:22-23). Well those terms are pretty lofty. They are abstract even. What does that look like on the ground floor? Well it looks like this: 1) Honorable in conduct, 2) Disciplined in speech, 3) Self-controlled with drink, 4) Trustworthy with finances, 5) Confident in faith, 6) Blameless after a period of testing, 7) Proven as a leader in the home.   

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Now let me address the elephant in the room, namely verse 11. Paul says in verse 11. 

11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 

What’s that talking about? Well there’s a long-standing debate among Christians about this verse. And good, Christian brothers and sisters disagree about this. So let me say that right off the bat. This isn’t the deity of Christ. And this isn’t the doctrine of the Trinity. This is an intramural debate among Christians. So keep that in mind. 

And here’s the debate. There are many within Christendom who think that verse 11 speaks about women as part of the deacon office in the church. And that’s because this word for “wives” in verse 11 (singular: γυνή plural: γυναικὸς) can be translated either “wives” or “women.” In the Greek language, woman and wife is the same word. That’s actually true in Croatian, my wife’s language as well (žena means both “woman” and “wife”). 

And by the way, the word “their” is not in the original Greek. So verse 11 reads literally something like this “women likewise must be dignified…” So the question is this: Who are these women? Are they the wives of the deacons? Or are they a group of women who serve as deacons on the deacon board? Or are they a different board altogether? A board of deaconesses? Some churches do have two deacon boards, one with male deacons and one with deaconesses.    

Well there is a long-standing history of deaconesses serving within the church. But the Bible doesn’t have a word for deaconess. It only has the word “deacon” (διάκονος). And in fact we have this statement in Romans 16:1 about a woman who actually servs as a “deacon” (διάκονος) in the church. Paul writes, “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant (διάκονος) of the church at Cenchreae” (Rom 16:1). It’s because of that verse, and also the possibility here in 1 Timothy 3:11 that Paul meant “women” not “their wives” that I do believe that women can serve as deacons in the church. 

Some of the church fathers argued for this position including John Chrysostom and Theodore of Mopsuestia. Clement of Alexandria in the second century clearly thought Paul was referencing female deacons in 1 Timothy 3. And even though most reformers rejected it, including Calvin and Luther, deaconesses have been part of the church since the very beginning. The main issue for me is why did Paul mention women or wives here in this section on deacons, but not in the section on elders. From my perspective it’s either because the deacons’ wives were intimately involved in the work of deaconing, or it’s because women deacons were serving alongside the men as part of a mixed gender diaconate. The description of Phoebe as a deacon for the church at Cenchreae tips me in favor of female deacons being described here. There’s even some evidence that suggests that Phoebe was the person who took the Letter of Romans to the church in Rome for Paul and that’s why Paul at the end of the letter says, “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae.” If that was the case, then Phoebe travelled the dangerous road to Rome with the future of Christian theology hidden under her cloak. 

Now Paul does say earlier in 1 Timothy 2:12 that he does not permit a woman to “teach or exercise authority over a man.” And some have concluded from that statement and others, that women cannot serve as deacons. But again, I don’t see deacons as having a teaching role in the church. In fact, that’s one of the express differences between elders and deacons in 1 Timothy 3. 

So we, as elders, endorse women for the role of deacons. And we can see even the benefit of having a woman’s perspective in matters that relevant for deacons including, but not limited, to the realm of benevolence. And in terms of expectations for female deacons, the requirements are almost exact to that of male deacons. Look with me at the four statements in verse 11.   

11 Their wives [or “women”] likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things.

So in terms of non-negotiables for female Deacons, they need to be…

1. Honorable in conduct 

That word “dignified” is the same in verse 8 for male deacons (σεμνός), but the adjective takes a feminine form here for obvious reasons (σεμνάς). Female deacons need to be seemly; they need to be honorable in conduct. Also they need to be…

2. Disciplined in speech 

11 Their wives [or “women”] likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, 

That’s a similar statement to what was stated earlier of male deacons. But instead of δίλογος, Paul uses διάβολος here. And some of you might recognize that the “devil” gets his name from this word for “slanderer.” And male and female deacons need to be not diabolical. 

Thirdly female deacons needs to be…

3. Self-Controlled with drink, etc.   

11 Their wives [or “women”] likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, 

This word is similar to the one used of male deacons, but it’s more inclusive. Female deacons need to be self-controlled when it comes to drink, but also in other matters. 

And finally, as an all-inclusive statement, female deacons needs to be…

4. Faithful in all things 

Not perfectly faithful in everything all the time. That’s not possible! This statement is similar to the statement about male deacons being blameless. A female deacon needs to reflect well on the church. She needs to be viewed as a faithful and godly woman within the church. 

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In verse 13 of this passage, Paul closes this section of Scripture with a promise to deacons. It’s actually a pretty exciting and encouraging challenge to our deacons. I want to close our time together by challenging our deacons with this final verse. If you are feeling the weight of this passage right now, if you are overwhelmed by God’s expectations of deacons as leaders in the church, notice how Paul closes this passage.  

13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

Paul promises two things for the deacon who serves well. Notice it’s a conditional statement, “If you serve well, you will gain two things.” “If you serve well, you will gain: 1) a good standing for yourselves, and 2) great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. 

You might ask, “Pastor Tony, why do we need deacons? Why are we installing deacons today?” Well because the Bible gives us this model for a second office in the church to help with practical matters in the church. And deacons can bless the church. I’ve seen it as a pastor. 

And here’s another reason. It’s an opportunity for these individuals to be blessed themselves. If they serve well, they gain a good standing for themselves. And their confidence in the faith can grow. So, serve well, deacons. Serve well. We as your elders are here to help you in any ways that we can. 

I’m going to stop now and cede the rest of my time today to one of our elders, Don Starnes. Don is going to be serving as our elder liaison who leads the deacon board. And as Don comes up here, let me say one more thing to the church body concerning your deacons. Pray for them. Support them. Bless them and encourage them. Allow their tasks as deacons to be a joy not a burden. If you do these things for your deacons, you will be mutually benefitted. Be good to them. It’s for their benefit and your benefit and the benefit of the church. And it will help us advance the mission of Jesus Christ.