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Leadership: The Seven

The Importance Of The Seven

Acts chapter six points out the vital need for qualified congregational leadership.  This is needed so the ministry of prayer and the word can remain the priority of the church apostolic leaders. This priority doesn't seek to minimize the congregational needs of the church that arise or to diminish the roles of those who serve in those areas.  On the contrary, the story in Acts 6 points to how important it is that those needs are met by the church.  Indeed if those needs aren't handled appropriately then the church runs the risk of veering off it's God intended course.  Also, meeting the contextual needs of the church has a role in confirming the message that is being shared to the world.

The apostles didn't ignore the need, nor did they simply say, "find someone els to get it done and don't bother us".  Rather, they thoughtfully addressed the problem and confirmed it's importance by establishing qualifications and by making prayer and the laying on of hands a part of the process.

The act of laying on of hands is significant.  We see it used in the church typically in two ways. Most often it's practiced during prayer, especially when praying for the sick.  Secondly it's done during official times of ordainment or appointment. This is done as a sign of approval, as a sign of the passing on of the calling, as an appointment to a task, and to impart the anointing and power for the task. In the Bible it's mainly reserved for prophets and kings and the passing on of Apostolic ministry.

So to lay hands on these seven in this manner is, at the very least, symbolically powerful.  Through this gesture the apostles are raising congregational ministry from the mundane to the holy.  It shows that the ministry is God-given, that it needs God's resources to be completed, and that it requires qualified, Godly, spirit-filled believers to be accomplished.  Therefore it should be highly regarded, seriously considered, and gravely executed.  Furthermore, those who serve in this capacity should serve with the same seriousness and gravity as their apostolic counterparts.

These congregational ministries and ministry roles gain their life, their reason for being, their expectations and qualifications solely out of the Apostolic work and mission. Without the spirit filled preaching and teaching of the word, empowered and led by prayer their would be no church for these men and women to serve.  However, the apostles would not be able to continue in their task, as the church continues to grow, without the ministry of the seven.

The Seven Today at Pathway Church

  1. Do we fully appreciate the priority of the apostolic ministry and calling today at Pathway?
  2. Do we work to ensure the one(s) called primarily to prayer and to the preaching and teaching of God's word are free to do so to the best of our ability?
  3. What needs are being neglected today at Pathway Church that require people like the Seven?
  4. What needs have arisen that have the potential to compete with prayer and the ministry of the word?
  5. Do we have people in our church willing to represent the Seven?
  6. Are they aligned with Apostolic priorities and are they willing and able to meet the qualifications of the Seven?
  7. As a leaders, in what ways do we ensure we meet the qualifications of the Seven?




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