Specialty ministers

Romans 12:4-8

Introduction

1.    Pulpit, youth, family life, involvement, education, associate, minister of counseling, minister of music, etc.

2.    Many churches will have 3, 5, or more “minsters” on their staff

3.    What does the Bible teach? What are the dangers, problems?

Questions to consider

1.    Are they needed?

a.    Small churches – NO

b.    Large churches – need more than one man

c.    I preached for a church of 300 – only minister, it was wearing me out

                                          i.    Youth at our house every Thursday night

                                        ii.    Visit elderly, shut-ins, hospital every day

                                       iii.    Along with – 2 sermons, 2 classes, 15 m. daily radio program each week

                                       iv.    Added another man – Associate minister – we were a team

1.    Shared many duties, pulpit, teaching, radio, visiting

2.    Shared information about situations

d.    When the church grew to almost 600 – there were 3 ministers on staff

2.    Do they need titles?

a.    In my view – titles are limiting and often not helpful

b.    Do the 8 teens need a separate minister? No.

                                          i.    College, singles, young married, married with children, grandparent

                                        ii.    Each age group has needs that the church should meet

c.    Can a youth minister do more than work with teens?

d.    Can the pulpit minister do more than preach on Sunday?

e.    Many churches use deacons in some areas – youth, for example

3.    Are they helping / hurting?

a.    Youth ministers – often young, not mature, given to temptations

b.    Do not have a 21-year-old youth minister working with 18-year-old youth – temptations, immaturity

c.    Problems:

                                          i.    Doctrinal issues

                                        ii.    Co-operation

                                       iii.    Elders not able to oversee their work

                                       iv.    Only willing to work in their special area

4.    How many ministers should a church have?

a.    Minister – to serve, servant, wait tables, server

b.    Deaconos – Greek word for minister, servant, also translated deacon

                                          i.    Used of women, men, all in the congregation

                                        ii.    Used 30 times in the NT

c.    Every Christian is a minister of Christ.

d.    As for paid employees (ministers) – depends on size of church, areas of need

e.    Romans 12:4-8 – every member is a minister with some talent

f.     1 Timothy 5:10 – widow indeed – a servant

g.    Romans 16:1 – Phoebe, servant of the church

h.    Widow indeed – must serve others