The New Elder's Handbook
- Church Leadership & Ministry
- Work, Money & Leadership
- Publisher: Baker Books (Baker Publishing Group)
- Published: 2018
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Publisher's Description
Pastors and church leaders are in need of mature, godly elders to ensure church health, but the training of elders is often entirely missing or badly neglected. What if there were a process to proactively call and train elders? The New Elder's Handbook is designed to equip elders with the knowledge, character, and skills the office calls for. It takes church leaders through the development of a vision for ministry, recruitment of elders to carry out that vision, and specific, biblical training, providing a way to be intentional about developing elders.
Endorsements (13)
“It has been well established that New Testament churches were led by a plurality of elders and that such a model is ideal for today’s church. But wanting elders and having qualified elders are sometimes miles apart. This book bridges the gap by providing a helpful strategy and practical suggestions for current leaders to develop faithful leaders to help shepherd the church of God. Those of you who aspire to serve as elders will benefit greatly from this book.”
“I found this thoroughly biblical and eminently practical handbook a much-needed encouragement to be more intentional in this work, and I will profit from the clear model it presents.”
“The New Elder’s Handbook offers a wealth of biblical wisdom and practical resources for disciple making and leadership development. I warmly recommend this helpful book to current and aspiring elders who desire to put into practice 2 Timothy 2:2 and entrust the gospel to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
“This is not just a how-to book on leadership. Rather, grounded in the Scriptures, it has a practical and pastoral focus, with learning taking place in community with others. I am elated this book is now available. Take up, read, apply, and see the leadership culture of the church be transformed.”
“In The New Elder’s Handbook Greg Scharf and Arthur Kok weave together robust theological engagement with eminently practical wisdom on the means of selecting and developing faithful Christian leaders. This work provided a timely reminder of the importance of character and competency in Christian leadership and is a welcome addition to the much-needed field of Christian leadership.”
“Anyone who wants to raise up future leaders should read this book, first because of the program it offers and second because of the method it champions. Presenting theological and practical questions to a small group of future leaders and challenging them to come up with biblical answers will produce rapid growth in the lives of those you mentor.”
“I recommend this book to men with a desire to become faithful elders and to the pastors who want to help shepherd them in the pursuit of that noble desire. This handbook is eminently usable, biblically rich, and very timely. I look forward to using it with my current elders and to training and discipling new elders with it for the future health of our church.”
“Greg Scharf and Arthur Kok lay out a plan for selecting prospective elders and then rigorously discipling them in Christian practice and doctrine. You will not find a more thorough plan for the theological preparation of those entrusted with being shepherds of God’s flock.”
“Those seeking to be equipped as elders as well as those already called as elders will benefit from the study guides and the rich reference material cited by the authors. Throughout this book, the authors’ love of God, his Son Jesus Christ, his church, and his people shines brightly.”
“I teach pastors and church leaders in East Africa. Churches are multiplying, but the leadership of many is seriously deficient. If this book were read and applied, it would make a tremendous difference in that spiritually vital and strategic region of the world.”
“Many churches struggle to identify and train elders for the task of shepherding the church. Scharf and Kok offer a helpful resource that utilizes biblical examples and employs wisdom from pastoral experience to address this need. The health of the church is at stake, and this handbook is a valuable tool for the worthwhile task of raising up elders.”
“The New Elder’s Handbook is an excellent resource for any church committed to the vital task of discerning and appointing qualified elders. Full of biblical wisdom and practical guidance, it not only casts a vision for this task but also offers a ‘structured journey’ (developed and used in a local-church context) that will help elders and prospective elders patiently discern God’s will together for the health of our churches.”
““If you desire to see a thriving elder team in your local church, take advantage of the wisdom of this resource.”
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