7 Habits of Highly Effective Church Members
Christians, Ministers, Elders and Deacons
7 Habits of Highly Effective Deacons
Teaching Strategy
The focus of this lesson is on the habits of deacons. Of special note in this lesson is how Steven serves as a model for this critical role within the church.
Student Learning Outcomes
- Know: Understand the habits of effective deacons.
- Feel: Explain why the role of deacon is critical to have an effective congregation.
- Do: Adapt the habits of an effective deacon.
Body of the Lesson
Discussion Questions
Below are suggested questions to use during the guided discussion portion of the lesson. There are also suggested responses to questions to help students grasp the various concepts. These are provided to assist the discussion and are not considered as “right or wrong” responses.
1. Discuss the following questions regarding the role of a deacon:
A deacon is a Christian brother designated to serve in a specified activity. The major passage that notes the qualifications of a deacon is found in I Timothy 3:8-13.
The qualities listed in Acts regarding not only Stephen but the other men as well are: good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom. These are important for all Christians as we seek to serve our Lord. All of us, men or women, are called on to serve, however, by maintaining a good reputation within the congregation, growing spiritually so that we become more Christlike and employing God's wisdom, we will greatly enhance our ability to serve in the Lord's church.
2. Explain the following habits of highly effective deacons.
Being full of the Spirit is to demonstrate an abundance of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) in your everyday life. One cannot have these characteristics without them being visible
Effective workers go beyond simply being busy. It means that there is a positive result from one's work. In the context of the church it means we are glorifying our Father, positively impacting the church and leading others to Christ. When deacons effectively serve, their personal ministry area grows and the mission of the church is accomplished.
A deacon serves all. He humbly submits to the leadership of a congregation to accomplish the goals of the congregational leaders and the mission of the church. In serving humbly he recognizes that it is not about him but about his work and glorifying our Father.
Not only must we grow in our knowledge and grace of the Lord (II Peter 3:18), we must also grow in our ability to serve. When we do so we magnify our effectiveness for the Lord. We must never be satisfied with "good enough" otherwise the danger of complacency sets in.
Criticism, honestly and humbly given, is an opportunity for the deacon to grow in his ability to serve. It also indicates that a need is not being met as effectively as it could. We all should be aware that one of Satan's attacks is to create division. Sadly, he does that most effectively when he uses those within the Body of Christ. A deacon must know that he will be attacked and must be willing to listen, consider and act in the best interests of his ministry area. This is not an easy thing to do because unwarranted or poorly delivered criticism hurts and is discouraging.
A deacon may be assigned a task that seems to not be related to studying God's word. We must all realize that God's will is revealed through His written word so we all must study it and grow in our knowledge of it. A deacon, as an appointed minister of God, always needs to be growing in the knowledge of God's word. He will be highly effective through his dedicated study.
None of us have all the answers to situations we face. In addition to relying upon our fellow Christians, we must always rely upon God. We do that through study, prayer and meditation. A deacon puts his knowledge, skills and abilities at God's disposal and depends on God to always direct his actions. In his prayer life he continually asks God for wisdom in making decision regarding his area of ministry.
3. How can you use this lesson to grow spiritually and help others come into a relationship with Jesus?
All of us are called upon to be servants. Some are given a specific area of ministry in which to serve and are referred to as deacons. This is a responsibility to serve as the Lord instructs. But again, all of us must develop the qualities necessary to increase our effectiveness as servants for the Master. Deacons, by virtue of their spiritual and physical qualifications, are set apart by the elders for service or responsibility over specific tasks related to the church.