Retreat Leader Guide

INTRODUCTION—Baptism, Call, and Membership

a.    Do you trust in Jesus Christ your Savior, acknowledge him Lord of all and Head of the Church, and through him believe in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit? 

b.    Do you accept the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be, by the Holy Spirit, the unique and authoritative witness to Jesus Christ in the Church universal, and God’s Word to you? 

c.    Do you sincerely receive and adopt the essential tenets of the Reformed faith as expressed in the confessions of our church as authentic and reliable expositions of what Scripture leads us to believe and do, and will you be instructed and led by those confessions as you lead the people of God? 

1.     What gifts have you identified in yourself? How have your gifts been nurtured and affirmed by this community? How are you using your gifts for the common good?

2.     What responsibilities do we carry as people and as leaders who have received the salvation of God?

3.     At baptism, we affirm that each person is a gift from God, chosen for salvation and for service, endowed by God with gifts to be used in obedience to Christ and for the building up of the Kingdom. An additional tenet of the Reformed tradition is that we, as members of Christ’s body, have a particular calling in the world and to discern our calling we look to Christ.

Invite those gathered to say these words from the Book of Common Worship to reaffirm their baptism and their call to leadership.

“In baptism God claims us,

and seals us to show that we belong to God.

God frees us from sin and death,

uniting us with Jesus Christ in his death and resurrection.

By water and the Holy Spirit,

we are made members of the church, the body of Christ,

and joined to Christ’s ministry of love, peace, and justice.”

(Book of Common Worship, Louisville, Ky.: Westminster John Knox Press, p. 408.)

d.    Will you fulfill your ministry in obedience to Jesus Christ, under the authority of Scripture, and be continually guided by our confessions?

e.    Will you be governed by our church’s polity, and will you abide by its discipline? Will you be a friend among your colleagues in ministry, working with them, subject to the ordering of God’s Word and Spirit?

f.      Will you in your own life seek to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, love your neighbors, and work for the reconciliation of the world?

g.    Do you promise to further the peace, unity, and purity of the church?

1.    Invite participants to reflect on the context of the entire congregation by exploring the content and question provided in the resource material in the “Called to lead: But, where?! How?!” section of question (d) within the resource material.

• What experiences have you had as a congregation that have led you to look at ministry in a transformative, creative way?

Invite them to reflect on their history as a congregation and any challenges (economic, theological, staffing, facility, cultural) they have faced that have caused them to innovate and be transformed in their approach to ministry.

2.     How do you see the Book of Order as beneficial to your personal spiritual growth? To your growth as a spiritual leader?

3.     How will you work specifically for reconciliation as a spiritual leader in this congregation? As a Christian in the world?

In an effort to strengthen the relationships between church leaders, do one of the following:

• Divide into small groups of no more than four people. Share prayer requests with one another and pray for one another.
• Place the names of all the members of your group in a container and invite each person to draw the name of a colleague in ministry for whom they will pray, encouraging them to reach out in support to one another.
• Partner with another congregation in your presbytery and exchange names of ruling elders or deacons with them, covenanting to prayer for one another.

e.    Will you pray for and seek to serve the people with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love?

f.      Will you be a faithful ruling elder, watching over the people, providing for their worship, nurture, and service? Will you share in government and discipline, serving in councils of the church, and in your ministry will you try to show the love and justice of Jesus Christ?

g.    Will you be a faithful deacon, teaching charity, urging concern, and directing the people’s help to the friendless and those in need, and in your ministry will you try to show the love and justice of Jesus Christ?

1.     Brainstorm the ways the leaders can engage in meaningful practices of prayer for the people of the congregation. Perhaps you could pray for several members at each meeting, divide up the congregation among the officers, pray for those with particular needs, pray for groups of people such as Sunday school teachers, food pantry volunteers, etc.

 Consider separating the group into the office to which they have been called—ruling elders and deacons.

• What are some ways the session can encourage community and trust-building among its members?
• How can the session foster healthy relationships and safe, productive working environments?

Faithful leaders lead by example. They are called to model for the people of God a holistic approach to living the faith in which body, mind, and spirit are nurtured and replenished. Living a life of prayer and personal spiritual discipline is therefore of great importance in the ministry of discernment and governance.

• How do you model self-care and spiritual care for yourself and others?

Ruling elders might also discuss more about the specific responsibilities of serving as a ruling elder in this particular congregation.

3.     For deacons:

• Where do you experience the greatest joy and satisfaction in your ministry as a deacon? Where do you experience the greatest challenge?
• How do you care for your own spiritual life and spiritual growth so that you can continue to care for others?
• How might we work to avoid engaging in “toxic charity”?
• How will you seek to fulfill the promise to show the love and justice of Jesus Christ in your personal life, as well as through your ministry as a deacon?

Deacons might also discuss more about the specific responsibilities of serving as a ruling elder in this particular congregation.

Invite the participants to divide into groups of two or three and share with one another about the reasons they answered the call to serve as a ruling elder or deacon.