Monthly Leader Guide
This Monthly Leader Guide includes a design to be used at the beginning of meetings of the session and/or board of deacons. Use these as a way of presenting the content provided for each question and studying together the questions affirmed in ordination.
Question d - Fulfilling Ministry
W-4.0404 d. Will you fulfill your ministry in obedience to Jesus Christ, under the authority of Scripture, and be continually guided by our confessions?
REVIEW
1.
(Slide 24) The last two sessions focused on the role of
scripture and the confessions in our discernment of our call to ministry. Those
conversations led us to this ordination question, which brings together the
three core principles of the Reformed faith: the centrality of Jesus Christ,
the authority of scripture, and the historical witness of the confessions.
2. Note the word order of this question. The ordained are to be OBEDIENT to Christ, STAND UNDER Scripture’s authority, and be GUIDED by the confessions.
3. (Slide
25) What does it really mean to obey Jesus
Christ? Obedience to Jesus Christ shows our willingness to get out of our own
way, letting go of what we believe to be possible, right, or lawful, for a
reality that God knows to be true. Ask: How is this different from or similar
to your understanding of obedience to Jesus Christ. You may wish to use the
story of the church near Seattle as an illustration of obedience leading to
transformation or provide an illustration from your own experience.
4.
(Slide 26) The confessions act as windows into our faith:
reflections of who the church believes itself to be and the injustices it has
overcome to seek the kingdom of God in its life together. The past matters
because in our confessions we see pieces of the church’s history and the
church’s response to the contextual needs of people of faith at that time,
rooted in scripture.
REFLECT
- 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 allow scripture to nurture you as a leader? How do you allow the confessions to guide you? Is there an area of growth you’d like to explore in either of these areas?
RESPOND