Redeemer Cares
Mercy flows out of the very character of God; He delights to show mercy. The church continuously receives "vertical mercy" from God, and that should naturally lead us to extend "horizontal mercy" to everyone in need. We are admonished to love our neighbor as ourselves, and to be good Samaritans to people in need. This ministry is dedicated to meeting the felt needs of our community through gospel deeds and gospel truth.
Understanding the Office of Deacon
Understanding the Nature of the Office
- Its origin. Acts 6:1-6. Deacons were given the ministry of distribution to the needy and the ministry of mercy, while the elders kept the ministry of the word (v. 4). The office of deacon is a permanent office in the church (1 Tim.3)
- Its purpose. The office of deacon is designed to meet the physical needs of people. However, this ministry is a spiritual ministry, since it arises from spiritual motives (the experience of God’s grace, Luke 6:33-36) and makes a spiritual impact (Acts 4:33, Phil. 4:10-20).
Understanding the Work of the Diaconate
- Mercy. To meet physical and economic needs inside and outside of the congregation. Some examples of the works of mercy are: visiting the sick, the poor and the elderly; caring for single parent families and helping families in emergencies and crises.
- Stewardship. To encourage and promote liberal giving by the congregation, and then to collect and distribute those financial gifts. Some examples of the works of stewardship are education, envelope systems, counting, recording, depositing and reporting funds.
- Property. To keep all the properties of the congregation in good repair and maintenance, and to control their use. Some examples of property responsibility would include the care of church grounds and helping train the congregation in how to use their own property to further Christ's kingdom.
- Helps. To accomplish the practical tasks and errands that are entailed in the on-going program of the church. Some examples of helps are ushering and setting up equipment and chairs for Sunday worship.
These examples were based on Tim Keller's book, Resources for Deacons.
