Selected to Serve, Updated Second Edition
Description
Updated 2022 EditionThis useful guide for church leaders covers all aspects of officer training: call, duties, ethics, the Presbyterian Constitution, and much more. Congregations will find this resource indispensable for the recruitment and training of effective church leaders. Earl S. Johnson, Jr. has revised this best-selling book to include the new standards from the new Form of Government in the Book of Order
More details
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Earl S. Johnson, Jr. is an adjunct professor of religion at Siena College and a regular columnist for Presbyterian Outlook. Now retired, he was previously Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Johnstown, New York. He is the author of several books, including Selected to Serve, Second Edition, The Presbyterian Trustee, and Witness without Parallel: Eight Biblical Texts That Make Us Presbyterian, published by Geneva Press.
Content
- Intro
- Half Title
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Contents
- Preface
- 1. Being a Church Leader
- The Call to Serve
- Elders
- Deacons
- Pastors
- Trustees
- Deciding That a Call Has Changed: Grapefruit Theology
- When Should a Church Leader Resign?
- Keep the Faith, Baby!
- 2. Questions Church Leaders Often Ask
- How Do Leaders Get Elected? The Nominating Committee
- What Are the Duties of Church Leaders?
- Other Staff and Elected and Volunteer Positions in the Church
- Secretarial and Office Staff
- Christian Educators
- Music Personnel
- Youth Directors
- Custodians
- Elected Officers
- Contracted Volunteer Positions
- 3. The Principles behind the Book of Order and the Form of Government
- Introduction: The Book of Order
- The Historic Heart of Presbyterian Government
- The Foundations of Presbyterian Polity as Bedrock
- The Form of Government
- Changing the Book of Order
- 4. In the Spirit: The Directory for Worship
- Introduction: Presbyterian Worship Resources
- Word and World
- Language about God and People
- The Broad Range of Inclusiveness
- Worship, Space, and Place
- The Importance of Daily Prayer
- The Personal Spiritual Life
- The Sacraments
- Baptism
- The Lord's Supper
- Ministry and Worship in an Interfaith World
- 5. Dealing with Conflict in the Church: The Rules of Discipline
- New Testament Concepts of Discipline
- Reformation Principles of Discipline
- Discipline in the Twenty-first Century Church
- Using the Rules of Discipline
- 6. The Book of Confessions: A Thumbnail Sketch
- Introduction
- A Brief Statement of Faith (1991)
- The Confession of 1967
- The Theological Declaration of Barmen
- The Westminster Standards
- The Heidelberg Catechism
- The Second Helvetic Confession
- The Scots Confession
- The Apostles' Creed
- The Nicene Creed
- The Confession of 2067
- Guided by the Confessions
- 7. The Ordination Vows
- The First Vow: The Foundation of Ministry
- Do You Accept the Scriptures?
- Question Three: Essential Tenets of the Reformed Tradition
- The Fourth and Fifth Questions: In Obedience to Jesus Christ
- In Your Own Life
- Peace, Unity, and Purity
- Energy, Intelligence, and Imagination
- Promising Love
- Try
- 8. Ethical and Professional Standards for Persons in Ordered Ministries
- General Concepts
- Scriptural Guidance
- Being an Example
- Direction from the Book of Confessions
- Discipline as a Key Reformed Guideline
- Testing the Standards
- 9. Growing Your Church
- The Choices
- Developing the Vision
- Developing the Plan
- Counting the Cost
- Making Important Decisions in Your Church and in Your Life
- Notes
- Suggested Reading for Church Leaders
- Index of Scripture References
- Index of Book of Order References
- General Index
