Identify and Meeting Needs

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that

provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters. I have just

returned from a ministry trip to the Republic of Guinea. While there, I was

blessed to observe a literacy class for adults. A member of the church had

been trained by Bridge to Reading to teach adults how to read, write, and do

simple math. The class members were adults aged 20 through 40 who had

never learned to read. None were members of the church. All were Muslims.

Each of the students was thankful for the opportunity to gain the important

skill of literacy. What a blessing; what a great way to show the love of Jesus in

a concrete way!

It is so very important for churches, even small, young churches to identify

needs and meet them. Deacons are the men and women of a church who

observe and meet the needs of church members and community members.

Here is how our Train and Multiply booklet called “The Role of Deacons”

describes this important ministry:

“The word deacon means servant in the New Testament. Deacons help the

elders, pastors, and others. Each church should appoint deacons as soon the

need appears. Elders do pastoral work; they teach and lead. Deacons do

practical work with material things.” The book of Acts demonstrates very

clearly that both deacons and elders must rely on the power and presence of

the Holy Spirit to carry out their ministries effectively.

Deacons observe needs in the church and in the community. Then they take

practical steps to meet those needs. If people need to learn to read, a deacon

may organize a literacy ministry. If people do not know how to grow vegetables

or raise chickens, a deacon may teach them these practical skills. If people are

at home sick and bedridden, deacons and church members trained by deacons

can visit the sick to pray, share encouraging words, and give small gifts of food.

If there are refugees from war who need help, deacons respond in practical

ways. If church members are prevented from working in their fields because of

illness, deacons can respond by organizing a few church members to help out

with weeding or other chores as needed.

Sometimes the problems that people face are so big and so overwhelming,

churches feel that they cannot solve them all. And this is true. But we should

not be paralyzed because we cannot meet every need of every person. Only

God the Father Almighty can do that. But churches, even small churches can

organize small, practical ministries that will solve real problems for a few

people who are really hurting.

Deacons identify needs in the church and in the community. Deacons are the

leaders in a local church who organize the response to needs. Deacons pray,

asking for the Spirit of God for strength and wisdom to meet practical needs.

Then they take action, even if their actions only help a few people at first and

even if the needs are greater than their ability to respond. Deacons remember

from 2 Corinthians 9:10 that “He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for

food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the

harvest of your righteousness.”

Deacons are important leaders in the church. Who should be named as deacons

in the churches you are planting?

This has been “Multiply.” And I’m Dean Davis praying for your church to be

strengthened today.

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #Deacons