Pastors, are you having trouble…
🔸Identifying potential Elder candidates?
🔸Effectively assessing their fit for the role?
🔸Equipping men to excel as shepherd leaders?
🔸Meaningfully including your church family?
🔸Growing your church under godly lay leaders?
That was my story… and I couldn’t find many resources to help.
As the new Pastor of a small church, I found myself faced with this reality. I did find at least one excellent book on the subject, but nothing as PRACTICAL as what I felt was needed.
I wanted a form of Church Elder Training that…
🔸Was tied to the biblical qualifications for church leadership.
🔸Theologically Complementarian in its approach.
🔸Didn’t assume good businessmen automatically make good leaders in the church.
🔸Was laid out systematically and thoughtfully.
🔸Didn’t imply that men interested in learning more were were automatically “in.”
🔸Allowed the church family to take part in the assessment in real, helpful ways.
🔸Valued the insight of the man’s wife (and her enthusiasm for him to take on the role).
🔸Made the process to be a family affair that generated enthusiasm and unity in the church
When I couldn’t find it, I decided to create what I was looking for.
The Elder Training Handbook was the result
The ETH does what other resources skip over…
DISCOVERY
Helps you IDENTIFY and DISCOVER men in your church family who are faithful, available, and teachable — and have a heart to serve rather than lording their authority over others (1 Peter 5:3).
ASSESSMENT
Guides you and your church family in ASSESSING whether the men identified are ready for the role of Church Elder, by considering the man’s character, theology, and motivation to be a church leader.
EQUIPPING
Leads you in EQUIPPING the man for the role. It’s one of eternal magnitude — the care of the souls of God’s people (His Bride). It would be unwise and uncaring not to give men the tools needed for the job.
In addition, the ETH will help you…
🔸Delegate assessment to others on the existing Church Leadership team.
🔸Carry out the process with an “open door” understanding to prevent misunderstanding and assumptions (watch the video below to understand why that matters).
🔸Gain insight into the Holy Spirit’s leading regarding each candidate being considered.
🔸Address a variety of vital topics, both theological and practical.
🔸Set a time frame that allows for adequate assessment but keeps the process moving.
🔸Assess how each candidate’s gifting and personality fit into the chemistry of your existing leadership team.
🔸Communicate the process to your church family clearly and effectively, setting right expectations and appropriate seriousness about the process.
🔸Ask practical and relevant questions as you work through the process together.
🔸Meaningfully, include the man’s wife in the evaluations.
🔸Provide an opportunity for the church family to engage in the evaluation process.
🔸Record your observations in provided evaluations.
Watch the video below to learn…
🔸Why a one on one approach is recommended.
🔸How to implement the “open door” policy the curriculum is built around.
🔸How the curriculum facilitates the Holy Spirit leading in the assessment.
🔸Why regulary scheduled meetings with each candidate are required (it’s called discipleship 😆).
🔸Why the process follows phases and is not to be rushed.
🔸How the process educates your church family about biblical Eldership.
🔸How the question and answer format (260 questions) fuels learning & engagement.
How the ETA includes the entire church family in the Elder assessment process…
It may sound impossible to include the church family in the assessment, training, and confirmation of men as Church Elders, but I saw it as something that was absolutely necessary.
The members of the church family likely know candidates far better and in different contexts that church leaders do – and also need to feel that the men in the role of Church Elder can be trusted. Who better to speak to that issue than the church family?
By making a way for the the Church family to participate, you will…
🔸Show church members that you value their insights and wisdom.
🔸Learn things about your church and each candidate that you didn’t know before.
🔸Foster unity and a cooperative spirit among the membership of the church.
🔸Build credibility through appropriate and genuine care of the church as a whole.
🔸Demonstrate the unity scripture encourages within the church.
🔸Establish clear communication between leadership and members.
🔸Live out what it means to lead with care and consideration.
🔸Confirm men for the role of Church Elder who are better qualified and equipped.
Watch the video below to learn about…
🔸The formal assessment process included in the handbook.
🔸The self-assessment provided.
🔸The spousal assessment provided.
🔸The Elder affirmation steps taken for each candidate.
🔸How we conduct a congregational evaluation of the candidate.
🔸The resources included to help you complete all of these steps.
🔸The church-wide celebration recommended when the process is complete.
🔸How following the recommended evaluation steps sets your church up for success.
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What others are saying about the ETA…
(Review left on Amazon)
If you are looking for a simple tool to use in training up elders at your church, this is definitely worth checking out. The author has taken the system he uses at his church and put it in a book for you to just hand off to someone ready to jump in. If you don’t have time to write your own customized system, I think you could easily start with this as it is. He’s got tests and evaluations and explanations. It’s good. Doctrinally, the author is on the conservative side of things, which means reformed theology, male eldership, etc. All good with me. All in all, this is a good tool, especially if you are looking for something that can be totally finished in a year or so with potential elders. I’m glad I found it. I’ll be suggesting it to others.
A fantastic resource for every pastor’s library!
Helpful and useful for leadership.
Great book for starting the discussion on the call, duties and qualifications of the Elder.
About the author…
Carey Green…
🔸Served in churches across the U.S. for 20+ years
🔸Gained experience in churches of all sizes, from 25 to 1300.
🔸Still teaches the Bible on The Morning Mindset Daily Christian Devotional.
🔸Produces the podcast “God Fearing Kids and the Parents who Raise Them” weekly with his co-host and wife, Mindi Green.
🔸Married since 1989, has 5 grown kids, grandkids, and a dog named Joy.
🔸Life mission: “We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom so that we might present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all His energy which so powerfully works within me.” ~ Colossians 1:28-29
When purchasing the Elder Training Handbook…
PURCHASE HERE
Paperback version only.
🔸 Each Elder candidate will need his own copy of the handbook to complete.
🔸 An existing Elder or Church leader should work through the content with the candidate, one on one.
🔸Schedule regular meetings to discuss the content and allow for two-way assessment of the process in an ongoing fashion.
🔸Once the workbook content is complete, begin the provided assessments in stages as recommended in the workbook.