Guidance and the Voice of Your Elders

If you went to a new church and wanted to ensure that your leaders (elders, council, staff, etc.) are on the same page as you, what would you do?

Of course, there are many directions you could go to answer this vague question. But, be specific as you think through the question. Would there be a certain book, manual or study that you would go through with this group? [A note to my helpful friends:  I do know about the Bible.]

A few years back I was asked to string together Matthias Media resources to form a training curriculum for such a group. I thought through the issues of conviction (theology), character, and ministry competency as discussed, at that time, in Passing the Baton. I boiled my list down and put together a series of studies that lasted nine months.

I ran these ideas by a pastor friend and he told me, “That is all just fine. But, I tell you what I’d start with—Guidance and the Voice of God by Phillip Jensen and Tony Payne.” (Well, he may not have told me the names of the authors given he called me on the Matthias Media toll-free number).

Certainly, you can’t really go wrong with my original ideas—reading Mission Minded, working through Six Steps to Encouragement, or discussing The Everlasting God. Even now that we have “best book on the nature of church ministry” (Mark Dever’s quote, not mine) in print in The Trellis and the Vine, I am still tempted to agree with my friend.

Phillip Jensen told an audience about the book, “Guidance and the Voice of God is really a book about the absolute sufficiency of Scripture.” He went on to say that, of course, no Christian other than a pastor would read a book titled The Sufficiency of Scripture. So, he and Tony wrote the book about how God guides all Christians.

Now being ten years in on full or part-time ministry, I can see my friend’s wisdom. You have a group of people meeting together regularly to make decisions on the direction of the ministry and discussing how to deal with all kinds of people in all sorts of situations. Once you are in those situations regularly you soon realize how important it is to have everyone on the same page in how to make decisions and what matters matter.

So, perhaps I still would make Guidance and the Voice of God the first book I read with this group. Though, I may make them read The Trellis and the Vine immediately upon completion.

Those who are pastors or those who are on such leadership teams, what do you think?