The New Elder’s Handbook: A Biblical Guide to Developing Faithful Leaders
(Baker Books, 2019)
WHO: Greg R. Scharf, professor emeritus of homiletics and pastoral theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School; and Arthur Kok, director of training for the Orchard Network.
THEY SAY: “Every elder is to guard the gospel so that we can do what Paul exhorted Timothy to do in 2 Timothy 2:2—namely to entrust it to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
THE BIG IDEA: This book offers a proven process to proactively recruit and train church elders; questions for readers to ask themselves in order to determine whether they should be an elder; and ways for readers to develop their character so they could be an elder.
THE PROGRESSION:
Written for the aspiring elder, Part 1, “Vision,” is an on-ramp to the process of discerning this call and discusses key biblical concepts. Part 2, “Training,” contains doctrinal, character-based and skill-related questions for potential elders to answer.
Part 3, “Two Additional Discipleship Resources,” includes “Learning to Follow Jesus,” a thematic approach to the basics of the Christian life, and “BA (Biblical Agenda) in Christian Living,” a study of 2 Peter. Written for pastors, this final section can be used to disciple those interested in serving as elders.
“Healthy, faithful churches always have a team of qualified, faithful elders.”
“With its focus on vision, training, discipling, and selection, this thoughtful handbook provides invaluable guidance for the formation of faithful leaders.”
—David Dockery, president, Trinity International University/Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
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