Although many people mistakenly characterize Christianity as a Western church, in our roots we are Eastern. And the Eastern traditions of Christianity have, almost from the beginning, associated deacons with the role of the angel in the community.
Category: Resource
A recent example of this has been the need to restructure the organisation following the ending of a significant government contract. This meant losing people from the organisation that I had worked closely with over a number of years. In essence, the challenge, as a leader, is this. Is it possible to take away an individual’s livelihood in a ‘Christian way’? For me the fundamental difference is that as a Christian, I believe people are made in God’s likeness and that Christ died for them. This focusses my mind on their intrinsic worth and in consequence, how individuals should be treated.
You are looking for inclinations toward diaconal ministry and the potential for leadership in ministry in a person that can be called forward in preparation for ordination.
'Practical truth is more likely found at the bottom and the edges than at the top or center of most groups, institutions, and cultures'.
They’re servant leaders, serving the purposes of Christ and serving God’s people by roping them in to the task at hand. Sometimes that means challenging the church quite forcefully. Sometimes the temple needs to be cleared.
IT WILL be the work of a moment for your diary to get filled up. Protect the essentials at all costs: time for God; time for your family; and time for your ongoing training. You may now look different in your clerical collar, but, to your family, you are still husband or wife, Mum or Dad.
These stunning photos were of images taken by the Webb Telescope. What completely caught me by surprise was how deeply spiritual this experience was. Every time I closed my eyes one of the images danced across my vision and over that weekend, I spent quite a bit of time immersed in the immensity of the presence of God they opened me to. Reflecting on those images resulted in a new spiritual practice for me that I wanted to share with you.
It must be clearly stated that Deacons, while being communicant members of congregations, having a liturgical ministry and dovetailing with the work of presbyters, are primarily a task force at the disposal of the Bishop, for work, most of which is out in the world. They have their proper place in a diocesan rather than a congregational strategy of mission. They are a pioneer corps rather than auxiliaries to share the load of existing intra-congregational ministries
It is very important to describe the role of Distinctive Deacons in terms of what they are and what they do: and not in terms of ‘status’ or what they can’t do.
Let me be to You, as a brush is to a painter, worthless without You, but capable of transforming the human heart by the power of Your mercy.
CofE Network of Distinctive Deacons 