Deacons and Session Cooperation

Today, we're going to be discussing a really significant topic, in my estimation, that's the cooperation between the diaconate and the session.

In our Presbyterian tradition, we recognize three offices, minister, ruling elder, and deacon, which are organized into two separate yet connected groups, the session and and the diaconate.

Now, while I don't think—correct me if I'm wrong—I don't think we have the word session in the Scriptures, but we do see a plurality of elders, and our Book of Church Order describes this session as the governing body of the local church consisting of the pastor, other ministers, and ruling elders, and they're charged with maintaining the government of the congregation.

And it's overseeing all the matters concerning the conduct of public worship, promoting spiritual growth.

And so it's got a broad tasking.

The diaconate, as we've said before on this podcast, are called to show forth the compassion of Christ in a manifold ministry of mercy toward the saints, those in the church, as well as strangers.

And our Book of Church Order also calls our deacons, assuming there's more than one in a particular church, to be constituted as a board of deacons to oversee that mercy of ministry.

So during this episode, we're going to discuss how these two ecclesiastical groups can and really must work together well in serving the church.

Before we get into our discussion questions, Nathan, would you pray for us?

Happy to do

that.

Thank you.

Let's pray.

Father, we are thankful for your love that is holistic, both our body and our soul embraced by that love.

And we're thankful for a Savior that exemplified that in his earthly ministry, both teaching and healing word and deed.

We're thankful that You love us this way and that you have called your church to exemplify that love by both elders and deacons.

And we pray that the fruit of these few minutes together might be an even greater blessing.

adornment of your gospel in our local churches by the ministry, close and harmonious of both elders and deacons in our churches.

Lord, grant this, we pray and bless these moments.

We ask for Jesus' sake.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you, brother.

Thank you.

Today, we're going to be discussing a really significant topic, in my estimation, that's the cooperation between the diaconate and the session.

In our Presbyterian tradition, we recognize three offices, minister, ruling elder, and deacon, which are organized into two separate yet connected groups, the session and and the diaconate.

Now, while I don't think—correct me if I'm wrong—I don't think we have the word session in the Scriptures, but we do see a plurality of elders, and our Book of Church Order describes this session as the governing body of the local church consisting of the pastor, other ministers, and ruling elders, and they're charged with maintaining the government of the congregation.

And it's overseeing all the matters concerning the conduct of public worship, promoting spiritual growth.

And so it's got a broad tasking.

The diaconate, as we've said before on this podcast, are called to show forth the compassion of Christ in a manifold ministry of mercy toward the saints, those in the church, as well as strangers.

And our Book of Church Order also calls our deacons, assuming there's more than one in a particular church, to be constituted as a board of deacons to oversee that mercy of ministry.

So during this episode, we're going to discuss how these two ecclesiastical groups can and really must work together well in serving the church.

Before we get into our discussion questions, Nathan, would you pray for us?

Happy to do

that.

Thank you.

Let's pray.

Father, we are thankful for your love that is holistic, both our body and our soul embraced by that love.

And we're thankful for a Savior that exemplified that in his earthly ministry, both teaching and healing word and deed.

We're thankful that You love us this way and that you have called your church to exemplify that love by both elders and deacons.

And we pray that the fruit of these few minutes together might be an even greater blessing.

adornment of your gospel in our local churches by the ministry, close and harmonious of both elders and deacons in our churches.

Lord, grant this, we pray and bless these moments.

We ask for Jesus' sake.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you, brother.

Thank you.