Congregation, Elders, Deacons, and Deaconesses

 Sorry for the delay in posting the information here.

The January 25th lesson was on women and local church ministry.
The February 1st lesson was on men and local church ministry.
Last week's lesson was on Congregation, Elders, Deacons, and Deaconesses.

Here are some of the notes for this last lesson.

Complementarianism  

Men and women are equal in value and dignity, yet distinctive in responsibilities and roles in the church and home. 

Egalitarianism 

Men and women are equal in value and dignity, and there are no differences in their roles in the church and home.

During the class time, one of the topics we talked about was women and their teaching roles in the church.  This is a statement TBC's elders wrote several years ago.  If you would like a copy of the metrics referred to in the statement, message me.

“In an effort to maximize the teaching opportunities of women within the congregation while maintaining fidelity to the biblical passages cited in the Danvers Statement, the Elders of Trinity Baptist Church have created [these] metrics above to assist in evaluating teaching opportunities for women in cases where men will be the recipients of the teaching. Assessments will be based upon weighing each of the criteria above and determining whether, on balance, the Elders believe a given teaching venue is biblically appropriate. No one metric will be considered dispositive; however, for most of the metrics, the teaching opportunity should fall somewhere on the left side of the arrow.”

The basic goal of the church is God’s Glory and the Good of others for God’s Glory

How do these goals show themselves in the people of the church?

Every member should glorify God. 
Some of the ways this happens are by 
pursuing  Biblical truth and loving others as Christ loved you
and
working for the good of others through evangelism and service.

The elders of Trinity are part of the every-member ministry of Trinity and specifically are leaders and examples of pursuing Biblical truth

The deacons of Trinity are also part of the every-member ministry of Trinity and, specifically, are examples and mobilizers of the church's service ministries.  They help the elders do the work of the ministry.

The deaconesses are also part of the every-member ministry and an example of women helping the elders.

Here are some things the church must remember to do better at discipleship.

Be prayerful  

Dependence on God means seeking his will from the beginning and depending on him for strength and patience.  Doing all of this, knowing that he will be doing things in both the one discipling and the one being disciple d .  

Be Christ-centered.  

Discipleship doesn’t just look to Jesus as the model of discipleship.  Jesus is the one we need to point people to.  Because of this, a significant part of discipleship is helping others see the necessity for hoping in Jesus, fighting self-reliance, and repenting of sin.  

Be Biblical

While there are many helpful discipleship plans and curricula, the Bible must be the focus.  If you are discipling someone, you need to be in the Word for your own spiritual health and for the one you are disciplining.  If you are being discipled, you must understand that your spiritual health depends on being in the Word.  Meeting with a friend to talk about life is not enough.  Bible reading should be a personal discipline for a true disciple.

Be intentional.    

Spiritual growth does not happen accidentally or without thought.  Everyone involved in the discipleship process must be intentional.  

Parents need to intentionally disciple their children.  Make the most of the times God gives you to point your children to Christ.

Those who are mature in the faith need to intentionally look for people to disciple and for people to help them grow. 

Those who desire to grow must intentionally look for people and opportunities that will help them grow. 

Look for Gospel-growth.

Remember, discipleship is about helping people follow Jesus. It can often become focused on many other things, but remember, it is about Jesus!

With all of these things in mind, how can we pray for Trinity Baptist Church. 

• Pray for the congregation. Use your church directory as a prayer guide.
• Pray for the elders - Pray that you would live out the teaching they are giving
• Pray for the deacons & deaconesses - Pray that you would know who to help them serve others
• EVERYONE, pray for Christ-centered, Biblical, Intentional gospel-growth and wisdom in life

Previous Be a Disciple/Make Disciples lessons:

1. Be and Make Introduction - drodgersjr.blogspot.com/2025/12/be-and-make-intro.html
2. Ministry & Missions - drodgersjr.blogspot.com/2025/12/ministry-and-missions.html
3. The Bible and Disciplemaking - drodgersjr.blogspot.com/2026/01/bible-and-disciplemaking.html
4. Prayer and Disciplemaking - drodgersjr.blogspot.com/2026/01/prayer-and-disciplemaking.html
5. Time and Productivity - drodgersjr.blogspot.com/2026/01/time-and-productivity.html
6. Men and Local Church Ministry - drodgersjr.blogspot.com/2026/01/men-and-local-church-ministry.html
7. Women and Local Church Ministry - drodgersjr.blogspot.com/2026/02/women-and-local-church-ministry.html

Women and Local Church Ministry

DISCLAIMER:  While I believe this post reflects Trinity Baptist Church's position, this post was written by me (Dave) in preparation for and reflection on a class on Women and Local Church Ministry preparation and personal study.  This is not an official position paper of Trinity Baptist Church.

In thinking through this issue, and any issue, we must begin with what God says in His Word.

1 Corinthians 12:14 - 20

14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

GOD'S DESIGN:  This passage reminds us of the diverse gifts and people in the Body of Christ.  As we think about men and women in the church, think about these truths: "God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose," and "There are many parts, yet one body."  Let's live in Biblical community.

Genesis 3:16b

Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.”

SIN'S IMPACT:  Because of sin,  there are consequences, and 3:16b contains two of them.  First, this "desire" is not love or intimacy.  John MacArthur writes, " That's certainly not a punishment, and that is something God gave them before the Fall.  How else could He say, 'Be fruitful and multiply,' if they already weren't prepared to engage in that kind of relationship?"  The woman will desire the God-given leadership role of the man.  Also, "he shall rule over" is not making the God-created role in Genesis 2 bad.  The broken consequence is that man will tyrannically crush the woman with selfish leadership when he should be leading in a Christ-like, saving way.  In the context of this verse, the words "desire" and "rule" are not good.

This broken relationship in Genesis 3:16b fleshes itself out in homes and in the church.  In the book Women's Ministry in the Local Church, Ligonier Duncan and Susan Hunt show how women's ministry in the church should model the Biblical roles of men and women.

Foundational Themes for women's ministry.

• The Gospel -  "Jesus Christ, not womanhood or the women's ministry, must be the reference point."
• Truth - Today, people refer to "your" truth and "my" truth.  There is God's truth (and there are no quotation marks around God).  In Genesis 3, the serpent questioned God's truth and helped Adam and Eve do the same.
• Sound Doctrine - A biblical approach to women's ministry, and every ministry in the church, must be rooted in biblical doctrine.  Two specific areas of doctrine that need careful attention are anthropology (the study of man) and ecclesiology (the study of the church).  
• Discipleship - Discipleship is growing disciples helping other disciples grow.
• Covenant of Grace - This is "sovereignly initiated," "restorative," "relational," "compassionate," "corporate," and "generational."

Here are some verses to consider:

• 1 Timothy 2:9 - 15 addresses submission
• 1 Timothy 3:11 addresses compassion
• 1 Timothy 5 - addresses community.  "Community that is based on grace."  This is not based on geography, interests, or age.
• Titus 2 addresses discipleship.  "Truth is to be in the context of a relationship." 
• 2 Timothy 1:5; 3:14-17 addresses the importance and necessity of Scripture

Some takeaways.

Remember, 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Encourage one another and build one another up.

Two terms, complementarianism and egalitarianism, are views about the relationship between men and women in the family and the church.

Complementarian - complement one another 

• Men and women are equal in value and dignity, distinctive in responsibilities and roles in the church and home

Egalitarian

• Men and women are equal in value and dignity, and there are no distinctions in their roles in the church and home.

In next week's class, we will talk about what complementarianism looks like at Trinity Baptist Church in the lesson on Elders, Deacons, and the Congregation.

* * * * ADDITIONAL RESOURCES * * * *

Right Desires adapted from The Excellent Wife

1. Know God’s Word and Obey it
2. Delight in God
3. Seek Him with all my heart
4. Be pleasing to Him regardless of my circumstances
5. Cultivate an attitude of joy and gratitude in what God is doing in my life, no matter what [others] do
6. Have joy in God deciding how my life and circumstances can glorify Him the most, that He can use me for His glory

Paul Tripp's Principle 7:  SERVANTS from the book Lead

From the class notes sheet:

• The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace
• How Can Women Thrive in the Local Church by Keri Folmar
• Priscilla Talk podcast - www.9marks.org/podcast/priscilla-talk
• Church  Ministries conference - grchurchministriesconference.com/

Previous Be a Disciple/Make Disciples lessons:

1. Be and Make Introduction - drodgersjr.blogspot.com/2025/12/be-and-make-intro.html
2. Ministry & Missions - drodgersjr.blogspot.com/2025/12/ministry-and-missions.html
3. The Bible and Disciplemaking - drodgersjr.blogspot.com/2026/01/bible-and-disciplemaking.html
4. Prayer and Disciplemaking - drodgersjr.blogspot.com/2026/01/prayer-and-disciplemaking.html
5. Time and Productivity - drodgersjr.blogspot.com/2026/01/time-and-productivity.html
6. Men and Local Church Ministry - drodgersjr.blogspot.com/2026/01/men-and-local-church-ministry.html

Men and Local Church Ministry

We live in a day and age when the world has confused the definition of a man and a woman.

Questions like "What does it mean to be a man or a woman?" are not answered because of confusion or political gain.

Terms like toxic masculinity are used so broadly that they have lost any original meaning. 
There are men who are abusive and hurtful. This is wrong.

At a 2026 CrossCon breakout session on Biblical Manhood, the speaker said, "What gets called Toxic Masculinity is actually Anemic Masculinity, the absence of what makes for high-quality men."

The extremes of manhood seen in the world today are harsh and macho or soft and effeminate.

In this lesson, we are going to look at what Biblical Masculinity and Manhood are.  Not worldly masculinity.  Some of this material was adapted from Help!  I Want to Be a Manly Man  by Andrew Naselli and Biblical Manhood by Stuart Scott.

What does the Bible say it means to be a man?

First Timothy 3 and Titus 1 contain the qualifications of an elder.  The interesting thing about these are how ordinary they are for a Christian.  Above reproach, husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not greedy,  manages his home well, and is not conceited.  These are the characteristics of a Christian man, any Christian man.

Two of them are a little more specific for the elders of the church:  not a new convert, and able to teach.  

Please understand what I am saying and what I am not saying.  These qualifications are not automatic when a man becomes a Christian.  These are characteristics a godly man wants to grow into more and more. Elders and potential elders are examples of these attributes in the church.  

The two more specific characteristics - not a new convert and able to teach - show that the elder has (1) consistently demonstrated these characteristics over time and (2) an ability to help other men grow in these areas.

Andrew Naselli writes, "A manly man is simply. a faithful and fruitful Christian man."

He goes on to say that a manly man is 
on a mission - two parts of this mission are exercise dominion (Genesis 2) and obey the Great Commission (Matthew 28),
responsible,
hardworking and
strong.

The other characteristic we covered in class was Christ-like.
Here are Biblical examples of Jesus Christ's attitudes and actions, the perfect man.  Men, we need to strive to live like Jesus, and this can only be done if you have been saved by Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and trusting in God the Father.

Attitudes	Actions	References
Eternal Mindset	Did the will and work of the Father	Jn 4:34; 5:30;  8:28-29
	Was filled with the Spirit (Word)	Lk 4:1, 14
	Gave the Gospel to others	Mk 1:14-15; Jn 3-4
	Lived a holy, obedient life	1 Pt 2:22; Phil 2:8
Love  and  Understanding	Sought to meet the needs of others	Mt 4:23; Luke 4:18-21
	Sacrificed self and own desires	Lk 22:42; Phil 2:6-8
	Was gentle whenever possible	Mt 11:29; Jn 21:15 - 19
Zeal  Courage Confidence in the LORD	Led the disciples and others	Lk 9:6; Jn 6:2
	Showed initiative when he should have	Mk 5:34-44;  Lk 6:12 - 19
	Confronted when necessary	Mt 23:1-36;  Mk 11:15-18
	Was decisive according to God’s revealed will	Mt 4:1-11 Mk 8:31-38
Conscientious	Fulfilled responsibilities	Jn 17:4; 19:30
	Was diligent	Jn 5:17; Heb 12:3-3
Humility	Served and listened to others in His leadership	Jn 13:12 - 17; 6:5 - 10
	Glorified another (the Father)	Jn 8:50, 54; 17:1, 4

This week's Lead Principle from Paul Tripp was WAR

RESOURCES

Exemplary Husband by Stuart Scott

Help! I Want to Be a Manly Man by Andrew Naselli

Church  Ministries conference - grchurchministriesconference.com/

Previous Be a Disciple/Make Disciples lessons:

1. Be and Make Introduction - drodgersjr.blogspot.com/2025/12/be-and-make-intro.html
2. Ministry & Missions - drodgersjr.blogspot.com/2025/12/ministry-and-missions.html
3. The Bible and Disciplemaking - drodgersjr.blogspot.com/2026/01/bible-and-disciplemaking.html
4. Prayer and Disciplemaking - drodgersjr.blogspot.com/2026/01/prayer-and-disciplemaking.html
5. Time and Productivity - drodgersjr.blogspot.com/2026/01/time-and-productivity.html

Time and Productivity

"The beginning of a new year is an ideal time to stop, look up, and get our bearings."

Don Whitney

Our class on Sunday focused on biblical productivity, a great concept to consider and implement at the beginning of a new year.  The world offers many different definitions, goals, and resources for productivity.  The problem with each is the anchor point.

Balance is the theme of the fourth chapter of Paul Tripp's book Lead.  The common theme throughout the chapter is fleshed out in the following quote.  "It is only when God is in his rightful place in my heart that people and things are in their appropriate place in my thoughts, desires, and actions."  (p. 95)  

Biblical productivity must begin with God in his proper place - Sovereign over all creation and Lord of my life.  

 

Last week, I  had the privilege of preaching on Psalm 138 and the focus was All Your Heart and All Your and All Glory to God.

 

Most of the teaching time was spent working through the PRODUCTIVITY CATECHISM developed by Tim Challies.  A catechism is a set of questions designed for teaching, and this catechism is intended to teach what Biblical productivity is.

Q1.  Ultimately, why did God create us?

God created us to bring glory to Him.  (Romans 11:36; 1 Peter 4:11)

Q2.  How can we glorify God in our day-to-day lives?

We can glorify God in our day-to-day lives by doing good works.  (Matt.  5:16; 1 Peter 2:12) 

Q3.  What are good works?

Good works are works done for the glory of God and the good of others.  (Matt.  5:16; 1 Peter 2:12; 1 Peter 4:10—11) 

Q4.  As sinful people, can we actually do good works?

Yes, Christians are able to do good works because of the finished work of Jesus.  (Eph.  2:10; Titus 2:14)

Q5.  In what areas of life should we do good works?

We ought to do good works at all times and in all areas of life.  (1 Cor 10:31; Titus 2:7, 3:8; 1 Tim. 2:9—10; Gal. 6:10; Acts 9:36)

 Q6.  What is productivity?

Productivity is effectively stewarding your gifts, talents, time, energy, and enthusiasm for the good of others and the glory of God.  (Eph.  5:15—16)

Tim Challies, author of Do More Better, and Matt Perman, author of What's Best Next, share that understanding one's roles and responsibilities is a key part of living a Biblically Productive life.  The Biblical Counseling Coalition offers helpful teaching on the circles of responsibility and concern HERE.

There are God-ordained responsibilities.  In these areas, God must be obeyed.
There are also areas of concern that are not my responsibility.  In these areas, God must be trusted.
The final step in thinking about these areas is recognizing areas needing change.

Resources

• Do More Better by Tim Challies
• Getting Unstuck by Matt Perman
• What's Best Next?  by Matt Perman
• What's Best Next? Tookit:  www.whatsbestnext.com/toolkit/
• Lead by Paul David Tripp:  drodgersjr.blogspot.com/search/label/lead
• 10 Questions to Ask at the Start of a New Year:  www.crossway.org/articles/10-questions-to-ask-at-the-start-of-a-new-year/
• Class posts:  https://tinyurl.com/tbc-pray-prepare
• Church Ministries Conference, March 7, 8:  grchurchministriesconference.com/

Previous Be a Disciple/Make Disciples lessons:

1. Be and Make Introduction - drodgersjr.blogspot.com/2025/12/be-and-make-intro.html
2. Ministry & Missions - drodgersjr.blogspot.com/2025/12/ministry-and-missions.html
3. The Bible and Disciplemaking - drodgersjr.blogspot.com/2026/01/bible-and-disciplemaking.html
4. Prayer and Disciplemaking - drodgersjr.blogspot.com/2026/01/prayer-and-disciplemaking.html