Sunday Morning, March 26, 2000
Ward Street Church of Christ
Wallingford, Connecticut
Introduction
On Sunday, November 7, 1999, I was privileged to preside in the ordination of Lee Pawloski and George Souto
as they became the first two elders in the history of our congregation. Today, Sunday, March 26, 2000, we,
the Ward Street Church of Christ, have reached another milestone.
One of the first major goals we wanted to pursue following the appointment of our elders, was the appointment
of deacons. Today we will ordain six men to assume this role and work.
Deacons: The Biblical Teaching
In the lessons that led us into the nomination process, we discovered that the New Testament provides not only
for there to be elders in every congregation; it also provides for the appointment of men called "deacons."
In our study of what the New Testament teaches, we emphasized that the word "deacon" is translated from a word
that generally means "servant." Of course, all Christians are called by God to be servants. A deacon is a
servant who is distinct in two respects: (1) He matches with the qualities of deacons listed in 1 Timothy 3:8-13.
(2) He has been selected by the local church and, then, appointed to serve and to be responsible for an on-going
ministry in the congregation.
In short, a deacon's job is to serve, by carrying out special tasks, under the direction of the elders, in order
to advance the mission of the church. In doing this, a deacon becomes great. It was Jesus who said, "He who is
greatest among you shall be your servant." (Matthew 23:11).
The Procedure We Followed
The procedure we followed in nominating deacons was very similar to the process we followed for our elders. After
a period in which the congregation studied the Scriptures that refer to deacons, we announced the schedule for the
nomination process. In time, each member in good standing received a nomination form, with two weeks to turn it
in completed. Our elders tallied the nominations and contacted each man who had been nominated by at least 50% of
those responding. (Other men who did not reach the 50% level were also contacted and informed of the considerable
support they received). The names of nominees were announced two weeks ago, along with each man's job description.
Description of Ministries
The elders and I agreed that it would be important for the congregation to have a good sense of the actual work
responsibilities of our deacons. At this time, George Souto,
Bob Brown and, then, Lee Pawloski will come and describe the
responsibilities that are being assigned to these men today. . . .
Formal Commission
John Wooding, Darin Offerdahl, Roger
Lavoie, , Michael Urban.
Recognizing your gifts for Christian service, today we set you apart as men in whom we can place trust and confidence
as deacons. We are calling you to share in the work of providing service to and in behalf of the Ward Street Church
of Christ.
As we call you to do this, we remember the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, who said: "The Son of Man did not come to
be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Because of the words and the example of Christ, the greatest servant of all:
We, the Ward Street Church, expect you to embrace the work for which you have been chosen.
We expect you to serve as best you can, with energy, imagination, and love.
We except you to commit yourselves to the preparation and planning that your work will require.
We expect you to keep in mind that, from this day forward, you will be seen by others as distinct representatives of
the Church of Christ. And if, according to James chapter 3, teachers are held to a higher standard, it will certainly
be no less for you as deacons.
Finally, we expect you to rely on God's grace for your strength, so that you will always see your work as an opportunity
and not as a burden.
We are confident you will do this. We give thanks for the gifts that you have to offer. And we look forward to the good
things that will come from your work.
Concluding Remarks and Prayer
As we close, Lee Pawloski will lead us in prayer for the men who stand before you, as well as for this entire congregation.
This prayer will mark the ordination of these men and the dismissal of our assembly today.
Once we have prayed and dismissed, I would ask you to stay for just a moment, make your way to the front, extend a hand,
give a hug, and express your affirmation. Let's encourage these men who have agreed to serve as deacons.
Frank Bellizzi
Our Deacons