Elder
I can't believe what has happened to me in the last week. When I took this job I was excited because I was going to be learning a lot about working with youth, going on trips and growing spiritually and mentally. I didn't realize how much I was going to be growing until Pastor Don told me about the newest meeting I needed to attend -the Elders meetings. I had known it was going to be a growing year when I started going to the church board meetings. Those were something that I had always wanted to be a part of but never knew how to. But the Elders meeting was a BIG one. To me this is a big step spiritually. It is me taking a stand and saying I choose to follow Jesus and I choose to be an active part of this church - the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
So I went to my first meeting a week or so ago. I was a bit lost as to what they do at those meetings, and I felt very young and inexperienced. But you know what? I loved it. I was a part of something bigger than myself and I was an active member of the church. We talked about the following church service, Saturday November 8. The service where they were going to have the ordination of elders, the ordination of me. I was going to be ordained. I never, in my short life, thought I would be ordained an elder. Sure I had seen others and thought it would be neat, but I never thought it would happen to me. Sure I had read 1 Timothy 3 but I just never realized I could do it, that I could be an elder.
Here I was sitting in the pew on a Sabbath morning waiting for Pastor Don to call the new Elders, Deacon and Deaconesses up front. I felt very excited and quietly wished my parents could be there to see me get ordained even though I am not sure what they would have said or if they even understand what it means to me. I was excited and honored. When Pastor Don had us called up there he started to read 1 Timothy 3 quoting it, and it took me a minute to realize he was using it to describe myself and Ryan (the other assistant Chaplain). He was saying that we must exhibit self-control, live wisely, have a good reputation, enjoy guests in my home, be gentle, peace loving, not love money. He said, "they must be committed to the Christian faith". Then he and the current Elders gathered around us and laid their hands on us as Pastor Don prayed for our ministry and us.
Being ordained an Elder in my church was a beautiful moment. To me it was a bigger moment than my baptism. I knew what I was doing as I was baptized many years ago but now in my life I knew even more about my faith, what it meant to sacrifice, the pain that would come with living for Christ and my choice to follow Christ and now to lead others to Christ as an Elder.
I am doing the best that I can to follow Christ and live according to His word. Please pray for me as I work among the students of Calhoun, Georgia.
So I went to my first meeting a week or so ago. I was a bit lost as to what they do at those meetings, and I felt very young and inexperienced. But you know what? I loved it. I was a part of something bigger than myself and I was an active member of the church. We talked about the following church service, Saturday November 8. The service where they were going to have the ordination of elders, the ordination of me. I was going to be ordained. I never, in my short life, thought I would be ordained an elder. Sure I had seen others and thought it would be neat, but I never thought it would happen to me. Sure I had read 1 Timothy 3 but I just never realized I could do it, that I could be an elder.
Here I was sitting in the pew on a Sabbath morning waiting for Pastor Don to call the new Elders, Deacon and Deaconesses up front. I felt very excited and quietly wished my parents could be there to see me get ordained even though I am not sure what they would have said or if they even understand what it means to me. I was excited and honored. When Pastor Don had us called up there he started to read 1 Timothy 3 quoting it, and it took me a minute to realize he was using it to describe myself and Ryan (the other assistant Chaplain). He was saying that we must exhibit self-control, live wisely, have a good reputation, enjoy guests in my home, be gentle, peace loving, not love money. He said, "they must be committed to the Christian faith". Then he and the current Elders gathered around us and laid their hands on us as Pastor Don prayed for our ministry and us.
Being ordained an Elder in my church was a beautiful moment. To me it was a bigger moment than my baptism. I knew what I was doing as I was baptized many years ago but now in my life I knew even more about my faith, what it meant to sacrifice, the pain that would come with living for Christ and my choice to follow Christ and now to lead others to Christ as an Elder.
I am doing the best that I can to follow Christ and live according to His word. Please pray for me as I work among the students of Calhoun, Georgia.
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