One of the responsibilities and privileges of church membership is praying for potential leaders and nominating them to our church’s Session and Diaconate. Many of you have spent this month praying for the nomination process and potential nominees, and I want to thank you for caring for our community in this way. Nominations are now open and we strongly encourage you to think and pray about those you know in our community who may be called to serve in these capacities:

The Roles and Responsibilities of Elders

Elders oversee the doctrine, vision, mission and spiritual formation of the church. Theyoversee and care for Community Groups and their leaders, they meet and counsel members, they lead us in prayer during worship, and they consider the big-picture questions our ministry faces. You can › listen to this sermon on the office of elder for qualities to look for, or › read a blog post on the office of elder.

Who to consider: You might look for men who’ve exhibited shepherding qualities, such as past and present CG leaders.

The Roles and Responsibilities of the Diaconate

The men and women of our Diaconate equip our congregation in the work of mercy and justice. They oversee our relationship with our local partner ministries, they address the physical needs of our community, they oversee our mercy team and local mercy initiatives, they equip us through forums and conferences and help manage our budget. You can › listen to a sermon on the Diaconate or › read a blog post on the role of the Diaconate.

Who to consider: You might look for men or women who’ve exhibited wisdom in service, such as those who serve on the Mercy Team.

Prerequisites To Submit A Nomination

You must be a member in good standing at Grace Downtown to nominate someone.
You may not nominate yourself, or lobby others to nominate you.

Process For Submitting A Nomination

Verify with nominee(s) that they are a member in good standing at Grace DC and meet the following additional requirements:

They have been a Christian for 3 years,
They have been a member of Grace DC for at least one year (see list of eligible members below),
They must have either taken the Discipleship Catalyst or be willing to within the next year.
They are a Community Group member.

Ask your nominee(s) if they are willing and able to serve as an officer, prayerfully considering: their calling, season in life, and intention to serve for at least two years.

› Submit your nomination(s). You may nominate multiple people for each office/role. You may submit your nominations all at once or fill out the form multiple times. Nominations are due Feb 1, 2016 by 5 pm.

Those who receive at least three nominations, including at least one from outside their Community Group, will be invited by the Session to participate in the candidate training process. All nominations will be held in confidence by Session; please also hold them in confidence.