Officers, both elders and deacons, hold a pivotal role in our church community as servant leaders ordained to guide, support, and minister to our congregation. Their dedication and commitment help foster a nurturing and spiritually enriching environment within Covenant. As pillars of support and stewards of our church's mission, officers play an integral part in embodying Christ's teachings through their service and leadership.

We invite you as officers, whether seasoned or new, to explore these training resources designed to enhance your understanding and welcome you to your role. May God bless you in your  growth, learning, and faithful service as we seek to strengthen our community together.

 

Resources for All Officers

 

 

Elder Training

 

How to Use This Tool 

This tool contains 8 self-paced, one-hour modules, designed for officer training before and after your ordination/installation. Aim for one module weekly; it's flexible, allowing you to work ahead. Dive into each week's scripture and then select from various resources like videos, articles, and podcasts. Some resources are listed as "Resources for Going Deeper" and would be useful if you're interested in going further, but aren't necessary to review. These modules are intended to go along with training sessions with your pastor(s) which will facilitate reflection, queries, and deeper dives into the topics covered.

Table of Contents

• Week 1: Called to Service in the PC(USA)

• Week 2: Introduction to Presbyterian Polity

• Week 3: Basics of Reformed History, Theology, and Worship

• Week 4: Leadership for Ministry

• Week 5: Mission

• Week 6: All About Stewardship

• Week 7: Communication and Healthy Boundaries for Church Leaders

• Week 8: Your Ordination Vows

Week 2: Introduction to Presbyterian Polity

Scripture: Ephesians 4 (The Message Translation)

(article) Covenant Session Norms 
(coursework) Equip: A PC(U.S.A.) training hub. Scroll down to "Course Categories" to find Ruling Elder resources
(article) 10 Things Ruling Elders Should Know
(video) How to Use the Book of Order (from 1st PC Texarkana)
*please note the Book of Order and Book of Confessions can be accessed through the links above

(video) Session REF: A Training Film
(article) Guided by Our Confessions

Resources for Going Deeper:

(document) Handbook for Elders (by Frank Wamsley)
*Covenant will do a few things differently than this document suggests, but it is a great start in learning the nuances of being an elder.
(document) Roberts Rules of Order Simplified
(powerpoint) Principles of Presbyterian Polity (by Grady Parsons)

Week 4: Leadership for Ministry

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31

(video) Being Leaders from Theocademy
(podcast) Along the Road leadership podcast from PC(U.S.A.)
(document) Moderating Meetings - RE: Ruling Elders Series
(article) Meetings as God's Leading

Resources for Going Deeper:

(video) How Great Leaders Inspire Action, Simon Sinek; TED Talk
(video) Ronald Heifetz: The nature of adaptive leadership from Faith and Leadership
(podcast) Developing Effective Leaders from Leading Ideas Talks
(article) What does it mean to be a denomination today? (Faith Forward)
*substitute PC(USA) for RCA when you're reading this

Week 6: All About Stewardship

Scripture: Luke 18:15-30

(booklet) Stewardship 101 (Luther Seminary Center for Stewardship Leaders)
(article) Insights in Faith Based Generosity (Lake Institute)
(video) Principals of Financial Reporting (The Presbyterian Foundation)

 

Resources for Going Deeper:

(video) Reading Church Financial Statements (The Presbyterian Foundation)
(podcast) What's Happening with Money and Congregations (The Lewis Center for Church Leadership, 2019)
(article) Will the Church Financially Survive the COVID-19 Pandemic? (Faith & Leadership at Duke University)
(website) The Center for Faith and Giving
(research) National Study of Congregations' Economic Practices - Lake Institute on Faith and Giving (2019)

 

Week 8: Your Ordination Vows

 

(article) Ordination (Regarding Ruling Elders Series)
(study) The Ordination Questions: A Study for Church Officers by Howard L. Rice and Calvin Chinn

 

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Deacon Training

Card Ministry

Deacons write cards to home-bound church members and people on the church prayer list. Below is a document with suggestions on how to begin writing cards.

Visitation Training

 Deacons support home-bound and sick members by regularly visiting them. See the below documents and videos for more information on how best to support someone with a visit.

 

The videos below are a five-part series designed to help you develop the skills you already have to share kindness and compassion with others, particularly in situations that Deacons might encounter.