The elders at First Free are opening up a nomination period and invite anyone from the congregation to nominate one or more individuals to serve as an elder in the future.
Nomination period: between now and January 31, 2023.
What does it mean to be an elder at First Free?
- Jesus Christ is the head of the church; the elders are shepherds affirmed by the members to lead in the church under Christ.
- Elders lead through prayer, teaching, mentoring, casting vision, and encouraging the church to pursue mission.
- Any man or woman who meets the qualifications listed in Scripture and is an active member of the church can be nominated to serve as an elder.
- Elder nominees who agree to be mentored* will become elder apprentices to the current elder team for 6-9 months before moving forward as elder candidates.
Scripture to study: 1 Peter 5:1-4; Acts 20:28-35; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:6-9; Ephesians 4
How to submit a nomination:
Email elders@firstfree.com with the following –
- Name of the person you are nominating
- Contact information for that person
- A description of your relationship with that person
- A description of that person’s character, leadership qualities, and how you have seen them live out their faith in Christ by actively participating in the life of the church.
Note: if you nominate someone, please let them know – this is a great opportunity to encourage a fellow sister or brother in Christ!
Elder mentoring process:
In summary, the mentoring of elder apprentices will include prayer, book studies, character assessment (using a questionnaire from the EFCA), auditing elder meetings, and many conversations with current elders. An apprentice will have two mentor elders coaching them.
An elder apprentice makes a commitment to learn. After 6-9 months, she or he can choose to continue on as an elder candidate or to serve in the church in another way.
