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 – 

  1. Name of the person you are nominating
  2. Contact information for that person
  3. A description of your relationship with that person
  4. 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.