Affirmation Kickoff
Dear LTCC Family,
Thank you. Thank you for how you’ve responded to this time of “pause and pray.” Thank you for praying, as individuals and as a congregation. Thank you for trusting that God has permitted this common crucible for us to be in together as He does His refining work in us, both as individuals and as a church. And thank you for doing it in a way that’s consistent with who we aspire to be, a family growing together. While we may have never imagined that LTCC could be in the place we are today, God in His goodness and grace has permitted it, and we are working through it as we might expect LTCC would. To God be the glory!
As Perry mentioned in his update last Friday, this week we are formally kicking off our annual affirmation process. While it is a process designed specifically for our members, those who have formally covenanted and committed to the church body at LTCC, we invite all those who attend LTCC to engage with the process.
In their book, Rediscover Church – Why the Body of Christ is Essential, Collin Hansen and Jonathan Leeman talk of three “offices” in the church. The office of elder, the office of deacon, and the office of member. Just as the Bible talks of responsibilities associated with the office of elder or deacon, it also has something to say about the “work” of its members. Part of this responsibility is directly connected to the governance of the local church.
When it comes to church members and the elders who oversee the body, Paul instructs members “to give recognition to those who labor among you and lead you in the Lord” (1Thessalonians 5:12-13 CSB). He says that those who “direct the affairs of the church well” are worthy of honor (1Timothy 5:17 NIV). As such, members of a church are to “remember their leaders” and submit to their leadership (Hebrews 13:7, 17 NIV). Our annual affirmation process is a way for the members of LTCC to intentionally do that each year.
With respect to the deacons who serve the church, Acts 6 indicates that they too were “known” by the members of the body. In fact, they were so well known that the church body could attest that they were “of good repute, full of the Spirit and wisdom” (Acts 6:3-5). The affirmation process encourages our members to know those who are leading in the church.
If you’ve not engaged in the affirmation process before, considering our current season at LTCC, this might be a great time to do so. Hopefully, it will help answer some of the questions surfaced about the governing structure at LTCC. It will shed light on why we’ve never had a negative affirmation vote at an annual meeting, as our desire has been that any issues with leadership are resolved before the vote in the spirit of Matthew 5:23-24 and Matthew 18:15. Finally, the affirmation process encourages us to pray – in that respect, we are already engaged in the process.
So, by working through our Affirmation web page, you’ll learn more about what we desire to accomplish through our annual process. You’ll get an overview of how to use the next several weeks to prepare for affirming our leaders and as already mentioned, you’ll find several resources that help explain how the roles of elder, deacon, and member can intersect for a healthy, unified church. Finally, you’ll also be able to provide input on the process and, beginning in January, members will be able to vote to affirm our leaders. (The results of voting will be shared at the annual members meeting, Sunday January 29th after the morning service.)
Engaging in the process will take some time and effort, but we think, especially at this juncture, it will be useful as we move forward.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to one of the elders or deacons or use the feedback form on the affirmation page if you have questions or comments.
Praying that the Head of our church would be glorified through His body,
The elders
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