Leadership for growth
Acts 6:1-7
Luke is very
realistic in his portrayal of the early Christians. Never more so than here in
this story of failure – especially on the part of the Twelve – and a crisis
that leads to restructuring community.
1) problem shared…
The early Christians
shared their possessions so that no one in the community was in need. (2:44f;
4:32-37); this was a matter of holiness not just social or personal preference
(hence 5:1-11 – what a church meeting that was!): here this system was breaking
down with serious consequences:
i) division: the crisis was a cultural one – Greek speakers
versus Aramaic speakers – and a generational one (the people at centre of it
were widows and so likely to be middle aged or elderly and mainly women). The dispute
was not theological but it was breeding discontent and dissatisfaction. It’s
likely that the Hebrews felt they were an in-crowd while the Hellenists were
outsiders, new comers.
ii) distraction: the apostles can’t do their job of
proclaiming the good news – the church suffers but so do those not yet in the
church because the proclamation of the Word is being hampered by this row
needing the apostles’ full attention.
2)…problem solved
A potential split between
cultures and generations is averted by the 12 taking some simple steps to turn the
crisis into an opportunity for growth:
i) Looking: the 12 saw that the complaint was true and
it was affecting new comers, people who felt vulnerable and older people in the
community who had no one to support them.
ii) learning: three times the 12 use the word for serve
(1, 2 & 4); they see that everything the church does is service –
preaching, counting money, administration prayer; but it can’t all be led by the
same small group: the 12 can’t and shouldn’t do it all
iii) listening: they called the whole church together (2 – this
is an ironic statement because it’s what’s actually happening!). The church heard
the 12 saying ‘we’ve blown it; things have got to change; running welfare stops
us doing what God’s called us to’
iv) laying plans: the 12 proposed a way forward: spread the load
by giving others real responsibility (3b); it’s up to the newcomers, the
minority to choose 7 people who’ll do this. (all those chosen have Greek
names). All the 12 insisted on was that the 7 had the character to lead (3b).
v) lived out lessons: the 12 preached, the 7 did their thing and
the church grew. No doubt as a result others saw leadership potential in
themselves: for there to be growth, leadership to function at all levels of the
community, according to God’s gift and call.
ü
If the 12
had carried on as they had been going, growth would have been stifled and they
would have collapsed from exhaustion
ü
If the 7
hadn’t been willing to serve, growth would have been stifled, discontent would
have festered and people would have lost heart.
So, what are the lessons
for us here at
ü
If you
feel neglected, unheard, passed over – tell us and be prepared to take a lead (with
others) in whatever solution is thrashed out by the church;
ü
If we
are going to experience the kind of growth God wants for us, we have to let new
people lead, bring their insights and experiences, gifts and calling – after
all, it’s why God’s brought them to us;
ü
If you
feel God is calling you to lead at whatever level in church, talk to us –
there’s whole range of things need doing and the ministry team can’t and
shouldn’t be responsible for it all.
Possible areas for discussion
What are the things
that divide us from one another? What can we do about it?
How can we ensure
that everyone’s voice is heard in the church?
Does hearing people
mean that they will always get what they want?
Do you think the
twelve apostles were to blame for what went wrong in the distribution of
support to those in need?
How do we
understand leadership? What do we think leaders ought to be doing? In what way
are they ‘responsible’ (v3)?
How can we ensure
that we have enough people to fill all the leadership roles we have in the
church? Should all leaders be appointed the same way?
Should we have
leaders who represent various sections of the church?
How do we ensure
that the church remains focused on its essential task of proclaiming the good
news of Jesus to our neighbours? What role do leaders play in this?