ELDERS IN THE 21ST CENTURY
By John Sharick
Presbyterian Church (USA)
May 2003

The Book of Order presents the tasks of a Session (G 10.0000). However, within and around the tasks set forth within the Book of Order there are responsibilities that are defined by the particular contemporary culture/context within which God is calling the Session to lead and witness.

Here are some of those "contextual" jobs upon which a Session is called to focus in this culture of the 21st millennium.

1. Continue faithfulness to Jesus Christ and his witness in a post Christendom, post traditional, secular and church culture. We are a churched culture ministering in an unchurched culture.

2. Lead the congregation in establishing a VISION, a well defined doable MISSION and CORE VALUES. (DNA). Be clear about the PURPOSE of the congregation and stick with it!

3. Pay particular attention to the quality of spiritual, social, and ministry (work) life within the congregation (what lies within and beyond the congregation's organization and structure).

4. Balance the ministry and mission of the congregation between "inside" and "outside" the community of faith, thus being missional (sent, not sending people) from a strong and firm base.

5. Think and act transformation and transition-what needs to change in order to be more relevant, effective, faithful and vital as the people of Jesus Christ. (Change often causes conflict-see 9 below.) Being a churched culture in the midst of an unchurched culture calls for transformation.

6. Be aware of, study, and consider dutifully those cultural changes in and around the congregation which are affecting the what, when, how, and where of its ministry. (Relates to 1&5.)

7. Think "organic" and systems. Everything in the life of the congregation is affected by, and affects, everything else-inter connected! The Apostle Paul said it. Believe it! It is OK to rethink, tear up, and plant new things.

8. Transfer increasingly the ownership, participation, and energy of doing ministry and mission from the pastor to the people in the tradition of the laos (Greek for the people). Help the congregation be MISSION FOCUSED, not PASTOR FOCUSED.

9. Help the congregation see the constructive place of conflict in the life of the congregation. Do not be conflict phobic. Rather, use conflict management as an effective tool of administration, starting with members of the Session understanding conflict and conflict resolution!

10. Be in continued communication with the congregation-written, personal, as a group. Develop a church culture within which the congregation understands the Session is leading, listening, and launching (transition and transformation). Be INTERDEPENDENT. No triangles.