Shepherd's Corner (September 10, 2025)

Shepherd's Corner Sept 10 2025Brian Lee

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Dear Riverside Family,

As a church, we are in an important season of discerning servant-leaders whom God may be calling to serve as deacons and elders. Many of you have prayerfully submitted nominations, and the Session has also prayerfully sought to discern the final list of nominees. Now the next step begins. The Session will contact those nominated to explain, encourage, and invite them to accept the potential call. The process will include informing the church of the final list of nominees (9/21), a congregational meeting (9/28), followed by equipping the saints for the work of ministry.

This process is not about popularity, personality, or friendship. It is about seeking God’s will and affirming His call among us. The Bible teaches us that the offices of elder and deacon are not human inventions but God’s design for the care, service, and governance of His people. In Acts 6:3, the apostles instructed, “Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them.” The apostles were referring to the vital task of meeting the needs of the Gospel community. In 1 Timothy 3, Paul carefully outlines the qualifications for elders and deacons, emphasizing character, spiritual maturity, and faithful service.

We also recognize that it is natural for those nominated to feel unworthy or not yet ready. The Bible is full of those who felt that way. Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue” (Exodus 4:10). Jeremiah likewise responded, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth” (Jeremiah 1:6). Yet God often calls those who feel their weakness most deeply, so that His grace and power might shine through them.

For this reason, we encourage our brothers and sisters who have been nominated not to step away too quickly or decline prematurely. The process of nomination, examination, and congregational confirmation is itself part of discerning God’s will. To bypass it would be to short-circuit the way the Lord works through His church. Instead, allow the process to unfold, trusting that if God is indeed calling, He will provide the needed grace. And if He is not calling this time, that too will become clear in due time through the collective wisdom of the body.

Let us, as a congregation, continue to pray earnestly for those nominated, that they may seek God’s face, listen for His voice, and lean on His strength. And may we as a church walk together in humility, discernment, and unity, “submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21).

Together, let us discern God’s call.

In His Grace Alone,

Pastor Brian