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This podcast is a production of Watermark Community Church in Dallas, Texas, USA. Watermark exists to be and make more fully devoted followers of Christ, looking to God's Word as our only authority, conscience and guide.
Good morning, Watermark. How are we doing today? It's good to see everyone. I grieve with all of the Aggies in the room. I just want to say it. I invite your prayers and encouragement. Some of y'all are living your best life today because of… I'll give you this moment. Just take it. Just have it. Get it out. Get it out now. All right. Blake, you need to sit down. Thank you.
Hey, it's good to see everyone today. If this is your first time ever with us at Watermark, we truly are honored that you would trust us with your Sunday morning. My hope for everyone in the room is that you would take a step with Jesus. You're going to make a decision right now whether you're going to tune out or halfway engage, go through the motions, or if you're going to meet with God. I believe he wants to speak to us. The God of the universe wants to reach into your life this morning and speak to you.
So, I just want to give you an opportunity right now to ask him to do that. Would you pray for yourself and say, "God, would you speak to me today?" Then, would you pray for the people around you and ask God to speak to them as well? Then, would you pray for me and ask God to speak through me to you?
Lord Jesus, this is your church, and we are here to exalt you. So, Holy Spirit, I pray right now that you would clear up our minds, that you would drive out any distractions, that you would ready our hearts and our minds. Lord, would you give us eyes to see you and ears to hear from you and hearts to receive all that you have for us today? We love you, and we give this time to you. In Jesus' name, amen.
Last week, we had a message on leadership, and today is another message on leadership. If you identified yourself last Sunday as a leader, no matter what realm you're leading in… It could be at your workplace. It could be here in the church. It could be in your home or your neighborhood. I remember, years ago, a mentor of mine talking about the fact that every leader rests their head on a pillow of responsibility. Just think about that. If you consider yourself a leader, every day, every night, you rest your head on a pillow of responsibility.
When he said that, it resonated with me. I've shared this before, but I am a high-maintenance sleeper. The pillow I sleep on matters. Some of you men are going to judge me for this, and I'm totally fine with that. When I travel, I travel with my pillow. I pack my pillow every time. Part of the reason for that is that I'm a stomach sleeper. I know that's not right, but I don't want to get to a hotel room and it's like sleeping on a balloon. You know, those big pillows that are thick and like a rock. I don't want to be sleeping with my neck cocked the whole time to where I can't move it the next day. Or, I don't want to put my face into one of those pillows that you sink into, and it's like it's trying to kill me. So, I bring my own pillow.
Now, I can control the consistency of the pillow I sleep on at night, but when it comes to leadership, you don't get to control the consistency of the pillow of responsibility you rest your head on. There are times in leadership where the pillow of responsibility is big and hard. Then, there are other times where the pillow of responsibility feels small, flat, and soft. There are other times where the pillow of responsibility gets on top of you and you don't know if you're going to make it. It's a pillow of responsibility.
Today, I want to talk about a very specific pillow of responsibility in the church. I want to talk about the pillow of responsibility known as _eldership_. I want to talk specifically about the role of elder in the church. The reason I want to do that is that as we step back into the book of Acts, in Acts 20, we get to the point in Paul's message… This is the only message in the book of Acts that is solely for a Christian audience. Paul is speaking specifically to the elders in Ephesus, and we get to the point in his message that is solely for elders in a church.
So, I want to unpack for you the pillow of responsibility that the elders here at Watermark have. Let me show you a picture of the elders at Watermark just so you know who I'm talking about when I give this message. From left to right, you have Ben Caldwell, Scott Coy, Blake Holmes, Kyle Thompson, and Rob Thomas.
Todd Anders is right there in the middle on the screen. Just so you know, this is how amazing and faithful Todd is. In that picture, Todd had seven broken ribs, but Todd was like, "I'm not missing the meeting." He called in. He was in Montana with seven broken ribs. Just faithful man of God in the meeting.
Then you have Mickey Friedrich, Dean Macfarlan, Brett Johnston, and I am Timothy Ateek. These are the 10 elders here at Watermark. What I want to unpack for you is the pillow of responsibility we have in our role as elders. Now, let me say this. When you hear the topic for today, it would be normal for you to think, "Well, this has nothing to do with me," because the majority of people in this room… Unless you're one of these 10 people, you're not an elder. So, you might hear that and be like, "Well, this message doesn't concern me."
Here's why I think it does. First, my hope today is that you might be encouraged to pray for your elders, and I would ask that you would. I'm so encouraged when I run into people who are like, "I pray for the elders of my church every day." That's incredible. Thank you for doing that. One of the other reasons I think this message is important is that God might use this message in some of your lives to spark a desire for the office of elder, that today God might begin to stir some of you to aspire to the office.
The third reason I think this message is important… I remember Rob Thomas telling a group of us years ago that years before he ever became an elder, he made a decision that he wanted to be elder-like. So, that began a process for him, through the transforming power of the gospel, effected by the Holy Spirit, where he took steps toward becoming more elder-like. My hope for our church is that our church would be filled with thousands of elder-like men and women. Do you want to be part of a healthy church? Then become an elder-like man or woman, because when there are thousands of people like that, the health of the church rises.
So, if you have a Bible, I want to invite you to turn with me to Acts 20. I'm going to warn you. I'm going to be teaching more than I'm preaching today. I'm going to be glued to my iPad a little bit more than I normally am. One of the reasons for that is that words matter, and I want to be precise today as I seek to unpack for you the role of elder. So, here we go. Acts 20. Let me read to you verses 28-31. Paul says, **"Pay careful attention to yourselves…"** He's talking to the elders.
**"Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears."**
The first thing I want you to know about the role of the elder is that _elder is an office_. It is an official office. We saw Paul say that the elders were _made_ overseers. In 1 Timothy 3:1, Paul says, **"The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer…"** It is an official office. To be even more specific, it is an office held by a plurality of men in a local church.
So, Paul is talking to a plurality of men specifically in Ephesus. They are local. They are elders. It's a plurality of men in a specific local church. In the Bible, we aren't given a specific number that every church is supposed to have in terms of elders. Here at Watermark, we've had as few as 3 and as many as 10. Our governance states that we will have no fewer than 3 and no more than 10. That is specific to Watermark.
The second thing I want you to know is that _elder is an office in Jesus' church_. Paul just said, **"Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood."** That tells us the church is God's church.
This church doesn't belong to me. It doesn't belong to the elders. It belongs to God. The people of God belong to God, because God took on flesh in the person of Jesus Christ, and he obtained his people with his own blood. We just celebrated Communion where we remembered the perfect life and sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.
His body was broken and his blood was shed to make payment for our sins so we wouldn't have to make our own payment. Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the third day, triumphing over Satan, sin, and death. He has obtained the people of God with his own blood. It's Jesus' church. That's why Paul says in Colossians 1:18, **"And he** \[Jesus\] **is the head of the body, the church."**
So, let me say it one more time. Watermark Community Church is Jesus' church. The elders and I are clear that our role as elders has nothing to do with superiority; it has everything to do with stewardship. We have been asked to steward what belongs to Jesus. That's why when I prayed just a minute ago, I acknowledged to God that this is his church. Often, when we gather as elders to pray, someone will pray, "Jesus, this is your church." So, we're asking God to help us be faithful with what belongs to him.
The next thing I want you to know is the _office of elder is a calling_. It's a calling that God places on the hearts of certain men. Again, Paul says, **"Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers…"** Each elder in Ephesus was placed in the office by God. It was a work of the Holy Spirit.
Again, Paul says in 1 Timothy 3:1, "The saying is trustworthy: if anyone aspires to the office of elder…" As I've already said, my hope today is that, for some of you, the Holy Spirit would begin to prompt something in you, stir something in you, that you would begin to aspire to the office of elder.
But there are going to be many people in the room today who hear the message and leave here thinking, "I am so glad I am not an elder, and I never want to become an elder." It's a calling. It is a calling to lead Jesus' church through the really sweet seasons of the church and through the seasons where you don't know if you or the church is going to make it unless Jesus holds it together. It's a calling.
The next thing I want you to know is the _office of elder is reserved for men who remain qualified_. All of that wording is very important. It is an office reserved for men who remain qualified. Paul started out verse 28 saying, **"Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock…"** Elders must pay careful attention to themselves. Why? Because elders can actually become disqualified from serving in the office.
If you look in 1 Timothy 3 or Titus 1, Paul spells out the qualifications of an elder. So, what I want to do is I want to read to you both passages that articulate the qualifications for an elder. When I talk about this church being filled with thousands of elder-like men and women, this is what I'm talking about. So, imagine going through these qualifications and asking the Holy Spirit to bring these about in your life. Listen to what 1 Timothy 3:1-7 says.
**"The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife…"** That's why we say it's reserved specifically for men. **"…sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.**
**He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil."**
Now let me read to you Titus 1. A lot of it is similar, but there are a few things that are added. Here's what Paul says in Titus 1.
**"…if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it."**
Those are the qualifications for an elder. How amazing would it be if this church was filled with thousands of elder-like men and women? Now, I want to be clear. Elders aren't perfect. Every elder is still growing in Christ. I am still growing in Christ one day at a time. Each of us is still growing in prayer, growing in surrender, growing in being led by the Holy Spirit. Remaining qualified is the overflow of a daily, abiding relationship with Jesus Christ.
You also need to know that as Paul says, "Pay careful attention to yourselves," the elders and I feel responsible for shepherding one another. We are responsible for walking openly and honestly with one another. It's not uncommon for elders in our elder meetings to confess sin to one another so we can be known and loved by the team, because we know there is an enemy who seeks to disqualify us.
The next thing I want you to know is the _responsibility of elders is to shepherd_. Notice the language Paul uses. He says, **"Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock…"** He uses shepherd imagery. Later on, he talks about those who would promote false doctrine in the church, and he refers to them as _wolves_. He is using shepherd imagery because the responsibility of elders is to shepherd. Peter says in 1 Peter 5:2, **"…shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight…"**
So, what does it mean for elders to be responsible for shepherding the flock? Well, the Bible is laced with shepherd imagery. I mean, the most famous passage in the entire Bible is Psalm 23, which says, "The Lord is my shepherd." The Bible is laced with shepherd imagery. If you were to go and survey all the shepherd imagery, you would find that shepherds do at least four things.
The first thing shepherds do is _shepherds_ _lead the sheep_. When I talk about leading, I'm talking about the path and the pace. Elders must discern what is God's path for Watermark Community Church, where we are headed, and the pace to get there. What you need to know is the elders of Watermark meet for an hour every week just to pray. Like, that is the agenda. We don't let anything else impose on that agenda. We meet for an hour just for prayer.
Then we have a separate two-and-a-half- to three-hour meeting every week where we are taking ground with God's path and pace for the church. The elders were responsible for clarifying our vision statement and our 10 markers a couple of years ago. The elders just met with 1,400 of you who are leading in ministries across the church, and we clarified for you how we make disciples here at Watermark with the 10 markers.
At the end of the summer, the elders and I clarified the next year and a half of sermon series based on the needs we sense in the body and the things God is seeking to cultivate in his people here. The elders and I have spent over a year working to clarify a system and structure that allows every member to grow into spiritual maturity and to receive care that they need from their church.
Currently, the elders and I are seeking to discern if the Lord is inviting us to expand through purchasing property around the church, starting new campuses, and planting churches. One of the most important aspects of leading is leading by example. Every elder is seeking to grow as a disciple and is intentionally discipling others. So, shepherds lead the sheep.
The second aspect of shepherding is that _shepherds feed the sheep_. The elders and I are responsible for feeding the sheep. That's what we're doing right now. We're responsible for nourishing you with the Word of God. This is why we primarily teach through books of the Bible. Some of y'all are like, "When are we going to be done with Acts?" It's coming, the middle of November.
We've been going passage by passage. Why? Because we are a Bible-revering church. There's great value and benefit from us seeking to squeeze out of God's Word everything he has for us there. And there's a reason we don't skip the difficult passages. Our aim is to exalt Christ through the teaching of God's Word, led by the Holy Spirit, in hopes that we will all take steps toward maturity in Christ.
Hopefully you'll be encouraged to know the reason I just said what _we're_ doing right now is feeding the sheep and I didn't just say that's what _I'm_ doing right now is because before every Sunday morning when I get up here, I have already sent my sermon manuscript… I write out my messages almost word for word and send them to the elders, because I want them to have as clear of a picture as possible of what I intend to communicate from Jesus' stage so that, through their wisdom and discernment, they can make sure I'm not offering you spiritual food poisoning, because we're responsible for feeding the sheep.
Let me just say this. If you're here this morning and are just visiting, or you don't have a relationship with God, and you're like, "Man, I came on the wrong Sunday; this is a talk about elders," let me just say maybe God brought you here for _this_ specific moment, because maybe you've never been fed the gospel of Jesus Christ.
What I want you to hear is that God loves you and wants you, but nobody is born right with God. You can be forgiven by God today. You can be right with your Maker today. You can actually be given a completely new start. You can be made new today, but it's not going to come by you making a decision right now, like, "Oh, you know what? This church thing is a good thing. I'm going to start coming to church more." Or, "You know what? I'm going to try to become a more spiritual person. I'm just going to try and better myself." That's not how you get right with God.
Nobody can get right with God in their own effort. What I want you to hear is that Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, lived a perfect life because we never could. Jesus Christ died on a cross, and when he died, he was making payment for all of your sin and mine. He was suffering punishment for all of _your_ offenses toward God and all of _my_ offenses toward God.
On the third day, he walked out of the tomb, which was a demonstration that he was victorious over Satan, sin, and death. Why? To demonstrate he has secured new and eternal life for all who would put their trust in him. If you don't know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then let today be the day where you turn from sin (that's repentance), turn toward Jesus, and receive him fully as your Lord and Savior. Today can be the day where you are right with God for the first time.
The next aspect of shepherding is _shepherds_ _protect the sheep_. Paul says in verse 29, **"I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them."** We're responsible for protecting you.
This is why we identify from the stage beliefs and practices that are unbiblical. This is why we call out evil in a world where people who identify as Christians are justifying evil. Also, in extreme cases, we will remove people from membership, and in the worst of cases, prohibit them from coming on our campus because of the spiritual, emotional, or physical harm they could cause to the sheep here, to the flock here at Watermark.
The fourth thing shepherds do is _shepherds care for the sheep_. Listen to what Hebrews 13:17 says. **"Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account."** This is saying elders are responsible, and I want you to know every elder on the team carries a responsibility for your spiritual well-being.
We believe we will stand before God one day and give an account for how we sought to care for you. This is why our membership goes to zero every January. This is why we ask every member to renew their membership: so that we know who's even under our care, so that we know who we are responsible for. I'm going to talk more about care in a few minutes, but what I want to do now is to answer some Watermark-specific questions regarding elders.
Here's the first question I want to answer for you…_What is the process for becoming an elder at Watermark?_ Maybe you're sitting there today, saying, "Maybe I would love to become an elder one day." Let me just tell you the process. There are four steps to it. The first is _identification_. What you need to know is the elders talk about men in our body whom we could see being elders one day.
The names that come up are men who have a long track record at Watermark for faithfully walking with the Lord; faithfully loving their wife, if married, and leading their children; faithfully discipling other men; faithfully serving in the church; faithfully living on mission; and faithfully reflecting Christ in the community.
Again, my hope today is that some of you might begin aspiring to the office of elder. You might look at that team and be like, "Well, there's never any room for anyone new." What you need to know is the elder team believes there is benefit in bringing new qualified men onto the team who can serve our elder team and the church with wiring and gifting that benefits the season we're in as a church.
The second step is _notification_. The elder team might reach out to a man and say, "Hey, look. We'd like to consider you for the office of elder." We would notify them, and we would ask them to begin to pray and to seek wise counsel about whether they would enter the elder process.
The third step is _validation_. Validation is the process where, after an individual has prayed and processed with his wife and his community, he agrees to entering a validation process. The validation process is a very intentional time where every man who serves on the team has thoroughly answered and shared answers to 35 theological questions.
You can actually get on our website and look up "Elder questions," and you can see what the 35 questions are. Every man has to cultivate thorough responses and share those with the elder team. Additionally, the elder team will conduct interviews with the candidate's family, his community, and potentially individuals at his work to discern if there's any reason he might be disqualified.
The final step is _confirmation_, where the potential elder is presented to the church, and you, the church, actually have the opportunity to notify the elders of any concerns about his character or qualification that would affect his ability to serve. That's the process for becoming an elder here at Watermark.
The next question I want to answer specific to Watermark is…_Why are there so few elders for such a large church?_ That's a question we get sometimes. How does a small elder team effectively shepherd such a large church with thousands of members? Here's what I want you to know. The wrong conclusion or assumption would be that because we have a small elder team, we must not take our role of shepherding the flock of God seriously.
We actually take it incredibly seriously. I would say that for almost two years, the elders and I have spent countless hours studying and discussing how we can most effectively shepherd a large flock. Let me just share with you what it looks like here. I want to share one more time with you. I shared this within the past month, but the elders and I have a strong conviction concerning a theological concept known as the _priesthood of the believer_.
Let me show you where I get that from. There are several passages that refer to the priesthood of the believer, but I want to take you to Revelation 5:9-10. This is a vision of the throne room of God. It says, **"And they sang a new song…"** Just imagine. This is heaven, angelic beings worshiping God.
**"And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.'"**
Here's what I want you to understand: Christ's work of redemption was for the purpose of making us priests. The moment you trusted in Christ, you actually became a priest. Every single Christian is a priest, not by ordination but by redemption. Peter describes us in 1 Peter 2 as a _royal priesthood_. The church collectively is a royal priesthood. We, as the people of God here at Watermark, are a royal priesthood collectively. So, let me remind you of three practical ways our priestly status should shape our lives. As priests, here's what it means. It means at least three things.
First, we have _direct access_ to God, which is incredible news. In the Old Testament, a priest could only enter the Holy of Holies once a year, but now the veil is gone, and we can enter the Holy of Holies every day. We can meet with God. We can hear from God. We can be led by God. We can be cared for by God and experience joy in the presence of God every day, because as priests, we have direct access.
As priests, one of our priestly responsibilities is _daily sacrifice_. This is Romans 12:1: to offer our bodies as living sacrifices. We're to present our entire lives to God as priests. We don't hold anything back from God. Everything is his…our thoughts, our words, our actions, our money, our marriage, our singleness…everything. It all belongs to him.
The third thing our priestly status means is _outward proclamation_. The priesthood exists to declare or proclaim the excellencies of Christ. We proclaim Christ's excellencies to one another, but we also proclaim Christ's excellencies to an unbelieving world.
So, what does that have to do with eldership? Think about it. The church collectively is a royal priesthood, which means one of the joys of being a priest is the privilege of caring for one another, encouraging one another in our priestly activities. We get to encourage and sharpen one another toward faithful priestly living. We get to challenge one another to take full advantage of our direct access.
We get to challenge one another to not grow weary in daily sacrifice, to not keep anything back from God, that we live fully surrendered to him. Then we want to encourage one another toward outward proclamation. This privilege isn't just reserved for elders but for all believers. As I said last week, every member is a minister, and every minister has a ministry. Part of that ministry includes practicing the over 50 "one anothers" of Scripture. We get to do that with one another.
So, how do we, as a small elder team, care for a large flock? It's by ensuring that vision, organization, and implementation lead to the priesthood of believers flourishing at Watermark, and that results in members discipling one another and caring for one another in very substantial ways.
Let me be even more specific so you can know how you can receive care here at Watermark. The elders and I want to make sure you understand we feel responsible for you. Part of us being elders is caring for the flock. So, we have identified four provisions of care here at Watermark so that you know how you can be cared for.
The first and most basic provision of care within Watermark is _communal care_. It's you belonging to a smaller group of people, whether it's a Community Group, Men's Bible Study, Women's Bible Study, or a discipleship group. It is you belonging to a smaller group of people who are committed to knowing you and you being known by them so you can receive love and care from them. So many of the things that trip us up in life can be addressed within the context of a loving community.
This is what we do when we meet in our groups throughout the week. We are encouraging one another. "Hey, meet with God. Don't neglect abiding in Jesus." Direct access. "Hey, are you living fully surrendered in the way you live out your singleness or love your spouse or care for your kids? Don't hold anything back from God. Hey, let's proclaim the gospel to one another and encourage one another. Let's declare the excellencies of Christ to our unbelieving friends." Communal care.
The second provision of care is what we'll call _specialized care_, because there are times where the needs of an individual surpass the capacity of a group. If that ever happens, we offer specialized care here at Watermark. We have several different ministries. We'll put them up on the screen so you can see.
We have re:gen and re|engage; sexual abuse recovery, which are Courageous Hope and MENd; Grief Recovery, after-abortion care, and The Prodigal. You can read all of them here on the stage. These are specialized ministries that seek to care for hurting sheep in very, very meaningful, surgical, strategic ways.
The third provision of care is what we'll call _professional care_. There are times when the needs of an individual sheep might surpass the capacity of not just a group but actually the specialized offerings we have here at Watermark. Professional care isn't our first line of defense, but it _is_ something God has given to us that we can help navigate and help you find the professional care you need when you find yourself in a moment where it would be most beneficial to you.
The final provision of care is what we'll call _corrective care_. That's the elders exercising church discipline. If members in the body refuse to be cared for, refuse to be encouraged, refuse to be challenged, refuse to live out their priestly identity, then the elders exercise corrective care in hopes of bringing that sheep back into the flock. I want to answer two more questions for you.
The next question I want to answer is…_What is an elder emeritus_, _or what we'll call an EE?_ This is something you might have never heard of before because it's something that's specific to Watermark. The elder team has agreed that it would be really beneficial for our church to formalize a role known as _elder emeritus_. Here's what elder emeritus is: a role for elders who have stepped out of the active office in good standing and who remain fully a part of the life of Watermark.
Here's what this role allows. It allows for elders no longer in the office to still serve the church and the elder team in a meaningful way. EEs will meet with the elders in office on a quarterly basis. They'll pray with them on a weekly basis. They'll continue to offer wisdom and counsel to the elders in the office. Just as I talked about earlier that we want to identify new qualified men who can serve the team in a helpful, strategic way, EEs will play a role in identifying and developing future elders.
The best part of the EE role is that an EE who remains elder qualified can be called back into the office of elder quickly if they're willing and needed. The reason I share this with you is if there was a camera in the elder meetings, I think you would be so encouraged by the character of every man in the room and the unity shared by all 10 elders. I think what is clear to all 10 elders at this point is that the church has seasons and the men in the room have seasons.
If you remember, a year ago, we invited four of the founding elders of Watermark to rejoin the team. The reason they rejoined was because we found ourselves at the front end of a new season where we were wanting to clarify for the body how we would disciple our members. So, we felt like it was best and necessary for those four men to help us in the season we found ourselves in. And good news. Just about a month ago, we gathered 1,400 leaders in the church and unpacked how the 10 markers of our church will impact how we disciple our members in every ministry of the church.
Now all 10 elders believe we're entering a new season, and all 10 elders believe it's best in this new season… We went from 6 to 10, but all 10 believe it's best to shrink the elder team so we can shepherd one another with greater depth and operate with maximum effectiveness while being led by the Spirit. Yet, here's the thing: we want to shrink the team without losing the benefit of what each of the 10 men bring to the table. That's why we're all so excited about the role elder emeritus. Elder emeritus allows us to continue to benefit from every man while shrinking the number of men in the active office.
Additionally, some men are currently in a season of life where work or family needs even more of their focus and energy. What the elder emeritus role allows them to do is to remain connected to the elder team without the weight of responsibility that comes with serving in the office. So, if you're tuned out right now, tune back in, because let me tell you what's coming so that you know. Mickey Friedrich, Rob Thomas, and Scott Coy are ready to slide into the elder emeritus role because of the season of life they're in.
By the end of the year, Ben Caldwell, Todd Anders, and Blake Holmes will also slide into the elder emeritus role. Within the next six months, all 10 of us hope to be presenting one or two new elder candidates to the body. It could be sooner; it could be later, but that's our hope. I want to make sure there's no confusion. Blake Holmes… You don't need to text him. He's not transitioning off staff. I would never let that happen. He's stuck. He's not going anywhere. Okay? He is still such a crucial member of our staff. He's transitioning to elder emeritus but not off staff.
I know that sounds like a lot of change, but I can honestly say all 10 elders are moving forward with clarity and unity, and because of the elder emeritus role, the church continues to get the benefit of all 10 men's leadership. Here's what we love about the creation of the elder emeritus role: in the future, men who are sliding over to elder emeritus now could easily slide back into the office. For example, Kyle Thompson is on his third round of serving on the elder team. He isn't transitioning to elder emeritus, but if he ever does, we're not ruling out a fourth round.
So, let me say this. I know some of you naturally… It just comes natural for you. Some of you naturally get skeptical anytime you hear change. If that's you, if you're one of those people that you hear any change and you're like, "Something is up," let me just say this. If you're looking for a fire, you will not find one. If you think there is a real story to track down, good luck.
The 10 of us love each other deeply, we are unified, and we are excited to continue to serve this church together. Every man transitioning to elder emeritus is worthy of honor for their faithfulness and serving in the office of elder, and we'll have a chance to do that on a Sunday coming up in the fall. For now, let me answer one more question, and then I'll be done.
Here's the last question…_What can you do for your elders?_ Here's what you can do for us. You can pray for us. I would ask you to pray for your elders by name. Pray for our marriages. Pray for our kids. Pray for our time with God this week. Thank God for the unity that exists among the elders. One of the things we've talked about, as an elder team, is we've just been reminded that the unity we have is not the case for many churches.
The other thing you can do… I would encourage you to express your gratitude to the men who are transitioning out of the active office to elder emeritus, because these men have given 10 to 40 hours a week to serving in the office for years, and they've done it all for free. What is great is not one of them needs a "Thank you." That's not why they have served, but I encourage you to thank them for their faithfulness. All right?
So, that's the role of the elder. I'd ask you to pray for us. My hope is that many of you would be stirred to aspire to the office, and then I hope that this church would be marked by thousands of elder-like men and women. Let me pray for us.
Lord Jesus, I'll just say it again. This is your church; it's not ours. I don't say that just because it was in my message; I say it because it's reality. Watermark exists solely for you. If Watermark ever begins to exist for a different reason, would you just shut it down? Because there is no reason for this church to exist if it doesn't exist to exalt you, to make much of you, for the people here, through the transforming power of the gospel, effected by the Holy Spirit, to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.
Lord, thank you for the nine other men I get to serve with. Lord, thank you for how you are leading us. I just thank you for all that you're doing right now, and I pray you would continue to have your way in this church. Right now, in this room, if there's anyone who doesn't know you… I know, for every man on the elder team, their greatest joy today would be that someone crosses from death to life, that those who walked in in darkness would leave walking in light. We love you, God. We trust you. We give our lives to you. It's in Jesus' name we pray, amen.