Timothy & Choosing Church Leaders

8/15/2024

Choosing Church Leaders by Jennifer Tolbert

During Paul's missionary journey's, he relied on a young believer named Timothy. Timothy traveled with Paul and helped him spread the gospel. At one time, Paul went on to Macedonia and asked Timothy to stay behind in Ephesus. Paul used his letters to write to Timothy. In these letters, he encouraged Timothy and guided him in teaching the new Christians about how they should live and worship.

The new churches also needed leaders who could guide them into living in a way that pleased God. Paul instructed Timothy to appoint elders and deacons to serve the church.

Key Themes:
1. Our church follows the instructions found in the Bible about who should lead our church.
2. The Bible describes two types of leaders: elders and deacons.
3. People who lead God's people should live in a way that is worthy of respect.

Memory Verse

Romans 10:13-14
13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”[a]
14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

Songs

Books of the New Testament
Apostles Song
Be Careful Little Eyes
Every Move I Make
I Am A C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N
Jumping Up and Down
Roll The Gospel Chariot
Said I Wasn't
Stand Up and Shout It
This Little Light of Mine

Story

Begin Class with Songs, Games, Table Activity, or Sharing Time

Open Class in Prayer

Introducing the Story Ideas
1. Follow the Leader/Simon Says
Play a simple game of follow the leader or Simon Says. Ask the kids what a leader is? What does a leader do?
Name some leaders the kids may know and ask who they lead. (For example, the President-the country, their Principal-the school, their teacher-their class, their coach-their team, etc.)

Discuss the idea of following someone and setting a good example.

SAY: Today, we are going to learn about the leaders of our church. They are called elders and deacons.

2. Encouragement/Thank You Cards
Bring thank you and encouragement cards to class. You may want to pre-address and stamp them to save time. If your class is younger, you may write a simple message like "thank you for leading our church." If they are old enough to write, brainstorm some simple sentences they can copy from the board. Allow the kids to color or decorate them. If needed, they can be finished during craft time too.

Story: Timothy was one of Paul's most devoted friends in ministry. They traveled together sharing God's word and worked together to establish churches where new Christians could meet together and worship. However, with all the new churches popping, the apostles couldn't be everywhere. Each church needed leaders that lived and worshipped at that church all the time.

Read the story of Timothy and Choosing Church Leaders.
EMPHASIZE that: