Dear Church, 

At New Life, Deacons and Deaconesses are godly men and women who have been appointed by the Elders to serve our church in specific ways. In order to better recognize the pivotal role of our lay leaders within the church, we have made changes to the office of Deacon and Deaconess at New Life. The most notable changes are that (1) Employed Staff will be appointed as Commissioned Clergy instead of Deacons, with the exception of the role of Minister, and (2) several roles in the church — Fiduciary Board Member, Minister, and Benevolence Fund Team Member — will shift to requiring that candidates be appointed as a Deacon or Deaconess prior to serving in them. This is because of the high level of character and discernment required for these roles, and because Deacons and Deaconesses must meet the character requirements of 1 Timothy 3:8-12. 

The Elders, at their discretion, may also appoint others to the office of deacon if they meet the Scripture requirements listed above and if they are serving the church excellently in a role or, more likely, combination of roles. Possible roles include Home Group leader, Advisory Team member, and Sunday Service Coordinator, although there are many other roles in which someone might serve.

If there is someone in the church, including yourself, that you feel should be considered for this office, please email the pastors (we use "pastor" and "elder" interchangeably at New Life) at pastors@newlifea2.org with a short explanation of your reasons. Please reach out to the pastors with any questions you may have as well.

“God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them” (Hebrews 6:10). New Life Church would not be able to love and serve those within the church and surrounding our church without the outstanding service of our lay leaders. Our hope is that these changes bring clarity and recognition to those serving in such critical ways in our church.

The Elder and Minister Team