Leading a Movement

DOING THEOLOGY IN COMMUNITY

After reading the chapter, respond to the follow discussion questions with your small group, house church, or leadership team.

• What have been two or three character improvements you have seen in your own life since becoming a follower of Christ?

• How does the reanalysis of the Scripture regarding the terms diakonos/diakonia challenge your understanding of the role of deacon and hierarchical leadership?

• If the Holy Spirit empowers all believers for the work of ministry, how does your ministry/faith lean on this truth? How does it avoid this truth?

• What leader(s) have you put too much faith in? How have you put the focus on them and not on Jesus?

• How has your church exemplified the three-level leadership of overseer/elders/deacons and how has your church complicated that model?

• Where does your understanding of a woman’s role in leadership come from? How does your tradition address some of the textual arguments raised in this chapter? Does the textual understanding cause freedom or conflict for you? Why?

• What role does camaraderie and equity play in the leadership of your church/your team for God’s glory? If little, what has led to that? If much, how can you maintain it?  

Spend a moment before moving on and pray that the Holy Spirit speaks clearly to you/you all as you reengage with Ephesiology.

Back to Introducing Ephesiology

Gregory the Theologian said in effect that theology should be conducted between people who are serious and it should be characterized by pure and peaceful collaboration. We invite you into this collaboration as you reflect on the following questions. Join the discussion by posting comments below. As fellow learners, please be respectful and gracious in your interactions with others.