Let’s keep digging into Acts 6:1-7 for more leadership truths!
Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
(Acts 6:1-7)
Getting Everyone’s Input
Here are two observations for today about getting everyone’s input.
“Assembled the full number of the disciples.” Do you see that? They brought the whole church together to discuss this matter and get ideas. The apostles saw this was a congregational issue, so they gathered the entire congregation. What is accomplished here? The problem is clearly validated and brought out into the open. The members of this local congregation are given value by being able to be part of both this discussion and the solution.
Who chose the seven? Did the apostles here in this church choose the seven men? Did you see the apostles say, “We have picked Stephen, Philip, etc. and we are appointing them over this business.” No, they gave the amount of men for the task (seven), and through the Holy Spirit laid out the kind of character these men should have. That’s it. Then the congregation was entrusted to understand God’s expectations and to know what men among them possessed those qualities. Acts 15:22 is another example of how the “whole church” was involved in the selecting of certain men for a task.
There are times as leaders (in homes, churches, etc.) that we need to gather everyone together to get their input on things. It doesn’t mean that every decision has to be ratified and approved by the entire group. That doesn’t work in churches, teams, homes, nations….well pretty much anywhere. But when leaders make themselves transparent and put trust in the people they are leading to give input, it makes others feel like they are actually part of the team. The apostles did that very thing, they made sure that the whole congregation was part of coming up with the solution.
Here are the other articles in the series: