1 Timothy 3:8-13: In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. 9 They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.11 In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.12 A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well. 13 Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.

Acts 6:1-6: In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

Philippians 1:1: Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God's holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:

Romans 16:1: I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae.

• Question # 1: What does the Bible say deacons should do? What is their function?
• Answer: The biblical role of deacons is to take care of the physical and logistical needs of the church so that the elders can be released to concentrate on their primary calling: devoting themselves to the ministry of the word and prayer.

• Question # 2: Who should be a deacon? What are a deacon’s qualifications?
• Answer: 1 Timothy 3:8-12

• Question # 3: What are the responsibilities of deacons?
• Answer: Each local church is free to define the tasks of deacons based on their particular needs. What are some duties deacons might be responsible for at New City? They could be responsible for anything that’s not related to teaching and shepherding the church. Such duties might include:

• Facilities: A deacon could be responsible for managing the church property. This would include making sure the place of worship is prepared for the worship service. They would be the head of the setup/takedown team.
• Benevolence: Similar to what took place in Acts 6, with the daily distribution to the widows, the deacons may be involved in administrating funds or other assistance to the needy in our church and in the community.
• Finances: While the elders should oversee and lead in the financial business of the church, it may be best left to the deacons to handle the day-to-day matters. This would include collecting and counting the offering, keeping records, and so on.
• Ushers: The deacons could be responsible for distributing bulletins, seating the congregation, or preparing the elements for communion.
• Administration: Coordinating church calendars and ministries
• Hospitality: Welcome, greeting, organizing baking for sick people or couples who have just had babies
• Multimedia: Website updates, sermon recording and posting, twitter and Facebook updates, etc.