All posts in What I’m Crunching

I continued reading Deacons this week and have been challenged and encouraged by it. Matt Smethurst has done a service to local churches all over the world by writing this book. From the Goodreads summary:

In this short book, Matt Smethurst makes the case that deacons are model servants called to meet tangible needs, organize and mobilize acts of service, preserve the unity of the flock, and support the ministry of the elders. Clearing away common misconceptions, Smethurst offers practical guidance for deploying deacons and helping churches to flourish.

Still hammering away at The Terror this week. It’s a bit slow in places, but good enough to continue. It’s not one I’d read again a second time.

This one was recommended to me as a nailbiter. From Wikipedia:

It is a fictionalized account of Captain Sir John Franklin’s lost expedition, on HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, to the Arctic, in 1845–1848, to locate the Northwest Passage.

This is a “mini-book” I’m reading for my biblical counseling certification. From the Goodreads summary:

Everybody knows somebody who is addicted to something. But maybe addiction is more personal for you. Maybe you once had real hopes and dreams, desires and possibilities. But then you became an addict, and what started out as fun or an attempt at relief from pain and shame grew into something bigger. Here Jim Berg shows that no matter how tangled your life has become, God offers you hope and help through his word and his people.

I picked up this book again and continued reading this week. I was asked to be on our Pulpit Committee and the committee was voted in last Sunday. I’ve also been asked to be a deacon starting in 2025. I’m looking forward to these roles as I believe they align with the spiritual gifts God has given me.

This book by Matt Smethurst gives a brief, Scripture-based look at the church office of deacon.