HCC news: Nominations for elders

Author

Halswell Community Church
April 16, 2026

Pastor’s Message

Good evening, everyone

I would like to remind us that nominations for Elders’ court are open. The process is fairly simple, so here we go.

  1. Read about the qualifications of an elder. Here are the texts. 1 Timothy 3:1–7 and Titus 1:5–9.

1 Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. 2  Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3  not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4  He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. 5  (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) 6  He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7  He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.

Timothy 3:1–7

6  An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. 7  Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. 8  Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. 9  He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

Titus 1:5–9

  1. Identify anyone you would like to nominate, and either approach one of the current elders or the pastor and nominate them. Feel free to chat to them first, but if you are unsure, chat to the elders, and we are happy to inform them on your behalf.

  2. The person will be given an opportunity to pray, discern and consider eldership. This is both a very personal process and a communal process together with the pastor and current elders.

  3. There will be a few outcomes. 

  • A nominated person may come back and decide they are not ready/qualified/it is not their time. In that case, they may respectfully decline. 

  • During the discernment process, it may become clear that the person is “not yet ready", i.e., they are willing but not fully there. In that case, they may become an elder in training, i.e., attend some elders' meetings and go through a discipleship process with the aim of joining the eldership later.

  • The person nominated may fit the criteria and be ready for eldership, in which case they will be ratified at the next AGM (dates will be available soon).

In a congregation such as ours, we need a maximum of 5-6 elders. We also accept both male and female eldership at HCC. If you have questions regarding this, we have a written paper on egalitarian leadership/women's leadership and are happy to share this on request.

Have a lovely week of nominating,

Mato.

Community

Alpha course

Ever had a conversation with someone about why you believe what you believe? Or even how to read scripture? How to pray? How to answer life’s big questions? 

Beginning 3rd May 2026, we will be running an Alpha course at HCC. Alpha is a series of interactive sessions that explores all the big questions of life. It includes open discussion, food and a time to ask questions. We will run this on Sunday mornings, from 8:30 a.m., with breakfast provided.

Invite someone along and join them. If you have children and would love to come along, do not worry, we will have a programme for them at that time as well. Here is a link to find out more.

Core Topics (Weekly sessions)

  • Is There More to Life Than This?

  • Who Is Jesus?

  • Why Did Jesus Die?

  • How Can I Have Faith?

  • Why and How Do I Pray?

  • Why and How Should I Read the Bible?

  • How Does God Guide Us?

  • How Can I Resist Evil?

  • Why and How Should I Tell Others?

  • Does God Heal Today?

  • What About the Church?

Church Sundays

Our incredible children's leaders have been working hard to get the programme ready for term two. This will be available soon. Thank you too to those who have volunteered to help during this time and have offered so much of their time.

Community

Currently, this group is doing an overview of the whole Bible. This is key because the Bible is one big story that begins at creation and has not ended. You are still part of the story.

In fact, a biblical term we use for what we are living in now is “the now, and not yet”. I am also reasonably convinced that many of us have stayed away from parts of the Bible because they are either too difficult to understand or gruesome and uncomfortable. Reading the Bible together helps us understand context, reconcile the scenarios and see how God has woven this grand story together.

Join Tim and Lizzie on Monday evenings as they lead this bible study together. This is open to everyone who would like to come along.

Giving

Halswell Community Church

Account Number: 06-0601-0867216-00

Reference: Tithe/Offering Particulars: Your Name