The point of this article is to let you know that Adam Lusk and Charles Chazal have been nominated to serve on the board of Good News Church as elders. Let me fill you in on the details:

1. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? WHAT IS AN ELDER AT GOOD NEWS CHURCH?

Good question. Good News Church is governed by a group of people that we call elders. We use that word because it is an English translation of a Greek word found the in the Bible: “presbuteros.” The word refers to a godly man who leads (and often teaches) in a church. There are a couple of other Greek words in the Bible that also refer to church leaders, and when translated into English they are words like overseer, shepherd, bishop, and pastor. And it seems to us that the New Testament even uses these terms interchangeably in passages like 1 Timothy 3:1-5 & 5:17, Titus 1:6-7, 1 Peter 5:1-2, and Ephesians 4:11. So, long story short, elder is a Bible word for church leader.

At Good News, the elder's oversight includes teaching, protecting, leading, discipling, equipping, and caring for the church body, as well as oversight of all ministry, operations, and finances of the church. They are responsible to be obedient to the Scriptures, and they appoint new elders as needed. At Good News, the elders delegate to Mario oversight of the day-to-day activities and programs of the church.

2. WHO ARE ADAM LUSK AND CHARLES CHAZAL?

Some of you already know Adam and/or Charles. Adam is a leader of the Lusk/Curington Community group and is also a guitarist in the band. He is a horse veterinarian at Ocala Equine Hospital, has four children plus one on the way, and has attended Good News since 2013.

Charles is a commercial insurance agent at BB&T/Chazal Insurance. He helps lead the Miller group, has four children and two sons-in-law, and has attended Good News since 2015. The current elders (Mario Villella, Bruce Hawk, and Lance Powers) have asked them to come on board as elders.

3. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR SOMEONE WHO IS A PART OF GOOD NEWS CHURCH?

Well, there are two main things we want you to know that relate to your responsibility as the people of Good News Church:

First, if you know anything about Adam or Charles that you think we need to know, now is your time to let us know. In fact, this is what our church bylaws say about this: “Typically, the attendees of the church will be allowed to raise concerns before any prospective elder is confirmed. However, confirmation of the elder will be at the final discretion of the elders.” This means that while we‘ve chosen Adam and Charles as men that we believe fit the qualifications of an elder (See I Timothy 3:1-7), we wanted to give you all the chance to let us know if there is anything in contradiction to that, that we need to know. If there is a particular unrepentant sin or a character issue that you are aware of that hasn‘t been dealt with, please contact us and let us know. Otherwise, if there are no legitimate accusations that would disqualify them, then they will be officially installed as elders sometime toward the end of February.

Second, if Adam and Charles are confirmed as elders in February, we would love for you to begin praying for them. In fact, you don‘t even have to wait until February; you can begin praying for them now. As church leaders, they are to live a life worth imitating, and they are planning on setting aside even more time to serve the church than they have in the past. Also, be prepared to submit to them as leaders in this church. Hebrews 13:7 & 17 say, “Remember your leaders who have spoken God‘s word to you. As you carefully observe the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith’Obey your leaders and submit to them for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account, so that they can do this with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.”