It’s his church, and he’s our ultimate authority. Underneath the guidance of Jesus are leaders who are simply qualified Christians who follow Jesus and encourage others to follow him as well. At Bent Tree Church, our formal leadership structure involves elders, staff, and church members.

 

Shepherding Elders
Jesus calls qualified men to lead his church as elders, whom we also call shepherding elders or pastors. Qualifications for eldership are found in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, and include leading their families well, a record of serving Jesus well both in the church and in everyday life, a thorough knowledge of the Bible and a mature Christian walk, and a good reputation both in and out of the church.

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The primary duties of elders include praying and studying Scripture, speaking into the vision of the church, caring for the people of the church, teaching, living lives that are exemplary, protecting the people of the church from false doctrine and teachers, and developing other leaders. Bent Tree Elders are assigned church members (individuals and families) as their "shepherd group" to which they are designated pastors.

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Staff & Key Leaders
Jesus calls qualified men and women to lead his church as staff members or what is also called deacons. The office of deacon is first mentioned in Acts 6. As the burden of ministry grew for the early church, elders, in addition to prayer, study, leading, and teaching, were also taking on large workloads to serve the needy in the church and handle the administrative functions of the church. As a solution, the elders appointed deacons to assist the elders in these responsibilities.

 

At Bent Tree, there is a small team of paid and unpaid staff that perform the day-to-day functions of church administration and activity. Qualifications for deacons are found in 1 Timothy 3 and include integrity, generosity, soberness, a clear understanding of the Bible, a well-ordered home, and a good reputation both in the church and outside the church. View Leaders

Members
As a growing church, Bent Tree relies on members to support our ministry and to carry out much of the work required to help accomplish our mission to help people find and follow Jesus Christ. It’s a high calling that takes hard work—but it’s also the most rewarding work.

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The leadership of Bent Tree Church strives to love and care for its members well. In turn, we rely on our members to accomplish our collective work as the church. As an organization, we operate with minimal staff, budget, and programming because we trust the Holy Spirit to move through the transformed hearts of our members, mobilizing the collective body of Christ in humble ways to love the city, love our family, and glorify God on his terms.

 

How to Become a Member
If you’re desiring to make a deeper commitment to Bent Tree, we encourage you to become a member. Follow the steps listed here to get the process started.

 

1. Connect
Attend on Sundays

Attend Starting Point | More Info
Join a D3 Group | More Info
Volunteer to Serve on a Ministry Team | More Info
Join Our Online Community | More Info

2. Believe
Bent Tree members are required to be professing Christians who believe and have faith in Jesus as God and Savior.

 

3. Learn
Bent Tree Church offers an easy process to help you understand fully who we are as a church, what we believe, and how we operate. It’s also a great chance to meet others and get to know your leaders. It's called Starting Point. We believe it’s important to know these things so that you can make an informed decision about membership. To begin, simply attend the next Starting Point session.

More Info

 

4. Commit
After attending Starting Point, Bent Tree Church members share in their commitment to the church by agreeing to our Membership Covenant and joyfully living in community, serving the church, and giving faithfully.

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5. Grow
As the final step in membership, you're asked to join a D3 Group and serve on a Ministry Team. This is an opportunity for you to grow in your faith and serve Jesus in Biblical Community.