At a most basic level this means the deacons must make sure the poor are being cared for. They must ensure that there is food on the table of every church member and that plans are made for long-term provision. In order to accomplish this task they will need to know what is happening in people’s lives, which is why it is a good idea for deacons to visit people in their homes. Along with this provision for the poor there are also other practical needs in the church that need to be considered. Every week there are things that need to be done in order to set up a building for worship etc. Some people need help with transport and we must make sure that our meeting place is safe and suitable. All of these practical tasks need to be organized and the deacons must see to it that they are done.

In this we quickly realize that the deacons are not expected to do everything by themselves. In the church of Jerusalem there were seven deacons called to look after more than 8,000 people (if you include women and children). That is more than 1,000 people per deacon. Clearly these men were not expected to do everything by themselves. They got other people involved in works of service—they delegated tasks and appointed service group leaders. Their job is to ensure that the needs in church are provided for, but there is a lot of room to set up different structures by which to accomplish this.