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The Servant Team: What It Is and Why It Matters

The Servant Team plays a key role in making sure our church runs smoothly and stays focused on its mission. It’s made up of hundreds of individuals who step up to serve and work closely with our elders and sphere leaders. This paper explains why the Servant Team matters and what it takes to be part of it.

Why We Need a Servant Team

Serving others is a huge part of being a follower of Christ. Jesus said that leaders are to be servants of all (Mark 10:43-45) and that “I am among you as one who serves” (Luke 22:27). In the New Testament, the word diakonos (which means servant) is used both as a general term for serving and as a title for a specific leadership role in the church. Although every Christian is called to serve (Galatians 5:13-14; 1 Peter 4:10), the New Testament also refers to the office of “deacon” as a specific leadership role (1 Timothy 3:8-13, Philippians 1:1).

At Dwell we refer to our deaconate as the “Servant Team.”[1] This group takes on important leadership responsibilities that help the church accomplish the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). Our Servant Team also votes to approve new elders and renew current elders at the end of each three-year term.[2] While not all Servant Team members are home church leaders, we believe that all home church leaders should become members of the Servant Team.

Some people wonder if calling this group the “Servant Team” means others in the church aren’t servants. That’s not the case. The name simply emphasizes that these individuals meet the high character and ministry requirements to qualify for the office of deacon.

Who Can Be on the Servant Team?

Being on the Servant Team isn’t about having a title. It’s about stepping up to provide real, impactful servant leadership in the church. Members are expected to lead by example, investing their time and energy in ways that genuinely build up the body. To be considered, a person should meet the following qualifications:

  1. Character – Members demonstrate mature Christian character (1 Timothy 3).
  2. Active in Ministry – Members are engaged in ministry at a high level at Dwell and fully active in home church, central teaching and cell group. While most Servant Team members are home church leaders, others who serve at a similar level are also considered.
  3. Abiding in Christ – Members cultivate a deep relationship with God by regularly seeking him in Scripture and prayer. (John 15:4-5; Psalm 1:1-3; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Psalm 119:105; Mark 1:35)
  4. Commitment to Equipping – Members have completed the core leadership training classes[3] and continue to take at least one class every two years[4]. Members also attend Servant Team meetings and the annual Servant Team retreat (1 Timothy 4:13-15; Colossians 1:10; 2 Timothy 2:15).
  5. Financial Support – Members are part of the Fiscal Support Team and should show at least one year of giving history (i.e., an FST-level pledge) before joining the Servant Team (Acts 20:35; 1 Timothy 3:2-3; Luke 16:10-11).
  6. Personal Discipleship – Servant Team members actively disciple others within their home church (Matthew 28:19; 2 Timothy 2:2).
  7. Willingness to Lead – Servant Team members are ready to step into leadership roles if needed.
  8. Doctrinal and Relational Unity – Members affirm Dwell’s Statement of Faith[5] and commit to working for relational unity in the church as described in the conflict resolution guidelines.[6]
  9. Commitment to Accountability – At the end of each three-year term, members will have an opportunity to renew their commitment for another term by reviewing and signing the Servant Team Covenant. This renewal must be affirmed by the member’s home church leaders and approved by sphere leadership (Hebrews 13:17).
How Does Someone Become Part of the Servant Team?

In order for a person to become part of the Servant Team, they must be nominated by one or more current Servant Team members. The nominator is usually a co-leader or someone who played a discipleship role in the nominee’s life.

  1. The first step is for the nominator(s) to fill out the nomination form outlining the nominee’s current ministry involvement and explaining why they should be considered for the Servant Team. This form is then submitted to the office via the website. The nominee should only be informed after the nomination has been approved by the elders and the process is complete.
  2. Next, office staff check whether the nominee meets the basic qualifications for Servant Team (e.g. giving history, completed classes) and consult with the sphere leaders of the nominee’s home group for approval.
  3. If the sphere leader supports the nomination, they present it to the elders for final approval.
  4. Once the elders have approved, the nominator will notify the nominee and Dwell office staff will send the Servant Team Covenant to the nominee to sign.
Two “Tracks” to Qualify for Servant Team

There are two ways to meet the ministry requirement for Servant Team:

  1. The Leadership Track: A candidate fulfills the ministry requirement by serving as a home church leader. This is the default and most common path to joining the Servant Team. We recommend that candidates serve successfully as home church leaders for several months before being nominated. Since new leaders are typically raised up during a home church plant, qualified candidates may need to wait until the plant.
  2. The Non-Leader Track: The candidate fulfills the ministry requirement by serving in other Dwell ministries. Recognizing that not everyone is called to leadership, this alternative track allows non-leaders to qualify for the Servant Team. Nominators complete a survey outlining the nominee’s ministry commitments in Dwell. This may fulfill the ministry requirement if their service is roughly equivalent to that of a home church leader. This is a judgment call and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

    Only ministry involvement within Dwell counts toward this requirement. This is not because we don’t value other work in God’s kingdom, but because the candidate is being considered for deaconship in Dwell.

    Service is weighted by time commitment and could include things like the following:

    • Ministry team leader or worker (e.g. Never Alone, HEART, Pacesetters, Renegade)
    • CT Volunteer
    • Middle school group leader
    • Oasis leader or worker
    • Life coach
    • “Next Steps” team leader
    • Discipleship Café volunteer
    • Host of a group

    3. Applications for both tracks can be found on the Servant Team page of the website[7].

Stepping Down from Servant Team

If a Servant Team member no longer desires to be on the Servant Team or cannot currently meet the requirements, they should voluntarily step down by notifying their home church leader and sphere leader.

Servant Team members can also be asked to step down if they are no longer meeting the requirements listed above, including moral failure. This would include members who resign or are stepped out of home church leadership (leader track) and members who step back from their qualifying ministry in Dwell (non-leader track).

An exception may apply if a Servant Team member loses their leadership role when their home church disbands. In such cases, the Servant Team member may be invited to stay on Servant Team for one year. If, at the end of that period, the Servant Team member demonstrates they are on the path back to leadership or that they have taken on other ministry roles that meet the qualifications for the non-HC leader track, they may be allowed to remain on the Servant Team.

In every case, we encourage those stepping off the Servant Team to continue serving in meaningful ways. It’s important to remember that stepping away from the Servant Team doesn’t mean someone is no longer an important part of the church or that their work is any less valuable to God. Life circumstances and callings can change, and sometimes people need a break. What matters most is lifelong service to God, not specific roles or titles. We encourage those who step off Servant Team to requalify down the road, even if through a different track.

  1. We chose the name “Servant Team” instead of using terms like “deacon” or “deaconate” because “deacon” is a dated word that doesn’t mean much to most people today. It’s a transliteration from Greek that sounds more like a title than a description. “Servant Team,” on the other hand, puts the focus where it belongs: on serving others and functioning together as a team.
  2. If you want to be ordained to perform weddings, you’ll need to be part of the Servant Team. Details about the ordination process in Ohio can be found at http://www.ohiosos.gov/records/minister-licenses. Per state law, ordination through Dwell only remains valid while someone is actively serving on the Servant Team.
  3. Occasionally, someone may become a home church leader before finishing their classes. In these cases, they're expected to complete the core classes and qualify for Servant Team within two years of becoming a home church leader.
  4. Active involvement in a challenge group can fulfill the requirement of taking a class every two years.
  5. https://www.dwellcc.org/about-dwell/statement-faith
  6. By following the process described here: https://www.dwellcc.org/about-dwell/conflict-resolution
  7. https://www.dwellcc.org/home-churches/servant-team