The Appointment of the Seven Deacons
The apostles appoint seven men full of the Holy Spirit to serve tables, establishing the office of deacon and allowing the apostles to focus on prayer and the word.
Acts 6:1-7
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The Story
As the number of disciples multiplied in Jerusalem, the growing church faced its first organizational challenge. The Grecian Jews murmured against the Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration of food and care.
The twelve apostles gathered the multitude and said, 'It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.' They instructed the congregation to look among themselves for seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom they might appoint over this business.
The saying pleased the whole multitude. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, along with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas. The seven were set before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands upon them.
The result was immediate and powerful—the word of God increased, the number of disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly, and even a great company of the priests became obedient to the faith.
The Church Chooses Seven Special Helpers
Kids Version
The church in Jerusalem was growing bigger and bigger every day! This was wonderful, but it also created a problem. The church was helping widows by giving them food every day. But some of the widows weren't getting their fair share.
The twelve apostles called everyone together for a meeting. They said, 'We have an important job that God gave us: to pray and to teach people about Jesus. If we spend all our time handing out food, we won't have time to do what God called us to do. So here's what we should do: You choose seven good men who are honest, wise, and full of God's Holy Spirit. We'll put them in charge of making sure the food gets shared fairly.'
Everyone thought this was a great idea! They chose seven men who loved God and whom everyone trusted. Their names were Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas.
The apostles put their hands on each man's head and prayed for them. This was a special ceremony that showed everyone that these men were now official helpers in the church.
Something amazing happened! Because the apostles could now spend more time praying and teaching about Jesus, God's word spread even faster. More and more people kept becoming believers—even many of the Jewish priests started believing in Jesus! The church learned that when everyone uses their gifts to help, the whole church grows stronger.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the story of “The Appointment of the Seven Deacons” in the Bible?
The apostles appoint seven men full of the Holy Spirit to serve tables, establishing the office of deacon and allowing the apostles to focus on prayer and the word. This story is found in Acts 6:1-7.
Where is “The Appointment of the Seven Deacons” found in the Bible?
“The Appointment of the Seven Deacons” is found in Acts 6:1-7, in the book of Acts.
What can children learn from “The Appointment of the Seven Deacons”?
This story teaches children about Church Organization, Servant Leadership, Unity, Prayer, Qualifications for Ministry. When the church gets so big that some people aren't getting help, the apostles choose seven good men to make sure everyone is taken care of.