Case Study: Marie’s Call to Serve as a Deacon

Case Study: Marie’s Call to Serve as a Deacon

Marie Thompson never expected to be elected as a deacon in her small Ohio church. For years, she had been the kind of member every pastor appreciates—faithful in attendance, willing to lend a hand at events, and quick to show kindness to those around her. She was content to serve quietly, arranging meals for grieving families, tidying up after fellowship dinners, and sending handwritten cards of encouragement. Leadership, however, seemed like something for other people—those with commanding voices, advanced Bible knowledge, or visible confidence. Marie saw herself as a helper, not a leader.

So when her pastor announced that her name had been placed on the ballot for deacon, Marie sat frozen in her pew. She looked around the sanctuary, half-expecting to see the congregation turning their heads to check if there had been some mistake.

Inside, her thoughts were swirling: Me? How could I be a deacon? I’m not strong enough. I’m not holy enough. I’m not the type.

When the congregation affirmed her election, she was both honored and terrified. The following Sunday, she stood before the church as the pastor introduced the newly elected deacons. Marie’s heart pounded, her palms damp with nerves.

“I didn’t think I was qualified,” she later admitted. “I wanted to shrink back, but deep down, I knew the Holy Spirit was saying, This is My calling for you.”

At that moment, a memory came rushing back—one she had tried to bury. As a teenager, Marie had been plagued by severe, unexplainable headaches that left her feeling oppressed and hopeless. One Sunday, a guest minister laid hands on her and prayed. That evening, she felt an overwhelming darkness lift. She later recalled, “It was as if something evil let me go. And in the stillness after, I heard the Lord whisper, ‘I have set you apart. I am calling you.’”

But her teenage years were not only marked by physical suffering. Marie also endured hidden trauma. A neighbor woman she trusted lured her into situations that turned abusive, and later, that woman’s husband also violated her trust in devastating ways. The shame and confusion of those experiences weighed on her like chains, and she ran as far as she could from God’s call.

“I thought I was ruined,” she confessed years later. “I believed God couldn’t use someone as broken as me. That’s why I ran. I wanted to forget, but the pain followed me into adulthood.”

For years, Marie lived with the wounds of betrayal. She carried scars of silence and secrecy that made her question her worth. But through God’s patient work, she began to see that His calling was not withdrawn. The same God who had delivered her from oppression as a teen was now calling her to be a deacon—not because she was flawless, but because His grace was sufficient.

Standing before her congregation, Marie finally realized that her story—dark chapters and all—was not meant to disqualify her but to equip her. The very wounds she once hid were now becoming the foundation of her ministry.

“I want to serve those who feel like I once did,” she told her church family. “Those who think they are too broken, too ashamed, or too far gone. Because I’ve been there. And I know now—Jesus never lets go.”

The External Call Confirmed

The Holy Spirit never stopped working in Marie’s life, even through her years of wandering, pain, and reluctance. In the last year, God used her church to confirm—again and again—the very calling she once resisted.

1. Congregational Election

The first moment came when her church nominated her for the office of deacon. Marie had not sought the role, nor had she spoken a word to promote herself. Yet her name was written down, and the congregation voted with overwhelming support.

“When I heard my name announced, I thought surely there had been a mistake,” Marie remembered. “But when the votes were counted and I was elected, it hit me—they saw something in me that I couldn’t see in myself. The church was saying out loud what the Holy Spirit had been whispering to my heart.”

It was a clear sign that God’s people were recognizing the gifts and character He had already been shaping within her.

2. A Neighbor’s Testimony

The second confirmation came in a deeply personal way. Marie had been quietly caring for a struggling neighbor—bringing over meals, giving her rides to appointments, and sitting with her in times of loneliness. She never thought of it as ministry; to her, it was simply being available.

One Sunday morning, during a testimony time, that same neighbor stood and spoke with tears in her eyes:

“Marie has been Jesus’ hands and feet to me. She has prayed with me, helped me when I had no one else, and shown me the love of Christ in real ways. God has raised her up for more.”

The congregation responded with a hushed reverence, followed by a wave of “Amen” across the sanctuary. Marie sat stunned, humbled to her core. What she had done in secret had become a public witness, a testimony of God’s Spirit at work through her simple acts of service.

3. Pastoral Confirmation

The third affirmation came at her very first deacon meeting. Pastor Thomas gathered the newly elected deacons, opened Scripture, and taught about the internal call (the Spirit’s stirring within the heart) and the external call (the church’s recognition of that stirring).

He spoke slowly and deliberately: “An internal call can be strong, but it is confirmed when God’s people affirm it. When the church sees it, when others testify to it, and when your leaders name it, then you know it is the Lord’s work.”

Then he turned directly to Marie. “Your election by this congregation, the testimony of your neighbor, and my own conviction as your pastor—all of these confirm God’s hand on your life. You are not here by accident. You are here because the Lord has called you.”

Marie felt her eyes fill with tears. The words of her pastor, combined with the witness of her neighbor and the affirmation of her congregation, settled deep in her soul. She realized, at last, that the call she had once run from was now undeniable.

✨ Reflection: Through the congregation, through a neighbor’s testimony, and through her pastor’s words, Marie experienced the external call of God. These three voices harmonized with the internal call she had carried since her teenage years. Together, they gave her the courage to embrace her role as a deacon and prepare for the greater ministry that lay ahead.

A Deacon and Beyond

Being a deacon awakened new purpose. Marie now longs to serve women who are walking the same painful path she once walked. “I want to be a voice of hope for women in crisis, because I remember what it felt like to have no voice,” she said.

Her pastor sent her a link to CLI for more training. Her discovery of Christian Leaders Institute gave her tools for growth. Two other deacons from her church joined CLI as well, and together they formed a study group. Their pastor noticed the difference—what was once a hesitant group of helpers was becoming a confident team of servant-leaders.

“Being a deacon was just the seed,” Marie reflected. “CLI is giving me the training to grow into the servant God always meant me to be. My story proves that God can take what the enemy meant for harm and turn it into a ministry of hope.”

Bible Study: The Call to Serve

Introduction

At the heart of Christian ministry is the call to serve. Whether we are called as deacons, elders, pastors, or everyday disciples, the DNA of all leadership in the church is diaconal service—humble, Spirit-led acts of love that reflect Jesus Himself. Marie’s story reminds us that every believer is first called to be a servant, and that the Lord uses both internal conviction and external confirmation to raise up His ministers.

This Bible study explores four key passages that ground the call to serve in Scripture and guide us in living it out today.

Scripture Passages

Mark 10:45

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus turns the world’s definition of leadership upside down. True greatness is not found in power, privilege, or position, but in servanthood and sacrifice. Christ Himself is the model deacon—He came not to be served, but to serve. His ultimate act of service was giving His life as a ransom for many.

• Reflection Question: How does this verse challenge your personal view of leadership? In what ways can you model Jesus’ servant-heart in your daily life?

Acts 6:1–6

In the early church, practical needs threatened to distract the apostles from their ministry of prayer and the Word. To resolve this, seven men “full of the Spirit and wisdom” were appointed to oversee the daily distribution of food to widows.

This moment is often seen as the origin of the deacon office. It shows that serving physical needs is not “less spiritual”—it is essential for protecting unity and maintaining the witness of the church. Word-ministry and deed-ministry belong together.

• Reflection Question: How do you see practical service (meeting physical or social needs) as essential to the church’s spiritual health?

1 Timothy 3:8–13

Here Paul lays out the qualifications of deacons: they must be dignified, sincere, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain, and must hold the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They should first be tested, then serve if found blameless.

Paul also includes women who serve in diaconal roles (v. 11), showing the inclusive and vital nature of this ministry. The passage ends with this promise: “Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus” (v. 13).

• Reflection Question: Which of these qualifications do you feel strong in? Which ones do you need the Spirit’s help to grow in?

Galatians 6:9–10

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Paul encourages perseverance in service. Ministry can be tiring, often unnoticed, and sometimes resisted. Yet God promises that faithful service will bear fruit in His time. The deacon’s call is not to quick results but to consistent goodness—doing good to all, and especially to the household of faith.

• Reflection Question: Have you ever felt weary in doing good? What truths from this passage help you keep serving faithfully?

Application: Living the Call to Serve

• Follow Christ’s example – Measure leadership by service, not status.
• Meet practical needs – Remember that caring for bodies and souls go hand in hand.
• Pursue godly character – Let qualifications for deacons guide your own spiritual growth.
• Persevere in service – Trust God for the harvest when weariness sets in.

Closing Thought

The call to serve is not optional for Christians—it is central. Whether through an office like deacon or in everyday discipleship, the Spirit calls us to follow the path of Jesus, the ultimate Servant, who gave His life for many. Like Marie, we may feel reluctant, unqualified, or unworthy, but the Spirit confirms through His Word and His church that God delights to use willing servants to bring hope, healing, and witness to the world.

Study Questions

1. The Internal Call

Like Marie’s teenage experience of deliverance, have you ever felt God whispering that He has set you apart? Sometimes the Spirit’s voice comes in dramatic moments, and other times in the quiet nudges of prayer or service. Reflect on what fears, doubts, or excuses have made you hesitate to respond to that inner call.

• Scripture Connection: Jeremiah 1:6–7 – “Alas, Sovereign LORD… I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to…”
• Application: What step of obedience is God asking you to take today in response to His internal call?

2. The External Call

In Marie’s life, the church confirmed her calling through election, her neighbor’s testimony, and her pastor’s affirmation. What ways has your church community affirmed your gifts and calling? Have leaders or members ever pointed out spiritual fruit in your life that you overlooked?

• Scripture Connection: Acts 13:2–3 – The church at Antioch fasted, prayed, and confirmed Paul and Barnabas’ call through commissioning.
• Application: Share one instance where others recognized God’s work in you. How did their affirmation encourage you?

3. The Diaconal Heart

How does Mark 10:45 redefine what it means to lead in the church? Jesus, the Son of Man, came not to be served but to serve. Why is servanthood the foundation of all ministry?

• Scripture Connection: John 13:14–15 – “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.”
• Application: What practical act of service can you do this week to reflect the heart of Christ’s leadership?

4. The Community Need

Marie’s desire to serve women who endured trauma grew out of her own story. Who are the people God is placing on your heart to serve—perhaps because of your experiences, background, or spiritual gifts? How can your role as a deacon or elder prepare you to minister to them with wisdom and compassion?

• Scripture Connection: 2 Corinthians 1:3–4 – God comforts us in our troubles so we can comfort others with the comfort we received from Him.
• Application: List one group of people in your community who need hope and care. What first step could you take to reach out?

5. The Long View

Acts 6 shows that meeting practical needs preserved the unity and mission of the church. How can you, like Marie, see your role as a seed that may grow into something greater in God’s timing? Are you open to God expanding your ministry beyond what you currently imagine?

• Scripture Connection: Galatians 6:9 – “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
• Application: Reflect on one way your current service could be preparing you for broader ministry in the future. How will you remain faithful in the “small” things so God can entrust you with more?

Group Activity: Affirmations of Calling

Purpose

This activity helps participants recognize the importance of the external call—when others in the body of Christ affirm what God is doing in our lives. By sharing personal stories, the group will see how encouragement and affirmation strengthen faith, build confidence, and nurture a servant’s heart.

Instructions

1. Break into small groups of 3–5 people.
2. Each person should take a few minutes to share one specific moment when someone else affirmed their calling or gifts (this could be a pastor, teacher, elder, family member, mentor, or friend).
3. After sharing, each group member should answer:
• How did that affirmation make you feel at the time?
• How did it impact your walk with Christ or your willingness to serve?
• Looking back, do you see that affirmation as part of God’s external call on your life?
4. Group members should then take a moment to encourage one another—pointing out ways they currently see God at work in each other’s lives.

Optional Prompts

If someone struggles to think of an example, consider:

• A teacher who encouraged your ability to pray, teach, or lead.
• A pastor who invited you into service (ushering, worship, teaching, visiting).
• A family member or friend who spoke words of affirmation about your faith.
• A time the church recognized you for faithful service.

Debrief as a Whole Group

After the small groups finish, return together and discuss:

• What common themes emerged about how God uses others to affirm our calling?
• How can we, as a church, be more intentional about affirming and encouraging one another in ministry?
• What did you learn about your role in helping others recognize their calling?

Key Verse for Reflection

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus, You are the Servant who gave Your life for us. Thank You for calling us to serve in Your kingdom. Give us hearts like Marie’s—willing to serve humbly, ready to grow, and eager to bring hope to those who suffer. Confirm our calling both inwardly by Your Spirit and outwardly through Your church, that we may glorify You in all we do. Amen.