As has been foreshadowed for some time now, today our church begins a process to commence a diaconal ministry. Our desire is to establish this process on God’s word, so in today’s sermon, we will consider the diaconal ministry from Scripture. We will seek to show from Scripture the basis for diaconal ministry, and the qualifications for those individuals who serve in diaconal ministry. We will also consider how and why some churches believe only men can serve as deacons while others (like our church) believe that both men and women can serve in diaconal ministry. Bearing in mind the diaconal ministry process we are embarking upon, let’s posture our hearts to hear God’s word today.