TLDR: Every member of the church is either an elder, a servant (AKA deacon), or a minister (AKA all of us). Every member is called to do the work.
God has put in place three basic functions within the local church, and each is important. Elders focus on the Word and prayer. They are equippers who love the body and develop the ministry. They teach the body how to focus on Jesus and unpack the details of what that means.
Servants (commonly called Deacons) focus on minimizing temporal barriers and managing temporal means. They care for the church’s physical and earthly needs so that elders can focus on prayer and the Word, and all can focus on ministry. They manage distractions so that the church is better able to focus on imaging Jesus in the world.
Ministers (all of us) carry out the mission of Jesus. They practice mutual care, taking responsibility for themselves, their siblings in Christ, and the community of faith. They work together to grow the church toward maturity. Everything done by the ministers is an opportunity to image Jesus before the world and proclaim the good news of his salvation. Ministers do this whether gathered or dispersed.
