Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word." And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith. Acts 6:3-7

Trouble in the Church brought about the need for action. The action included appointing deacons to serve the Body so the Apostles (and later the elders) could give their attention to prayer and the ministry of the Word. There was a good result:

The Word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied. Prayer and the ministry of the Word is what gets the Word “out there” for people to hear and understand. Next to worshiping and glorifying God, spreading the Word of the Lord and seeing people saved and discipled is arguably the greatest goal of the Church.

Many might not think of the fact that this happened because the people in the Body stopped complaining and started serving. Serving the Body, even in the practical ways the first deacons did contributes to the preaching of the Word and growth in the Church—spiritual growth as people are discipled, and even numerical growth as people are converted.

Let us pray for the Word to spread and for spiritual growth among believers, and conversions among non-believers.