Artwork Credit: insights-poweroflove.blogspot.com
Many churches today suffer from a leadership need – whether that is at the ministry level or at the board level. Often the question is, “How do you develop church leadership talent.” I like to develop church leaders using many different ways, levels and methods throughout the month. Perhaps some of these will be helpful to you …
- Creating a ‘pathway to leadership’ for the local church that shows someone the steps and processes for spiritual leadership growth from conversion through our highest level of leadership. Once these steps are in place, we create and implement the various elements necessary to make this path available for all of our potential future leadership.
- Leadership E-letter – I encourage all leaders and potential leaders to sign up for my weekly leadership e-letter. This brings Biblical truths to the present day situations.
- Roadmap to Discipleship – Throughout the years we have planned and trained, as well as trained others to teach separate, 4-hour trainings for membership, basic discipleship principles, basic ministry leadership principles, principles of being missional (being ‘on mission’ to personally accomplish the Great Commission) and basic worship principles. These are scheduled and advertized throughout the year.
- Discipleship mentoring – One of the most foundational steps of the ‘pathway to leadership’ involves getting people into a discipleship mentoring relationship soon after they have come to faith in Christ. This involves getting all current leaders trained to disciple new Christians as well as discipling new Christians to disciple future Christians.
- Small Group leadership – Creating an environment of training inside the small groups of our church is one of the greatest ways to identify the future leaders of the church. Providing them with a clear training plan and a mentored approach to servant leadership makes this possible.
- Outreach events – Bringing new, potential leaders into the planning and work of our outreach events throughout the year develops them. These events bring out the mission of Jesus and fan the energy and creativity of all of our leadership.
- Monthly Training – Leaders need regular feeding. They give and give and give. Each year I like to do a thematic training on a specific aspect of leadership; i.e., Teamwork, Servanthood, etc. Meeting once a month each month for ten of twelve months, we make each of these meetings a time of training, planning, sharing, prayer and praise. As we let one another know what is happening, we can praise God for his increase and pray for more of the same. We are also able to pray for those situations that still need resolution and salvation.
- ‘Come-along’ mentoring – Throughout the year, as leaders do ministry and life, they should take along a future / potential leader so they can learn ‘along the way’ as Jesus taught his disciples. Some of these times include conferences, ministry times, daily events day trips, etc.
These are some of the ways in which I develop church leaders, current and future. What are some of the ways you develop your church’s leadership talent? I’d love to hear. Take a moment and leave a comment below please.
So I have a question… Ok several questions… How do you get into the door of ministry? And once you find it, how do you know when you’re ready to walk through it? If you’re like me and in the middle of rough generic/rough specialaized Bachelors degree at Liberty U majoring Religious Studies and minoring in Christian Counseling, what are my options if I’m unemployed? Do I continue volunteering and find a “transitional” job until graduation? Or if I’m in the situation where the field I’m looking at ultimately filling is Pastoral Counseling, and the Pastor leading counseling at my church is a great guy but we don’t exactly connect, and I don’t know if it’s pure scheduling conflicts or that he just finds me a waste of time… At the same time I find myself being used more by our Discipleship pastor (a soon to be Dr you may know) who really seems to know how to light my fire in that ministry, I’m almost wondering if I shouldn’t be looking at a Masters in Apologetics or Evangalism. Which we’ve had the discussion, Apologetics are overused because they’re so sexy in a empiricist based culture, and in all truth I’ve never exactly been what you’d call the social butterfly, but I’m not without the ability to approach or be approachable and carry out meaningful dialogue. I just have to confess that I have this sinking feeling that the worst I can do is become a licensed Christian Counselor or get into Chaplaincy. (which ironically pays more) And what about Youth Ministry, it seems like everyone I talk to who has no experience on the matter tells me Pastors ultimately rise up from the Youth Ministry, which is like the sink or swim field, I can especially tell as ours, sometimes I’m astonished that this guy at his maturity level is put in charge of kids. On the other hand our Childrens Ministry is now being run by my former senior pastor and is absolutely kicking butt and taking names in that department, and my wife serves there but two problems if I serve there… One I feel like I’m going to give Matt the impression I’m stalking him if I haven’t all ready, and second the only thing I may find more frightening than zombies is children. They have legitimate needs and I can’t predict anything they do because I had no childhood myself (the Jehovah’s Witnesses were grooming me for their seminary at Bethel since I was 7).
In other words… help, what do I do? *lol* I’m actually investing in starting a Discipleship Cross ministry just to see if stay at home work is reasonable while I finish school. And the sad thing is once that happens the civil engineering field will be open again but I’d be moving from my office making no spiritual impact to a cubicle making no spiritual impact, except maybe hooking up sewer systems to Mormon Temples, which was just a wierd experience. (we always had a joke about which pipe represented one of their doctrines)
Blessings and regards
Mike (Dub)
Mike, you have asked two core questions. Let me respond to both:
1) How do you get into the door of ministry?
You get into the door of ministry by DOING ministry as a volunteer. As you do ministry, your ministry grows and is effective to the greater community, outside the church. As it grows, you are needed there more and more. Soon, someone has to decide if you should be doing this part time or full time.
Let’s face it, there are LOTS of people in ministry because its a job – that’s not what ministry is about. It’s about bringing the love and leadership of Jesus to bruised, broken and bleeding people in need of care, comfort and Christ.
2) And once you find it, how do you know when you’re ready to walk through it?
You know when your ready when it is ALL you can think about and you are willing to sacrifice ALL to do it. This is what the call of God is all about. Remember Jesus call? It is the call of ministry – which is the call of being with Christ – they are one in the same. This is how Jesus put it:
“And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. ” (Luke 9:23, ESV)
Note the context of this statement: Jesus makes this call just before he does great MINISTRY!
Does that help?
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