Tag: Church

Unprecedented Leadership…

Unprecedented seems to be the most common description of 2020, more specifically, the coronavirus pandemic. As uncertainty looms, how do leaders respond?

As we explore the possibilities, one factor is clear: Returning to the way things were before is not a reality, at least not in the foreseeable future.

Perhaps we should ask if returning to the way things were before is best for the church.

Crises present opportunities. How we approach these opportunities impacts the direction of the church and her leaders.

During these times, let’s focus on how to use these opportunities to lead in ways that grow the kingdom.

Leading God’s Family…

Nothing is more comforting than going home after being away.

The defining qualities of home make all the difference.

Home is special because we belong, we are members of a family or household.

Spiritually, the church is where we belong, where we are members of God’s family. Perhaps this is why the Bible speaks of the eternal dwelling God has prepared for us.

While on earth, the church should provide the same comforts of home.

Opposite of the corporate body, often connected to the church, leaders need to encourage and strengthen the idea of the church as family…home.

Peace…

Peace is often associated with the absence of conflict, but the Hebrew word shalom and the Greek word eirênê both carry the idea of wholeness and harmony.

Kenneson points out that promotion of individualism strikes at the heart of achieving biblical peace, and the privatization of faith takes individualism even further. Many speak of a “personal relationship with Jesus,” meaning one’s own “private” relationship.

Perhaps this explains why so many “self-professed Christians believe they can be perfectly good Christians apart from the church” (92).

Compartmentalizing life, defending personal rights, and sanctioning violence are a few of the ways peace is attacked.

Incorporating baptism, encouraging, edifying, admonishing, and forgiving one another are a few ways to support biblical peace.

Pleasing Everyone…

An effort to please everyone is doomed to fail. Marco Rubio said, “We live in a society obsessed with public opinion. But leadership has never been about popularity.”

Sadly, the adage about the “squeaky wheel” is true. Those who complain the most and loudest tend to get action.

The church needs leaders who… 1) examine scripture to ensure decisions are biblical, 2) do not follow the flow of modern popularity, 3) never rush a decision, but do not hesitate between two opinions either, 4) make the decision, 5) remember, not every decision will please everyone.

The responsibility of decisive leadership is crucial to the future.

Actions and Motives…

Leaders give of their time and ability. They possess a willingness to help others reach their greatest potential for God and His church.

Leaders are also selfless. While the ideas are interrelated and it can become difficult to distinguish them, the difference is the action of one and the motivation in the other. 

Effective leadership makes the sacrifice, but the reason they make it is the selfless heart of God’s servant.

William Barclay once said, “Always give without remembering; always receive without forgetting.”

The thought speaks to actions and motives. It should motivate us to lead this way.

Relational Leadership…

“Leaders aren’t built in a day––they’re built over a season. Leadership development is not a class you take––it’s an intentional relationship you build.” Mac Lake

Leaders know that leadership is about people. Without building relationships with others, the work of leading is arduous.

This thought is even more crucial when we consider the necessity of developing others to lead. When leaders intentionally focus on relationships with future leaders, these leaders blossom and secure the future of the church.

The time invested makes a difference for every aspect of leadership development.

Involved = Learning…

One of the greatest lessons for learning comes from Ben Franklin, “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”

No matter what age group, this thought has application.

Leadership in the home means we must involve children so they learn.

Educational leaders must involve students if they are to learn.

As spiritual leaders within the church, we must know the value of this thought if we are to help the church move from complacency and apathy to learning.

When it comes to an application of biblical principles, involve people in ways that result in learning.

A Healing Leader…

A thought expressed by a good friend is worth sharing. 

“I find a leadership lesson in the experience of helping the church heal. Leaders cannot allow themselves to see people as groups, as factions; we must see them individually. As leaders, we may preach to a congregation, but we teach one soul at a time. For, we never know which one might become the next leader.” Paul Myers

Read the last line again and let it sink in for a moment. We may proclaim the word of God to multitudes, but leadership is developed through transforming one soul at a time. 

Who might be the next leader where you serve?

Faith and Leadership…

Great faith is always amazing. Leaders need great faith. They need faith that is so big the only answer is God.

I’ve met a few leaders like this over the years. Recently, I was blessed to meet an elder that shared a moving story about how God showed up in incredible ways to provide a Christian Camp. 

The most impressive aspect of his character was his humility. While others expressed thanks for his role, he never accepted it. He knew only God made it happen. Over and over he said, “It was God’s dream. It was God’s work.” 

When leaders possess the kind of humility to acknowledge the power of God at work in this way, we are privileged to see great faith in action.

The Worth of Leadership…

What is leadership worth to our spouse? Children? Church family? Us?

Let us focus on the idea of worth.

Most of us find our worth in what we do. The value of what we accomplish, the skills we possess, the praise of others for a job well done, or our level of achievement seems to determine our worth.

However, nothing we do has greater worth than fulfilling our God-given roles as husbands and wives, mothers and fathers. 

We need to express this more within our families.