Tag: Church

Courageous Leaders

How will our influence be remembered in the church and community where we live and serve?

Will we be remembered because of the change we made for the better?

Will our leadership have an impact for the eternal good of others?

Harry Truman once said, ”Men make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.”

If it seems as though the world stands still around us, then maybe it is time we stood up to lead. Seize the opportunity to change things for the better.

A Sense of Urgency

John Kotter’s book, Leading Change, describes eight steps to ultimately anchor change within organizational culture.

The first step is to “establish a sense of urgency.” Without it, the possibility of change diminishes.

Often times, awareness of a problem or crises does not go unnoticed, but an overwhelming problem of complacency prevents action producing correction.

The church faces a leadership crisis. We find that some deny the reality of the situation, while others tend to ignore it altogether.

Who will lead from the next generation? What plans are in place to train future leaders for the church?

Unless we realize the urgency of the situation, nothing changes and the result will leave the church without leaders.

Uniformity

The power of uniformity is based on the development of consistency, invariability, stability, and the regularity that characterizes leadership.

These four words are the defining qualities of uniformity.

Consistency must be lived according to the message believed and proclaimed.

No matter what the cost, invariably, leaders must show up.

Followers need leaders with stability, which provides them with security.

Regularity is fixed and unchanging, without varying.

Uniformity is critical in leading as God desires. While there may be challenges to the development and fulfillment of these qualities, when we practice them, our leadership grows stronger and lasts longer.

Working Together

“It takes a village to raise a child.” Whether we agree or disagree, one thought is clear, each part is connected and contributes value to the development of the whole. This includes leadership.

Followers need leaders and leaders need followers. Each relies on the other to fill specific gaps that develop stronger relationships.

God designed the church this way. Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 claim the church consists of numerous individuals possessing a variety of gifts. One gift is not greater than another, one person is not more valuable than another, and the proper function of the whole requires each to exercise their ability accordingly.

The Design of Leadership

What is our leadership designed to do? I once read, “A ship is safe in the harbor but that is not what it was designed to do.” Unknown

The answer is simple. We were designed to lead.

Too often I hear of situations where men are qualified to lead, but unwilling to step up and take the responsibility.

Why? Because they feel safe. Most want to avoid challenges, controversies, and confrontations.

Our leadership was never designed for such.

The Lord’s church needs leaders. Rise up men of God and lead!

Our God has called us to the greatest task on earth.

Vision and Mission

In an effort to develop a vision and mission statement, we often get the ideas reversed, and rightfully so, since they are interrelated.

The mission of an organization, specifically the church, describes “what to do.” The foundation is built on the purpose of our existence and the mission directs every decision for all related activities.

The vision describes what we desire to see as a result of the mission. The vision takes into consideration the image of the future that connects the long-term desires with achievable goals.

We must communicate both the vision and mission if we hope to achieve any level of success.

Leadership Development

Where do we begin with leadership development? The task is daunting. To illustrate, a Google search for “Leadership Development” indicates there are 2,590,000,000 possibilities to consider.

When we learn to specify areas of leadership development within the scope of the church or areas of spirituality, the field narrows.

Again, we discover the same struggle: where to begin. Perhaps we can begin by narrowing our search with two questions: 1) What needs exist? 2) What piques our interest?

The priority of where our leadership begins rests on the need. However, we will also find that areas of interest keep us motivated to grow in leadership.

Time and Energy

When the only value people feel they provide for an organization is from a financial perspective, then the long-term structure crumbles. We all desire to know that the time and energy we contribute to growth has value, not just financially.

If we can incorporate the same into our spiritual leadership, the response is the same. Consider the benefit to the church when Christians see leaders give of their time and energy. The result is huge in raising the level of trust and the desire to achieve the vision set forth by leaders.

Change

Change if often met with resistance. Once we are comfortable with the status quo, settled into our comfort zone, progress is stymied.

George Bernard Shaw once said, “Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” Even though many are resistant, change is the price of progress. And, change is biblical.

The proper use of technology, the introduction of new methodologies for teaching, and a general openness to evaluating what has and has not worked in the past would serve leadership well.

If the church desires to grow spiritually and numerically we need to be a bit more comfortable with change because growth does not occur without it.

The Influence of One

At times, a phrase or thought can evoke a well-house of emotions and strength.

We possess the mental fortitude to influence direction, situations, and the lives of others, but we often do not follow through because we think it will not make a difference. After all, what difference can one person make?

History records the powerful influence one person can have on the world.

We must allow God to use us as that influence in our context. We can be that one!

Imagine the impact when leaders work together in the church to influence the direction of the world.