Benedictions

1 Timothy 1:17 (HCSB)
¹⁷  Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

How our lives would change if this was the way we lived.
God fill you day.

Benedictions

From 2 Thessalonians 3:5, 16, 18

May the Lord direct your hearts to God's love and Christ's endurance. 
May the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you. 
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you.

For you and for me.

Beginning to Administrate

This is a little off track, but not too far out there. I have been thinking about what happens when I "administrate" something. What happens, practically? Whether you are in a position that requires overall responsibility or just responsible for a small part, I think there are a couple of key things we need to do.

We need to think! Seems obvious. Not so. We need to take some time and think through all of the things that need to happen for a successful "event." Let's use a Sunday service as an example. You are the pastor (theoretically) so you have the overall responsibility for the service. You may delegate parts of it but they still have a strings attached to you. If you have been at this for awhile some of this may seem unimportant or unnecessary. OK for you, but perhaps, not for some one else.

There is no way I am suggesting that the pastor do all of this or even have his fingers in it other than as an overall leader (administrator).

Who does the bulletins? It's in good hands and I've given all of my announcements to the person.
Who handles worship? Ah, yes, the worship leader. Is he aware of any special things (music, drama) that I want to use because of my message that day? Do I communicate enough with the worship leader?

Do the ushers/greeters know their job? Do they have the handouts that they need? Are the baskets in the right place - if there is an offering? Is my message ready or being worked on faithfully? Did I get my PowerPoint to the sound people? And the list could go on.

Understand, again, most of these things are in other peoples hands as delegated responsibilities. That doesn't mean you shouldn't be aware of them. If we are unaware of these things we cannot appreciate the work that others are doing and good communication breaks down. Nothing will disgruntle your workers more than lack of acknowledgement and encouragement and training.

So as you sit in your chair or stand at your desk (recommended these days) on the day you work on this - THINK. Think of what could go wrong or right. Pray and ask God to make you aware of needs for the Sunday service.

As you journey through your service, notice what is going on. Look at the congregation, workers and see  what is working and what is not. I think a big part of administration is having eyes that see.

As always, throw in your comments. That's how we all learn.

The Options

For many years I was a faithful "Day-timer" person. The system served me well. Day-timer is one of many systems that you can use to keep track of your life and administrative duties. It is a paper system. I, and many of you, have moved to a digital system. The basic rule remains the same! USE IT!

There are many options out there for keeping track of contacts, lists, projects, etc. The important thing is to find one that you can and will use. Currently, I am committed to Google Email, Contacts and Calendar. These I use all of the time, often on my phone. It works pretty well for me - WHEN I REMEMBER THE BASIC RULE - USE IT!.

When you are using a system you need to make it your own. I cannot create labels or tags for you. I cannot sort the various items for you. You have to create that part of your system. I know artist-type people whose system looks like they used a 64 crayon box of Crayola Crayons. Others are strictly black and white. Some of the things you need to do follows.

1. Have a way to sort and store your email. You might use names or projects dates (pretty difficult over a long time). Learn to create rules in you digital system and these things can be done automatically.
2. Have a way to prioritize your to do list. Again, you can color code or letter code the list. Sometimes by altering an item simply you get a better list. For example, I will add a "0" (zero) to an item if I want it at the top of my list (in a digital system). Numbers always come before letters in sorting in ascending order.
3. Use your calendar to help with you list. Put a list item in the day you need to be working on it or the name of someone you want to contact at a later date in that day.

The bottom line for all of this info is,

Have a system and use it.

Administration for the Pastor

As always, your current position or responsibility is unknown to me. Many time the suggestions that are given can be adapted to your particular situation. If you find that you can't do that feel free to ask a question in the COMMENTS section and we will see what we can do.

Today let's be a pastor. It is your first workday after the weekend - for some that is Monday and for others it might be Tuesday. We will pass on the "at home stuff" for now. You arrive at your office or the place you do your "pastor" work. What has to happen between now and the next weekend?

Let's try and create a list. This is a one pastor office.

• teaching preparation (study, writing, thinking, praying)
• financial review (How is the income vs. expenses going? Do we need to cut some expenses?)
• pastoral meetings (marriage counseling, mentoring, discipling, meetings with various leaders)
• elders' meeting planning (agenda, resources)
• Christmas Service planning (children's program, choir, musicians, gifts, etc)
• Emails (reading and answering)
• Facebook (reading and responding where appropriate - some use Facebook instead of email)
• Write missionaries (often this is overlooked)
• review curriculum (Sunday school at all levels)
• Find a new usher (John just quit. Can I ask Luke?)
• Answer phone calls (listen to answering machine and return necessary calls)
• Visit hospital (hopefully this isn't necessary but...)
• Developmental reading (your own development as a pastor and leader needs to be nourished)
• Men's Bible Study (this is a group you lead on a weekly basis)
• Prayer (start you day in the office with this and take some prayer breaks through the day)
• Review various ministries of the church (What do they need? Where are the strengths and weaknesses? Are they doing OK?)
• Update Blog (only if you started one - should be done regularly to be effective)
• Follow-up on past meetings - do my action list from those meetings (What was it I had to do after the last elders' meeting? Leaders' team meeting?...more later)

This only a small part of what you need to do in your ministry but it is enough to get us panicked and/or overwhelmed. How do I begin?

This is the first day of your week. Pray first. Take several minutes just to lift up the planning you need to do. 

You should have a CALENDAR and LIST with you. Whether the CALENDAR is paper or digital makes no difference - IT DOES NEED TO BE THE SAME CALENDAR EACH TIME. The LIST may be considered a TO DO LIST or not. I like to call it MY LIST. It can be on paper or on a computer BUT as with the CALENDAR it is the same LIST you used last time and will use next time.

Enough for today. If you want an assignment, make up your own list of what you need to do in your ministry similar to the one I just listed. That is a key important part of administration - know what you have to do. 

Be sure to add any thoughts to the COMMENTS.

Administration - Gift, Skill or Stupid

I've been asked to develop a training module on ADMINISTRATION - for pastors. The comment was that many pastors have no idea how to do administration in their churches or in some cases their life. So, I thought I would develop it here so that I can add your feed back to my learning module.

By using the term "learning module," I'm saying, it is part of the training a pastor needs- probably only a part of the training in administration.

But you say, "I'm not the administrator, I have an administrator." Nice. But, you, the pastor need to have some ability in the area of administration. Why? Your own life, your families life and your church need you to be involved. No, you don't need to be THE administrator of your church but, you do need to be able,to some degree, to administrate, manage, order, and organize - with the help of the Holy Spirit - those things you have been given responsibility for by the Lord.

This is an area in which I have some gifting - it comes without much effort - and I have spent the last 40 years trying to improve. Perhaps you are one of the gifted or, perhaps, that is a gift that you never received. Let's see if we can help you develop the gift, or if you are the latter, give you some help developing some of the skills that will serve you, your family and your church family.

In the past week I have been trying to think about this question of administration. But first, let's get one thing clear, I may not always refer to God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit directly, but everything I write has their involvement implied.

There are two thoughts - so far - that seem important.

1. the system you use is not as important as being consistent in your use of the system
2. you need to manage three things: time, stuff, and relationships.

So what do we mean by administration? My definition would run something like, administration is that set of skills/gifts that allow my life to operate in a way that brings me a sense of peace at the end of the day.

I'm going to stop there for now. I will be interested in receiving your comments and thoughts.

What Do I Do?

I've been a pastor for over 30 years—ouch! In that time I have needed and given three different types of care; pastoral care, mentoring and coaching. Sometimes I really mix these up and I'm not really sure it makes a lot of difference. But it is good to have some clarity at the start. If you are preparing for leadership or in the midst of it, having an understanding with those you are leading helps.

Pastoral care

I would define pastoral care as the practice of looking after a person (or group) and their spiritual, personal and social well-being. The primary responsibility of the pastor of a church is to see that this is done. Many people are membered in a church and never receive this kind of care. Unfortunately, many pastors never receive this kind of care either. One of the joys of my life, as a man, husband, father and pastor is that I have had this kind of care. My pastor would sit with me on a regular basis and love me by asking me about my finances, my relationship with my wife and kids (he also asked my wife about this occasionally, keeping me honest), my ministry/church, my physical well-being, and my personal spiritual life. After 27 years, our meetings are not as frequent but the topics are the same.

Mentoring

Mentoring is a process where a more experienced colleague is chosen to pass on a particular skill to a less experienced person (my definition). Note that this is not always "older to younger." There are times when a younger person may have a skill that someone older needs, and mentoring takes place. In our discussion mentoring could take place in the areas of preaching, writing, pastoral care, or any number of different areas. Usually this is for a limited, defined time.

Coaching

Coaching (again, my definition) is the providing of guidance, feedback, and direction in response to the one you are working with at the time. The second year I was in Brazil a friend gave me a scholarship for a ministry coach for one year. On a monthly basis we would have a one hour conversation reviewing what I was doing, giving me feedback and suggestions that were very helpful to my work in Brazil. The agendas of our meetings were established by me and he then helped me think through each item. I am still using some of the skills he passed on to me.

These three often overlap and we should not get hung up on keeping them too separate. They are all needed in our lives. I want to be mature in Christ and I want those whom I have primary care for to become mature in Christ. That is going to take more than one person, more than me. Let's rejoice when others are able to impart to those we are relating to more skills and maturity. It is one kingdom.

Feel free to add your comments, definitions and experience. Here are some questions to get the "juices" flowing.

•  How have you experienced these three methods of helping other people in your own life?
  
• Think through the people who have helped you grow. Pick one of them and explain how they imparted what they had to you.
• What was you understanding of “pastor” and how has it changed as you read through this chapter?

Strengths and Weaknesses

One of the primary issues we deal with has to do with our strengths and weakness. The “Peter Principle” states that “every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence.” (The Peter Principle, Lawrence Peters, 1969) Phrasing it in my own words, we will continue to be promoted until we are unable to fulfill the needs of the last promotion. When this happens, we become frustrated, discouraged, angry, sometimes fired, and unproductive. What does this have to do with leadership in the church? Often times the same thing happens in the church. We see someone who is doing a marvelous job in a particular ministry, move them to another, perhaps more prestigious, ministry and they don’t experience the same success they had previously. Perhaps a common example is an associate pastor, youth leader or small group leader that has been very successful in their ministry and is tapped to be the Sr. Pastor. When the change takes place they do a poor job and constantly struggle with just maintaining the status quo. What happened? They stepped out of their area of giftedness and skill.

As leaders we are expected to be competent in three basic areas: dealing with people, proclamation, and production (The ability to get things done and make things happen whether numerical growth, greater financial contributions or a successful building program, for example.) Few of us, if any, are actually competent in all three areas. This lack of competency causes us to find various ways of coping with our lack: blame others, blame circumstances, avoid issues and people, keep things focused on another area so our weakness is not seen, or demonstrating a humility about our inability and doing nothing to change. This is a quick rode to major trouble in your life and in the life of those who follow you. How do we deal with this?

Recognize your call and your gifting. Yes, “you can do all things in Christ Jesus!” but it doesn’t mean you should or are able do it all. We need to know what we can do well. Where our gifting lies and what skills we have. Then we need to work within those parameters. It all comes from God. (II Cor. 3:4-5 “And such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God.”) Rightly discern you gifts and talents with the help of those you trust. Jack Miller states the following spiritual laws: Only God is God; you are not God. See the problem is we have these confused, many times. If we put these laws in the right order we will find we are much more fruitful.

Do a self-evaluation. Ask the hard questions. What can I do that nobody else can do? What are my strengths? What am I good at? Where have I seen results? What do I enjoy doing? After you have answered these questions let someone else answer them for you—being sure to have an open heart to what God might be saying. Face the weaknesses others might see in you. Some of these weaknesses you can improve on with study and work. Others are more a part of who you are and you will need to work with that limitation.

One of the keys to being a good leader is to find people who can fill-in your weaknesses and work together with them. My personal conviction is that we were never meant to work alone. Churches should be led by plural leadership where men can fill-in what others are missing. Then we build a team of real strength under the guidance of God.

Where you can find ways (study, reading, classes, etc.) to improve you skills and weakness, do so. Where you cannot, acknowledge you are in over your head, have the courage to back out and move on, becoming a better leader.

Would love to hear you comments on the following questions.

• How well do you know who you are? What have you done to find out the answer to the question?
• How would you define your strengths and weakness?
• What do you need to do to discover, more fully, who you are and what you are to do?
• Finally, what is one thing you will do this week to become more acquainted with you?

DECISIONS

Anytime we talk about leadership we need to include a discussion on decision making. Have you ever been to a restaurant with some friends? How long did it take to make a decision about what to order? This can drive me crazy. I can be just as indecisive as the next guy. There are times, though, where I decide that it is not my last meal; I am really here to talk and socialize; and it surely won't kill me (no guarantee on this last one) to just pick something. So how do we think about making decisions and the risks they invariably lead us to take?

We need to acknowledge that being a leader means making decisions. In fact this could be some of the hardest work you will ever do. It is not just THE DECISION. It is all the work it takes to get to that decision AND handling the results. Many times it is coming to the realization that there might be several right decisions and you have to choose one. God grant us mercy.

Leadership does mean moving forward. If the object of our leadership is healthy it is growing in some way. If it is growing, decisions need to be made. I can't stand over a flower plant forever without deciding it needs water to survive. If I don't water that plant it has no hope of survival. So it is with our leadership. We can't just stand back and watch life go by. We need to make decisions. They may not always be the right ones--or the best ones. But they need to be made.

One of the reasons that mission and vision is so important is that it helps us make decisions. If God has called me to make the best ice cream (simple example--but tasteful) and somebody asks if I want to make popcorn instead, I know to say NO. God called me to make ice cream. Knowing what you have been called to do and knowing how you are supposed to do it helps you make good decisions. This won't deal with every decision but it does cover some of those that can really mess up what we are doing.

Sometimes you just have to do your homework and make the best decision you can. Where should we open up a checking account? There are many options. You do your homework--interest rates, charges, policies,--and make the best decision you can. It could cause grief later but making no decision is worst.

Procrastination is a real decision killer. Decisions need to be made in a timely manner. Procrastination is, in effect, a decision (usually a bad one) to put something off, and off, and off. What this does in those who depend on us cannot be diminished. They begin to doubt our ability to lead. It also tells them that they, too, can put off their decisions (like paying the mortgage or spending time with the family). Here is an illustration from history. General George McClellan was a leader who avoided making decisions. Early in the American Civil War he was ordered by Lincoln to attack Richmond, Virginia, but he delayed. Historians speculate that if he had made an immediate decision to attack as ordered, the war could have been over in a matter of months rather than dragging on for four years.

More than likely, the majority of your decisions will be made with less than a 100% certainty. We just need to remember we are not perfect. We study, research, pray, listen, seek counsel, and then make the best decision we can with the knowledge and wisdom we have.

Remember that we don't serve alone. We need to involve appropriate others in our decision making process, but, not everyone we know. We need to involve those who have more knowledge or wisdom, those who serve along side of us, and any other appropriate people. Minor decisions should welcome the input of others as well. Much of this is determined by our attitude. What does your heart want? Are you a team player?

Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Yep, some of your decisions will be wrong. Or, they won't work out as anticipated. I am pretty convinced that if we do our part, with hearts really seeking what is right, we will come out OK at the end. It may be rough going. You may learn many painful lessons. You will receive a few accolades. You will gain wisdom and strength. It is so important to acknowledge our errors and to evaluate our decisions honestly if we are to serve the people who are following us.

What are your comments?

• What is your basic decision making process?
• If someone invited you to go on a one year mission trip how would you arrive at the decision? Be honest. What are some things you should change in that process?
• Think of a bad decision you have made and explain how you could have done a better job.

LEAD CREATIVELY

As we think about leadership it becomes apparent that there are different styles of leaders/leadership. I want to offer some ideas of the different styles of leadership we can experience. Some of these overlap and you probably never use only one in a situation. Remember, we are talking about an overall style of leadership that is very different from what the business or political world shows us. We are talking about servant-leadership. Our goal is not control but release. We want to develop people is such a way that they are able to do the same for others. My "success" does not depend on my "disciples" but on their disciples. Have my disciples been able to pass on to theirs the life and style of leadership I have tried to pass on. Our life in the church is described as a body and implies that each part has a critical part to play in its life.

Some of the ways you might express your leadership follows. You will need, if you continue in leadership, to use all of them at sometime.

Hands on direct leadership: Here you accept responsibility for the task and the results. At the beginning of a training relationship this type of leadership could serve well. You've just met someone who wants to learn to be a leader. You begin by having him watch you in a specific task where you are directly responsible for the result.

Model: Perhaps this is one of the strongest training methods and one of the most dangerous. We are not perfect. We need to model our strengths as well as our weaknesses. This requires wisdom and humility. This style also requires substantial time with the trainee(s). It does not take place in a once-a-week one hour meeting. The trainee needs to see us in many various situations--and be able to talk about them later.

Partner: Here you are working together. You become an anchor or support but you do the work together, helping others develop their abilities and sharing the desired results. It is important that you don't take a "do this" approach.

Coach: You will spend time with your charges, training them in specific skills and then releasing them to use those skills in various situations without you. If you are to succeed, you will bring them back in, talk about the results and any challenges, re-teach some skills, and send them back out again.

Teach: This, perhaps, is the most abused style (along with the direct leadership). Leaders often think that their only responsibility is to present their "vast" wealth of information and then they are finished. There is a time for teaching and it is an important, necessary gift and style. But it is best used along with some of the other styles and rarely by itself. You may have a gifted teacher who speaks to your charges but you need to work with what they have learned and challenge them to apply the new knowledge so it becomes more than just information.

Advice: This should be used as doors open for the same. Giving advice when it is not asked for (please note that this does not mean a direct question but an openness to hear) can create a gulf between you and your charges. Listening and responding at the right time is critical skill to learning.

Counsel: Some may come alongside of you and need help in relating some theory to practice. They may need help in clarifying some things God is saying to them and ask for your counsel. Remember you are not God and what you can give them only comes from your life and understanding of God (limited).

Facilitate: This type of leadership is indispensable. This leader may draw up an agenda and help a group work through the agenda. Or he may just be asked to do the same from someone else’s agenda. He may lead a small group of people who have a common task and he helps to see it through to the end. This means giving up your personal agenda and beginning to work with a group in a creative process, as a servant. Often the most difficult part of this style of leadership is, not talking. Let others do it.

Observe: Hopefully as you work with your trainees you will take time to watch them in their service. Often, I would rather be part of a service and observe what is going on if I am responsible for the leader. It is a difficult position because when the "big guy" comes in they want him to teach or minister. We need to be in these meetings as members if we are going to observe our charges at work. Take time afterward to use some of the other styles to continue working with the leader.

We are called to be leader-equippers-servant. Never are we the end. We want to lead in such a way that those we lead will quickly be leading others in a way that they too will be leading others. Sometimes we need to get over ourselves and realized that Jesus is most important and we are all his body.

TO GET YOU STARTED ON COMMENTS

• What is your favorite or most used leadership style?
• What style have you been under the most?
• What do you need to do to become a better leader-equipper-servant?
• What can you do this week to move in this direction?

HELPING PEOPLE TO GROW

As a budding leader, there are many things that you can do to help people move on in their relationship with the Lord. These are not given in any specific order but should become part of who you are as a leader.

• Probably one of the most important things is to get to know your people. This means much active listening. Doing so will challenge you because they will express great diversity in personality, style, and opinion. In most cases they are going to be different then you--thank the Lord. Let them do it their way, with guidance. We can never hope to help people become who God’s wants them to be without knowing who they are. 

• Asking for their opinions and interacting with them in a way that permits them to express themselves openly will build trust. Remember you are not a god. They may have some better ideas. It is always better to listen, and hear what others have to bring to the table. Let them hear your opinion as opinions and not commands. This is not an easy thing to learn. We tend to be passionate about those things that express who we are and our passion comes across, many times, as a command or decision. 

• Be supportive and helpful as they solve their own problems. You don’t have to have all of the answers in order to lead or pastor. Asking good questions (another topic/another time) rather than giving them all the answers helps people to grow from their problems far more effectively. This can be a painful process because we have to watch them go through the consequences of their decisions and conclusions. It is not a time to walk out but a time to walk beside and support. 

• Affirm and recognize their contributions. Nothing is more disheartening for someone than to do a great job and then you take the credit for it or give no recognition of a job well done. From personal experience this is incredibly important. I have great men surrounding me who have affirmed the work that I do. Feels good. 

• Provide them with educational aids and opportunities. Remember that your charge, disciples, trainees need to be continually challenged. You must let them gain insight from other resources. They may need your help in finding those resources. Point them in the right direction for research and learning. Share with them what you're reading from books, magazines, and the internet. Invite them to join you as you go to conferences. Encourage them to go to conferences that are of interest to them and to share with you about them later.

•  Build on their strengths. Help them to do what they do best, better. If needed, help them discover what it is that they do well. 

• Help them define goals that are realizable (not too small or too large but big enough that they are stretched as they reach for them) and that will build their confidence This can be big. Young leaders will often think they can do more than they can. And often they can be afraid of doing new things. Setting goals with them, encouraging them, and then congratulating them on a job well done will take them miles. 

• Learn to listen. Doing this one skill effectively not only helps you to understand your disciples but teaches them how important it is. Ask questions and then LISTEN. Do not be formulating the next question. Let their sharing guide your questions. 

FOR YOUR JOURNAL 

• How are you doing as the servant-leader?
• How are you building people?
• What are you doing to help people become better at what they are doing?
• What has been your focus in leadership--people or your ministry?
• Write down a number of ways you can increase your focus on people as you continue to lead.
• What about today? What can you do today the move yourself forward in this area? 

I hope you understand that these are not all original thoughts but the culmination of years of being under leaders who have invested in me.

Finally, share with us, in the comments, how you have experienced any of these qualities of leadership in your own lives.

LEARNING

One of the difficulties of using books for discipleship is that we move too fast. For growth to take place in our lives we have to process, in some form, the material we are considering over a period of time. I remember taking a course on how adults learn in graduate school. The statement was made that an adult had to encounter something 52 times before it became a part of them. That could be in writing, art, listening, reading or any combination of these. In addition it is said that it takes 4 to 6 weeks of consistent "doing" before an action becomes a habit.

Discipleship (learning, being a student) during the time of Jesus would have been the standard way of life. Beginning about 6 years of age, and continuing until they were ten, they new the Torah (first 5 books of our Bible) by heart. Their goal was not just to know the Torah but to live their lives according to it. If it was God’s word and “tasted like honey on the lips” it was something that should impact their whole life. Rob Bell, in Velvet Elvis, makes the point that it seems like everyone in Jesus’ time new the Scriptures. This is why. After the age of ten, if they were gifted, they would continue to work with the Rabbi of the village. They would memorize the other books of the Old Testament, study the traditions, consider other Rabbi’s teachings, and, interestingly, study how to ask questions. We cannot, nor should we, duplicate exactly the methods used 2000 years ago but we need to learn that discipleship takes time. You will need to take time. You will be pursuing the most important relationship you will ever have and you will need to take time.

The dilemma is that most readers will finish this book in less than 30 days, if it is any good (and if it is ever published). The needed changes that you will discover about yourself cannot take place in 30 days. In the FOR YOUR JOURNAL section of the last chapter I had you choose one thing to develop in your personality. If you are “normal” you will have discovered a long list of changes that need to be accomplished. How do we do this? How do we MOVE THE MOUNTAIN THAT WE ARE to become what God has for us?

If you are really serious about becoming all God has for you, find someone who will pastor /mentor /coach you through this process. This should be someone you respect and can submit your life to, fully. You should expect to pursue this relationship rather than depend on them to pursue you. Take the initiative. If there is no one older and more mature you could do this with a friend. It will probably be more difficult and slower and each of you would have to be committed to the process.

Do not try and do too many things at the same time. Your list of needed changes could be substantial. Work on one thing at a time or you will get discouraged. Work on it faithfully until you and the person you are working with see a change. Once this change has begun you can start on another item, remembering not to forget the previous. I read in one place where a writer wanted to add a number of good habits to her life. She decided to commit to doing one each month rather than start the year out trying to do all of them. One is possible, but 12 are overwhelming. In some cases a single change in our lives will impact many areas of our lives. Generally, though, I think you will see a process of exploring and learning what that single change means. When I became a Christian many things changed. One of the interesting things, for me, was that my language changed. My use of certain words, over time, disappeared without me intentionally trying to change. At the same time my circle of friends changed. Again, this was not intentional. No decision or change that we make is done in a vacuum. Be prepared.

Use your journal. Go back over your answers to the questions and re-read them on a regular basis. Add to your journal your successes and your failures. Don't get bogged down with the failures. They are learning experiences we need to embrace, to learn from and to move beyond.

Pray. Pray for God's help as you allow him to make you into the leader that He wants you to be. Remember it will not be like someone else. You are unique and God's plan for you is unique. Our goal is to help you find and succeed in that plan for your life.

Look for opportunities to apply what you are working on now. If you are trying to listen more, put yourself in situations where you are doing this. Be intentional. If you are going to a meeting where you, usually, do most of the talking, plan on doing more listening. If someone asks you why the change simply answer that you are trying to understand and do not focus on what you are trying to do in your life in your answer. If you are shy and withdrawn go to places where there are people and begin talking. It is almost always safe to ask about their lives. Obviously, the depth of questions has to do with the depth of the relationship. Want to be more of a servant--clean the bathroom. Again. Again. Do it until your heart is serving not just your hands.

This process is one only you can do. No one can do it for you. It will take time and work and patience. If you are faithful and persistent you will impact God's kingdom. In your corner of His world you will make a difference.

FOR YOUR JOURNAL

• Write about some changes you tried to accomplish in the past but did not and why you think you failed.
• Why are you reading this book?
• Assuming you want to become the person God wants you to be, what steps are you going to take to allow this to happen? (Hint: It will not happen through osmosis!)

LEADERSHIP DEFINED

You have picked up this book thinking that maybe you are a leader. Or you want to be a leader and need to learn how. The first thing we should probably do is define our term—leader.

We say a leader is one who leads. This simple definition implies a capacity to lead, that someone is following, and that there is some direction of purpose (not necessarily good or bad) the leader has in mind. Good leadership is a great blessing to the nation, the family, the business, or the church.

Does secular leadership and Christian leadership differ? Certainly if we look at 1 Timothy 3:1-7 we see that one of the keys of Christian leadership is good character.

1 Timothy 3:1-7 ( ESV )
The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

A Christian leader ought to reflect God’s character since he is the one that is served. The incarnate Christ has come to earth and inhabited his people. This, because of our very nature, makes us different from leaders in the secular world.

The Christian leader is first a follower then a leader. By definition a Christian is one who follows Christ (the root of the word is “little Christ”). It is only after following the one we call Jesus that we are able to lead anyone else.

Christian leaders are agents of change. We do not just want to see things happen we want to see peoples lives changed. We want to see lightness brought into a dark kingdom. We want to see the very nature of society changed. We focus on serving rather than demanding. We want to see babies become young men who become older men able to continue the teaching process.

The Christian leader is more concerned about equipping the people they lead than in building themselves a kingdom.

THE FOUNDATION

Before we look at becoming leaders we ought to do some study on what a leader is and does. The world — business, political, church, and society — has many different types of leaders. Because we are focused on the Christian church we need to be looking at only one leader to find the foundation for what we are about. His name was Jesus. The Bible contains many references to him and we want to look at these before we begin looking at ourselves. As you work through this book some of these “pictures” will be repeated.

In Psalm 23 we find a description of a shepherd from the Old Testament. As we look at this Psalm we find that the Chief Shepherd has some responsibilities.

Psalms 23:1-6 ( NIV )
1The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
4Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,£
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

The shepherd here gives the sheep security, provision, rest/restoration, leadership, and protection. The shepherd provides an environment that is safe but not challenging. In all of his care for the sheep, the sheep still go through the “valley of the shadow of death,” they still experience discipline (“your rod and your staff comfort me”). They are found “in the presence of their enemies.”

The key for us is the love that the shepherd has for his sheep. Jesus is the Good Shepherd and we are his sheep. The pastoral scene of the shepherd and his sheep is reflected in many places in the New Testament (Mt 25:32; Mk 14:27; Jn 10:11)

In Peter 5:1-5 the shepherd motif continues.

1 Peter 5:1-5 ( ESV )
So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight,£ not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you;£ not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Peter is addressing the “elders” in the church. These are the primary leaders of the local congregation. (We will speak of them later.) Peter uses the image of the shepherd to pass on instruction to the elders of the church. Function as a shepherd. Do this willingly and watch out for them, which means not to focus on them but to keep your eyes moving around them to protect them from the enemy. This is done by example and not forcefully.

Now he gives instructions to younger “shepherds” and tells them to be humble toward one another. We, as youngers, are to submit to the shepherds over us. (not blind obedience as we will see later.) It is interesting here that we are both the sheep and the shepherd, depending on our relationship with another person.

Again in John 10: 11-18 we find more information about what it means to be a shepherd in the church (a leader by any other name).

John 10:11-18 ( ESV )
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

This passage of God’s Word starts out pretty extreme. Yes, it is referring to Jesus but there is a model that is found here for leaders in general. The sheep are most important. He knows them by name and he cares for them. Leadership (shepherding) is not something that can be done from some ivory tower. We need to know our sheep—those we are responsible for and for whom we care.
The early church used the term sheepdogs to refer to church pastors. This did honor to the Lord as shepherd and the “sheepdogs” as his servants. We certainly need to understand that we are not the CHIEF Shepherd or the Lord or God. Our task though is not quite the same as a sheepdogs. We are undershepherds. Leaders who take our authority and service from the Chief Shepherd. We must always remember that each person we care for only has one God and he is not us. The thing that using “sheepdog” does is keep us humble. It helps us to keep our eyes on the true shepherd and to point our “sheep” to the true shepherd.

As we finish this chapter we need to understand that some of us are called to be pastors in a more formal or traditional way according to our gifting. That does not mean that the rest of us don’t have a responsibility to care for each other. As we read through the New Testament we find over and over the term “one another.” Regardless of your position God has called you and me to care for each other.

BEGINNING

When considering the subject of leadership, several truths come to mind. First, we can never get far from our personality . Furthermore, a leader needs to have character—not simply be a character, though the two are not mutually exclusive. One who leads needs a certain amount of skill in working with people and communication. Also, since the leadership we are considering is primarily leadership in the context of the Christian church, a leader needs a growing understanding of the Scriptures.

When we speak of character we speak of “the inherent complex of attributes that determines a person’s moral and ethical actions and reactions.” Or, to put it more simply, as John Warfin says in the film Buckaroo Bonsai, “Character is what you are in the dark.” When no one can see you, applaud you, correct you, or encourage you, your character determines what you do. Ask yourself, "If there were no one there to punish me or correct me, or award me, what would I do?" Developing good character is a crucial step in the development of good leaders. Thankfully, character can be built.

Ability to work with people and skills in communication are also invaluable in the social network we call “church.” How we talk, the tone we use, the questions we ask, and the way we listen are all part of these skills. These skills can be learned if one is willing to put in the effort required.

Understanding Scripture is a life-long pursuit. If one is to become a leader in the Christian church, this has to be a primary pursuit. Formal education is not required; however, some type of structured, intentional, and accountable learning process is necessary. We run into many problems when we fail to learn from the great saints of old – and not so old. We believe that the Scriptures are plain and understandable in matters of salvation and yet, the personal interpretation of portions of the Scriptures have sometimes allowed too many leaders to fail personally, and worse, to lead astray many of those under their leadership and teaching.

Along with continual study of the Scriptures, familiarizing yourself with some of the available Christian theology books will be helpful. Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem is a challenging tome that brings in various theological views. I enjoyed
H. Orton Wiley’s Christian Theology while I was in seminary. There are others.



For your Journal

• Explain the difference between PERSONALITY and CHARACTER.
• What traits make up your personality?
• What PEOPLE SKILLS or COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS have you found compelling in other leaders that you know?
• What skills are you already aware of that need work?

Preparing Leaders is like Moving Mountains

Moving Mountains: Preparing Leaders
Discipling for Leadership

Introduction

Ever since high school I have been in some type of leadership role. I never thought much about it or even consciously pursued it. However, through high school, and then college, I was involved in various leadership positions. From being team leader in a high school retreat program (where I met my wife), to beginning a program of our own, leading a home Bible study, working with youth in our church, and finally planting our own church, leadership has always been a part of my life.

Always surrounded by men who modeled leadership, I learned early in life that growth in leadership was more a continuum than an end. Along with the many men who shared their experience of leadership with me, I also enjoyed and learned much from reading many books on the subject. Hours were also spent in conferences learning some of the skills of leadership. Now, after more than 40 years of ministry, I feel I might have something to say to you, the younger generation. Even in taking this step, however, I confess that I don’t believe that I have arrived at the position of leader...only that I am on THE NEVERENDING WALK TO LEADERSHIP.

For me, the life of a leader is a continuous process of growth and maturation. We never really arrive at the destination, but rather we travel the way. At the same time, there are some skills, gifts, and talents which can be developed to help us better serve the body of Christ in the area of leadership— THE NEVERENDING WALK TO LEADERSHIP.

Leadership, then, is made up of many different aspects. In leadership, your personality, character, gifts, talents and skills all come together to give the church a model of godly leadership. The purpose of this book is to help you become the leader God has called you to be. You are unique; like no other man or woman alive. God has called you. The church needs you. Step by step we will consider various aspects of leadership. As you work through this NEVERENDING WALK TO LEADERSHIP it is my prayer that you will see your life changed.

Please do not just read through this book. Rather, take time to read and consider each topic and how it might impact or change your life. Find a partner, or two, to work through the book alongside you. If you find yourself with questions, write them down and seek answers before you move on to the next chapter. Perhaps the most important step of preparation in this process is your willful openness to the Holy Spirit and His direction in your life. In addition, find an older person of some spiritual maturity who can be a resource/mentor for you as you navigate THE NEVERENDING WALK TO LEADERSHIP.

Many people impacted my life and assisted God in bringing me to this time of my life. To the many people who have touched, changed, challenged and supported me over the years I owe a debt of thanks. Some of the relationships were filled with laughter, some filled with pain. Years ago I realized that the many experiences, positive and negative, are brought together by our gracious Lord to make me who I am today. Thank you God.

I would encourage you to keep a journal of the answers to the questions that are posed at the end of most pages Taking time to think and write will help you incorporate the changes you desire into your life.

Enjoy THE NEVERENDING WALK TO LEADERSHIP.

Last modified at 9/28/2007 6:11 PM by Rick Widener