Word Associations:
Leadership Management Supervision
Accountability Accountability Accountability
Conservation Implementation Creativity
Inspiration Productivity Delegation
Personification Realization Delineation
Vision Translation Evaluation
Tenacity Visualization
I. Cultural Issues--"Culture and change in our day have taken their toll on leadership."
A. The culture affects what a leader does; its impacts:
1. Overloads leadership with so much information
II. Concentrate on your calling, not everything
1. Technology has depersonalized relationships, but has also made them constantly & immediately available
2. Increased awareness of immorality, deceit, immorality has made leadership a target of mistrust
3. Surrounded by competitive mentality for quick & ever-bigger results
4. A growing phenomenon of growing executive incomes and "perks"
5. We say we want leaders, but settle for producers, personalities, competitors, and say what they do privately is their business
6. Impact of the culture on spiritual & church realms
B. Cultural impacts on the spiritual & church realms:
1. Creates a desperate, or easily impressionable "followship"
2. A private immorality among leaders
3. Secularization of spiritual leadership models in measurements and results for appearance and productivity
4. Demotion of virtues, like:
a. Patience with people
b. Patience on God
c. Ability to rejoice in God's work elsewhere (as opposed to jealousy)
5. A sub-conscious, or even conscious, proneness to use and work people, not to nurture them
III. You will never make a ministry "cost-effective"
1. A preoccupation with measure leadership potential or performance by numbers, dollars, population, and crowds
IV. How did Jesus deal with crowds? Often the first thing he did was thin it out
1. A forfeiture in God's timeless truths and means
a. God is not frustrated or out of ideas
b. We must be careful not to be preoccupied with "quicker results" and what we can do to bring them about
c. Don't confuse "praying in through" being equal to waiting on God. They may happen together, but we can't assume we can pray God into activity. Remember the story about the demon-possessed man after the Transfiguration: "This comes about by prayer and fasting" (Mark 9:29)
d. See 1 Samuel 8:10 ff, Romans 12:1, 2
V. Assignments of Leadership--the witness of Christ and His people in the culture (Matthew 5:10-16); BB, ch. 2
A. There will be a tendency to be misunderstood at best
1. Salvation is not for our private consumption
2. Despite our being misunderstood, we have something for the world
B. Understanding the Role of Leadership
1. Crucial to avoiding failure
2. Without understanding their role, leaders are destined to do damage where they think they are succeeding
3. Spiritual leaders are those who seek to lead God's way (p. 17)
a. You can lead a corporation God's way, and therefore be a spiritual leader
b. You can also lead a church in your own way and not be a spiritual leader
4. A leader's persuasion is never enough unless accompanied by personal example (hence the concept of personification)
5. Spiritual leaders are directed by the Holy Spirit, not their own agenda
6. They do not try to satisfy the goals and ambitions of the people they lead but those of the God they serve; they must be spiritual statesmen and not merely spiritual politicians
7. Sanders says leadership is influence, inasmuch as being able to "create a stir" is leadership
8. Rather than choosing to be a true leader, too many settle for being critics and experts
9. Barna's three C's of leadership
a. Call
b. Character
c. Competence
d. Character
10. God has not traditionally used people who didn't look or act like leaders in the traditional sense
11. God's purposes are the key to spiritual leadership; the dreams and visions of leaders are not
a. Spiritual leaders can lead those who are not God's people as well as those who are
b. True leaders stay with their people until they have successfully achieved God's purposes; to abandon followers because they refuse to follow is to forsake the sacred calling of a leader
C. A New Definition of Leadership--Spiritual leadership is moving people on to God's agenda
D. The assignments of leadership
1. The spiritual leader's task is to move people from where they are to where God wants them to be (perhaps to "seek to move people")
a. "Move" as opposed to "coerce" or "drive"
b. Insofar as you possibly can, bring as many with you as you can
2. Spiritual leaders depend on the Holy Spirit (given to us for interpretation, conviction)
3. Spiritual leaders are accountable to God
4. Spiritual leaders can influence all people, not just God's people
5. Spiritual leaders work form God's agenda
E. Jesus as the Model of Spiritual Leadership
1. They key to Jesus' leadership was his relationship to God the Father; if you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus
F. John Piper
1. Ch. 1--The treatment of the dangers of a CEO-mentality in the pastorate
a. There is no "professional Christ-likeness"
b. Pastors "are being killed by the professionalizing of the pastoral ministry"--the more professional we try to be, "the more spiritual death we will leave in our wake"
c. The gospel is, by nature, offensive to the world; the more professional we are, the more of a threat we are
d. The gospel is on a collision course with the immorality of a fallen world
e. The tendency is to try to do God's business the world's way
2. Ch. 2--The chief end of God is to glorify God and enjoy His glory forever
a. God's chief end and commitment is to be all that He is, who He is, all the time; therefore we can count on His...
b. We ask for blessings on our agendas rather than stay on His agenda and enjoy His blessings
c. Because He is committed to us,
3. Ch. 3--Knowing where God wants people to be and taking the initiative to get them there by God's means in reliance on God's power
a. God is not looking for employees; He has employed Himself for our good
b. When we imply that we do what we do as the result of our holiness, righteousness and love, we commit spiritual "grand larceny"
(1) If it's our reputation or our church's reputation, it's spiritual theft
(2) It is His name, His church, and His reputation that matter
c. Following Jesus and doing things His way makes me a better man
G. One Man's Perspective of Ministerial Leadership
1. There are titles that have with them inherent empowerment
2. Entitlement is earned; it comes by performance and trust
H. The Church--growth comes on one of three elements (Acts 5:14, 6:1, 6:7)
1. Repentance (Acts 5:14)
2. Resistance (Acts 6:1)
3. Rediscovery (Acts 6:7)
VI. Observations of Leadership
A. What is your agenda as a church leader? "I am committed to make the ministry of God's church a godly success."
1. There is an enemy of that agenda--Satan himself
a. He is the master of the half-truth
b. He is theologically indiscriminant--his goal is to besmirch and demean the name of Christ and destroy the effectiveness of His church, and he will attempt this on everyone, regardless of denomination, clergy or not
c. He is, by nature, divisive--if he can cause disunity or author confusion, he will affect our witness
d. "Don't worry about the fundamentalists. They'll join hands and win this war. And when the war is over, they'll turn on each other." --Cecil ??
B. There are several "givens"
1. Ability
2. Experience--someone who is not a novice, not given to be proud
3. Willingness
4. Integrity
C. Ten qualities that should be found in Leaders (or indicators of leadership)
1. Accountability--leadership is subject to moving from success to success and with it the capacity to forget from whence you came
2. Affection--it is highly unlikely you will lead anyone to Jesus whom you personally dislike
3. A Quality of Mission--not just that you've agreed to serve, but that you're "on mission"
4. Convictions--not the same as opinions or preferences; convictions are those beliefs that control your life, behavior, who you are
5. Ideas--important not only to ministers, but also to lay leaders: don't attach yourself too closely to your idea (otherwise you're prone to feel rejected yourself when only your idea is rejected)
6. Style--different types of leadership
a. Task-driven style
b. Ambition-driven style
c. Relationship-driven style
d. Pacifist style--"let's keep the peace"
7. Vision--a yearning for the potential to be reached, never settling for what we can get by with and call it "progress" (though your yearning may not always be fulfilled)
8. Perspective--the stuff that maturity is made of; fundamentally, it is one's capacity for seeing the "big picture" as opposed to just the narrow agenda (though there are some things that are non-negotiable)
9. Continuity--to stand on the shoulders of giants (those before you)
a. Don't trash enduring things. In demoting someone else's work, you demean your own
b. Don't come to a new place of service and expect to find more wrong than right
10. "Trusteeship"--it pertains to both ordained and non-ordained leadership
a. The church is Jesus' church, so his reputation--his enterprise--is at stake; it is not ours
b. How to talk to church leaders about trusteeship--Trusteeship is not a license for mini-management. By definition, "trusteeship" is "to be responsible to protect and invest what belongs to someone else and to do it for their benefit."
(1) A trustee needs to be informed
(2) Know the history and personality of your fellowship (every entity has one). "He who lives in the past forfeits the future; he who ignores the past is destined to repeat its mistakes."
(3) Give and get accurate answers
(4) Learn to question issues and not persons; this takes discipline to do right. We can't know someone's motives to be so presumptuous as to impugn them
(5) Question your own heroism, don't flatter yourself
(6) Be specific in prayer
(7) Never forget the goal of it all--to evangelize, disciple, and get serious about Christlikeness
(8) Allow the Holy Spirit to be essential, not just desirable (perhaps better to say, "Recognize that the Holy Spirit..."
(9) God wants you to sell yourself out to Him, not to the latest growth trend, novel style or principle
(10) Give yourself and those you lead a hunger to pursue the indwelt life of Christ
c. Significant Personalities in Resources
(1) J. Sidlow Baxter--pastor of Charlotte Chapel in Scotland
(a) Awake, My Heart
(b) Going Deeper--pertains to the indwelt life
(2) Oswald Chambers
(a) My Utmost for His Highest
(3) Watchmen Nee--a Chinese Christian before his time; under house arrest when the Communists started to take over the country
(a) Sit, Walk, and Stand--book on Ephesians; pertains to the progress and process of the Christian Life
(b) Release of the Spirit--the outer man, the inner man, and the inmost man (body, soul, and spirit)
(c) The Normal Christian Life--the indwelt life (under the control and leadership of the Holy Spirit) is the normal Christian life ("gifted" or "active," "dedicated" Christians are the normal ones)
(d) The Normal Christian Church
(4) The Torchbearers (in England)--part of the Kezzick (sp?) Movement; they all write from the perspective of the indwelt Christ, with confrontation and challenge; to them the given is that Christ is in you, so you are to allow Christ to live out the likeness of Jesus through you
(a) Major Ian Thomas
(b) John Hunter
(c) Stuart Briscoe--became pastor of Elm Brook Church in Wisconsin
(5) E. M. Bounds--Power Through Prayer
VII. How Does God Prepare and Develop a Leader?
A. Most of history's leaders have been ordinary people, and in many instances not physically impressive or academically gifted
1. Napoleon--5'6" (French measurements are somewhat larger than ours)
2. Stalin--5'5"
3. Harry S Truman--owned a men's clothing store before going into politics
a. Had very poor eyesight and used very thick glasses
b. Very decisive; on his shoulders fell the heavy decision of using the atomic bomb twice
4. Winston Churchill
a. Very sick as a child
b. Sent out to boarding school because his father didn't want him around
c. World War II found him, not vice versa; he truly led the Brits to survivor
5. Abraham Lincoln--by no means politically successful, but the Civil War found him
6. Moses--a murderer, fallen from grace (regarding Egyptian stature)
7. Jeremiah--reluctant but willing to be used
B. What shapes the "promising" and the "unpromising"?
1. Life experiences
a. Home life--many leaders have come out of dysfunctional homes, which must have some impact on their leadership style (both by compensatory and ambitious means)
b. Failures--mostly resilience
c. Crises--where the position finds the person (like Churchill, Lincoln, and Pres. Bush)
d. Personal struggles--those who are already in ministry do have them, and Satan has great inroads by attacking them
e. Success through hardship--ask yourself, "Why is my ministry of the style that it is?"
2. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit
a. The gift of the Spirit Himself at conversion, by whom Jesus indwells us
b. Spiritual gifts
c. Fruit of the Spirit (punctuates godly behavior)
d. We have the mind of Christ
e. Godly effectiveness--what you can already do is augmented
VIII. ??? (Absent; continued "Above All, Finish Well")
A. In the final analysis,
B. Stay in a position
C. You cannot be a leader unless
D. Grow a ministry
E. Choose your hills to die on
F. People want you to have the courage of their convictions. It is much more courageous to have your own.
1. Don't let someone identify you by someone else's ideals
G. Remember, Satan Is theologically indiscriminate
1. Don't think that your correct theology frightens and threatens the devils; only Jesus does (though Satan will attack Him, too)
2. 1 John 2:17: "All that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life," are passing
3. 2 Tim 2:20-26--Three emphases of Satan at work: Trapping, Clutching, Kidnapping
a. The Stalker and his Ploy (1 Peter 5:8)--the capture of fleshly senses and fleshly rationale
(1) Judges 17:6, 21:25--"every man did that which was right in his own eyes"
(2) He veils the consequences--be ready to quote Scripture at this point, especially Romans 6:23
b. The Victim and his Plight--Believers can be trapped and held, but not permanently (1 Cor. 3:16,17)
(1) Believers know what the lost man cannot understand; depending on the Holy Spirit, the believer can understand God's Word better than any high intellect without the Spirit
(2) There is a behavior of God that is a mystery to the world, the "mystery of godliness;" but the "mystery of iniquity," Satan at work, has a strange intoxication
c. The Survivor and the Plan--How to Have and Keep the Advantage over the Stalker
(1) Stress purity (2 Tim. 2:19-21)
(2) Cultivate pure companionship (v. 22)
(3) Avoid division (v. 23)
(4) Don't argue (v. 24a)
(5) Be gracious (v. 24b)
(6) Command teachability (v. 25a)
(7) Remain patient (v. 25b)
(8) Remain repentant (v. 25c)
d. B&B, chapter 10: Common Temptations
(1) Pride
(2) Sexual Sin/Lust
(3) Cynicism (becoming calloused)--being beyond teachability
(4) Greed
(5) Mental laziness
(6) Over-sensitivity (unable to take criticism mainly; everything taken personally)
(7) Spiritual lethargy
(a) The longer in ministry, the easier it is to read the Scripture for how to work with it rather than let it work in us; I'm not the master of the Bible, the Bible is the master of me
(b) The thinking that you've spiritually "arrived"
(8) Domestic neglect--you can commit your life to good things, but your first accountability is to your Lord, then to your home, then to your ministry
(9) Administrative carelessness--lends itself to the subject of greed, perception getting the better of reality
(10) Prolonged position-holding
H. Be vulnerable enough to be real, but always make Jesus the hero of your story
1. Ministry is all about God's agenda, God's goals; it's not about our ambitions which God has honored and blessed
2. We are saved and called, but we never get over being human
I. Learn to worship and pray alone. A pitfall of the ministry is to be only a leader of worship, not a worshiper.
1. It is very deceitful to think that you that you can be a worshiper and be worldly at the same time
2. God can use any instrument to accomplish His purposes, so He can use worldly worship leaders
J. Never forget the people who helped you get where you are
1. A barometer to measure how much of your ministry is about you
2. If it's about you, you'll use people to get what you want
K. If any "biblical growth principle" applies, it is to grow from strength to strength (1 Cor. 3:1-14)
L. If you err, let it be on the side of having others think you too strong in your convictions and too gracious with people (being "stubborn with grace")
1. You believe clearly what you believe, but at the same time you're gracious when dealing with people
2. Many people think that to have convictions you must be half-mean to get your point across. But if people are having to deal with your spirit, they're not going to hear what you have to say.
M. The human spirit is not made to handle the extremes of recognition we so often seek to have or to give. Hence, don't secretly relish such extremes
1. We are made in God's image, but spoiled by the defamation of sin
2. The human spirit can handle only so much high recognition before it starts to think to highly of itself (also too close to high scrutiny).
3. You want honesty, not false modesty
4. There is a place for encouragement, but there must be a limit to the high praise given
N. Don't mistake autocratic preaching (teaching) for authentic preaching (teaching). Preaching, by nature, is verdict oriented, thus, for it to be Gospel preaching the verdict is God-centered, not pulpit-centered.
1. Preach about what God is like, then impose on the listener to respond; pulpit- or people-centered preaching pertains to the preacher or people and tries to fit doctrine around us
2. Are you asking people to respond to your opinion or to God and what He asks of us?
O. Learn to trust yourself, your experience and your accumulated study enough to preach without notes. And, don't let anyone disparage expository preaching.
1. A teaching setting does not apply; this requires some notes. Preaching is another story.
2. Give yourself the opportunity to disengage from heavy notes
3. Early on, it is appropriate to write out sermons (this will help you expand your vocabulary and force to you complete sentences), but getting away from reading your sermon allows you to be spontaneous
4. Expository preaching requires much more study than just "read the scripture and state in your own words"
P. Be careful about your assessments. If your assessments are wrong, likely your solutions will be wrong as well.
1. Especially when you enter a new assignment and everything looks wrong
2. If you think you have to change things because of your assessments, be sure of your assessments
3. Not everything must look like what you're familiar with or be in the shape you think it must be in
1. In most cases, there is already more right than wrong, though it may not be apparent in
a. Look at specifics
b. At first impression
c. Based on what you've been told about it
2. Don't feel you have to demote your predecessor to promote yourself
3. Be willing to "stand on the shoulders of giants;" don't be afraid to acknowledge them
R. Never be threatened by honoring those who do well, especially those who do well what you do (see also V)
1. Churches are generally very pleased with their pastors when the pastors are secure enough to be complimentary-oriented
2. It does not hurt to encourage, commend, or call attention to what they should see as "good"
S. Our best contribution to preaching the Gospel is not to make it presentable, or understandable, or palatable, but to make it believable
1. All three are important (presentable, understandable, palatable), but not as much as "believable"
2. 1 Thessalonians 1--quite a compliment. The Gospel's power is in its believability, not delivery
T. If any one virtue will serve you best, it is the virtue of patience
1. Never mistake true patience for weakness or compromise; in fact, being unable to wait typically means you feel the need to compromise in order to get what you want
2. Frankly, you outlive your opposition
3. There are things that are worth waiting for; people will eventually come around to seeing that you are right
U. Face facts: you will never cease having to prove yourself
1. There are those who have always known you and followed you and trusted you, but then one day you find out after the fact that they had a need you didn't know about at the time. Now you have to prove yourself to them all over again.
2. One of the real signals in your life of a call is that you are willing to discipline yourself to do that which is beneficial to others
V. Teach and model the difference between loyalty and partisanship
1. Loyalty: I am committed to my people, warts and all
2. Partisanship: our team never loses because they lost the game; it's because the other team cheated (unwilling to face the honesty)
3. This is extremely important when there is a "changing of the guard"; you can be loyal to both the former minister and to the new one
W. Never embarrass your mate, your children, your family by making them the negative lesson of an illustration or the demeaning brunt of your remarks
1. If you want to use any denigration at all, use it only on yourself (but not too much)
2. Don't be afraid of correcting yourself
3. If people hear you speak lovingly and faithfully of your mate, they're not going to think to easily about how "easy" you are
X. Take initiatives to supplement your personal retirement income. If you don't, it is likely no one else will
Y. When a long ministry is over, it is just as "over" as a short one
1. It is emotionally difficult, but you must distance yourself from people who have been your family
2. You must give the new pastor replacing you space; otherwise, you're just in the way
3. Emotionally this will be very hard, but you cannot be "there" and support your successful well
4. A church may make you "pastor emeritus" (should be after the new pastor arrives, and initiated by him), but this does not entail duties; maybe a few privileges
IX. The Leader's Pitfall (B&B, chapter 10)
A. Pride (p. 230)
1. Basically, the temptation to receive credit, deserved or undeserved
2. Pride knows the difference, it just wants the attention anyway
3. Leads to self-sufficiency and robs us of the rewarding dependency on the Lord
4. God will honor ignorance and hard work, but He will not honor spiritual knowledge ignored. When it comes to you knowing better, God will hold you accountable for what you know better.
5. Pride leads to insensitivity, a loss of compassion. If the effort is motivated by your success, then your sensitivity is jaundiced. You may lack patience with those who fail
6. Pride is prelude to an undisciplined will; if ambition and recognition are foremost, there is little desire to obey God, wait on God, and honor God
B. Sexual Sin (Lust)--Five safeguards against temptations and the attacks of lust
1. Make yourself accountable; someone needs to know your whereabouts (spouse, secretary, etc.)
2. Listen to your own counsel; we all teach/preach/emphasize these problems, we ought to live up to them
3. Consider the consequences; how often do you quote Romans 3:23, or 6:23? You'll kill a ministry, a romance, etc.
4. Develop healthy habits and good judgment
a. If you want to play with vulgarity, you're playing with fire
b. Use good judgment about where you go or how long you stay. If you're meeting with a female, leave the door open
c. Never go into a home where there is only a person of the opposite sex present. Stand at the door and talk, but never go in if the spouse isn't around. If you must, keep the visit very brief.
d. People are not interested in you most of the time; they're interested in the exploration. Remove yourself from their fantasy
5. Be specific in prayer, and ask others to pray for you
6. BONUS! --Make your love for your mate and your family and public and repeated emphasis
C. Cynicism--becoming jaded through familiarity; hyperfamiliarity can breed a cynicism, or smugness, about your place of service
D. Greed
1. Don't be subtle about needs
2. Be grateful vocally and in writing for those things done for you and your family
3. Don't allow yourself to be obligated. Weight the purpose of the gift--is there something meant by the giving?
E. Mental Laziness--to combat it, you must be a reader; keep up with current events so the people will know you're not in another world
F. Oversensitivity (which leads to paranoia)
1. Most of the time you think people are talking about you, they're really not even thinking about you
2. Any time you're looking over a group, it won't be difficult to find someone who isn't paying attention; people are not always doing what you think they're doing
3. Your children are always listening a lot better than you think they are, especially when they are in need of your attention
G. Spiritual Lethargy--spiritual health does not come easily; it requires time and attention
H. Domestic Neglect--quality time is overrated; especially with your family, keep your word
I. Administrative Carelessness
1. Whenever you make a visit, be ready to leave a business card to prove you've tried to make a visit when no one was around
2. Answer your mail and reply to your calls
J. Prolonged Position Holding
1. There is a real fear of losing identity to leave a position, especially one you've been at for a long time
2. There is a fear of being set aside--it is human to feel this way, but to feel you have "turf" can stymie things
X. The Leader's Rewards
A. Secular and Self-Serving Rewards--for leaders in a secular world, not in a Christian or church setting: money, power, and fame (the media certainly tells us a lot about people who have/acquire these); in the secular world, these are legitimate goals
1. Money--the idea of accumulating; whatever we accumulate can make us providers
2. Power--translates into influence and opportunity (dunemis, Gr. For "power," as in "dynamite;" but pertains to something deep, ongoing, producing power), not wielding authority over others (as in the world)
3. Fame--translates by sanctification to "encourage;" you aren't a star, but you can be appreciated to the extent that you are in a position to encourage people
B. Spiritual Rewards
1. To know that you have God's pleasure and affirmation
2. You have a fulfilling sense of call (not always pleasant)
C. The Rewards of Integrity
1. At home--it would be awful to have the respect of everyone but your family; there is nothing more valuable that the complements of your children
2. At work--you're perceived by your congregation that you are a person of integrity
3. In relationships--your integrity is earned and given over time. Popularity comes early, but earning respect and trust by the people who know you best and your peers is rewarding
4. With yourself--that is, you can stand it to look at yourself in the mirror
D. The Rewards of Having Made a Contribution
1. To people (churches)--the sense of reward when you see things beginning to happen
2. To organizations--it won't always find you to be a contributor to your denomination, but if it does, it can be very rewarding
a. You are in a unique position to make a difference
b. You have to think sometimes about making a difference beyond the walls of where you are
3. To your successor
a. You have prepared the way for someone to follow you
b. Don't leave problems half-solved to someone following you
E. The Rewards of Relationships
1. Family
a. As parents--children are not born grown; children are not trouble (maybe nuisance) until they're teenagers--you are in charge of the "input," not the "outcome"
b. There is nothing to compare to that moment when your children become your friends (usually when they are not dependent on you financially)
c. It is important to identify with people individually as they have difficulty with their children
d. There is no pain like parental pain
e. Imposing on a child and the parents the idea that they (the parents) are responsible for what the child does is close to being Catholic on the reply
2. With adversaries--there are some adversaries you will never be friends, but let them be responsible for the impasse
3. With staff members--some staff members can become brothers & sisters in Christ; you begin interests in their future, careers, families, etc.
4. With churches--if it is popular you want to be, you can get that by being a better preacher (the platform is where that is established); if it's to love and be loved, you must be a minister
F. Rewards of Influence--especially in discipling and mentoring, particularly when you aren't aware that they are watching your example (often until well after the fact)
1. Penetrating society--something else that is accrued and implemented; don't confine yourself just to your church--establish yourself first as a soul-winner, then as a social influence
2. Being there for "little people"--you are an advocate for people who have no real voice or clout in the society
I. Self-Discipline
A. Leadership and Integrity (read B&B, ch. 7)
1. Comparisons
a. Your reputation is what you are perceived to be by other people; integrity is what you and God know you are
b. Reputation can be publicly projected; integrity can only be personally developed
c. Reputation can be projected without complete integrity, whereas integrity does not exist apart from complete honesty
d. For Christian leaders to be for real, the heart's desire is to build a reputation on genuine integrity
2. Integrity for spiritual leadership begins with your prayer life
a. Nothing of significance is accomplished without God's involvement (John 15:5)
b. We are commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit, but we cannot be so filled without prayer, waiting on God, and hungering and thirsting after righteousness (Eph. 5:18) (let the Holy Spirit "stand up to His full height" within in)
c. Spiritual leaders need wisdom, and for wisdom we must pray (1 Cor. 2:9-16)
d. Spiritual leaders need godly authority and supernatural strength (endurance)
e. Spiritual leaders need relief; we cannot endlessly go on carrying out our responsibilities and burdens without being refreshed; this comes by prayer
f. Spiritual leaders cannot mentor and model those they lead without obeying the Lord's command and following His example; hence, your prayer life is crucial (both in His example and in His overt command)
3. Defnitions
a. Katharos (Gr.; from which we get our word "catharsis")--pure, clean, innocent; free from dirt, metaphor for life clean, free from wrong; kosher; morally spiritually free form wrongdoing
b. Best definition
(1) Clean, as in a cup or plate
(2) Ceremonially pure
(3) Morally pure
(4) A combination of moral and religious purity (used by Ignatius for a martyr, but someone who shares their faith (not just loses their life for it)
c. Scriptural basis
(1) 2 Timothy 1:3--whom I serve with a pure conscience
(2) Luke 11:37-47--clean, pure on the inside
4. Practical Application
a. Evaluate yourself (1 Cor. 11:31)--Look at yourself before someone else does
(1) Admit when you're wrong, repent, and ask for forgiveness (1 John 1:9)
(2) Stop (slow down) so you'll have time to see God for who He is; it will reveal who you really are (Ps. 46:10, Is. 6:5)
(3) Do a spiritual checklist (examine where you're at; see Phil. 4:8, Gal. 5, 1 John)
b. Be real
(1) Understand you are not perfect (1 John 1:8)
(2) Do not lie (Ex. 20:16)
(3) Do not deceive (Prov. 20:16)
(a) Don't count the offering money yourself
(b) No pastors should sign checks--have your secretaries do it
(4) Be the new creation that you are (2 Cor. 5:17)
(5) Do not be partial, trying to please one group (like deacons, seniors, youth, etc.; James 2:9)
c. Grow--if you're growing, you don't need to be fake (2 Tim. 2:15)
B. Leadership and Accountability (read B&B, ch. 9) (Luke 17:3, 4)
1. We need people to confront us, not "yes-men"
2. We need people to encourage us
3. We need people to pray for us (1 Thess. 5:25)
4. We need people to counsel us (Prov. 10:14)
C. Leadership and Teachability--people's expectations are high
1. Strive for effectiveness in addition to faithfulness (Dr. Ashlock)
a. "Trim the tree" (John 15:2)
b. Fill the void--Scripture study, counseling, other ministers, etc.
c. Focus on people
d. Results and faithfulness both matter--look at Jeremiah (esp. Jer. 17:9; also John 15)
2. Life Management--not time management, but managing your life
a. We are given lives to be faithful stewards (Luke 12:37-44)
b. We are not Mormons--Steve Covy is (be careful who you get your principles from); evaluate what you're doing and make sure they're based on Scripures
c. Have a plan--what works for your mentality and style
d. Dr. Ashlock's Time Busters
(1) No plan
(2) Poor crisis management
(3) Useless discussion (Deut. 13)
(4) Procrastination (Prov. 6:6)
e. Know how to use your tools efficiently (computer, Palm Pilot, etc.)
f. Two out of these three things are probably all you're going to get
(1) Speed, or a small-time investment
(2) Low cost
(3) High quality
g. Prioritize (Acts 6:2, 3)
D. Leadership and Spirituality (read B&B, ch. 5; Piper, chs. 8, 9) (Zech. 4:6)
1. Hindrances to spirituality
a. Loneliness--time spent with many people, but in giving, not receiving
b. Shallowness--too much time "doing church" but not spending time with god
2. Solution--God
a. Prayer (Wayne Mack: Moses--Ex. 8:9, 15; Samuel--1 Sam 12:19, 20; Daniel--Dan. 6:1-10, ch. 9; Nehemiah--Neh. 1:1-11, 2:4, 4:9; Jesus--Luke 3:21-22, 24:49-51, Heb. 5:7)
b. Bible Study (2 Tim 2:15)
c. Scripture memory (Psalm 119:11)
d. Correct thinking (2 Cor. 10:5)--bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ
e. Fellowship (Heb. 10:25)
f. Reliance on the Spirit (Zech. 4:6)
II. What is Leadership?
A. Definition: The skill of influencing people to work enthusiastically towards goals identified as being for the common good
1. The ability of one person...
2. Definitions
a. Bennis & Nanus identified over 350 different definitions of leadership
b. With so many definitions it is clear that leadership is a very complex idea
3. "Effective leadership begins with a trusted leader who shares a compelling vision that brings people together in a collaborative way, around a common goal, to bring about desired change that is mutually veneficial to all." (Dr. Wilson, 2001)
a. A credible, trustworthy leader
b. An appealing, compelling, motivating dream (vision)
c. A collaborative process of shared leadership
d. ... common goal
e. Mutual purpose and ...
4. Leadership is a learned skill that everyone can learn; discipline is training a person to do what is unnatural
5. You manage things, you lead people (not manage them)
6. Love for those who would follow you is the greatest asset for any leader
B. Terminology
1. Purpose Statement--answers the question of why an organization exists; for the church the focus is eternal (timeless)
a. The chief end of man--and, therefore, the purpose of the church--is to glorify God, in both F.T. & N.T.
b. Every church has the same purpose
2. Mission Statement--deals with what the church's ministry actually is; its focus is eternal
a. Every church has the same mission
b. Go preach, baptize, and make disciples
c. Objective-oriented; it is the critical part of the planning document
3. Vision Statement--answers what the church is supposed to accomplish in terms of ministry; the focus is both eternal (timeless) and temporal (timely)
a. Personal ministry vision focuses directly on a leader's unique design that helps in determining and directing that leader's future ministry direction
b. Organizational vision relates directly to the ministry of a particular Christian organization whether a church or para-church
c. Ingredients of vision
(1) It is clear--must be understood and owned by leaders and followers
(2) It is challenging--must energize and catalyze people
(3) It is a "mental picture"--"sees" in his head before they see with their eyes
(4) It is the future of the ministry--a picture of a preferred future
(5) It can be--a good vision has solid potential
(6) It must be--visionary leaders not only believe the dream can be, they are convinced it must be
4. Philosophy of Ministry--answers the questions, "why do we do what we do?" and also has both eternal and temporal focus
a. It is the church's core values
b. Very inter-linked and close to a "paradigm"
c. Informs what we do and who we present ourselves to be
d. Samples of core values
(1) A commitment to relevant Bible exposition
(2) A commitment to prayer
(3) A commitment to lay ministry
(4) A commitment to small groups
(5) An appreciation for creativity and innovation
(6) A commitment to Excellence
(7) A commitment to growth
5. Strategy of Ministry--how we accomplish our mission and vision, with a temporal focus
a. At this point we are very flexible and can be very creative
6. Structure of Ministry--how we will organize to accomplish our mission and vision; temporal (timely) in focus
a. The structure of the church relates to the organization and arrangement of the various parts of the ministry, including the infrastructure
b. Traditional churches have typically structured their programs around Sundays and Wednesdays
c. A number of innovative and more open churches have adopted new, innovative approaches that allows for change in strategy and structure
7. Paradigm--what are our assumptions about how things are? Or, how do we see ourselves? (timely)
C. SWOT Analysis--determines a congregation's "DNA"
1. Strengths--what makes the church strong?
2. Weaknesses--what weakens your church's mission?
3. Opportunities--what opportunities exist for strengthening your church?
4. Threats--what are the potential threats to your church's mission?
D. Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders (read ch. 3, p. 29)--a comparison chart of natural & spiritual leaders
E. Effective Leadership begins with a trusted leader who shares a compelling vision that brings people together in a collaborative way, around a common goal, to bring about desired change that is mutually beneficial to all.
1. Qualifications
a. A credible, trustworthy leader
b. An appealing, compelling, motivating dream (vision)
c. A collaborative process of shared leadership
d. An agreed-upon common goal
e. Mutual purposes and shared benefits
2. Mentality: serve God, not yourself
3. If we really want to follow Jesus, we must radically change from what we are (trying to fit the church to the world's models)
a. Nicodemus
b. Adulterous women (to be stoned)
c. Rich young ruler
III. The Missionary Church
A. The development of a missionary church is an inside-out proposition: it begins in the heart of the leader (it becomes what you are as the leader)
1. It begins with the Word of God--it is to be done (you do the Word of God)
2. When you look at the Word of God, you see no difference between evangelism and missions besides geography and culture/language
a. Christ is our life; we were dead before He came into our lives
b. Our conviction about the Word of God because of Christ will drive us to do His will
3. Most church people don't really believe that people are "Christians" by whether or not they're saved, but that they're "like us"
B. Go YOU into all the world--spoken to all believers
1. The Word of God and prayer directs us not in whether we should go, but where
2. If you as a leader don't go out, your church won't either
C. Encourage your people to volunteer for short-term assignments
1. It will increase your involvement
2. Let God pick the volunteers
D. Raise your Cooperative Program percentage
1. Do it gradually, steadily; say, half a percent a year
2. The C.P. is our "arm" for baptizing and discipling in foreign countries
E. Make much over the Mission Offerings (Annie Armstrong, Lottie Moon)
1. Do it through Sunday School--have them set goals for themselves
2. If you're going to lead, you must be a tither, too
F. Preach often about evangelism, at least once a quarter--there are so many good evangelism sermons in the Bible
G. Do the FAITH program, and do it "by the book"
H. Pray--earnestly, often, in public and in private for missions and evangelism
1. Adrian Rogers said: "There are five words that will change your wife and change your church. They'll empower you and enable you: ÔGod hears and answers prayer.'"
2. James says, "You have not because you ask not"
I. YOU be the leader and example--go out and evangelize yourself
IV. The Spirituality of the Leader (see chapter 5, B&B)
A. Hindrances to the inner development of life
1. Loneliness
a. You have all of these people around you, but for all the communication, there is not a lot of communion;
b. Many people are looking for intimacy "on sale;" they are approaching the problem as consumers
2. Shallowness--without care, your time with God can become:
a. Scheduled
b. Obligatory
c. Academic
B. Provide a "Beginning" on how to develop effectiveness as a spiritual leader
1. Look inward
a. Search for the reason in your life that is bidding you to seek God
(1) Are you seeking God because you think people will ask?
(2) Are you seeking Him because of your background or sense of duty?
b. Are you seeking Him because you genuinely want to respond to His love? At that point, ask God to spread that root throughout your life
c. Find the point where for you the relationship with God was most real; all the other time you missed with Him was what caused your loneliness and/or shallowness
2. Ask
a. Would you die without God?
(1) One of the secondary consequences of the Reformation and enlightenment was the autonomous quality of the human, where need for God was not a necessity
(2) Can you say that, without God, you would be able to appreciate Him?
b. Must I have God? Be honest with yourself
(1) If no, then you must get your life to a point that you must have God at all costs
(2) If yes, then...
3. Move
a. Build your life around this necessity for God
b. This must become an urgency
C. Questions (Nouen, The Wounded Healer, pp. 89ff)--Can God ask you any questions at any time?
1. About our preoccupations (Matthew 6:33-34)--are you doubting God's ability to be God when you allow circumstances to crowd out your time with Him
a. Needs
b. Worries
c. Tensions
2. About your busy-ness (avoidance of painful self-concentration)
a. Some of us are so busy because we are trying to avoid His conviction and our smallness
b. As you are cultivating your private life with Him, you must become so transparent with God that you can talk to Him and some confidants about your life
D. Three Disciplines (Foster, The Celebration of Discipline)
1. Meditation (Psalm 63:6, Genesis 24:63)--along with the reading of the Word and the prayer time, look for what God wants you to concentrate on
a. What to concentrate on? For the Christian, it is to empty the mind so that God can fill it (p. 15)
b. Why should you meditate? Detachment from all around us to have a richer attachment to God and others (p. 16)
c. How do you "do" meditation?
(1) Ask in prayer to hear God's voice
(2) Purposely set aside the time to do so--make time for God, prioritized over everything else, and He will set you up
(3) Look inward--turn your concerns over to God
(4) Look up--state your desire to receive God
(5) End with Thanksgiving
2. Prayer
a. Preparation
(1) Praise
(2) Confession
b. Centering
(1) Allow the Scriptures to position you/direct you (allow the Word to "fence you in" so that God can talk to you)
(2) Listen for God's invitation to His desire for your prayer time
c. Imagination
(1) Are you allowing the Scriptures help you to visualize what you can become when God works in your life?
(2) But can you imagine a marriage made whole? (Ren & Glenda)
d. Five Fingers of Prayer
(1) Praise/adoration
(2)
3. Service--the Practical Application (John 13:1-7; Foster, 112)
a. Spiritual energy
(1) Comes by service that grows out of the Spirit's inner whisperings
(2) Comes because neither you nor anyone else thinks it is for and from human effort
b. Sincerity
(1) You have no interest in making a "big splash"
(2) Focus in on the need, not the publicity
c. Security
(1) Not giving to get
(2) Not looking for reciprocation
(3) Delighting only in service
d. Sensitivity--there are times when the Lord may be telling you not to do something
(1) Under His control, be ready to rest or to move
(2) Let the Spirit indicate when not to serve
(a) Be tender
(b) Be patient
E. Spiritual Empowerment (Ps. 81:10; Bonnie Harvey, George Muller, Man of Faith)
1. Be accountable to God
a. By Scripture--simply without compromising truth
(1) Read the Word
(2) Memorize the Word
b. By the Spirit
2. Separating yourself from worldly attachments
3. Cultivate a sufficiency on God's resources--write checks on heaven's bank
V. Servant Leadership: Foundations of Leadership
A. Criteria for an Effective Definition of Leadership
1. Must be clear and specific
2. Must include all of the essential ingredients
3. Must be usable by practitioners as well as by scholars
4. "Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal."--Northouse
5. "Leadership is an influence relationship among leaders and followers who intend real changes that reflect their mutual purposes."--Rost
6. Leadership is inspiring others to see a better place to be and then guiding their journey to that new place."--Millard
7. "Effective leadership begins with a trusted leader who shares a compelling vision that brings people together in a collaborative way, around a common goal to bring about desired change that is mutually beneficial to all."--Mike Wilson
a. A credible, trustworthy leader
b. An appealing, compelling, motivating dream (vision)
c. A collaborative process of shared leadership (you can't be a leader w/o followers)
d. An agreed-upon goal
e. Mutually beneficial to all
B. Leadership involves:
1. Vision
2. Action
3. Mobilization
4. Change
C. Moving into Leadership
1. Seeing-->Perspective-->Awareness of a need
2. Reflecting--Thinking about how to address the need
3. Deciding--Will
4. Acting--Initiative--Leading out (You're not a leader until you get this far)
5. Mobilizing others--Leading
D. Contrasting Views of Leadership: Management/Leadership
1. Management
a. Produces order and consistency
b. Planning/budgeting
c. Organizing/Staffing
d. Controlling/Problem-solving
2. Leadership
a. Produces change and movement
b. Vision building/strategizing
c. Aligning people/communicating vision
d. Motivating/inspiring
3. Can the same person be effective as both managers and leaders? YES! Do they have to be excellent as both? NO!
E. The Mandate for Leadership--The Servant Leader: Jesus' most clear yet most avoided words on leadership (Mark 10:42-45)
F. Metaphors for Leadership
1. The Parent Leader: 1 Cor. 4:14-21 ("Imitate me")
2. The Shepherd Leader: "I am the good shepherd"
3. The Rancher CEO model
4. The Servant Leader--a paradox displayed in Jesus' life
a. You give up being first in line
b. You give up your personal right to be served
c. In what way did Jesus model this for us?
5. Components of the Servant Leadership Model
a. Displays authenticity
(1) By being open and accountable to others
(2) By being willing to learn from others
(3) By maintaining integrity and trust
b. Values people
(1) By believing in people
(2) By serving others needs before your own
(3) By receptive, non-judgmental listening
c. Develop people
(1) By providing opportunities for learning and growth (discipling/mentoring)
(2) By modeling appropriate behavior
(3) By building up others through encouragement and affirmation
d. Build community ("a collaborative process")
(1) By building strong personal relationships
(2) By working collaboratively with others
(3) By valuing the differences of others
e. Provide leadership
(1) By envisioning the future
(2) By taking initiative
(3) By clarifying goals
f. Share leadership
(1) By facilitating a shared vision
(2) By sharing power and releasing control
(3) By sharing status and promoting others
G. The Authentic Leader: HONESTY
1. "Christian leaders don't fail in ministry because they can't preach a sermon; they fail in ministry because of hidden or unresolved character flaws." (Advertisement for Talbot School of Theology in Christianity Today)
2. People Skills--we're in the business of people, both lost and saved (the latter are harder to deal with)
3. Displays authenticity--by being open and accountable to others
a. Open about mistakes
b. About your needs & desires
c. The power of the positive assumption (giving others the benefit of the doubt)
4. The authentic leader's identity from the inside out
a. Spiritiual leadership
b. Credible leadership
c. Ethical leadership
d. Emotionally Intelligent leadership
5. Jesus on Leadership: By avoiding risk we really risk what's most important in life (Max DePree)
a. Be careful who you share your dreams with
b. You'll have to dare risk with a search committee--you have to sell yourself (and, by extension, your dream)
6. Faith & Risk (Hebrews 11)
a. What is your SERVE profile?
(1) Spiritual gifts
(2) Experience
(3) Relational style (pay attention to this especially)--examine who you are and how you relate to people
(a) Relate well to people
(b) Make sure your leadership and ministry is making converts
(4) Vocational skills--what I'm learning in seminary
(5) Enthusiasm
b. What is leadership for? Changing the world through changing people.
c. Where do I begin? By changing myself.
(1) Become real, whole, healthy... authentic
(2) We lead out of who we are
H. The Relational Leader: Develop people
1. Jesus on Leadership
a. Two images central to the Christian Faith: a bloody cross and a dirty towel
b. Why can't I get the Jesus I want?
(1) He didn't fit the image that the ruling Jews created of what Messiah ought to be
(2) How many of us fully understand that the masses won't buy into us? They didn't by into Jesus.
(3) The Popular Jesus, the Political Jesus, the Military Jesus
(4) Being a servant leader does not mean that we become what others want us to be... or that we do what others want us to do.
c. He did not come to gain a place of power; He idd not come to defeat his human enemies; He did not come to overthrow and unjust government. He came to show us the heart of God.
2. Trust--the Key Word for the Relational Leader (People have present value, not just future potential)
a. By believing in people
b. By serving others needs before your own
c. By receptive, non-judgmental listening
(1) Receptive = nonjudgmental
(2) Hearing words, meaning and intention
d. Eph. 4:29--"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."--Who is responsible for good communication? ALL OF US
3. Personal Reflection: What makes you feel valued by others? INCLUSION
a. Speech, Action, Behavior
b. What can readers do to show value to others
4. People have present value and future potential; Develop people:
a. By providing opportunities for learning and growth
b. By modeling appropriate behavior
c. By building up others through ...
5. Miller's Servant Leadership Seven-point Star
a. Teamwork
b. Example
c. Affirmation
d. Familiarity
e. Individuality
f. Discernment
g. Healing
h. Powered by a servant mindset
i. Leadership models
(1) Servant leaders focused on those they lead
(a) Considers those led as most important
(b) Trust the lead, provide for, and serve the led
(c) Expects recognition and honor to be focused on the led
(2) Paternalistic leaders often assume their focus as servant leaders but in practice exhibit a focus more like
(a) Says the led are the most important but usually positions self so that the leader's position is the most important
(b) Delegate responsibilities to the led but do not trust them enough to provide necessary authority to succeed
(c) Expects recognition and rewards to be given to the led, but it is for honoring, recognizing and obeying the leader
(3) Autocratic leaders
(a) His own position is most important
(b) Require the led to trust, provide for and serve the leader
(c) Expects the led to honor and exalt the leader
VI. The Elements of Servant Leadership (all types of leadership, not just pastoral; God has called all of us to be leaders)
A. A servant leader must learn to listen to what others have to say
- May be the hardest thing a strong personality does
B. A servant leader has acceptance of others without condemning them for what they do
- May be the hardest thing a pastor does
C. A servant leader has "gut intuition;" i.e., a discerning spirit
D. A servant has an awareness and perception (sensitivity) of what is going on around him
- May be more important than speaking
E. A servant has highly developed powers of persuasion
F. A servant has the ability to conceptualize and communicate concepts and vision in a way others can understand
G. A servant has the ability to exert a healing influence
- The opposite is a person who is constantly dividing and causing disruption
H. A servant builds community within the organization, where everyone buys into and participates in the vision
I. A servant practices the art of contemplation (think before you speak)
J. A servant realizes that recognition that servant leadership begins with a desire to change oneself--it's not about you.