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SUMMER 2012
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CONTENTS 4
6 9 12 14
18 20 22 24 30 32
Trust—The Foundation for Scriptural Leadership, Raymond Culpepper What Is Your Style of Leadership? Bill George Five Steps to Becoming a Leader of Influence, Ray Hurt Expanding the Circle of Leaders in the Local Church, Richie Hughes Leadership and Influence Can Be Larger Than Your Church, Ed Ivey Leadership in the City, Jacob King Follow the Leader, Greg Baird Leadership in Relation to Culture, Fred Garmon The Power of Humility in Leadership, Mark Hardgrove Developing and Leading a Paid Church Staff, Chris Moody Developing and Leading a Volunteer Church Staff, Oliver Subryan
34 The Core Principles of Leadership, Dale Combs 35 My Commitment to Scriptural Leadership 36 Lessons on Leadership From Church of God Leaders, Donald Aultman 42 A Life That God Rewards, Ravi Zacharias 44 Reaching an Unchurched Culture, Conrad Lowe 46 The Value of Preaching Sermon Series, David Cooper 48 Book Review: Amplified Leadership, Floyd Carey 49 Forward in Faith Remains a Viable Evangelism Tool, Cameron Fisher 50 Engage Interview: Elmer Towns 52 Ten Ways to Honor Volunteer Workers, Kent Miller 54 Expanding Your Church’s Image in a Tech-Savvy Generation, David Brayfield 56 Planning a Back-to-Back Sunday School, David Blair
FROM THE EDITOR | Cameron Fisher
A New, Longer Term Vision for Our Leaders
I am a lifelong member of the Church of God and have been attending the General Assembly since I was a young teen. I have observed every general overseer be nominated and elected since Cecil B. Knight in Dallas in 1976. Our system of choosing leaders may not be flawless, but it has served us well through the generations. It is not without its share of “politics,” but it has been bathed in prayer. I can say with conviction that each and every leader elected—and appointed—at the General Assembly was anointed and chosen for that time. Due to a change voted in at the 2010 Assembly, we have an unprecedented opportunity at the upcoming 2012 International General Assembly to choose an Executive Committee that will be in place for the next four years. This will be the first time since tenure was put into place that our leaders can realistically cast a vision beyond the next Assembly period. This will afford whoever is elected a chance to dream bigger and, with God’s guidance and direction, take the Church of God to the next level of placement in the Kingdom. If you haven’t already, please begin fervent prayer for the International General Assembly, which will be held July 24-27 in Orlando. May God’s favor rest upon those whom God anoints for this time.
Engage is now online! Download a QR reader app and scan the code at left on your smartphone or other portable device the site by visiting www.cogengage.org.
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Engage journal is published in the interest of providing resources for under the auspices of the Church of Executive Committee general overseer first assistant second assistant third assistant secretary general ENGAGE Journal executive editor Cameron Fisher, editor consulting editor Bob Fisher, graphic designer Phyllis Liner, editorial assistant Shirley Williams, marketing assistant copy editor Engage invites feedback from readers on the content of the journal and sug comments to engage@churchofgod. org or mail to Engage tion on purchasing ad space, please e-mail
[email protected] or call
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TRUST The Foundation for Spiritual Leadership ■ by
T
HE CENTRAL FOCUS of this issue of Engage is leadership. You will observe that these articles address a wide range of elements dealing with effective leadership. Obedience is required to fully engage the missional mandate of Christ which is anchored in scriptural, trustworthy leadership. The following is a list of 12 guidelines for building leadership trust. These are condensed from the book, The Quest for Trust. The subject matter is simple and basic, but it is foundational for a ministry guided by trust. 1. Remember who called you. You are a laborer with God, an extension of the hand of Jesus, anointed by the Holy Spirit. There will be mountain peaks in your leadership when you are filled with joy. There will be valleys—times of trusting God’s timing. Always know God is your partner. When He is silent, He wants you to grow; when He speaks, He wants you to obey. 2. Know who you are. You are a leader. You have accepted the identity and the responsibilities of leadership. You are not necessarily smarter, holier, or wiser than those you serve, but you are a spiritual leader. You are blessed to be a blessing. You are a coach, a problem solver, a visionary, and a trustworthy leader. 3. Know who they are. People you lead are imperfect and under construction. They have issues, problems, and propensities. But, they have been saved by grace. They are on your team, and you have the wonderful privilege of guiding them in a growing, trustworthy relationship with our heavenly Father. 4. Know your task. You have a fourfold task. (1) Devotion: Prayer, Bible reading, and worship must be your priority. (2) Direction: Know where God wants you to take the people you serve—provide directions founded on trust. (3) Development: Commit to developing leadership skills and to lifelong learning. (3) Determination: Set goals to be the best leader you can become. 5. Lead with your strengths. Do not let your areas of weakness intimidate you. God gave you unique gifts, talents, and skills to employ in representing and serving Him. Lead with your strengths. 6. Build balance into your life. The instrument panel of your life has six gauges: spiritual, emotional, relational, personal, physical, and intellectual. Keeping a check on all these areas will keep you up and running and balanced. 7. Respect the people you serve. Actions such as financial reporting, telling the truth, transparency, and
sincerity show respect through accountability. Follow-up, returning phone calls, and being on time show respect through responsibility. 8. Cultivate relationships with the unchurched. It is essential to have genuine relationships with the unchurched in order to lead them to Christ. This is true with the pastor as well as church members. This is giving priority to our mission. 9. Respect and honor those over you in the Lord. Spiritual authority is the delegated influence of God through Christ to the church. Spiritual authority provides order, organization, and direction. When we respect those who have oversight over us, we embrace the authority of God. 10. Don’t let failure stop you. You are valuable in Kingdom ministry. This does not mean you are perfect; it means you are committed. Effective leadership is the ability to get up one more time than you are knocked down. 11. Don’t let success kill you. Many challenges face highly successful leaders. Four of the most pervasive are pride, power, performance, and prosperity. “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10 NKJV). 12. Do what is right. We must do what is best and what is right: In relationship to structure, procedure, and efficiency, we must do what is best for the organization, the local church, or the team. Decisions and actions related to people and principles must be based on what is right; what is right by the Scriptures, Christian principles, and ethics. Both efficiency and ethics are important in the quest for trust and in doing what is right.
TRUSTWORTHY LEADERSHIP Every minister should be an example of a trustworthy leader. There are five trust tests that will guide you in leadership, stability, and security: 1. The Character Test—“Do I walk the talk?” 2. The Chemistry Test—“Do I build and nurture relationships?” 3. The Competency Test—“Am I effective?” 4. The Communication Test—“Do I talk the walk?” 5. The Conduct Test—“Do I act as I should?” ■ UWOOGT"4234"
Raymond F. Culpepper, D.D., is general overseer of the Church of God.
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WHAT IS YOUR STYLE OF
LEADERSHIP? Guidelines for a Spiritual Leader ■ by
I
F YOU ARE A PASTOR, you are a spiritual leader. You are a man or woman called by God and charged with the responsibility of influencing a specific group of people in such a manner that they will be able to fulfill the purpose of God in their lives. You will have abundant opportunities to relate to and lead the people among whom you work. What style of leadership will you use to make you most effective? Dr. J. Robert Clinton, who established the discipline of leadership studies at Fuller Theological Seminary, believes wise leaders will employ a variety of styles. I served as his teaching assistant and heard him often counsel his students to follow the example of Paul: Relate your leadership style to the people and situation with which you are working. He cited at least eight approaches to spiritual leadership.
CONFRONTATION Paul loved the church in Philippi so much that in his epistle he praises its members for their faith and faithfulness. He testifies of their experience of joy and affection, and boasts of their generosity in giving. As a realist, however, Paul had to acknowledge that trouble had arisen in the congregation, due at least in part to a feud between two women, Euodia and Syntyche (Ironside referred to them as “Odious” and “Soon-touchy.”) Paul used the confrontational style of leadership to identify the troublemakers by name and plead with them to reconcile. It happens that well-meaning Christians suffer broken relationships that inevitably hurt their church community. Although today’s pastors usually prefer other leadership styles, confrontation occasionally has its place. Biblical allusion: Philippians 4:2.
APOSTOLIC
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An apostle, in the New Testament sense, was a person chosen and commissioned by God as His authorized representative with power to speak and act on His behalf. The Twelve, except for Judas, were the original apostles; however, others in the New Testament bore the designation. They seemed to have been used by God to lay the foundation for the church. The chief characteristic of an apostle was his Godgiven authority. When Paul exercised apostolic leadership, he spoke in an authoritative manner. He declared, “Do this!” and he did not countenance the possibility that his hearers would deny his right to tell them what to do. Today’s pastor may use the apostolic style if he or she is certain that the pronouncement is 100 percent biblical and appropriate. It is easy, however, for a person with dictatorial tendencies to expropriate the apostolic style for selfish purposes or to ward off opposition. Use this style judiciously! Biblical allusions: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13; 1 Timothy 5:17; Hebrews 13:17.
FATHERHOOD A long-time pastor enjoys special relationships with the congregation. I was youth pastor three years for J.T. Gilliam, who led the Riverside Church in Fort Worth, Texas, for 33 years. In the case of some families, he had been present when members were born, later when they married, and ultimately when some died (reminiscent of the Scottish pastor who spoke of the pastoral roles to “hatch ‘em, match ‘em, and dispatch ‘em”). Pastor Gilliam, because of his special relationship based on longevity and closeness, could deal with many of his congregants as a father might with his children. Paul had similar relationships with people converted under his ministry, and he referenced that relationship when he counseled them toward certain attitudes and actions. The “father” style of leadership must not be presumed, but if it has been earned, it may be effectively employed. Biblical allusions: 1 Corinthians 4:14-15; 1 Thessalonians 2:10-11.
OBLIGATION-PERSUASION If a pastor has built solid relationships based on faithful service on behalf of the people, he or she may well use a leadership style called “obligation-persuasion.” The case of Paul and Philemon is the best biblical illustration of this style. Because of the warm relationship Paul had with Philemon, he felt free to call upon the wealthy slave-owner to forgive and restore to his household the runaway slave, Onesimus, and integrate him into his house church. A leader cannot assume he may employ this style; it is a right granted only by a special relationship. Biblical allusion: Philemon
APPEAL TO MATURITY It is normally expected that church members who have lived a long time in the faith will act in accord with the teachings of Christ, but some seem to arrive at age-maturity without having achieved Christian reliability. Such cases are difficult to deal with. Paul granted deference to the leaders of the church he called “elders,” and in his writings, he called upon other Christians to honor them, imitate them, and obey them. Peter, Paul’s contemporary, did the same in his epistles. At times, an out-and-out appeal to the marks of maturity is appropriate in the church setting. This is often best done in the context of preaching. A pastor can remind the congregation that “this is the way a mature believer acts and thinks,” in an effort to inspire them to similar mature conduct. Biblical allusions: Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 5:1-7
NURSE Power and assertiveness seem to be the leading candidates for the choice of pastoral leadership attributes, but Paul often opted for a less forceful approach. A term he exploited with effectiveness was “gentleness.” That should surprise no one who understands the biblical teaching about the fruit of the Spirit. In his use of the word, however, he applied it specifically in the context of leadership.
He had earned the right to be demanding—he explained— but he preferred to see himself in the role of a nurse, speaking of a woman who might normally care for the child of her mistress, but is in this case feeding and warming her own child. In what more tender terms might a relationship be described? Gentleness earns the pastor the respect and following of people. Do not, however, confuse it with being a doormat. Biblical allusions: 1 Thessalonians 2:7; 2 Timothy 2:24-25.
IMITATION “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice,” the apostle wrote to his Philippian friends. One of today’s spiritual leader’s greatest styles can be the same as Paul’s: Follow me as I follow Christ. “Do as I say, not as I do,” doesn’t cut it as a leadership mechanism. People expect from their pastor an example they can follow. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Biblical allusions: Philippians 4:9; 2 Timothy 3:10-11. Consensus: “This proposal pleased the whole group” (Acts 6:5 NIV) and “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us” (Acts 15:28 NIV) are two declarations from the history of the early church that demonstrate the desirability of a consensus-style of leadership. It is reminiscent of a leadership quotation by the Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu: “A leader is best when people barely know he exists; when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” Biblical allusions: Acts 6; Acts 15. Leadership styles may vary. A spiritual leader’s challenge is to employ the right style at the right time in order to achieve God’s purpose for the church. ■ Bill George, former pastor, college professor, editor in chief, and missionary, is coordinator of education and publications for Church of God World Missions.
THE POWER OF EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP
The Bible says: “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18 KJV). Effective leaders are individuals who inspire a shared vision in moving things forward. Our success as leaders, whether in church, home, or corporation, will depend on the extent to which we can get people harmonized in sharing the vision. —Andrew Binda is administrative bishop of New York
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Five Steps to Becoming a
LEADER OF
INFLUENCE ■ by
A
LL PASTORS ARE LEADERS whether or not they want to be. Every word they speak is remembered, repeated, and reviewed. A short time ago my wife and I were enjoying a meal in a restaurant when the voices behind me drew my attention as they discussed with deep feeling the words of their pastor. It occurred to me that somewhere my own words were being repeated over a meal, on the phone, on the Internet. With the aggressive opposition the world throws against faith, the influence of pastors is more important than it has ever been. In fact, our very existence, our call, our mission is to influence men and women to accept the truth that Jesus is Lord!
STEP ONE: SPIRITUAL LIFESTYLE The first step, and I am convinced the most important step, in becoming a leader of influence is the development of a “spiritual lifestyle.” The average pastor works more than 60 hours a week. Many regularly work as much as, and often more than, 100 hours a week. The demand on a pastor’s time comes at all hours. I remember one evening on “family night” the phone rang and one of my children began to cry and another began to beg me not to answer the ring. This kind of pressure often causes pastors to choose serving over seeking, practice over prayer, and relationships with people over their relationship with God. Many ministers are caught in the work trap of devoting their time to others rather than their relationship with God and family. In fact, in one survey, only “26 percent of pastors said they regularly had personal devotions and felt they were adequately fed spiri-
tually” (Francis A. Schaeffer Institute of Church Leadership Development). In a camp meeting sermon many years ago, Wade Horton said, “A church will never rise higher than the pastor.” Our personal spiritual level will influence people more than anything else. Our spiritual level will limit or benefit their spiritual growth more than all the good deeds we do. When we walk into a hospital, a pulpit, a business, the Spirit of God will be sensed in direct proportion to our devotional level. More than anyone else in a community, a pastor’s influence will be dictated by his/her practice of the spiritual disciplines. Richard Foster’s book, Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth has been helpful to me in developing and maintaining a “spiritual lifestyle.” We must have a disciplined lifestyle that prioritizes personal intimacy with God, prayer, purity, integrity, and love. We must realize that our first ministry responsibility is to our family, then our church. A leader’s influence will never rise higher or be more powerful than his or her personal relationship with the Lord!
STEP TWO: COMMITMENT The second step in becoming a leader of influence is to reach a level of commitment that places God’s will above all other desires, ambitions, and considerations. Every influential leader in the kingdom of God has one special foundational support that strengthens resolve and assures resilience, a sense of divine call, a sense of eternal purpose. The indomitable force that drives the influential leader is the certainty of being called out and anointed to fulfill a mission for God. This is what drove Peter to leave a successful fishing business,
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Paul to turn from a position of power, Stephen to sacrifice his life, and countless others to leave a former life to obey the call of Christ to become an influential leader. The determination to never stop, to never give up, to never give in defines a level of commitment needed in a truly influential leader. Paul said it this way: Are they servants of Christ? I am a fool to talk this way, but I serve him better than they do. I have worked harder and have been put in jail more times. I have been beaten with whips more and have been in danger of death more often. Five times the Jews gave me thirtynine lashes with a whip. Three times the Romans beat me with a big stick, and once my enemies stoned me. I have been shipwrecked three times, and I even had to spend a night and a day in the sea. During my many travels, I have been in danger from rivers, robbers, my own people, and foreigners. My life has been in danger in cities, in deserts, at sea, and with people who only pretended to be the Lord’s followers. I have worked and struggled and spent many sleepless nights. I have gone hungry and thirsty and often had nothing to eat. I have been cold from not having enough clothes to keep me warm. Besides everything else, each day I am burdened down, worrying about all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:23-28 CEV).
For many years, I have cautioned candidates for ministerial license to enter the ministry only if they can do nothing else. Not that they are incapable or incompetent, but that they feel driven by the Spirit of God as Jesus was driven into the wilderness to begin His ministry. “Next Jesus was taken into the wild by the Spirit for the Test” (Matthew 4:1 TM). This text implies that the Holy Spirit pressed Jesus to go into the wilderness. When we are on mission for God, the sense that we are being compelled by the Holy Spirit empowers us with faith to influence.
STEP THREE: HUMILITY
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One of the most important facets of influential leadership in the kingdom of God is that God is made strong in our humility. Second Corinthians 12:9 says, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” (NLT). Dependence on God requires faith without which it is impossible to please Him (see Hebrews 11:6). It is faith that moves mountains, not human talent or intellect. Our faith and dependence on God provides us with a source of power mightier than anything the world has to offer. Our power, our influence depends on and comes from God by the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:8 says, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you” (KJV). Our personal devotions and determined com-
mitment to Christ lead us to dependence, to humility and by that empowerment to influence. The apostle Paul, a very educated and accomplished man, understood this principle and proclaimed it by saying, “I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:1-5 KJV).
In his humility, Paul became one of the most influential leaders in history of Christianity.
STEP FOUR: LEARNING The power of prayer and praise are undeniable and some believe there is no need to pursue any other source of enablement. However, the Scriptures tell us, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV). The admonition to train, to learn, to expand our understanding is all-important. We are to acquire knowledge from all sources, comparing and judging that knowledge by Scripture. After attending three different seminaries from three different traditions, I have found that there is theoretical subjective knowledge and there is practical objective knowledge. Both are needed to become an influential leader. One stimulates thought and the other action. The theoretical subjective knowledge taught in seminary means very little unless it is accompanied by practical application. For instance, many seek out knowledge of why we worship and how important worship is to the spiritual well-being of the believer, but few study the practical mechanics of worship. They fail to think in terms of how not to waste time in worship, how not to distract from the focus on God. They miss God’s intent. We need to study why we worship and then study how best to plan and prepare worship. This study brings His approval. In all things, we must obey the Lord and “study to shew ourselves approved.” Influential leaders are willing to spend time in preparing through formal education, and they are also willing to spend time in preparing by studying practical applications.
STEP FIVE: VISION On May 7, 1999, NATO forces led by American pilots bombed the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia. Tensions were
high as the Chinese and U.S. governments tried to find out how, or why, this happened. After the political smoke cleared, it was discovered that the pilots flying the mission were given outdated maps with the wrong targets on them. They did what they were told to do, and they bombed what they were told to bomb; but they were given the wrong maps, and as a result, they did the right thing, for the right reasons, at the wrong place, and innocent people perished. In short, it helps to know where you are going and to have a map that will get you to the right place. How can we lead if we do not know where to lead? Vision and direction are necessary if a pastor is to be a leader of influence. The conviction that we have heard from God and then the ability to cast that vision to God’s people sets apart the influential leader from all others. We can see that steps one through four are absolutely necessary to reach step number five. The previous steps place us close to God and make us sensitive to His will. For a leader’s influence to accomplish great things, he or she must have a sense of divine direction that is evident to those who follow. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future” (NIV). Influential leaders know and share God’s plan. Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (KJV). When we move forward without sharing the vision or move forward without a clear sense of where God is taking us, we find ourselves alone without followers, and worse, without God’s help. God’s plans cover the smallest details and require a leader with enough humility to accept the fact that we do not, in and of ourselves, possess the ability to know and then pursue the best course of action. We are dependent on the leadership of the Holy Spirit and the cooperation of God’s called-out people! The only way to know when you have become a truly influential leader is by observing the results in the lives of your followers. If they follow us as we follow the Lord, there should be remarkable, measurable, changes in their lives and there should be healthy multiplication. Spiritually vibrant believers produce more of the same! ■ Ray E. Hurt, D.Min., is pastor of Princeton Church, Princeton, W.Va.: Website: www.pcogwv.com; Email: yarhur@frontiernet .com.
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Expanding the CIRCLE OF LEADERS in the Local Church ■ by RICHIE HUGHES
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VERWHELMED? Visitations, funerals, weddings, counseling, and the list goes on. I hear it from most every pastor I work with or talk to. The work of the church is not easy! No one said it would be, but how can I lighten the load just a little bit? Being all things to all people is not possible, but what if I do not have the staff or leaders, not to mention the budget the “mega” churches have to help them share the load? On top of that, I have to prepare to preach for the weekend. We all know that specific 30-45 minutes of the service flow is probably the most critical element on my job description. Wait a minute, did I just say “job”? What happened to calling? Have you ever felt this way? The good news is you are not alone. This is very typical in most churches. If you feel this way, it means that you care enough to be concerned. Regardless of the size of the church, one thing is constant— the need for outstanding leaders. Leadership is universal and transferable into any size church. “Everything rises and falls on leadership,” states John Maxwell. We all have read
Maxwell’s materials, but do we apply the teachings to our local churches? Here are eight principles that I believe are essential in the expansion of leadership in your local church. 1. Be YOU! It sounds simple, but our generation is not interested in anything less than full authenticity. The younger your audience, the quicker they can spot a leader who is trying too hard to be something he is not. A true leader is comfortable being who he or she is. People will line up to follow you regardless of what name brand clothes you wear, the car you drive, or where you eat if they know you care about them. We don’t have to be the most “creative” preacher in town with elaborate illustrations and gimmicks to fill the seats. As the new commercial states on television, “Be comfortable in your own skin.” 2. Make it the BIG TIME where you are right now! In my former life of basketball, I was given the opportunity to work in the NBA. I remember working games in the finest and largest facilities in the United States with sold-out crowds of over 20,000 in attendance. A few months later my assignment changed and I was coaching the game I love,
but at a very small high school in rural Georgia. My first game was played to a crowd of approximately 100 in a gym that had three rows of bleachers and could not seat more than 200. My transition was challenging, but I remember a leader in my life making this statement: “Make it the BIG TIME where you are!” You may not lead a mega church right now, but you must lead as if your church is the largest, fastest-growing church in America. By dedicating yourself at that level, you will attract a greater quality of leaders and raise the level of expectation with those already in leadership with you. The existing congregation will appreciate the level of commitment you are giving to the church. We must always follow this process regardless of how large or small our churches are. Vison: Have you taken the steps to “write the Vision and make it clear?” Remember Habakkuk? I have never seen a leader who could lead and not know where He was going (except Abraham). The first thing I look for when working with a church is a mission statement, a set of core values, and future plans. Got vision? Got a plan? 3. What could this church be with the right leaders and our best effort? God desires that you succeed as you lead! Too many pastors feel insufficient as leaders. They do not want to teach on the subject of leadership for fear their own leadership will come into question. The truth is God is really pulling for you and so are many others—your members, other ministers, your family, and friends—who are passionate to see your ministry grow, which will ultimately grow the body of Christ. “Succeed as you lead.” It’s all part of God’s plan for you! 4. Start here, go anywhere. I believe personal evaluation of your leadership is critical. How would you rank yourself on a scale of 1-10? If you are a five, what steps can you take to grow into a seven by the end of this year? Of course, the goal is a 10, but NONE of us are there yet. By setting a starting point and setting a goal for growth, you will have clearer focus and direction. Those who follow you will recognize the growth occurring in you. Seek honest evaluation of yourself from others that you trust. Perhaps a fellow pastor could take a good look at you and your style and strategies and give you feedback as to growth in your personal leadership model. Don’t fear constructive criticism. It works! 5. Posture UP! No one will follow an insecure, less-thanconfident leader. Your personal posture is often the difference in recruiting not only church members, but also workers, and volunteers. The “boldness” Peter and John exhibited in Acts 4 has been one of the most attractive qualities I have ever witnessed in a leader.
6. DO NOT confuse “boldness” with arrogance. Remember, it was said about Peter and John, “They knew they had been with Jesus.” With man, nothing is possible, but with God, ALL things are possible. Do you want to attract and keep quality leaders in your church? Boldness and confidence in the Creator is the pattern to embrace. 7. It is important to release others to use their gifts. By trusting others, we as leaders provide meaningful ministry opportunities to some who may be earnestly seeking God for the right place to be used by Him. As the leader, you can pass on the need for a special prayer life to many. For example, business people can assist in the church finances. Let the Lord lead you and empower those in your church in the areas where they are gifted. 8. Evaluate your volunteer growth and involvement. At my previous assignment, we had a tremendous tool for evaluation. One of the most important elements on the evaluation was a category grading recruitment, involvement, and growth of the volunteer base in each department. Chart the growth, or lack thereof, in your staff and lay leaders. If a department is growing in volunteers/leaders, it will reflect tremendous growth numerically. If the volunteers/ leaders are not growing or decreasing, you most likely have a problem with the skills of the leader. I have been blessed to serve in leadership at some of America’s greatest and largest churches, and also consulting with some of the smallest. What I have learned is that leadership principles work at any level. I encourage you to “go hard” at the amazing “call” that God has placed on your life, but work smarter, not always harder. Apply the eight steps outlined above and watch God open up some new options for you as a leader. I have worked with my good friend Dan Reiland, executive pastor of 12 Stone Church in Georgia, for the past couple of years. His new book, Amplified Leadership, is the greatest resource I have ever read, specifically written for church leaders. I highly recommend the book to you. ■ Richie Hughes is the author of Charisma House’s Start Here, Go Anywhere. He served as executive pastor at Free Chapel in Gainesville, Ga. and Irvine, Calif. from 2004–2010 and CEO of Jentezen Franklin Ministries. During that time, Free Chapel grew over 450 percent, from 2,700 to 14,500 in weekly attendance. Hughes is a graduate of Lee University and has an advanced degree in administration from Lincoln Memorial University. Currently, he is a church and business speaker, author, and church consultant to leading churches across America on development and strategic solutions. Visit www.richiehughes.com for consulting information.
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LEADERSHIP & INFLUENCE Can Be Larger Than Your Church ■ by ED IVEY Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:27-32 NIV 1984).
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HIS PASSAGE OF Scripture clearly indicates that Jesus influenced His community. It also raises questions for today’s pastors and congregations. The questions include: What kind of leader am I? What is the scope of my influence? Am I influencing my church? Does my influence extend beyond my church into my community? Is my influence a model of the example of Christ? These questions provoke an evaluation of the effectiveness of one’s leadership. Knowing who you are and knowing your community determine your effectiveness. Family Worship Center Senior Pastor Johnny Moore of Cario, Georgia, suggests three things: (1) Get information, (2) Get information, and (3) Get information. The more you know about your community, the more effective you will be as a community influencer.
The streets were poorly maintained. The homes along the streets were not much better. The area had a history of a high rate of petty crime and substance abuse. Welcome to my first pastorate! My first thoughts were, How do I reach this community for Christ and how can I make my community better? I had to take ownership: “This is indeed my community, my mission field.” The residents of the area were not interested in the church. I realized if I was going to make a difference I would have to become involved outside of my church in the community. With the support of a few concerned residents, we organized a community action group dedicated to sprucing up the community. We urged local agencies within the county who had previously ignored our community to commit resources to assist in redefining the area. Over time, the crime rate was reduced, people began to take pride in their property, streets were resurfaced, and neighbors began to interact with each other at community events. This opened doors for ministry for our church, and we soon doubled in attendance. Since entering the pastoral ministry, my desire has always been not only to pastor my church, but my community as well. In order to be the pastor of my community, I had to be a community influencer. So, I outlined ways to do this. I joined a local civic group where I was able to connect with established community leaders. Having always been interested in emergency services, I joined the local volunteer fire department and later became the assistant chief. As my
church and I served the community, our community influence increased, and the church began to experience growth. The local school district threatened to cancel the annual high school baccalaureate service out of fear of ACLU interference. I led in the support of our local ministerial association to take sponsorship and continue this important community worship service. We were successful, and our influence in the community expanded. It is also important for a pastor’s family to be actively involved in the community. My wife who had been an elementary school teacher became a school administrator. My daughters were leaders in their schools and active in extracurricular activities and sports. The witness of your family to their friends and colleagues will further extend your leadership in the community. I was elected to the city council. While this position gave opportunity for community influence, it also closed doors to individuals because of political affiliation. However, the church that had been known as “the church on the hill” gained standing and influence in the community. The church that I now pastor is one of the older churches in the community and has established a solid presence in our county. In our congregation, there are local business people, a judge, a former sheriff, school board members, clerk of the circuit court, school teachers, and support staff. In addition to these, our membership includes a city council member, two county commissioners, and the county tax collector. I mention these because they open access into community life, and I am always ready to respond. Since I have access to the community, it is up to me to define myself as a leader in order to influence my community for Jesus Christ. I volunteer for community projects, and encourage my members to do the same. Just as it is in the church, when the community realizes that you will work, it will not hesitate to call on you. As opportunities for service become available, I respond and my influence broadens.
All pastors have been called upon to conduct funerals of people outside their church. These occasions are opportunities to demonstrate and extend your influence in your community. This was never clearer to me than when I was called upon recently to deliver the eulogy at the funeral of the longterm senior Baptist pastor in my community. While I was highly honored, I was very humbled that God had granted me such influence in my community. Some of my community involvement at present is serving as chaplain to our emergency services, a member of the school district’s drug advisory panel, serving as vice-president of the local anti-drug coalition, joining other churches to sponsor areawide crusades. In 2009, I was honored by the local Chamber of Commerce as the Dixie County Man of the Year. The following are suggestions for extending the influence of your church in the community: 1. Identify your community. If you are in a large metropolitan area, your community may be your surrounding neighborhood. If you are in a small town or rural area, the entire area will be your community. 2. Take ownership of your community. As a pastor, the place where you are is your community. 3. Define who you are through self-evaluation. Be comfortable in your own skin! 4. Join with others to determine how the community can be better and support efforts already under way. 5. Allocate enough of your time to be an effective community influencer without becoming overburdened or compromising your pastoral responsibilities. 6. Encourage your congregation to be involved in positive community activities. ■ Ed Ivey is senior pastor of the Cross City Church, Cross City, Fla.; email:
[email protected]. He can be found on Facebook and Twitter.
DEVELOPING A LEADERSHIP TEAM
LEADERSHIP
Character, chemistry, and competence are the three things one looks for in building a leadership team. The order is intentional. Put competence first, and a person has gifts and talents without integrity. Make chemistry first, and charismatic personalities will trump godliness. The New Testament teaches Christlike character must be the foundation for relationships and service in the kingdom of God. This was Jesus’ pattern. It was Paul’s instructions. It should be our model today. —Charles E. Fischer, M.Div. is administrative bishop of Alaska/B.C.
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LEADERSHIP in the City ■ by
T
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HERE SHOULD BE no greater influence in any given city than the local church that is filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. Many times we limit the power of the Holy Spirit exclusively to what happens inside the four walls of the church. But if we follow the first-century church as our model, we will discover that their influence radiated from their places of meeting out into the streets. Within a few short years, a small company of apostles turned the known world upside down because their influence was impressed upon all sectors of society. The early apostles did not just pastor their local churches; they pastored their cities. Decades ago, Bill Bright, Loran Cunningham, and Francis Schaffer strategized about how to best impact cities and nations with the kingdom of God, and they developed what has become known as the seven mountains of culture. These seven mountains are categories that describe various ways in which we can impact our society: the mountains of religion (ministry), government, business, family, education, arts/ entertainment, and media. In the context of the local church, you can engage each of these mountains of culture with the gospel of Jesus Christ. At The Church at Liberty Square in Cartersville, we have set a course to impact all seven of these mountains in our city and beyond. Take the mountain of education for instance. We have established a private, accredited Christian school— Excel Christian Academy—which provides academic excellence in a Christian atmosphere. Our reach into the mountain of education goes ever farther, as we have many influencers from our church even in the public school system, as well as networks of home school parents that meet in our church. Whether private, public, or home, we believe that the church should be an agent of change in the educational sphere, as it not only benefits a generation for the future, but it also prepares children for eternity. Another unifying effort to provide leadership in our city has come from our championing of the National Day of Prayer. For the last two years, we held the largest gathering of its kind in our entire state on the county courthouse steps. This was not significant because of size alone, but
mainly because it brought unity to the body of Christ. Furthermore, it is serving to foster a culture of prayer among the spiritual leaders of our community, and that prayer movement is sweeping all of our churches. We are developing a region-wide database of intercessors for the nations that has stemmed from leadership in the National Day of Prayer. Because of this, our pastors across denominational lines are coming together several times per year for times of fellowship, prayer, and leadership development. The church in our city throughout many decades has affected the mountain of government. Several governors and high-ranking state officials have come from our county, and the church has taken seriously the responsibility to pray for them and offer them spiritual support. We have also invited them to take part in many things that we do within our city. A church reaching the city must honor and influence governmental officials and steward this relationship well. In the mountain of business, God has used the annual Commissioner-Mayor Prayer Luncheon in our area to connect, not only with governmental leaders, but also with the business community. Along with involvement in the Chamber of Commerce, our local business people and governmental leaders have seen how the church at large wants to be a blessing and an anchor for the community. The greatest test of this new paradigm shift toward pastoring the city and not just the local church came in 2011, when the worst tornado outbreak in some 70 years struck our area. In the immediate aftermath of horrific devastation, the city and county asked the churches to coordinate the relief efforts for the spiritual, physical, and psychological needs of those who had suffered loss. In one of the body of Christ’s finest hours, many rose to the occasion to provide servant leadership that ranged from cutting down trees, rebuilding, and humanitarian relief to prayer and evangelism. As we ministered, no one church’s name was ever used—we all marched under the banner of the body of Christ in Bartow County. Service evangelism was not something new to our area when the storms came last year, as our teenagers from across denominational lines have been involved for several years now with SPLASH Bartow (Show People Love and Share Him).
This week-long local missions project involved hundreds of teenagers from scores of local churches that come together to do everything from cleaning houses to light construction that benefits people all across our city. Our local government has repeatedly recognized that the church in the city has done many things which have helped the entire citizenry. The church not only feeds the soul, but also the body. One of the most effective ways that we are reaching our city is through Harvest House—our feeding ministry. As a partner with major food banks, we do much more than just distribute groceries. This powerful point of contact enables us to meet people at their most desperate time of need and share with them the good news of Jesus. Just weeks ago a mother of five gave her life to Christ at Harvest House. As she walked to the car, she told the volunteer that the first thing she was going to do when she got home was to lead her five children to the Lord. This ministry is living proof that the church can present truth and compassion at the same time. When it comes to the mountains of family and ministry, Liberty Square has been making an impact for many decades now in our city. When the church was master planned, over 187 acres were purchased for strategic development so that ministry could take place “from the cradle to the grave.” This included the building of family-dwelling subdivisions, with over 115 family dwellings, a retirement center, a cemetery/ mausoleum, and a daycare. No matter what stage of life, The Church at Liberty Square has the opportunity to provide meaningful ministry and a touch of the kingdom of God upon our city. In 2006, we expanded the scope of ministry even farther by opening a secondary location. Over the past six years, we have been one church in two locations that is impacting Bartow County in all four corners. This satellite location now averages over 250 in weekly attendance. Through this process, we have learned that various styles and methods can be used while keeping the same ministry and doctrinal DNA so that even more people can be reached for the gospel of Christ. A church that provides leadership in the city must always be prepared to expand to further meet the needs of a growing community. None of these areas of impact in our city developed overnight. They have been the fruit in recent years of many decades of faithful sowing of love and good deeds. Long-term leadership by many different leaders in our spiritual community has contributed to the camaraderie that has made this possible. Our senior pastor, Dr. Joe E. Edwards, is celebrating his twenty-fifth year of ministry here in Cartersville at The Church at Liberty Square. He is an outstanding leader in the community and the Church of God as he has served as a state administrative bishop and a member of the International Executive Council.
At Liberty Square, we believe that no matter what is happening in the world’s economy, the future is bright. Future plans for expansion include a new children’s education facility, the relocation and expansion of Excel Christian Academy, the construction of a funeral home and another mausoleum, another childcare facility, and much more. We are looking into plans to build a prayer walk and park around the 186 acres that would provide physical and spiritual health to the community, as well as the construction of ball fields and tennis courts. Through these and other possible projects, the sky is the limit for the level of impact from the cradle to the grave. Though God’s design for the church in each community is unique, there are Kingdom principles that will apply to wherever you serve. As ministers, we believe that our work is a calling, not just a vocation. This means that where we serve is a reflection of God’s sovereignty in our lives. Could it be that calling extends beyond the building and church to the city? If that is true, and I believe that it is, then there are certain practical applications that we must follow. First, get to know your fellow pastors in your city. Take them to lunch, pray with them, and find those who have a common desire to reach the city. Do the same with government leaders. How can we minister to the needs of a city when we don’t know what they are? This takes time and relational investment. The dividends are great: the kingdom of God will be increased and the church truly becomes a city on the hill with illuminating light in a dark world. As you think about the seven mountains of culture, which mountains in your city really need a Kingdom impact? Which ones (if not all) can your church and the churches around you begin to influence for the glory of God? As you pray and seek the fellowship of others with similar mind and heart, you will find that God will grant you favor to accomplish his mission. Os Hillman has written a great book titled Change Agents that details the practical outworking of this for your city. He says, If we want to begin to transform our cities, we must affirm workplace leaders who are the change agents in the city. They play a key role in establishing the church in the city. We must be intentional about bringing intercessors, workplace leaders, and pastors who have a vision for their city together with an intentional process that allocated money and resources to projects that will bless the city. Then we will begin to see the transformation of cities.
With a little faith, much prayer, and a few other likeminded believers, real transformation is possible right where you live. God has big dreams for your city, and you and your church are ground zero for being the agent of change. ■ Jacob T. King, D.Min., is assistant pastor of The Church at Liberty Square, Cartersville, Ga.; Website: www.libertysq.org; Email:
[email protected].
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FOLLOW THE
LEADER Is It That Simple? ■ by GREG BAIRD
F
OLLOW THE LEADER” is a classic children’s game passed down through generations. The game’s timeless truths can be seen as a metaphor for discovering leaders—especially youth leaders. You remember the rules . . . a leader is chosen (anointed, called) to become the “head of the line.” The children (followers, disciples) line up behind the leader. The children mimic (do as he does) the leader’s actions. Perhaps Paul gleaned from this simple game when he stated, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” The next phase of the game has consequences. Players failing to follow the actions of the leader are eliminated from the game. Wow! At first glance, this seems like a harsh penalty. In comparison, youth ministry is serious business; it’s not a game. The severe consequences of diminished spiritual leadership are sobering. Someone has to lead and in the right direction. The pivotal part of the game is the conclusion . . . a new leader is discovered, begins to lead, and the process repeats. This simple game illustrates a principle . . . leaders lead. Pointing the way won’t cut it; we are called to lead the way. I have discovered over the past 32 years of doing youth ministry that students desire to follow (mimic, mime) an anointed person who will L.E.A.D!
LOVE But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust
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steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love (1 Corinthians 13:13 TM). Leading with love is foundational; you can’t fake it. Students are structured to feel deeply, they sense genuine love. When you “speak the truth in love,” they know you mean it. This requires talking with them—not just at them. Listening with love is paramount; you cannot neglect it. I have found that traveling with students to youth events, listening to their prayer requests, and following them on Facebook/Twitter can be enlightening. Spending time with students is an indicator of your calling and love. If you don’t like kids, don’t go into student ministry. Frankly, if you don’t lead with love, you won’t last long.
ENGAGE Engaging the culture . . . Love It? Leave It? Or Transform It? (Christianity Today). Students follow leaders who engage them and embrace their culture. They enjoy mentors and coaches who find value in them for who they are, not just who we think they should be. Each day, I spend a few minutes investigating what’s trending in their world—outside of church. It is extremely resourceful to read articles, blogs, and books from noted youth ministry icons like Youth Specialties, Group, or Simply Youth. And, if all else fails, Google it! Listening to students’ music or taking a careful glimpse at their TV shows may enlighten you or perhaps frighten you.
My first exposure to MTV was on a youth choir trip in 1983. I was chaperoning three of our more rambunctious middle school students. I woke up in the night to three silhouettes at the foot of the bed watching a new cable program known as MTV. Not “wigging out,” yet in utter amazement, I inquired about the program and researched this soon-to-be cultural trendsetter and phenomenon. What I discovered was a new viewing format showing images every 5 to 7 seconds . . . the rest is entertainment history! Soon, my teaching and preaching became more intentional, strategic, and Word-centered.
AFFIRM “We’re building up or tearing down in everything we do. Are you on the construction gang or on the wrecking crew?” (Anonymous). By the time kids reach their teen years, chances are they’ve become experts at filtering the mixed messages that bombard them daily. Negative messages attack kids from many different sources—families, educators, media, and even the church. “What’s wrong with me?” is the loaded question they desperately seek to answer. Youth leaders, the power in your words can either repel or encourage. Students will gravitate to someone who builds them up. They’ll love hanging with you if you can help them process their emotional ups and downs. Youth ministry should be instrumental in creating an environment where young people are excited about being part of the group — where newcomers can’t wait to return, where the tough kids open up, cliques and quarrels vanish, and those who are hurting heal. According to a popular movie, “If you build it, they will come.” I’m not so sure about this. We need youth leaders who are committed to finding creative ways in “building up young people” instead of being consumed with “building up a crowd.” I say, “If you build up students, they will come.” We have spent millions of dollars on blueprints and buildings with state-of-the-art facilities, only to realize that students who are affirmed and encouraged can meet in a basement or broom closet. When affirming, Spirit-led youth pastors guide in the ways of God, that basement or broom closet becomes a ministry center where life change happens daily! Affirming words from a mentor, mixed with a steady diet from God’s Word, will eventually take root in students’ hearts.
The Holy Spirit, “who teaches all things,” opens a whole new world filled with meaning and purpose. What a joy to see the light go on— when students realize they are valuable to God and others and begin to believe their future is being orchestrated by God himself. What an amazing revelation!
DISCIPLE “God’s primary concern for all people is not results, but relationships” (Henry Blackaby). Leading the next generation “in a cause to live and die for” is our primary duty! Discipleship requires blood, sweat, and tears. Teaching truth and leading in lasting spiritual formation will confirm students’ faith. This process may be messy, yet the harvest reaped from headaches and heartaches is priceless. Today’s youth leaders walk a tight rope, trying to balance their way through a culture desiring to be relevant. Some ministries have amused their teens repeatedly with ampedup entertainment, but a watered-down gospel. The consequences will be ugly if we are too heavy on fun and too light on faith. Hype will attract, but the excess will leave little time for digging deep into the Word that restores the soul. One song writer stated, “a little less talk and a lot more action.” There’s truth in that lyric. Discipleship of students requires action. Millennials don’t want to talk about it; they want to do it. Let me encourage you to release this restless generation to use their gifts and callings by providing opportunities for ministry and outreach. Remember, they are capable of doing more than the things for which we give them credit. Leadership discovery and development is essential. The good news is we are not alone in the process. The Holy Spirit continuously calls young men and women to lead their generation to Him! Today’s culture demands intentional, Word-centered student pastors . . . chosen to L.E.A.D! It’s just that simple! ■ Greg Baird, M.Div., director of Youth and Discipleship; North Georgia State Executive Offices; Website: www.ngacog.org; Email:
[email protected].
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Leadership in Relationship to
CULTURE ■ by
L
EADERSHIP is a popular subject today both in the marketplace and ministry. It is a subject we should be interested in, primarily due to some disturbing findings in regard to ministerial leadership. For instance, a Fuller Institute of Growth survey of 2,500 pastors reveals that 80 percent believe pastoral ministry is affecting their families negatively. Research from Regent University estimates at least 50,000 ministers leave the ministry every year. As Harvard’s Professor Ron Heifetz wisely observes, “Leadership is not for wimps.”
LEADERSHIP We’ve learned a great deal about leadership over the past 150 years. During this time, leadership has been evolving from a soft and mostly anecdotal idea to a complex multidisciplinary field of study. The U.S. military spent billions of dollars in the first part of the twentieth century in leadership studies, pulling together the best minds in the military, academia, and the corporate world. The information mined from these efforts pushed leadership interests into the popular press. Bookstores are full of information about leadership. Christian bookshelves are
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crowded with books designed to help the pastor, church staff, and others understand how to navigate the often ambiguous waters of leading people. A baffling slate of conferences and seminars claim to offer attendees leadership help. The ministerial community has been profoundly shaped and influenced by these tides.
RELATIONSHIP An interesting fact about leadership is that it is difficult to define with precision. There are as many definitions of leadership available as there are books written about it. Several have found their way to the top of the heap, both in popular press and within the academy. Probably, the most popular definition comes from John Maxwell, who says leadership is fundamentally “influence,” a definition that begs further investigation but garners a great deal of support. James Kouses and Barry Posner, in their bestselling volume titled The Leadership Challenge, using valid and reliable research to support their claims, define leadership as, “A reciprocal relationship between those who choose to lead and those who choose to follow.” I’ve been a student of leadership studies for decades now and this definition deserves attention, especially from those of us in the ministry who are supposed to be helping to make the world a better place to live. We take the mandates of Jesus seriously and understand our call to serve has no plan “B.” We must not lead like the “Gentiles”—like the world. We must lead from the heart, being motivated by righteous ambition (see Matthew 20:25-28). Leadership is influence, but leadership is also relationship. Without relationship there is no leadership. I am not naïve. History is full of people like Hitler, people who have exhibited the dark side of leadership. Here we witness betrayed trust, manipulation, abuse, and exploited privileges of position, but there is no true leadership. For leadership to be beneficial to society, it must be understood in terms of a “reciprocal relationship,” not a one-way street or subordinates hearing a loud voice shouting from the top of the hierarchical pyramid. Servant leaders understand that leadership involves choice—to lead or to follow. And their followers have choices
too, to follow or not to follow. It is amazing how human nature manages to turn things on its head. Too often ministerial leaders find ways to be served instead of serving. Further findings from Kouses and Posner’s research reveal that the number one characteristic followers look for in their leaders is honesty. You might think such a finding would be assumed, but trust is at an all-time low in every sector of our society, and ministry is no exception. Further research by these authors resulted in a second best-selling book titled, Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It, Why People Demand It. Relationships are built on a foundation of integrity that in turn produces the currency of credibility. If our people are to follow us into the future, if others are to believe the good news we preach and teach, then we must be men and women they can trust. There is, however, too often incongruence between what we say and what we do. In other words, our walk does not match our talk. This issue is raised most commonly among the younger generations who are searching for meaning and significance. They often provide this as the primary reason they search outside their traditionally religious communities. Authenticity without hypocrisy is demanded today, if we are to earn the right to speak into the cultures that Jesus called us to reach. Such understanding can be a game changer in terms of corporate and ministry culture.
CULTURE During the past 100 years, the church has done a fairly good job of creating its own unique subculture. A person claiming to be a follower of Jesus may never find a reason or need to leave our carefully constructed Christian refuge. Christians have their own schools and bookstores, along with radio and TV stations. After all, the assumption is that everyone “out there” is the enemy. But is this the correct assumption? Leaders who understand the importance of relationships are asking these questions and arriving at the right redemptive answers. No, they are not the enemy. Unbelievers are the very ones for whom Jesus lived and died. They are the ones He came to seek and to save. They are the “least of these,”
about whom He said, “If we care for them, we care for Him” (see Matthew 25:34-46). The enemy, according to Scripture, is the “principalities and powers, rulers of the darkness of this world” (Ephesians 6:12 KJV). And we must understand that if we are to engage our culture once again, we must earn the right to be heard. This does not happen overnight. Credibility is earned only when integrity is established and integrity develops over time as honest behavior produces trust between people who decide to have a reciprocal relationship. Jesus’ model of servant leadership and engaging the culture was one of incarnation. John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and moved into the neighborhood” (The Message). Our challenge as Christian leaders is to once again hear Jesus’ voice telling us that the only leadership model we can espouse is servant leadership (see Matthew 20:2528). This type of leadership model can be built only from a foundation of honesty, integrity, and credibility. It is sad to think that it takes a crisis of trust in the corporate world to awaken the church to the fact that there is a crisis of trust and integrity in the church as well. We must begin again to pray and search for men and women of honesty and integrity who lead by serving, not by toxic intimidation or fear. Several positive outcomes will result. UÊ VÕÀ>}}Ê ÃiÀÛ>Ìi>`iÀÃ
«Ê `iÃÊ >ÞÊ >VÌÕ>ÞÊ help curb the flow of those leaving the ministry and consequently lessen the collateral damage. UÊ/
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ÊÜiÊ>ÀiÊV>i`ÊÌÊÀi>V
Ê>`ÊV>ÀiÊvÀÊ>ÞÊ once again lean their ear our way. UÊÊ>``ÌpÜ
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iÊ>ÌÌition and respect once again of our sons and daughters. May the Lord help us as Christian leaders to understand our times and do what we should do: create godly relationships with our culture (see 1 Chronicles 12:32). ■ Fred Garmon, PhD, is executive director of People for Care and Learning, a humanitarian organization with roots in the Church of God. For more information about Dr. Garmon, visit the following websites: www.peopleforcare.org; www.buildacity.org; www. leaderlabs.org
PERSONAL DISCIPLINE AND LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP
Effective leadership is achieved when the leader is willing to work hard and maintain personal discipline; when he is able to develop passion in other people who are under his charge; and when, ultimately, he is able to provoke the desired result, according to the vision of the group. True spiritual fellowship motivates the group to dream of high goals, and to work with triumphs and failures, but with a sense of optimism that avoids conformity. —Dr. Ángel E. Marcial is administrative bishop of Southeast Hispanic Region
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The Power of
HUMILITY in Leadership ■ by
E
UÊ“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:6). Many students of the Word are aware that this principle permeates the pages of Scripture, but does the research in the field of leadership corroborate what we know to be a solid biblical truth? Not surprisingly, the research does support the biblical principle of the power of humility in leadership. And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, While the study of leadership has gone through much saying, “See how Ahab has humbled himself before iteration, one of the latest models is servant leadership. Robert Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will Greenleaf, who is known as the father of the contemporary not bring the calamity in his days. In the days of his servant-leadership model, attributes the genesis of the idea to son I will bring the calamity on his house” (1 Kings a book by Hermann Hesse titled, The Journey to the East. 21:28-29 NKJV).* Written in the first person by Hesse, the book describes There is something in these verses that illustrate the an expedition by a “league” of men who is sponsored by a power of humility as it relates to leadership. Ahab is the stan- mysterious benefactor to take a difficult journey to the East. dard-bearer for wicked kings in the Old Testament (1 Kings Accompanying them on this trip is a humble servant known 16:28-33; 2 Kings 8:18, 27), yet because he humbled himself, only as Leo. Leo acts in various roles as porter, guide, helper, he was able to avert God’s judgment in his lifetime. Humility and friend. However, in the middle of the expedition, Leo touched the heart of God. unexpectedly leaves, and the entire endeavor is subsequently However, good kings who allowed pride to enter into abandoned. Reflecting on this turn of events, Hesse realizes their lives usually ended their reigns in tragedy or judgment. that Leo had been more than a mere servant; he had been Just before telling King Saul that God had rejected him as the the leader all along. While the league was traveling, they took King of Israel, Samuel asked the rhetorical question: “When little notice of Leo, but his absence had a profound impact you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the on the outcome and ultimate failure of the expedition. Hesse tribes of Israel? And did not the Lord anoint you king over eventually meets the mysterious benefactor, the wealthy Israel?” (1 Samuel 15:17). man who had invested much money in the expedition, and This is a significant point with respect to leadership. True discovers that the benefactor was none other than Leo. humility can gain the favor and mercy of God, while pride Contemplating on the meaning of this story, Greenleaf goes before destruction. In fact, there are numerous scriptures experienced a paradigm shift in his concept of leadership. that bear out this truth: He began to formulate a principle in which the leader is ÊUʺ`ÊÀiÃÃÌÃÊÌ
iÊ«ÀÕ`]ÊLÕÌÊ}ÛiÃÊ}À>ViÊÌÊÌ
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ÕLi»Ê servant first and leader second. In this model, the leader lifts (James 4:6). up and encourages those around him or her to succeed— UÊ“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will because when everyone in the organization is lifted up, the lift you up” (James 4:10). entire organization is lifted up as well. This model of servant ACH TIME I READ through the Bible I discover another powerful nugget of truth that somehow I missed on earlier excursions. For example, I recently read something concerning King Ahab that seemingly leaped from the page with attention-getting significance:
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leadership has positively resonated with Christians, in that, Jesus exemplified this very model throughout His life and powerfully illustrates it in John 13 as He humbly washes the feet of His disciples. More recently, Jim Collins’ research found that leadership was one of the key factors resulting in the great companies breaking away from the merely good companies (Good to Great, 2001). This in and of itself is not surprising, but the type of leadership in the great companies did break from common preconceptions about what type of a leader it takes to lead an organization from the good to the great status. Collins referred to the leaders of the “great” companies as “level five leaders.” What separated these leaders from other leaders was a paradoxical combination of “professional will and personal humility.” These were leaders who were willing to embrace audacious goals and were willing to persistently pursue those goals. Yet they were humble enough to know that they needed the contribution of others and were willing to point to others as the source of the success of the organization. Collins observed that they looked in the mirror to place blame, but looked out the window to ascribe credit. In the book, Start With Humility (2010), Merwyn Hayes and Michael Comer provide a powerful definition of humility, stating what it is and is not: “Humanness (connects with others as fellow humans); it is “vulnerability (I have not arrived, I am teachable)”; it is “the ability to keep one’s accomplishments and talents in perspective”; and, it is “the soil that grows effective leaders.” However, “humility is not weakness”; it is not “a lack of confidence, low self-esteem, or absence of ego”; and it is not “a lack of assertiveness, ambition, or speaking out.” They note that the word humility literally means “of the ground or earth” and by extension it means “close to the ground and the people.” A common expression that captures the meaning is to note that someone is “down to earth.” Humility is the human ability to touch others, to teach others, to trust others, and to encourage others to achieve their goals, dreams, and full potential. It is also about letting others stand in the spotlight, knowing that ultimately the real reward of successful leadership is growing successful people who lead successful organizations. Sadly, it seems many ministers were early adapters of the “heroic” and “charismatic” models of leadership, which tend to be focused more on the leader than the people or the organization. However, the example and teaching of Christ on leadership could be summed up in Matthew 20:25-28: You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the
Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (NIV 1984).
The true path to being a great leader is not found in force or intimidation, but in humbly serving. It is not about looking for followers to serve and lift up their leaders, but about finding someone else to lift up, promote, and celebrate. The humble leader rarely stands alone, while the leader atop an imaginary hierarchy or contrived corporate structure is almost always alone and vulnerable to falling. ■ Mark E. Hardgrove, Ph.D., D.Min., associate dean, Beulah Heights University (Beulah.org); senior pastor, Conyers Church of God (Conyerscog.org); life coach and sermon consultant (hhrdc@ live.com). *All scriptures, unless otherwise noted, are taken from the New King James Version of the Bible.
LEADERSHIP LEARNING LEADERSHIP One of the leadership hurdles that I had to learn to overcome was the art of delegating and releasing. I suppose I had the “if you want a job done right do it yourself” syndrome. Then when I did delegate, I was guilty of micromanaging. Here is what I do now in this area of my leadership style. First, from my working list, I sort through the tasks which others can perform, choosing a qualified candidate to fulfill the assignment. Second, defining expectations is essential. I help the one chosen to understand the purpose, logic, and importance of the task at hand. Third, I stay in touch. Not for the purpose of micromanaging, but to show personal interest, to monitor, and to reassure. Last, when the task is completed, we review both process and conclusion together. If I feel revising is necessary, we do it together. I have found this not only boosts morale, but also builds confidence in staff relationships while relieving me from unnecessary burdens. —Stephen Darnell, Th.D. is administrative bishop of California/Nevada
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Developing and Leading a
PAID CHURCH STAFF ■ by
W
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HEN IT COMES TO developing and leading a paid church staff, assumptions are detrimental. Perhaps a staff member or volunteer feels the need to leave. Our typical response is, “We need to get someone to replace that person.” This may or may not be true. Every church is different. It is easy to assume a position needs to be filled when someone steps down. I have made some poor decisions by trying to replace people instead of revisiting the need for the position. The following are some strategies for directing a paid church staff which I have discovered by experience. 1. Define the position. Hiring a church’s first full-time staff member is exciting. However, that person cannot do everything. Some pastors hire a full-time youth pastor who quickly becomes the children’s pastor, secretary, and maintenance provider. Occasionally, smaller churches stumble into the pitfall of passing duties to the new staff member which volunteers should handle. Anytime individuals are hired, be sure to give them a job description. Define the parameters for the position. Set goals. Present your expectations from the start. The following questions will serve you well in the hiring process: UÊ7
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2. Do not hire someone because your church is desperate for help. I can remember being frustrated to the point of hiring someone just to fill a vacancy. That is dangerous. Be sure the person being hired is the right fit. Do not fill the position just to fill it. Also, do not settle for individuals who are looking for another placement the moment they step into your church. Not only will the staff member be miserable; so will you. 3. Learn how to attract eagles instead of chickens. My grandfather used to say, “You can’t attract eagles into a chicken coop, and they don’t bite on chicken feed.” Chickens are continually pecking on the ground, while eagles are always soaring to new heights. Some ministries are dying because of a chicken mentality. I have been a lead pastor for sixteen years, and the church world has changed dramatically in the last five years. The staff leaders who are hired must have an eagle mentality. We have to attract quality leaders, and there is a way to communicate this in an interview. UÊ *ÀiÃiÌÊ >Ê Ûð You may not always be able to pay big dollars, but you can always cast a big vision. Know your dream, and tell it in a compelling way. Let candidates see how they can have a part in a future with great potential. UÊBe transparent about the church’s situation. Tell potential staff members the good and the bad. A genuine leader will see the rough parts as a challenge. Do not fabricate the situation. UÊBe real. My grandfather also told me, “Chris, I want to teach you a music lesson, and it’s in the key of B. Always B sharp . . . never B flat . . . and no matter the circumstance, always B natural.”
5. Smell like sheep. I worked for three pastors during my time as a staff member, and they were strikingly different. The styles of these three ministries helped to develop the style my wife and I have today. One of the most important lessons we learned was, “Smell like sheep.” If our churches are going to be healthy, the pastor has to get into the field with the sheep. As a congregation grows, this becomes more challenging. However, my staff and I are in this together. I communicate this with everyone I hire. I am not the boss; rather, I am the shepherd. I encourage this philosophy to my team. All of my staff members have relationships with their groups whom they shepherd. Ministry cannot happen without sheep. Leaders have to go where the sheep are grazing and make disciples. Ministry staff positions cannot be effective punching an office clock from 9 to 5. For example, youth and children’s pastors should visit schools, go to their students’ ball games and band concerts, and so on. I also encourage our team to build relationships with each other. 6. Money will always follow ministry. We have never hired a staff person that we could afford. Let me unpack that for a moment. Deciding to hire a fulltime staff person is always a matter of money. It is somewhat like a married couple deciding if they can afford to have children. The answer is almost always no. Churches I have pastored have never been prepared financially to afford an additional staff member. However, if people who are hired pull their own weight, then they should be paying for themselves within the first six to twelve months. 7. Pray and seek wise counsel. Ministry is constantly changing, and every church must have leadership. There are various opinions as to when, who, and how regarding the hiring of full-time leaders. At South Cleveland Church of God, we involve a carefully chosen committee for the hiring of every full-time staff position. For instance, when we hired a youth pastor, selected volunteers from the student ministry were on that committee, along with a staff person and a deacon. As lead pastor, I serve on each hiring committee. The input from members is invaluable to the decision-making process. Hiring the right church staff can be a making or breaking point. Church staffing is a determining factor for the growth of a local congregation. With this in mind, never hire anyone without much prayer nor without advisement from key leaders of the congregation. ■ Chris Moody, M.A., is lead pastor of the South Cleveland Church of God, Cleveland, Tenn.; Website: www.southcleveland.org; Email:
[email protected].
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Developing and Leading a
VOLUNTEER CHURCH STAFF ■ by
C
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HURCH VOLUNTEERISM has been an integral part of church work since the apostle Peter volunteered to preach the very first sermon on the very first day of the very first church on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14). Today, as the church grapples with higher cost of buildings and everyday rising maintenance issues, pastors are often forced to look for volunteers to replace or supplement paid staff. This may not necessarily be a bad idea as money saved by this method can be channeled toward ministry both in the areas of local and foreign missions. The ministry of volunteerism in the local church is not only a need but it can also be viewed as a requirement. The apostle Peter encouraged the gifted and talented of the church to feel the responsibility to give back freely to the church. It is also one way to acknowledge that all of our gifts and talents were given to us by God for the benefit of the church. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion forever and ever” (1 Peter 4:10-11 KJV). Tapping into the vast resource of local volunteers should be the express desire of every local church. This article will pursue the concept of developing a church staff made up
entirely of volunteers. This will include recruiting, releasing, empowering, and rewarding church volunteers.
RECRUITING AND EQUIPPING CHURCH VOLUNTEERS Recruiting volunteers in the local church is not quite as simple and straight forward as it used to be. Our world has changed, and the church must therefore reexamine the way we recruit and train our workers regardless. Here are some important facts to take into consideration when recruiting volunteers. 1. Be diligent when doing background checks. It is always helpful for the pastor or church leader to get as much information as possible about the people who will serve the church as volunteers. Word-of-mouth references and letters of recommendations are not adequate to provide the church with sufficient information to accurately screen volunteers. Professional background checks are now necessary. This is especially true when selecting workers for children, youth, and the elderly as these can be the most vulnerable. When a church has a well-established system of screening, background checks, and worker orientation, they are less likely to have litigation issues, and in the unlikely event that they do, they will be in a much better position to prove the church did all that it could to protect its parishioners. 2. Be personal when soliciting volunteers. Announcing vacant positions from the pulpit is an easy way to pass on information, but it can also attract people that may not be suited for that position. Saying no to a genuine wellintentioned individual who does not fit the role can be very challenging. Sensitive positions and those requiring special skills may require personal invitations for volunteer work. 3. Be consistent when training and equipping volunteers. The apostle Paul encourages us to “Study to shew [ourselves] approved unto God, a workman that does
not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV). Jesus spent three and a half years training and equipping the apostles who became the core of His leadership team for the early church. Zeal without knowledge can be a dangerous thing; it is therefore helpful for the pastor to organize and execute regular and intentional training programs and annual and semi-annual evaluation exercises. 4. Be persistent when expecting professionalism from volunteers. It is important that volunteers understand that the absence of financial remuneration does not mean the absence of godly rewards and should not be translated into the absence of excellence (for God is the rewarder of all good works). As a team, the entire church staff should strive for excellence and to uphold the high standards of dignity and professionalism that is expected of the church by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
RELEASING AND EMPOWERING CHURCH VOLUNTEERS Trained volunteers that are proven to be honest, dependable, loyal, and spiritually competent should be allowed the freedom to be creative and innovative while keeping in line with the vision of that local church. Jesus laid His hands on the apostles to bless and empower them for ministry. Then they were released to go into every city that He himself would have gone (Mark 6:6-7). Care should be taken here to release workers under guidance and supervision. Jesus only sent the apostles in groups of twos and into places where He visited in the past. By doing this, He was sending them to do ministry that they had already experienced with Him. Releasing competent church volunteers can add creativity, verity, and value to the local ministry.
REWARDING CHURCH VOLUNTEERS The Scripture teaches us that we should not “muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain” (1 Corinthians 9:9 NKJV) and that “the laborer is worthy of his wages” (Luke 10:7 NKJV). It is always in the best interest of the church and pastor to recognize and reward faithfulness in the local church. Pastors may find that a kind word of appreciation and a friendly smile goes a long way to comfort a weary soul. A worker appreciation Sunday and dinner that also includes the presentation of plaques and trophies and personal rewards will boost morale and improve productivity. We can never overemphasize the striking reality that Kingdom work is the most fulfilling and rewarding work there is, with heaven being the ultimate reward.
CONCLUSION Having the opportunity to serve as a church volunteer is a special privilege. This kind gesture of volunteering for ministry in the local church is to follow the Lord’s advice to store up treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not corrupt and where thieves do not break in and steal (Matthew 6:20). To refuse financial payment here on earth is only to delay it for later. As a team, the entire church staff should strive for excellence and to uphold the high standards of dignity and professionalism that is expected of the church by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul said that we should be “stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as [we] know that [our] labor is not in vain in the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58 KJV). ■ Oliver Subryan, M.A., is pastor of The Ebenezer Church; Landover Hills, Md.: Website: ebenezercog.net; Email: pastorsubryan@ yahoo.com.
LEADERSHIP FIVE MA,OR SPIRIT FILLED LEADERSHIP AXIOMS 1. Future transcendent Christian leaders must have a clear apostolic approach to leadership. 2. Service will mark the transcendent action of future leaders. 3. Equipping others will distinguish future transcendent leaders. To equip believers is to enable each member of the body of Christ to develop his or her full spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and ministry potential. 4. The Vision/Mission will guide transcendent leaders of the future. 5. Empowering will liberate the action of future transcendent leaders. —David E. Ramirez, D.Min., is field director of Latin America
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The Core Principles of
LEADERSHIP ■ by
I
N HIS BOOK, Developing the Leader Within You, John C. Maxwell states, “Integrity is not what we do so much as who we are.” The word integrity means having moral soundness in the sense of being whole or complete. It comes from the word integer, which means a whole number. In a literal sense, it is a number that is untouched, nothing taken from its completeness, bound together in oneness. Integrity is one of the most important ingredients for effective leadership. This is an internal matter, an attitude of the heart. It is the highest level of honesty as it pertains to how one lives every day, rather than simply a reference to an incident or singular occasion. Effective leaders who exhibit integrity will raise the bar and go beyond simply being successful, as they know there is a difference. One measures a successful leader by external exploits or how they behave, while effective leadership deals with the internal state and attitude of the leader or their integrity. Integrity is a way of life for the effective leader.
IT IS AN ISSUE OF TRUST
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For Christian leaders, integrity requires consistency with biblical principles. One of the basic principles of integrity is trust. Many use the phrase, “You can trust me!” as if trust is an automatic response that takes place simply at their word. The truth of the matter, you earn the trust of others. John Maxwell argues, “Trust is the foundation of leadership. To build trust, a leader must exemplify these qualities: competence, connection, and character.” Leaders can make mistakes along the way, and people will forgive them based on the notion that the leader is growing. However, if a leader’s character is flawed, trust will be lost. This is a serious issue. Trust is the glue that holds any organization together; the lubricant that allows it to run smoothly. When people can no longer trust their leader, the results are fear, anxiety, suspicion, and insecurity. On the other hand, when leadership is trusted, fear is counteracted, anxiety lifted, and people feel safe, hopeful, and energized. In this atmosphere of trust, everyone is free to contribute fully, offering innovative solu-
tions, acting with initiative, taking appropriate risks, and voicing personal viewpoints openly. When there is a high level of trust in the leader, followers are more productive, and there is more creativity among the team.
THE HIGHEST STANDARD Effective leaders follow a set core of principles that empower them to behave consistently to high standards. These core principles of integrity consist of virtues such as: compassion, dependability, generosity, honesty, kindness, loyalty, maturity, objectivity, respect, trust, and wisdom. These virtues are necessary and of great value to those in leadership. A person of integrity consistently sets the standard high knowing this will assist others in raising their character standards as well. They are careful to never proclaim high standards of behavior today and compromise them tomorrow (Neil Ducoff). In today’s culture, image is everything. Corporations pay millions of dollars for sports figures to endorse their product, because their image sells. Not long ago, the news of Tiger Woods’ infidelity crushed the image that he created as the greatest golfer, and the perfect husband, and family man. The double standard set by prominent figures is most unsettling, especially when it invades the sacred arena of the church pulpit. For example, when a minister can stand before a congregation declaring how they should live, but privately lives opposite of the words he preaches—this is the epitome of hypocrisy. “Effective leaders recognize that image is what people think a leader is, and integrity is what a leader really is” (Maxwell). As long as there is congruency between the two, there is no problem for those in leadership, but when a leader’s main concern is image, it is simply a matter of time before they destroy their image and topple over because of the lack of integrity.
LIVING IT BEFORE LEADING IT Effective leaders who develop integrity understand they cannot lead further than they have gone. They know there are no shortcuts to being an effective leader. Leaders who
circumvent the process of growth end up stalled. Effective leadership requires daily development. Maxwell calls this the Law of Process. Leadership integrity demands one to take the time to develop the necessary skills to lead others effectively. For example, without the proper training, it is next to impossible to run a marathon. Nevertheless, with proper training, they can be developed to cross the finish line. Once individuals experience what crossing the finish line is like, they can assist others in the process of developing the necessary skills to cross the finish line. The leader who is willing to take the time to grow will be able to take others through the process with confidence.
CREDIBILITY, NOT CLEVERNESS The word integrity originates from the word sincerity. In Greek, the word for sincerity means “The quality of sincerity as an expression of pure or unadulterated motives— ‘sincerity, purity of motives’” (Louw and Nida). Robert Jamison argues that sincerity implies the absence of any foreign element. In ancient times, it was customary to use wax to hide imperfections in pottery and furniture. To discover if there were foreign elements such as wax in the pottery, a person would hold it up in the direct sunlight. If the pottery or furniture were indeed sincere, the sunlight would show its beauty. If there were cracks or imperfections, the sun would reveal the flaws. J. Oswald Sanders stated, “Surely the spiritual leader must be sincere in promise, faithful in discharge of duty, upright in finances, loyal in service, and honest in speech.” Effective leaders develop character and actions that are sincere.
CONCLUSION Integrity is the most important ingredient of effective leadership. Sadly, there is a lack of integrity in the present culture, which creates divided loyalties, hypocrisy, and ambiguity. Nevertheless, effective leaders work hard at developing a life of integrity. They are authentic, ethical, and trust Christ in all things. Effective leaders who exhibit integrity will be the same in private as they are in public. Integrity stresses the importance of an agreement between the image seen and the inner person not seen. Leaders must strive to be more than simply successful in this culture. They must strive to be effective in their leadership. To do so, they must have integrity. ■ Dale Philip Combs; M.A., is lead pastor of Jubilee Worship Center, Hobart, Ind.; website: www.jubileeworshipcenter.com; blog site at: jwcpastor.wordpress.com; email: jwcpastor@gmail. com.
MY COMMITMENT to Scriptural Leadership
Understanding the full dimensions of God’s leadership plan for my ministry . . . I WILL: 1. EMBRACE the leadership characteristics of Jesus Christ and the model of servanthood He set. 2. DEPEND on the equipping presence of the Holy Spirit to lead with boldness and guiding wisdom. 3. CONTINUE to grow spiritually by applying biblical truths to my calling to be a Christ-exalting leader. 4. SAFEGUARD the sacred privilege of prayer for oversight to demonstrate the traits of lifetransforming leadership. 5. MENTOR and motivate church members to be God’s representatives in the marketplaces of life. 6. ESTABLISH standards that will position me to be an aggressive leader in Great Commission obedience. 7. FOSTER an image of leadership that is scripturally anchored, Spirit-anointed, and Savior-centered.
My Commitment:
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Lessons on Leadership From
CHURCH OF GOD LEADERS ■ by
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HE WORD LEADERSHIP was gaining traction in the Church of God in late 1959, and the National Sunday School and Youth Board— now Youth and Discipleship—of which I had been a member for four years, invited me to write a book on this emerging idea—the study of leaders and leadership. Published by Pathway Press in 1960 as Learning Christian Leadership, WTC 106 became the largest selling book in the Workers Training Course series. Reviewing the work recently, I found nothing in the 1960 publication that needed substantial change. While I understand that recent leadership research, new terminology, and nuanced concepts have moved the frontiers of leadership knowledge, maybe I still simply prefer to think that effective leadership tends to be what it has always been—a devoted, unpretentious, honest, ethical effort to help people achieve and become the best they can be, and developing a team to attain commonlyheld objectives. I still believe that leadership emerges from a skill set which can be learned, and that these skills are best employed in the context and ethics of our Christian faith. I will illustrate a few leadership attributes discovered in my experience that show how I was positively impacted as my ministry developed. At several times between 1948 and 2008, I was privileged to work with or under eight leaders who would serve or had served the Church of God as general overseers. Five of these leaders, after serving as the general overseer, came immediately to a position where I was privileged to work directly under them. At noon on the first Sunday in August, 1958, Winona and I stood in the lobby of the Hotel Claridge in Memphis. The General Assembly had just ended, and we stood there like many others waiting to learn where we would be in ministry after four wonderful years in Michigan. In those days, virtually everything was frozen until the new state overseers, who had just been appointed, had an opportunity to put their team of state leaders and pastors in place. One of those newly appointed state overseers was Houston R. Morehead.
Less than a hour earlier, he had surrendered the post of general overseer to his successor. As he and his wife, Mabel walked through the lobby, they stopped where we stood and said, to our surprise, “Don, would you and Winona have lunch with us?” During lunch, to our even greater surprise, he invited us to come to Florida with them to be the state youth director. This was the first in a series of appointments in which I found myself having the good fortune to work with five general overseers as they left the position. After serving under Brother Morehead, eight years later, I served under James A. Cross, the president of Lee College; then under Charles W. Conn, who succeeded Dr. Cross as the Lee president; then forty years later under Paul L. Walker, the chancellor of Education; and Lamar Vest, who succeeded Dr. Walker as chancellor. Each of these men was devoted to his work. Each had the qualities that all leaders possess, as well as other qualities of leadership not obvious to everyone. Each sowed seeds of leadership traits in my life. Houston Morehead possessed great love for the Word of God. Everyone knew how gracious he was publicly and privately, but I saw how much he loved the Scriptures. We usually drove together to our appointments in Florida, and the person not driving would read from the Bible verse by verse as each commented on how a passage spoke to him. These hours in the gospels and epistles with this great man were formative times for a 28-year-old minister. James Cross had unusual respect for each individual with whom he worked. He was the Lee College president two years removed from the office of the general overseer when I joined him as his vice president. Those of us in the office knew him as a man capable of making difficult decisions and always having a firm grasp on the financial bottom line. But to my surprise, I discovered that his interaction with us always showed great personal respect, and that his leadership concerns were tempered with a balance between what is best for the program and how it affected the individual.
JAMES CROSS
RAY HUGHES
Charles Conn had a love of life and a sense of humor. He came to the Lee College presidency directly from the office of the general overseer. Everyone knew he was knowledgeable and an excellent communicator. I knew that beyond his serious public persona, Charles Conn could morph into a person with a delightful sense of humor. Once, when we traveled together in Europe and the Middle East, we played a game to see who could be the first to set foot in a new country where neither had been before. The inevitable winner was the one who found an airplane seat nearest the door. And we made a game of seeing who knew something unique about a country we visited. Paul Walker refuses to be critical of anyone. While known as a great pastor and terrific preacher, I know Paul as a person of unimpeachable integrity in his relationships. As a close friend for 64 years, I have observed that he refuses to criticize any person—friend or foe. In all the years I have known him, travelling with him often on four continents, I have never heard him engage in any form of destructive criticism of any individual—of course, except of me to my face. Friends can take advantage of the “no criticism” rule if one is willing to do it face-to-face and accept the consequences. A loving insult is often a valuable part of being close friends. Lamar Vest has an unbelievable love and respect for his church. He is likewise so conservative that he once told me that he did not like to hear the word denomination in reference to the church. While widely recognized that he is an expert on matters pertaining to the Church of God, his respect outside the Church of God led him to become the president of the American Bible Society. He honors his church by serving in a position that goes back to the founding of our country—perhaps the highest office any Church of God minister has occupied and the first Pentecostal Christian to hold that position.
CHARLES CONN
CECIL KNIGHT
There are three others. What did I learn from those with whom I served before they became the general overseer? At the age of 18, I worked as the music director of the North Chattanooga church. Pastor Ray Hughes was 24 years of age when I lived with him and his family. I saw in him a passion for ministry that I have never forgotten. And I saw a love for his family that grew to full expression when I worked with him 12 years later. Cecil Knight taught me how to treat the people who worked with me by the way he treated me. Cecil saw me as his partner in ministry not just his assistant director of Youth and Christian Education. The team we created through his unselfish leadership was a model I have sought to emulate. The teamwork we developed produced an atmosphere of creativity that led us to build initiatives that characterized this department for the next 50 years. Raymond Culpepper took the reins of leadership as general overseer at one of the two most difficult times I have seen in my 62 years of ministry. When we served together in Northern California and Northern Nevada in 1972, he was a very young, but extremely talented state youth director. Serving as state overseer, I observed qualities then that characterize his leadership now as the general overseer—devotion, stability, generosity, loyalty, courtesy, integrity, persistence, vision—leadership traits every pastor needs. With apologies for injecting personal references into these vignettes, I pray that we can learn from the example of godly leaders. While we may never serve where they served, we can seek to develop the traits that helped them become exceptional leaders. ■ Donald S. Aultman, Ed.D. is president of Church of God Foundation, Inc., and former chancellor of Church of God Division of Education; email:
[email protected]
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A Life That God
REWARDS ■ by RAVI ZACHARIAS Editor’s Note: Ravi Zacharias will be the keynote speaker at the Church of God International General Assembly, on Wednesday evening, July 25, 2012. Information about his ministry is featured at the conclusion of this article.
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HE BIBLE IS FULL of stories of incredible leaders who were called and rescued in very dramatic settings—Moses, Paul, and Daniel. The same is true in church history: think of John Wesley, Blaise Pascal, and countless others. But we must recognize that it does not always happen that way. God can call us by slow, encouraging methods, as well as dramatic ones. The real challenge is to ponder how we come to terms with God’s sovereign working and our response to His plan and calling. This is where our hopes and dreams often become confused with our capacities and our calling. How do we get to the place that God has for us?
CHARACTER AND CALLING
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To begin, a calling is simply God’s shaping of your burden and beckoning you to your service to Him in the place and pursuit of His choosing. A call may not necessarily feel attractive, but it will tug on your soul in an inescapable way, no matter how high the cost of following it may be. Character is definitive in the realm of leadership. It is not simply about being obedient to the calling of God upon your life but rather determining your very motives and what spurs you to service and action. Over the years, I have met many who want to lead, yet very few who understand what it means to serve people as we lead. Anyone who looks to leadership for power and prestige, while ignoring the value of
every individual who works alongside, will ultimately end up with merely an office and not the affection and respect of his or her colleagues. That is why the essence of good leadership is that of a relationship that earns respect and not power that commands compliance. Whenever someone exercises leadership in the Bible, one notices the extraordinary lengths to which God goes in His pronouncement of the character and the vision of the person pursuing the call: “He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord” (see, for example, 2 Kings 14:3; 15:3, 34). Or, “He did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord” (see 2 Kings 13: 2, 11; 14:24). One of these two lines summarizes years and years of a life. One of the great heroes of the Christian faith in the past few centuries was Robert Murray M’Cheyne. His life story was penned by the equally famed Andrew Bonar. As a young Christian, that biography had a profound impact on my life. M’Cheyne was pastor of St. Peter’s in Dundee, Scotland, when, at twenty-nine, he died while yet in the fresh bloom of his ministry. He was one of the most gifted individuals ever to enter the call of the ministry. He was well-studied in numerous languages, including Latin, Hebrew, and Greek. He was a gifted musician, skilled in many instruments. He was a scholar of particular authority in geology and natural history. He was an artist, a poet, and a gifted singer. His friends have made it into the hallowed halls of renowned writers and preachers. He excelled in athletics, and in fact, a pole-vaulting injury may have hastened his death. So much was wrapped into one man. Yet, the greatest happening in his church took place during his absence. He had been quite unwell for some time and
had been sent on a sabbatical to Palestine and Eastern Europe for rest. A young W.C. Burns was left in charge of the pulpit during M’Cheyne’s sabbatical, and a historic revival broke out in St. Peter’s, spreading through all of Scotland. When M’Cheyne heard reports from his beloved homeland and from the church so dear to his heart, he longed to at least have an opportunity to witness some of what was happening. He returned home and looked forward to joining his voice to the marvelous thing God was doing in and through St. Peter’s. It shocked him to see the crowd that gathered to hear him speak as it overflowed into every available room in the building. At the young age of twenty-six, he saw the wondrous move of God—and a short three years later, the Lord called him home. His role in the revival occurred behind the scenes, as a paver of the way for it all to happen.
THREE CLUES In the biography Robert Murray M’Cheyne, Andrew Bonar provides several clues to the impact of M’Cheyne’s leadership and calling, and here I offer three. First, M’Cheyne had a devout prayer life. One simply cannot know one’s call without being near to God in prayer. The story is told of a young clergyman from England who visited St. Peter’s to learn more about M’Cheyne. The caretaker of the building showed him around and when the clergyman asked what had been M’Cheyne’s secret, the caretaker replied, “Sit down here,” as he pointed to M’Cheyne’s chair. “Now put your elbows on the table; now put your face in your hands—now let the tears flow.” Then he took the visitor to the pulpit from which M’Cheyne had preached. “Put your elbows on the pulpit; now put your face in your hands—now let the tears flow.” It was as simple and as profound as that. M’Cheyne was content to see the revival break out under another man’s preaching, because he had prayed for that revival. No, he didn’t occupy the number one spot when the revival came; but he was still the winner. He had focused his prayers on this revival, and God had answered those prayers. I do not believe that one can earnestly seek and find the priceless treasure of God’s call without a devout prayer life. Each of us is the temple of the Lord, and it was the Lord who said, “My house will be called a house of prayer” (Isaiah 56:7 NIV). That is where God speaks. The purpose of prayer and of God’s call in your life is not to make you number one in the world’s eyes, but to make Him number one in your life. His calling is perfect. His place for each one is specific. Every member of the body of Christ has a particular role, and believers find their fulfillment in filling that role. This leads to the second significant clue: the willingness to be outshone while shining for God. Humility is the touch-
stone of serving God. We hear so much these days about “bigger churches” and “bigger church events” and “greater attendance.” We hear very little about being smaller in our own estimation of ourselves. There is an essay by F.W. Boreham called “The Carpenter Shall Encourage the Goldsmith” (the phrase is borrowed from the prophet Isaiah). In it Boreham reminds us of two distinctive trades: The carpenter operates upon wood, the goldsmith upon gold. One uses a hammer, a saw, nails, and chisels; the other works with fine instruments. You might think that the goldsmith would inspire the carpenter, but it’s the other way around, according to Isaiah 41:7: “The carpenter encouraged the goldsmith” (KJV). The simple and the rough-and-tumble can win the sophisticated. Yours may seem a commonplace call, but there is no such thing in God’s eyes. A servant who nursed Charles Wesley as he lay critically ill while in his thirties won him to the Lord. Another servant won the famed Lord Shaftesbury to the Savior. Both worked as carpenters pleased to be among those who encouraged goldsmiths. Someone who stands under the bright lights of history will never, in God’s eyes, outshine the humble attractiveness of the one who humbly serves God. The preparation for the call in prayer and the attitude of living the call in humility takes us to the third and final clue: the role that godly people played in M’Cheyne’s life, as they do in yours and mine. This important clue to knowing God’s call—making certain that you stay close to those who walk closely with God—often gets missed. At my father-inlaw’s funeral, his doctor spoke about the man he was and commented that he had chosen his mentors and his heroes at a young age. When you put your trust in godly men and women, you never walk alone. Bathe your life in prayer. Live out your life in humility of spirit that leads and serves for the right reasons. Seek the counsel and example of godly men and women. These are the components of a godly leader—and a life that God richly rewards. Have you ever noticed in the New Testament that the word leader hardly ever occurs while the word servant can be found numerous times? That truth alone ought to give us pause, for the New Testament contains the words of One who has earned a greater following than any other person in history: Jesus Christ. ■ Ravi Zacharias is founder and president of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., is recognized as a distinguished lecturer, and is the author of over 20 books. He has a weekly radio program, “Let My People Think” that airs on more than 1,700 outlets worldwide. Website: www.rzim.org. You may contact him by email at:
[email protected].
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Reaching an
UNCHURCHED CULTURE ■ by
Y
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ESTERDAY, I baptized two of our six grandchildren, ages 10 and 7. As I envisioned the public announcement of their faith, my mind went immediately to the world in which they are living and the church trying to reach this newest generation. The challenge for this generation of preachers is similar to every generation . . . telling the “Old, Old Story” to the newest generation. I was reminded of four of America’s historical cultural changes as described in a good book, The Experience Economy, by Pine and Gilmore.” They describe four major culture shifts that have occurred since the beginning of America. The first culture was the agrarian culture. This culture was our original and continuing American culture until World War II. Most people lived on family farms, lived in small communities, raised much of their own food, often raised a few animals, and enough children to share the farm work. These people built small, rural churches (often wood structures painted white) that met the needs of these families. Farmers depended on the routine of their seasonal changes . . . dependable times of planting, growing, harvesting, and selling crops occurring year after year. They brought that same dependable attitude into their churches. Farmers were independent, resourceful, and determined. Their churches sang the same hymns for years, learned the Word with predictable themes and phrases while part-time pastors worked on the family farm and preached on the weekends. Everyone knew all the other people in church and they usually ministered to less than 200 people. Today, the majority of Christian churches remain small churches in small (often declining) populations. In 1941, the majority of soldiers in WWII came from small farming communities to successfully defeat an enemy threatening the United States. When those same soldiers returned from the war in 1945, they created a demand that
changed the agrarian culture. They came home to marry their sweethearts and begin families. They found jobs in more centralized communities that eventually became large cities. They evolved into the second major culture shift—the manufacturing culture. In this context, the cities grew with people coming to work for large companies, manufacturing washing machines, refrigerators, and cars. They lived in suburbs, small residential communities (reminiscent of small farm towns) surrounding the large cities. The churches that reached this generation moved from the rural small town and built brick buildings close in to the thriving suburbs. These churches often accommodated 300–500 people who could generate enough income to hire a full-time preacher. Staffs grew in that generation to include “associate pastors.” Music in these churches began to add other instruments such as organs, and new musical tastes were introduced. As children were born in large numbers (eventually called the Baby Boomers), churches began to offer programs designed to reach teens. Often, a staff member was added who had the title of “youth director.” Around 1970, manufacturing began to move to foreign countries with the promise of abundant workers and low wages. In response to that change, the American culture moved to a service culture. With many “hard goods” (steel) and “soft goods” (textiles) now being produced outside the United States, American jobs changed to service industries (insurance, order processing, billing). The city landscapes became more crowded and buildings grew taller. Office buildings with hundreds and thousands of offices with people who manufactured no “hard goods” or “soft goods”; instead, they produced forests of “paperwork.” With the advent of the computer, memory expanded exponentially and computer sciences were in high demand and short supply. Community colleges offering two-year associate degrees sprang up in every major city to supply the workers for this new culture.
The churches mirrored this change. With growing populations, the “large church” appeared on the religious stage. With congregations of 1,000 plus, they built larger sanctuaries for worship, education buildings for discipleship, and gymnasiums for recreation. The music became more “contemporary,” and hymns with four distinct verses evolved into repetitive choruses. Staff became more specialized and numerous. These large churches offered children’s directors, youth directors, adult directors, and discipleship directors. They offered multiple services at various times to meet the demand of busy schedules. Congregations no longer attempted to know everyone; instead, they knew everyone in their particular worship service or Sunday school class. This church was designed to reach a generation that was educated, wanted options, and lived at a fast pace. Around 2000, America evolved into its fourth culture . . . the experience culture. Americans could now afford more expensive tastes in everything from food to clothing to churches. The most exciting innovations were no longer in the workplace but in the arenas of sports and entertainment. Walt Disney was the early pioneer with his “Disney World.” Disney showed the United States how to take a “county fair” and make it an “experience.” It was “county fair rides” but by adding props, video, up-tempo music, and “atmosphere,” entertainment consumed this culture. Now when you go to Disney, you find “rides” in “Tomorrow Land” and “Frontier Land.” Today, the Super Bowl is not only about football but also about the celebrities at half-time. Every store, every company is not only offering a product but an experience as well. Today’s church reflects this change. We are now living in the age of the “mega-church” with 2,000 plus people attending weekend services. We have highly skilled children’s directors who minister to 1,000 plus children, teen ministries with hundreds of students and sanctuaries that seat 2,500 plus people per service. The music is up-tempo, led by “worship teams,” punctuated with fast-paced video and stage props (equal to Broadway quality), with sermons that speak to the interests of the “unchurched.” Church is no longer a gathering of neighbors in a rural community; it is an experience which sweeps the congregation into an “experi-
ence” with God. One of its most famous strategies was called “Experiencing God.” That is the culture of our children and grandchildren. After spending a lifetime in ministry and several wonderful years in the Church of God, I have three questions that I believe have tremendous implications for this beloved church . . . 1. What is the culture for the local church where God has placed you—agrarian, manufacturing, service, or experience? Become a student of that culture and shape the church in ways that can be understood by people living in that culture. Our first job is to “reach the culture to which we have been called.” Perpetuating a previous culture only postpones necessary progress. 2. What are the implications for the future of the Church of God? Will we claim the future for Christ, or will we simply preserve past cultures? For example, do we understand the potential of each church affected (in part) by their culture? We need pastors who can thrive in all four cultures. Are we training pastors to lead in the different cultures? Are we planting churches in high-density populations led by experience-culture pastors who can build 2,000 plus congregations for the Church of God? Who will cast that vision for that future? 3. How do we reach an unchurched culture with the “Old, Old Story?” I am 100 percent against compromising the gospel, but I am also 100 percent in favor of delivering the story in terms that can be understood by the present culture. As one of the most influential Christian denominations in America, I believe we stand at a crossroads. Are we willing to understand the cultures in which the unchurched live, and are we willing to design buildings and train pastors who will reach the present generation? I believe that every leader of every church in the Church of God must stand bravely and train a new generation to reach a new culture. My grandchildren . . . and yours . . . await your response. ■ Conrad Lowe is a church consultant and a popular speaker at church growth conferences and seminars. He has guided hundreds of local churches in embracing their potential and in experiencing high percentages in church growth. He can be contacted at his email:
[email protected].
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THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Part 1
The Value of Preaching
SERMON SERIES ■ by
M
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Y WIFE BARBIE and I just completed our twentieth year of ministry at Mount Paran. During that time, I have preached 2,000 sermons! I didn’t realize this until the day of our anniversary and the church made a presentation of some of our accomplishments. Most of those sermons were delivered in sermon series. Before I share my thoughts on the value of preaching sermon series, I want to mention where I learned to do it. Our family came from a Presbyterian background and joined Mount Paran in 1972 when I was 15. (The church had 700 members at that time. Today, we have 10,550 members.) Dr. Walker delivered most of his messages in sermon series. He would even publish sermon titles and passages for a few months in advance (especially his summer series). We enjoyed following his series of messages, knowing what to expect and looking forward to next Sunday. I still remember his series of “Knowing the Future” (The Book of Revelation); “The Gifts of the Holy Spirit,” “What It Means to Be in Christ” (Colossians 1:9-14); “Jeremiah: Kingdom
Living in a Snapping World”; “Zechariah: What Is God Doing in the World?”; and “The Christian Family.” His first major book was based on a collection of his sermons titled, Courage for Crisis Living. I recommend that all young pastors in our denomination get some of his early sermon series and listen to a master preacher/teacher expound the Word of God. I know times are changing and we need new methods of communication, but the essence of preaching is timeless. (By the way, I am sitting in Starbucks in Pigeon Forge writing this article, so that list of Dr. Walker’s sermon series came from my memory and is still fresh in my mind after 30 years. I’m not reviewing any notes for this article, and I could go on to list many more of his series like the 30 sermons he preached on Romans in the 1980s. So preaching a dynamic sermon series can make a huge impact on people’s lives.) Sermon series turns the preacher into a teacher. This is really the most important role of a pastor. Preaching is simply telling the good news of salvation in Jesus (Luke 4:18). Teaching is the process of interpreting, illustrating, and
applying the Scripture so that we live as disciples of Jesus. Jonathan Edwards said when we preach we should “move the heart and convince the mind.” The Great Commission of our Lord, or as I like to call it, the “Only Commission” of Jesus is to “make disciples of all nations.” A disciple is a student. And what do students do? They learn from their teachers. Jesus told us to make disciples by “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20 NIV 1984). Jesus’ disciples did not call Him preacher; they called Him Teacher. He preached to the world, but He taught His disciples. When you and I teach the Word of God, we change the way people think. When people change the way they think, they can change the way they live. We cannot change people by appealing to their emotions. We can inspire them, but not change them. We change people by appealing to their minds. Remember, we are “transformed by the renewing of [our minds]” (Romans 12:2 NIV 1984), not by the stirring of emotions. Sermon series prepare our people for service in the world. I once delivered a teaching series on religions so that my people understood the basics of other religions, so that we could have an intelligent conversation with people of other faiths. Pathway was gracious enough to publish these messages in my book, Faith Under Fire. It’s not enough for me to tell my people to share their faith; it’s my job as a pastor “to prepare God’s people for works of service” (Ephesians 4:12 NIV 1984). If I tell them what to do, I have to tell them how to do it. Sermon series make the pastor better prepared for Sunday (which comes around fast every week). A series of messages reduces his or her stress of trying to come up with a hot topic each week. A series will keep you from chasing whatever spiritual fad is popular and keep you on track making disciples. We are able to take more time with a subject and give it proper attention when we don’t feel like we have to tell the people everything we know in one sermon. George M. Cohan, on the subject of public speaking, advises, “Always leave them wanting more.” Sermon series give the people something to expect. When we promote a series, we can encourage the people to read the Scriptural passages in advance. They get more out of a message when their minds have already considered the subject and read the Bible for themselves. We can also leave them with something to look forward to next Sunday, and that helps encourage more consistent attendance. Once on Sunday evenings, I delivered 42 sermons on the Book of Exodus, called, “A Way Through the Wilderness.” When we
bring a new pastor on staff, we tell him he has to listen to all 42 sermons the first week. After the shocked look on his face, we say, “Just kidding.” The longest and perhaps the most productive series I have ever preached, which has a mini-series with it, is one full year of 52 sermons titled, “The Amazing Statements of Jesus.” Sermon series make the pastor a better student. We can stop learning ourselves. I heard Dr. Walker say many times that a church never outgrows its pastor. The pastor has to continue to study, and preaching a series of messages demands more study and research each week. That helps us to continue to grow in our own walk with the Lord. Study keeps the mind fresh with new ideas. Pastors lose their effectiveness when their preaching and teaching becomes predictable, stale, and redundant. Constant study makes us creative and fresh in our messages. Sermon series give the people “take home value.” One of my members came to me after a service and pulled out a small notebook from his jacket. He showed me the meticulous notes he had been taking of my messages. His family was fairly new at the church. He said, “I appreciate your messages because they are full of ‘take- home’ value. I go over these thoughts and scriptures during the week and often use these messages for motivational talks to my employees.” Another member told me he uses the sermon notes as motivational talks to the players on his baseball team. Sermon series give the pastor a sense of accomplishment. It’s easy for pastors to feel like they aren’t accomplishing anything, because it’s difficult to quantify ministry. When you are planned in your preaching through prayer, you can look back over the year or years and see exactly the subjects you covered, the themes you emphasized, and remember how the Lord worked in your life and the lives of His people through those important series of messages. You will have a sense of accomplishment and achievement knowing that you have followed the encouraging words of Paul to Timothy: “Do your very best to show yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 NIV 2011). I leave you with one of my favorite quotes by Martin Lloyd-Jones: “Preaching is theology coming through a man who is on fire . . . what is the chief end of preaching? I like to think it is this . . . to give men and women a sense of God and His presence.” ■ David Cooper, D.Min. is senior pastor of the Mount Paran Church, Atlanta, Ga..; website: www.mountparan.com; email:
[email protected].
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FLOYD D. CAREY
resource review AMPLIFIED LEADERSHIP: FIVE PRACTICES TO ESTABLISH INFLUENCE, BUILD PEOPLE, AND IMPACT OTHERS FOR A LIFETIME Dan Reiland 2012, Charisma House
T
HE ABILITY to develop leaders is a life-changing gift. When you successfully empower and release people into leadership, you give them the opportunity to fulfill their potential and advance the mission of the church. In the foreword of Amplified Leadership, John Maxwell states:
LEADERSHIP OUTCOME DESIRED
LEADERSHIP SKILL SETS REQUIRED
Establish a Relationship
Connect and Appreciate
Engage a Follower
Encourage and Inspire
Embrace a Team Member
Invite and Equip
Coach an Apprentice
Select and Include
Mentor a New Leader
Develop and Empower
AMPLIFY YOUR LEADERSHIP
There is a reason most churches in the country have fewer than one hundred people. There is a reason churches grow to five hundred or five thousand and then stop growing. It’s always about leadership. Everything rises and falls on leadership. Next to kindness and favor of God, leadership is the difference maker. You may be a good leader, but even that is not enough. You must find and develop other leaders because you can’t do it all yourself.
Amplified Leadership begins with the end in mind. First, it teaches leaders how to connect relationally with a significant number of people, then to engage followers from those relationships. From the followers, the leaders learn to embrace team members, and from the team they select apprentice leaders to coach. Finally, the leader is able to mentor new leaders. When a new leader is developed, he or she must repeat the process by establishing new relationships. The process is called “amplified leadership,” because its purpose is to continually develop new leaders who will help increase and expand your ministry, resulting in more changed lives in Jesus’ name. The two diagrams at right picture the process. Diagram one outlines Leadership Outcome Desired and Leadership Skill Sets Required. Diagram two is titled, “Amplify Your Leadership” and shows how the process is carried out.
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Inspiring Leaders Bring Change As you can see by the two diagrams, a precise pattern is outlined to follow. Since this review is necessarily limited in coverage, two or three major themes will be highlighted. One vital subject is change. Change involves pressure. “If you
change and no one gets upset, then you changed something that doesn’t matter” (Gerald Brooks). Churches resist change! An inspiring leader who is committed to the vision must lead a continual process of change. Ministries that are not changing are slowly dying; there are no exceptions to this fact! Jesus began His ministry by calling people to change (Matthew 4:17). He showed them the benefits of change. He challenged them to embrace change when it arrived (Luke 5:36-39). As leaders, a significant portion of our role is to follow the pattern of Christ. Here are three things to keep in mind to make change smoother: 1. Establish the need for change. The people need to know why the change is being made. 2. Don’t be a lone ranger. Make sure your key leaders are on board with you before you introduce a change to the congregation or your ministry team. 3. Make sure the timing is right. Even much-needed changes can be hindered if they are instituted at the wrong time. Take time to plan carefully.
FORWARD IN FAITH Remains a Viable Evangelism Tool ■ By CAMERON FISHER
The Art of Empowerment Empowerment consists of five, clear components that work when a leader is persistent: (1) Trust with responsibility; (2) Train for competency; (3) Unleash with authority; (4) Communicate clear expectations; and (5) Let apprentices know you love and believe in them. Empowerment is a measurable art. It does not allow abandonment. It requires a consistent and committed relationship that blends guidelines with freedom. Empowerment is like oxygen to a leader. If deprived of it for long, the leader won’t be able to lead. Inspiring Leaders Communicate Vision in a Compelling Way. Inspiring people to connect to a vision is at the core of a ministry’s mission and success. It’s about consistently guiding people to do the right things at the right time. Here are some practical ways to communicate vision effectively. 1. Commit to the vision yourself. Your passion and commitment for the vision is a foundational principle. 2. Capture the hearts of the people. You must set an example of honesty, authenticity, and vulnerability. 3. Clearly identify the current situation. Whatever the current reality is, make sure the people understand it. 4. Paint a picture of a preferred future. Describe the better future you envision. 5. Deliver clear directions with a realistic plan. 6. Tell the people they are needed and show them how they can participate. 7. Keep the lines of communication open. 8. Celebrate the victories. Reaching more people for Jesus depends on your ability to develop new leaders. Amplified Leadership will show you how. ■ Dan Reiland (
[email protected]) has a semimonthly e-newsletter, “The Pastor’s Coach,” which is available at www.danreiland.com. Free newsletters on leadership are available from Charisma: www.freenewsletters. charismamag.com.
FOR MORE THAN 50 years, the Forward in Faith radio broadcast has been a signature program of the Church of God. Since the late 1940s, Forward in Faith has blessed hundreds of thousands through the weekly program aired in cities across the United States. Although technology for production has changed, the format of a powerful, contemporary gospel message delivered through radio remains the same. Each week radio stations in 27 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, air a sermon by Pastor Loran Livingston of the Central Church of God in Charlotte, North Carolina. The program is heard at various times throughout the week, and on AM and FM stations nationwide. Livingston has been the Forward in Faith speaker since 1990. The program and name has a rich history within the Church of God and existed for many years as a stand-alone ministry of the denomination, including television programming as well. In 1976, Forward in Faith sponsored Freedom Celebration—a nationwide television special which aired during the bicentennial of the United States. Livingston is part of a rich heritage of past speakers for Forward in Faith. Some of the previous speakers include Carl Richardson, Floyd Timmerman, Ray H. Hughes, and Bennie Triplett. Hughes served simultaneously as speaker and president of Lee University (College) in the early 1960s. Triplett first began as an administrator and announcer for the program, but eventually became speaker. Others who have served as speakers through the years include G.W. Lane and Walter P. Atkinson. The first speaker for the broadcast was Earl Paulk. The sermons are edited into 30, 25, or 15-minute formats by the Central media staff and sent to Church of God Communications for distribution to the various radio stations via download or by CD. Many of the stations sponsor the broadcast free of charge, while others are sponsored by a local church, organization, or individual in the area. Some are listener supported. “Forward in Faith relies completely on partnerships with sponsors,” stated Scot Carter, director of communications. “We are so grateful for those who know the value of a first-rate broadcast that is effective evangelism over the airwaves.” Carter went on to say that the spread of Forward in Faith to new listening areas is dependent upon someone recognizing the need and investigating the cost to sponsor the airtime or approaching a local station about sponsorship. “Once we receive information regarding a potential sponsor, we can do the rest,” Carter said. To learn more about sponsorship of Forward in Faith in your area, please email
[email protected] , or call toll-free, 800251-4024 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST, or 423-478-7875 Monday " through Friday, 11:a.m.–2:p.m. EST. UWOOGT"4234
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[email protected].
ELMER TOWNS
engage interview THE SUNDAY SCHOOL TODAY An Interview with ELMER TOWNS by Raymond F. Culpepper Over the years, Elmer Towns has been a close friend and mentor. He is the one who challenged me to plant a church in Birmingham. He is an amazing church leader and a prolific author of church growth material. Check his website at www. elmertowns.com.
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Is Sunday school still a stabilizing force for church growth? Sunday school is being changed by the pressures of a secular culture and by the ways Christians are changing. As a result, it is losing attendance, pastors are not focusing on its health and outreach, and laypeople don’t volunteer to serve the Lord in its ranks. Since everything in the church rises and falls with pastoral leadership, pastors must place their priority on the Sunday school in order to build strong, healthy believers who will develop healthy, growing churches. Most pastors have made worship their primary focus, and that’s good; but, weak believers without Christian character that comes from strong Bible teaching will produce weak worship. There’s a lot of worship going on in our churches, but it doesn’t seem to produce more aggressive evangelistic outreach, or stronger Christian character, or more separation from the world. If our worship is better than a generation ago, why is a glorified God not doing greater miracles in our congregations? When we properly teach the Bible, our people will automatically learn more about the nature of God and His potential power. The better they know God, the more effective their worship. I planned to write a story on the great faith of Jerry Falwell that resulted in his planting and growing Thomas Road Baptist Church to be the ninth largest church in America, in a little, unnoticed rural town, i.e., Lynchburg, Virginia. “I don’t have great faith,” Falwell told me, “I have a great God.” I put my pencil down thinking there was no story there. Then he added, “Let me tell you how I got a great God.” WOW! There’s the story behind the story. Falwell told me he was a secular college student majoring in engineering when
he was radically convicted on a Sunday night at an old-fashioned church altar where he surrendered all to Jesus Christ; it was lordship salvation, not easy believism. Falwell went off to Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Mo. His pastor told him to get a Sunday school class, so he spoke with Max Hawkins, the Sunday school superintendent for the junior boys’ class to ask for a class. Hawkins surveyed Falwell and didn’t like what he saw. Falwell had a brand new car, rich clothes, and looked too worldly to be much good; at least that is what Hawkins first thought. One of Hawkins’ aides hung a curtain around a table and two chairs in the corner of the general assembly room; he didn’t even get a classroom. Hawkins gave him a roll book with one 11-yearold boy’s name—Daryl. Falwell taught the one boy for three weeks, then one Sunday he caught Hawkins between Sunday school and the church service. “I think I’m gonna give up,” Falwell said as he held out the roll back to the old Ozark farmer. Hawkins didn’t reach for the roll book, but putting his hands behind him said, “Yep . . . just what I figured.” He looked Falwell up and down and finished, “I didn’t give you a good class; I was testing you to see what you had in you.” “Hawkins reached for the roll book, but Falwell jerked it away saying, “I can build this class!” Back on his college campus, Falwell asked for a key to an empty dorm room without windows on the third floor. He went there immediately after lunch with the resolve to pray all afternoon—every afternoon. But within 30 minutes, he ran out of things to pray about. The college librarian, Mrs. Noel Smith, gave him a stack of books on the deeper life. Falwell prayed into his heart the great truths he read. God leaped off the pages; he’d cry, laugh, and then pray boldly for great mountain-moving faith. That first stack of books included authors such as Andrew Murray with Christ in the School of Prayer; R.A. Torrey, How to Pray; S.D. Gordon, Quiet Talks on Prayer; and The Biography of George Muëller. Since a true meeting with God forces us into active service (does this tell us why much of our worship today is not
“Sunday school classes are driven by Bible content. The more a person learns about God, and the more he knows the Word of God; the more he will grow in Christ and the better he will serve God.” —ELMER TOWNS
effective?), Falwell got Daryl on Saturday mornings to go visit every buddy he had. Falwell registered them for Sunday school, and then took some written instructions to the boys’ mothers telling what time Sunday morning he would be by to pick up his new Sunday school scholars. Every Saturday, Falwell would cover every playground, jump creeks in empty fields, and around matinee time at the local theater, he’d go through the line looking for fourth grade boys. Falwell recruited his three roommates with automobiles to help him. So, a long parade of cars wound its way through the suburbs each Sunday morning, and when one car was filled, it was sent to the church. Then a second car was filled, and a third one. Finally, each car was filled several times. Falwell averaged 56 in attendance, and on special days, there were over 100 boys present. Falwell continued to meet God in that room (today it’s a janitor’s closet), and the librarian continued to give him books to deepen his faith: Power Through Prayer by E.M. Bounds, Your God Is Too Small by J.B. Phillips, Spiritual Maturity by J. Oswald Sanders, God’s Way of Holiness by Horatius Bonar, Spiritual Secret of Hudson Taylor by Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor, Abide in Christ by Andrew Murray, The Saving Life of Christ by Ian Thomas, Bone of His Bone by F.J. Huegel, The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer, The Kneeling Christian by an unknown Christian, Prayer: Asking and Receiving by John R. Rice, Crowded to Christ by L.E. Maxwell, The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith, and The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan. Falwell said, “In that room, I learned who God was, and what He had done for others, so it was there I took my first great steps of faith; asking God to do it again and again. I learned the presence of God, and He forever changed my life and ministry. Pastors/leaders are the key to great churches. First, they must meet God to experience His greatness. Then they must round up a team of coworkers—like Falwell’s roommates—to help them evangelize their Jerusalem God has given them. Then they must put into action the things they learn in God’s presence. Are the new methods to teach the Bible more effective than those used in earlier days? I see a lot of churches from all denominations going to home Bible classes, or as some call it—“cells.” These seem to
be replacing the traditional Sunday school class, especially the adult Sunday school class. If the adults in the family attend a small group in a home during the week, then their children will probably attend Sunday school. Obviously, adult Sunday school attendance is down much more than children’s attendance. While small groups in homes are beneficial, they don’t accomplish what Sunday school did for the believer or the church. Small home groups are driven by relationships; the attendees usually discuss what the pastor preached on the previous Sunday and apply it to their lives. Give a man a cup of coffee and ask him a question and he will sing like a bird, giving his opinion, or will listen intently to the opinion of his buddies. People go to home classes because they are enjoyable and motivating, and people want to know what others think of how to apply the Bible to their lives. But a Sunday school class is/was different. They are not driven by relationships, but by Bible content. The teacher explains who God is, what God has said in His Word, and what God means. Usually, the teacher talked (explained) and the pupil listened. There were some questions, but very little discussion. The premise: The more a person learns about God, and the more he knows the Word of God; the more he will grow in Christ and the better he will serve God. Is it not true that we must follow Christ before we can effectively serve Christ? Have we passed the worship “boom” in our churches? Is worship as meaningful today as it was 10 years ago? Could it be that Christians have less knowledge of the Word of God, hence; worship doesn’t have the impact it did when worship first exploded in our churches 10 to 20 years ago? The answer: Make sure our churches are balanced in learning, and serving, and balanced in “Bible intake” with “worship expression.” ■
Elmer Towns, D.Min., is a cofounder of Liberty University with Jerry Falwell 40 years ago, and today it is the largest Christian university in the world with almost 90,000 students in residence and online this school year. Towns has taught the Pastor’s Bible Class at Thomas Road Baptist Church for 26 years and has been used of God to motivate church growth through his books and conferences. Website: www.liberty.edu; Email:
[email protected]
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10 Ways to Honor
VOLUNTEER WORKERS ■ by
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OLUNTEERS ARE A special class in society. and Karen Martin of Louisiana State University’s 4-H Youth Whether tutoring, mentoring, teaching Development. Sunday school, or ushering, these unsung heroes are an invaluable asset to society at TEN SUGGESTIONS large, not only in nonprofit organizations, 1. Never underestimate the power of small things. but, of course, in the local church as well. They Churchwide fellowship dinners have their place, but donate their time, a limited commodity, to serve small tokens are a great way to personalize reca cause in which they believe. They make our ognition to individual volunteers, many of workload much easier without expectation whom prefer informal, rather than formal, of personal benefit or pay. The satisfaction acts of recognition. A warm smile, a handof doing something for a good cause is paywritten thank-you note, a visit, and a pat VOLUNTEER ment enough. on the back go a long way. OF THE YEAR However, expressions of appreciation 2. Fun, pun gifts. go a long way in boosting a volunteer’s A pair of gloves with a note saying, “Thanks sense of self-worth. The volunteer’s spirit is for lending a hand,” or a small ball to say renewed each time he is reminded that some“You were really on the ball.” Another possibility one recognizes the sacrifice and hard work put could be a pad of Post-It Notes with the message, into church projects. Below are ten simple ways “Stick with it!” Be creative. Janet Fox’s article to honor volunteers—a way of saying “thank (cited above) lists several pun-related gift ideas. you” for their contributions to the ministry 3. Offer to give long-term volunteers of the church. (Sunday school teacher, bus driver, When utilizing these suggestions, it nursery worker, etc.) a reference. is vital to keep some basic principles in Volunteers work for free, but they still mind. On the Internet blog, The Art of must make a living, and possibly they Manliness, elements of recognition are set forth: will find themselves looking for a job, UÊ ,iV}âiÊ Ì
iÊ «iÀÃÊ LÞÊ >i. Let individuals whether it is their first job, or they are looking for a better know that they are important to the ministry as an individual. job. Many of the duties of volunteer work, including church UÊ iÊëiVvVÊÊÜ
>ÌÊÜÀÊÞÕÊ>ÀiÊÀiV}â}. ministry, can translate to skills that prepare the volunteer “Good job yesterday” is too vague and sounds insincere. for employment. Volunteer work can be used on résumés People are much more receptive if the praise is specific, such and job applications as work experience. This is especially as, “That honey barbecue chicken you made for the fellow- helpful for high school and college graduates who must ship dinner was fantastic! May I have the recipe?” overcome the classic Catch-22: They can’t find a job because UÊ iÊÃViÀi. Say what you mean, and mean what you they have no experience, but they have no experience say. False praise is flattery and manipulation. because they don’t have a job. Also, timing is crucial in giving recognition. The longer 4. Give thank-you notes/cards themed around the time span between a good job and recognition, the the holidays. weaker the impact will be, say Janet Fox, Lisa Arcemont, UÊÀÊ6>iÌi½ÃÊ >Þ\ʺ9ÕÊ«ÕÌÊÞÕÀÊ
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>ÛiÊÞÕÊÊ our team.” UÊÀÊÕÞÊÕÀÌ
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Ê and community makes you a true patriot.” UÊÀÊ
ÀÃÌ>Ã\ʺ9ÕÀÊÌiÊvÊÃiÀÛViÊÃÊ>Ê«ÀiVÕÃÊ}vÌ°» 5. Create a bulletin board/media presentation. Post or show photographs of volunteers in action. Another possibility is to set aside a section of the board/media presentation to feature a “Church Worker of the Month” with a prominent photo of the month’s honoree and some biographical and other interesting information (birthday, occupation, hobbies, etc.). 6. Celebrate National Volunteer Week. Since 1974, National Volunteer Week usually has been held in the third week of April unless a religious holiday coincides. A special service on Sunday may be held to honor the volunteers in your church. Plan events through the week and invite new volunteers to join in the church work. 7. Send a letter of appreciation to the volunteer’s employer. If the volunteer must take time out from work for a special project, his employer must make arrangements to com-
pensate for his absence. Thanking the employer will keep the volunteer in good standing with the company. 8. Reimburse out-of-pocket expenses. If a ministry project involves travel, help the volunteer out by paying for the gas. Have a budget for supplies that the church worker may need to carry out the task. 9. Plan social events for volunteers. Allow volunteers to socialize with each other and have some fun away from the job. Plan a weekend retreat or home fellowship, or go out for dinner. 10. If a volunteer declines to be publicly recognized for some projects, respect his wishes. Usually a “thank you” is enough. Some volunteers simply don’t like to be in the limelight; respect their wishes. ■ D. Kent Miller is senior pastor of Palace of Praise Church, Poplar Bluff, Mo.: Website: www.palaceofpraise.com; Email: Go to website and click on “Contact Us” (at the top of the page) and use the online form. Special thanks to Paul Sappington, research coordinator for Palace of Praise Church.
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Expanding Your Church’s Image in a
TECH-SAVVY GENERATION ■ by DAVID BRAYFIELD
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F YOU ARE AN average-size church, chances are you do not have a full-time media person on staff, but you sure would like to communicate as though you did. Today’s social media technology makes it easy to participate on an entry level. Let’s look at a few examples. Any pastor, staffer, or volunteer can join Facebook and post daily comments and photos about sermons, special events, and testimonies. Twitter can help form a small-group bond by allowing followers to stay in touch instantly with short “tweets” about anything from prayer to recipes. The cost-effective power of email marketing has never been so accessible and easy to accomplish through user-friendly, template-driven applications such as Constant Contact. Websites have never been easier to develop and maintain than through solid, easy-to-maintain platforms such as Wordpress. Virtually any dedicated volunteer, layperson, or staffer could pick just one of these tools for which to be responsible, and suddenly you are communicating like you have a media department. Well, almost!
The challenge is managing content and developing an effective image for your church. This is where a strategically placed person with access to weekly planning information could direct the flow of traffic to maximize the collective marketing power of these tools. Add to these tools the power of visuals through PowerPoint and ProPresenter, and suddenly sermon notes and choir lyrics are on the big screen. Again, this is something a few welltrained and dependable volunteers could handle. Next, add downloaded prebuilt videos or even produce some original material yourself, and now your small church is ready for primetime. Plasma screens and projectors cost a fraction of what they did just a few years ago. Add a desktop editing software package and a couple of inexpensive video cameras, and you have the ability to IMAG (image magnification) the pastor and praise team on the big screens, along with your sermon notes and lyrics. The good news is that easy access to these tools has made it possible for just about anyone to be a producer. The bad news is, just about everyone thinks he/she is a producer, but nothing
could be further from the truth. Just like purchasing a guitar won’t make you a musician, buying a camera and Adobe Premiere won’t make you a producer. Be careful what you post on Facebook or your new website. The old school rules still apply. You have only one shot to present a first impression. You would serve yourself well by finding someone with some experience in this area, especially if you want a consistent, professional looking end product. In the old days, if you wanted to produce top-notch, high-level video, you had to invest some real money into it. If your church was in the middle of a building campaign and you needed smart, well-written and professionally presented video to convey the vision and progress of the campaign to your congregation, you had to contract with an outside agency. They would help develop a marketing plan, storyboard the ideas, and put the ideas into an easy-to-understand script delivered by a sincere on-camera person. Next, images had to be shot and edited along with the perfect music and graphics to complete the package. This would be a weeks-long process
that would cost thousands of dollars to complete. New technology has made it possible for several of these elements to be accomplished by fewer people wearing several hats. It is even possible to find someone who can do it all. They’re not easy to find, but they do exist, and once you find that person, retain him or her, even on a consultant basis if necessary. Once you start producing smart, well-produced content and posting it on Facebook, Constant Contact, or your new Website, your message, and especially your church’s image, will increase in quality and reach. By utilizing new millennium technology to communicate with a tech-savvy generation in a way they understand and to which they respond, you’ll position yourself to grow into the future. “The Lord announced the word, and great was the company of those who proclaimed it” (Psalm 68:11 NIV). Get ready to proclaim the Word in a new and exciting way. ■ David Brayfield is video director at Mount Paran Church, Atlanta, Ga.; website: www.mountparan.com.
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Planning a Back-to-Back
SUNDAY SCHOOL ■ by DEFINITION: Back-to-back Sunday school permits families to attend teaching classes before, during, or after congregational worship. It is a new approach to accommodate space restrictions and family schedules.
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UNDAY SCHOOL has been one of the most influential discipleship tools the church has encountered over the last century. This initiative was started in the early years to help educate and train students in biblical knowledge. Early in the history of our country, public schools were held in local churches as illustrated in the program “Little House on the Prairie.” It made sense to have students return to church on Sunday for Bible study. This is where the term Sunday school began. While serving in the state of Kentucky a few years ago, I learned that in some coal mining towns the church services were scheduled around what they thought to be the most feasible time for their culture. They conducted Sunday school at 11a.m. for children only, because most men had to work in the coal mines during that time. Then late on Sunday afternoon, the entire community would meet for corporate worship. This is one twist on how the tradition of morning Sunday school and Sunday night church came about. As local churches move from traditional to modern formats, many have faced the question, “What about Sunday school?” The term Sunday school became a tradition in the twentieth century and deserves respect since it intersects with heritage. Yet, each congregation must consider its own uniqueness when deciding on day(s) of the week or time(s) of the day to conduct this discipleship
process. As new traditions evolve, our focus must remain the same; do all that is possible to reach and disciple every person. This defines the Great Commission and it is imperative that local congregations look for innovative methods to accomplish this objective. A number of churches have effectively met this challenge with back-to-back Sunday school. Most congregations have initiated this model to alleviate overcrowded classrooms and/ or to conduct a worship service simultaneously. In many cases, this has allowed the church to virtually double its current space and increase its weekly discipleship impact. These back-to-back sessions, promote a much faster growth rate than the traditional Sunday school model. Possible advantages to the back-to-back Sunday school concept: 1. Variety of Classes—Allows for a wider variety of classes and areas of biblical study in order to spark interest and meet needs of the postmodern generation. Choice is huge with the postmodern generation, and this format allows them to choose the time and content of their learning experience. Consequently, “ownership” is realized in the discipleship process, resulting in a deeper commitment to the church. 2. Utilization of Skilled Teachers/Instructors—Provides an opportunity for qualified instructors to teach multiple classes or subject areas in a range of church situations, whether the available number of qualified teachers is limited or plentiful. UÊ Limited Number of Teachers: Most congregations have a limited number of qualified teachers. These talented instructors can repeat classes allowing more students to have access to their teaching. Public school systems
have adopted a similar model using a block schedule with the same teacher instructing several different groups and grade levels. UÊPlentiful Supply of Teachers: Occasionally a congregation might have an abundant supply of qualified teachers. Using these capable people to lead can maximize ministry potential. It builds the total number of individuals involved in the discipleship process and widens the scope and influence of the local church. 3. Lower Teacher/Student Ratio—According to research, lower teacher/student ratios produce higher degrees of learning. It is possible to lower this ratio and in turn raise the level of learning without sacrificing the overall effect with this model. In the classroom, students will receive more individual attention and achieve deeper connectivity to those involved in the session. 4. Cost Efficient—Due to the current economic challenges, businesses and families have been forced to streamline activities. This back-to-back approach could be a provision for both families and the church by providing more for less. Families save on fuel costs while the church saves on utilities by utilizing back-to-back sessions creating a scenario of “more bang for the buck.” 5. Multiple Language Option—Sessions could be provided back-to-back and simultaneously in different languages, a Spanish session could be provided while another is being conducted in English. One of the fastest growing segments of our society and church is the Hispanic community. A congregation could rapidly become multicultural using this dual method. 6. Specialized Ministry Electives—Specialized ministry electives, outreach initiatives, special interests and mission endeavors can be provided in a plethora of classes. The use of back-to-back Sunday school provides for these programs without increasing the demands for space or costs. Although the back-to-back Sunday school model may not be conducive for every congregation, it should be explored by churches both large and small. Those who choose to embark upon a different discipleship format may want to consider the following precautions. UÊ *À>ÞiÀpAs with any new endeavor this possibility ought to be seasoned with prayer and led by wisdom of the Holy Spirit. A rash decision to join a “band-wagon” initiative could prove counter-productive to the total life of the church. UÊ }iÌÊ 7Ì
Ê ÃÃÊ >`Ê 6ÃpCareful analysis should be conducted concerning the congruence of the projected model with the mission and vision of the church. Traditional congregations or those located in rural communi-
ties may experience opposition to this model since it breaks the customary Sunday school typology. UÊ ÕÀÀiÌÊ i>`iÀÃ
«Ê iVÌpMake sure that current Sunday school teachers have a thorough understanding of the model and accept ownership of the new concept. Enrolling additional instructors in the discipleship initiative should not be at the expense of losing current leaders. UÊ-«iÊ-V
i`ÕipKeep the initial schedule as simple as possible to make the transition as smooth as possible. UÊ VÕÀ>}iÊ >ÞÊ /}iÌ
iÀiÃÃpStrongly encourage families to attend at least one of the sessions together. Specialized age-level ministry has benefits, yet many wellmeaning discipleship efforts of the past have unintentionally fragmented families. UÊ iÌ>Ã]Ê iÌ>Ã]Ê iÌ>ÃpAttention should be given to critical details in the transitioning process. Traffic flow and time needed for individuals to move to locations will be important. Also ensure that parking space and nursery facilities allow for growth. Some have had success with conducting back-to-back discipleship classes on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday nights to provide needed space and alleviate parking issues. On the outset, some fear that back-to-back Sunday school will require twice as many instructors. Yet after taking a closer look, they realize the same number of active teachers could facilitate classes during each session of Sunday school. This would create additional space for numerical growth. Having current students select which hour they will attend or leaders to choose for them could prove beneficial. This would assist in balancing both hours of discipleship as evenly as possible. The process of change can be challenging; however, the rewards of such change can far supersede the temporary sacrifice. It’s not so much about how, when, or where discipleship is facilitated, but that we use every creative means to provide ministry for each gender and age level. The incredible truth of an old hymn of the church written by Leon Ellis, “Win the Lost at Any Cost,” should be our driving force as we constantly evaluate the discipleship efforts of our church. Discipleship is costly, but not optional. Our highest priority should be to fulfill the biblical mandate to go make disciples and effectively equip the saints. May the Holy Spirit guide you and your congregation each step of the way as you consider new and innovative methods of discipleship. ■ David C. Blair, D.Min., is director of Youth and Disciples at South Georgia State Executive Office; Website: www.sgacog.org; Email:
[email protected].
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