Article by Malcolm Webber
HOW DO WE DO IT
There is a lack of leadership in the church today. Without Healthy Leaders, the people are like sheep without a shepherd. The ultimate test of your leadership is if you can build other leaders.
The desire of a healthy leader is for their followers to be greater than they are.
• Elijah raised up Elisha
• Moses raised up Joshua
• David raised up Solomon
• Paul raised up Timothy
We need to build leaders in our ministry.
Core Principles of Leadership Development
1. God is the one who builds leaders
a. God is the perfect leader
b. God created a universe that needs leaders in every realm
c. God builds leaders for eternity
i. Is 32:1
ii. Jer 3:15
iii. Jer 23:4
iv. Mt 25:21
v. Rev 2, 3
d. God takes personal responsibility for building leaders now
e. We must always allow the Holy Spirit to have His way all the time
f. We have a threefold role in the life of the emerging leader.
i. Help them understand their previous life experiences
ii. Help them to understand their present life experiences
iii. Help them prepare for their future life experiences
2. God’s Purpose Is Healthy Leaders
3. It Takes A Family To Build A Leader
a. The whole church has a responsibility to raise up leaders
b. The learning community is to be distinct but not separate from the spiritual community.
c. In community the learner has an opportunity to exercise what they have learned.
d. School of the Prophets
e. David and his mighty men
f. School of Tyranus
g. Jesus and His disciples
4. Leaders build leaders
a. The tools do not build leaders even though they help.
b. It takes a leader to build a leader.
c. God gives tools and materials to the leader and the leader builds a leader
d. Lifetime mentoring
e. The quality of the material + the quality of the tool + the quality of the workman = the quality of the emerging leader
f. 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 – 8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, NKJV
g. Leadership is action oriented and teaching is knowledge oriented
5. Challenging Assignments
a. The most formative things in the life of a leader
i. The leaders they have worked with
ii. Challenging assignments that are given to the leader
1. John 6:5 – 5 Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” NKJV
2. Mark 16:15-18 – 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” NKJV
6. The centrality of the Word of God
a. 2 Timothy 3:15-17 -15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. NKJV
7. Prayer
a. As leaders, we must pray with our emerging leaders
b. As leaders, we must pray over our emerging leaders
c. As leaders, we must pray for our emerging leaders
8. Leaders are built a few at a time
a. Jesus took 3 ½ years to build 12 disciples
b. There was the;
i. multitude, Followers
ii. the 70, External Followers
iii. the 12, The Core Leaders
iv. the 3, The Primary Leaders
v. John The Succesor
c. This is a long term leadership model
9. Build with the right ones
a. Few and choice
b. We must pray for God to show us the ones we are to pour our lives into
c. Blood and guts commitment to the vision
d. Things to look for:
i. Self-motivated
ii. Can look across multiple departments
iii. Willing to sacrifice
iv. Will to be accountable
v. Those who are constructively discontent
vi. Those who have practical vision
vii. Those who complete things
viii. Those who have mental toughness
ix. Those who are willing to take a risk
10. It takes time
a. Building leaders take a lifetime
b. In leadership training, we are building the foundation and teaching them how to build upon the foundation
c. We teach them how they learn and how to think
d. We are not to be the only influence in the lives of these leaders
11. Build in the right context
a. The right context is the one that is the most similar to their future place of ministry.
b. The right context balances learning and doing
c. Acts 19:9-10 – 9 But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. 10 And this continued for two years so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. NKJV
d. What can be accomplished in the classroom
i. Deep teaching of the word
ii. Skills – functional, strategic, people
iii. Conceptional overviews – think conceptionally
iv. Personal reflection
v. Intensive feedback
12. Learn to integrate the discipline of team and individual activity
13. People are different
a. They learn in different ways
b. They have different callings
c. Training must be tailored to each leader
14. Leaders are built in the fire
a. We need to allow the fire and the pressure to expose faults
b. When the faults are revealed help to heal the fault
15. The builder must be involved in the daily process of ministry
a. Maintains integrity – not theory but reality
b. Brings credibility – leader has practiced what he is teaching
c. Maintains reality and balance – your teaching will be more practical
d. Brings empathy – we face the same things they face
e. Brings effectiveness –
16. Primary responsibility lies in the emerging leader
a. We can not force them to be leaders.
b. They must take the opportunities we offer them.
c. Ways to motivate people to learn and grow
i. Pray for them
ii. Get their attention – share with them what they can do
iii. Give them assignments that cause them to learn
iv. Deal with them according to who they are
v. Provide resources to help them learn
vi. Encourage them constantly
vii. Protect those who try and fail
17. Complexity
a. Leadership is complex
b. Our leadership training must be complex
