Jesus said the greatest commandment is to ”love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind” (Luke 10:27). I quote this because it shows the multi-dimensionality of ministry: heart, soul, strength, and mind. Too often in the church, we have only focused on the mind (or, if you are from a more Pentecostal-leaning group, the heart). But leading a ministry…
Equipping Leaders enable people to fulfill their ministry. This requires that the leader provide whatever is within his or her power to encourage and invite that latent ABILITY to come to the surface. Equipping leaders have developed a talent for detecting leadership potential in others. They are always looking for high potential people. They see their role not just as maintenance in the form of keeping people happy and making sure everything runs smoothly. Instead,…
Indirect leadership is more suited for this generation than the old models of command-and-control. Here are recommendations for using indirect influence to cultivate a church that expands the ministry capacity of its members. 1. Develop a Culture of Growth. Turn your church into a center for capacity expansion. Inspire people to improve themselves. Don’t focus on where you are today; focus on what you will be. Jesus knew of the many flaws in the character…
Two weeks ago, I wrote about a three-dimensional model for organizational readiness. I’m thinking this model could be used as a tool to foster the changes needed to help a church move toward its desired future. To become a driver of the future, you have to prepare yourself today as though that future had already arrived. Most churches design their discipleship and leadership development programs to meet the needs of their current situation. Very few…
Many things attract me to Jesus, but the most endearing quality for me is the way he included people. He was constantly including people that society discarded. For church leaders concerned about the health and growth of their congregations, inclusion could also be a key to success. The New Testament teaches inclusion from start to finish and one of the ways God includes people is by giving them spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12). The early…
