Month: March 2013

The third morning was about "leadership succession." I was asked to speak and here is a summary of what I shared.

Out Story

CityLife Church (originally called Waverley Christian Fellowship) is a multi-site church based in Melbourne, Australia. It began in 1967 with a small group of people led by its founding pastor, Richard Holland. Richard led the church for 20 years and in that time it grew to a congregation of around 600 people. Because of some health challenges in 1986, Richard passed the baton of leadership to his associate, Kevin Conner. Kevin led the church for the next 8 years and it grew to around 1,500 people. In 1995, at the age of 68, Kevin passed the baton of leadership to his son, Mark Conner, age 33, who has led the church since that time. The church is now home to over 9,000 people from 105 nationalities.

During both of these leadership transitions, the church did not lose any people but rather continued to move
from strength to strength. Yes, there were changes and adjustments that had to be made due to the unique personality and spiritual gifting of each senior minister. No, not everyone found it easy to make these adjustments and before and after these transitions people did move on for various reasons, as in any church community. However, there was general unity around the need for change and the selection of the appropriate leader.

Richard stayed in the church until his passing away at age 89 in 2008. Kevin is now 86 years old and continues to be an active part of the church community.  I am now 51 years old and we are beginning a season where leadership development will be a higher priority … and eventual succession.

Pass the Baton

There is no success without a successor and Christianity
is always one generation away from extinction. These two sobering facts highlight the urgent need for successful leadership transition in today’s churches and ministries. Unless we train up the next generation and pass the baton into their hands, God’s purposes could be delayed.

God chooses to reveal himself to individual people and then commissions them to carry out his plan and purpose. Part of their responsibility is to pass on his heart and purposes to their children and the next generation. Like
a long relay race, God’s purposes have been moving on throughout history right up to our time and they need to continue until Jesus returns again.

Yes, we should live with the preparedness that if Jesus came today we would be ready. However, we must also live with the wisdom and foresight that prepares for the future, in case Jesus does not return in our lifetime. To do anything otherwise would be nothing short of poor stewardship of our place in history.

The Bible has many examples of leaders who were effective in passing the baton – Abraham (Gen.18:19), Moses (Ex.33;11), David (1Chron.28-29), Elijah (1Kgs.19:15-21), Jesus (Mt.28:18-20) and Paul (2 Tim.2:1-2). It also includes stories of leaders who failed to do so – Joshua (Judges 2:7-15), Eli (1Sam.1-4), Solomon (1Kgs.12:1-17) and Elisha (2Kgs.5). In each of these cases we see either a leader who failed to select and train a successor OR a potential successor who failed to lay hold of God’s calling for their life. The tragic result was the dropping of the baton and many seemingly lost years.

Principles of Leadership Succesion

In any relay race, the passing of the baton is a crucial time that can make or break the team’s success. Letting go too soon or holding on too long can spell disaster. It takes a lot of skill and wisdom to pass the baton successfully in any race, including leadership succession. Here are some practical principles of successful leadership transition.

1. Choose your successor carefully. This important decision needs to be undertaken with much prayer and consideration of the character, competency and cultural compatibility of the potential future leader. Consider the benefits of choosing a successor from within the local church verses selecting someone from outside the church. You can never guarantee the future but you can make a decision that is characterized by wisdom and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

2. Ensure that the mission continues. God has a purpose for his church and he carries this out through the generations of the righteous. Wise church leaders build their churches to last well beyond their time. They create a sense of mission and values that will continue on even when they are gone. Yes, leadership style, ministry emphasis and church programs change along the way. However,
the foundations should remain, as well as the over-arching mission of the church.

3. Know the right timing. Knowing the right person to pass the baton on to is important but effectively making the actual transition at the right time is vital. Avoid seeking to pass the leadership baton on too soon. Otherwise you may not maximize your own contribution to the race and/or the next leader may not be up to speed yet. The result is lost momentum. On the other hand, avoid hanging on to the baton for too long. This will also result in a loss of momentum and can frustrate potential leaders who are ready to run but feel like they will never have an opportunity.

4. Establish a clear transition process. In a relay race there is a time when both runners are in the exchange zone and there are a few moments when both of them are holding the baton together before one lets go and the other takes off on their own. This is a crucial part of the race. Ideally, there should be a multi-year transition period that assists the incoming leader to gradually take on more responsibility and the congregation to adjust to their leadership style. It also enables the outgoing leader to gradually let go of their previous ministry role. Factors to consider include the age, effectiveness and energy level of the current leader, the age and ministry experience of the successor, as well as the congregation’s response to all of this.

5. Make a decision to let go. As the transition concludes, it is essential that the previous leader fully let go of the baton and allow the new leader appropriate freedom to fulfill their role. When the previous leader leaves the congregation and relocates to another church or ministry, this is somewhat easy. When the previous leader stays in the same congregation, this can be quite difficult. It is essential that they not seek to exercise remote control or in any way undermine the new leader. They must give the new leader their full support and backing. If this does not happen then the new leader will feel frustrated and hindered in their leadership role. Secure leaders realize that their value, worth and significance come from who they are, not from what they do or the position they hold. Therefore, they are willing to let go for the benefit of others and the church itself. When this happens, outgoing leaders only gain more credibility and honor.

6. Understand the importance of honor. For incoming leaders, it is essential to honor those who have gone before. We do not worship the past but we should honor it and recognize that we would not be where we are today without the sacrifices and contribution of earlier generations. We have received an inheritance and a heritage that others have worked hard for. 

For a variety of reasons, not every leadership transition is successful. Change does not always go as we intend it to. However, we should do everything that we can to see that transitions work out for the best – for the benefit of God’s people, for the continuation of God’s purposes and for the honor of God’s name.

[These notes have been summarized from Pass the Baton: Principles of Successful Leadership Transition by Mark Conner – available in paper and eBook format]

Reflection Questions

1. Outline the history of your own church or ministry. What clear chapters do you see? What patterns emerge? What lessons can you glean?

2. Most people groups or organizations have a life cycle of some sort, starting with birth and ending in death or closure. What can you do to ensure your church or ministry has as long a life as possible?

3. Do you have a leadership development pathway in your church? How are you apprenticing, coaching, and training a new generation of leadership for every level of ministry?

4. Reflect on some of the potential challenges of a previous senior minister staying in their church after passing the baton. How can these be navigated successfully?

5. What are the primary spiritual gifts to look for in a potential Senior Pastor? In addition to character, consider the importance of leadership and teaching.

6. Consider the impact of succession on the Senior Pastor’s spouse. Depending on who they are and what their role has been, they may have quite a bit of informal influence. Often they can be the most neglected person in the entire transition process.

7. Discuss the potential challenges of passing the baton to a family member. How can these be navigated? I believe that it is important to never push a person into any leadership or ministry role just because they are a family member. On the other hand, it is also important to not hold back someone from any leadership or ministry role, just because they are a family member, IF they have a clear call from God for that role, and the accompanying spiritul gifts. 

8. What are some of the financial considerations to make when planning a leadership transition? At CityLife, we salaried both Richard and Kevin for life, because of a lack of acrued superannuation and retirement benefits. This is the principle of honour.

9. What is an appropriate age to begin thinking about succession?

10. What are some key principles for the incoming leader to consider as they take the senior leadership role? How can they lead change effectively?

Mark Conner

[Read more on "Leadership Succession" by Edmund Chan]

The first morning of our gathering focused on "leadership wounds."

Restoring Wounded Soldiers

Pastor Abe Huber, who pastors a church of 60,000 people in Brazil, noted that the church is the only army that shoots its own wounded. How can we do better?

1. Don't forget the good that wounded or fallen soldiers have done.

2. Don't judge them for falling. Who are we to judge our neighbor? How easy it is to condemn and accuse. Remember, Satan is the accuser … not us.

3. Don't ignore them … like the priest and the Levite in Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan, who walked by the man who had been beaten up.

4. Feel compassion (pity) for them, like the Good Samaritan did.

5. Go to them. Draw close to them, talk with them and hear their story.

6. Believe in their restoration. Stay and help; pour in oil and wine.

7. Go after the one. Be faithful.  Like Jesus, try not to lose any of those entrusted to you (John 17:12).

Mark Foreman from the USA and Peter Tan-Chi from the Philippines noted that …

One third of all pastors have contemplated leaving the ministry. There is a 20% drop-out rate in the first five years. Many ministers consider themselves alone in their distress. There is a great stigma attached to leaving the ministry. Burnout is the #1 hindrance and primary cause of attrition.

Some unique issues for pastors, and predictors of burnout, are: personal vulnerability (over-emphasis on the "call" and over-involvement in the church to the exclusion of outside social support), role conflict (unrealistic expectations and difficulty in maintaining healthy role boundaries), social support (life in the "fish bowl" and on the "pedestal", no close friends, loneliness) and false dichotomies (ideal loving community yet broken sinners, meekness and equality vs leadership, church family vs pastor's family).

Common wounds include: broken trust, betrayal, false accusation, confused friendships, hurtful words or judgments, ambitious demands, abandonment and manipulation. Sooner or later, everyone will disappoint you … by what you do or don't do, by what you say or don't say. This is reality.

We are to be "wounded healers" (a term crafted by Henri Nouwen). Some times we are surprised from the arrows coming from behind us.
God is often difficult to understand … and so are people. The church is called to be a loving community but the reality is that it is made up of wounded, dysfunctional sinners saved by grace. 

After a defeat at Ziklag, even David's own men plotted to kill him (1Sam.30:6). He had to learn to strengthen and encourage himself in the Lord.

See the sovereignty of God in situations behind human actions ( (2Sam.16:10-12, 14). This can lessen a lot of the infection. Learn to trust God. Know how to spend time with the Lord and refresh yourself.

How to Resolve Hurt

We all get hurt but with God's help we can deal with it. Learn to prevent a hurt from becoming a wound. 

1. Understand that people will disappoint us. No one is perfect.

2. We cannot control how people treat us, but we can control how we respond to them. Disappointment is inevitable but prolonged pain (a festering wound) is optional. 

3. Believe that God is sovereign.

4. Give thanks in everything. Trust that God IS doing what is best for you. He uses everything for his purpose. Brokenness is essential. When God takes away something, he usually has something better (not just in ministry).

5. Our life must be centered on God as the source of our self worth, security, and identity. Many knots untie themselves in prayer. In your pain, seek Jesus, allowing him to heal your brokenness.

6. Chose to be humble. Humility means we have nothing to prove but a lot to improve.
If people criticize you, the options are: (a) it's the truth (so, change), (b) it's not true (so, thank them, and take it as a warning), or (c) it's partly true (so, praise God, take it as a warning). Thank them and embrace them.

7. Forgive and love people. God places "extra grace required" (EGR) people in all of our lives. Distinguish between trust and forgiveness. One is earned and other is free.

8. Sanctify your motive. 

9. Surround yourself with good supportive friends.

Last week, I spent a few days in Dallas, USA with leaders of a number of significant churches from around the world (primarily the non-Western world). I love to be around leaders who have more capacity and experience than I do. It is a terrific opportunity to learn and grow. It stretches and challenges me.

Over the next few BLOG posts, I will share a summary of what I learned and some of the notes I took.

Here is a brief outline, with appropriate links:

1. Leadership Wounds.

2. Leadership Influence.

3. Leadership Succession.

4. Insights from Gateway Church led by Pastor Robert Morris.

5. Inspiring stories from churches around the world.

Enjoy!

The more involved you become in church leadership and
ministry, the greater the temptation is to lead by your own gifts and abilities
rather than out of intimacy with Jesus Christ. A daily relationship with Jesus
is the key to freshness in ministry and an ability to impart life to people,
rather than just run programs or meetings. 

Let’s be honest, any ministry without the active presence
and power of God has no hope of bringing change to people’s lives.

Ps 127:1. Unless the LORD builds a house, the work
of the builders is useless. NLT

John 15:1-8. "I am the true vine, and my Father
is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while
every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more
fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it
must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him,
he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not
remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such
branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me
and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This
is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my
disciples. NIV

Our skills, talents and excellence can never substitute for
that evident anointing that comes from a life lived in intimacy with God.
Also, there is no way we will withstand the onslaught of the enemy’s attack
without a powerful prayer life (Eph.6:10-18). When ministries don’t make it over the long haul (burnout), it often has to do with an unbalanced lifestyle as well as a neglect of our relationship with God. A healthy prayer life helps you deal with the internal and external stresses of ministry life. 

God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we could
ask, think or imagine (Eph.3:20). Through prayer we position ourselves to
receive his vision for our ministry. A quickened word from God creates faith
for the future. Pray and believe for great things.

Putting Legs on It:

* Bathe everything you do and every area of your
ministry in prayer. Pray for yourself, your team and the ministry.  

* See God as the leader of your ministry and
yourself as his assistant. See yourself as a steward or manager of his ministry.

* Regularly take time aside and ask God what he
thinks about the ministry – its strengths, weaknesses and future potential.

* Remember that faith pleases God. Faith comes
from focusing on God while fear comes from focusing on our circumstances or
ourselves.

* Ask God for great things – miracles and
supernatural things beyond your own ability.

* Discover your abiding style (contemplative,
intellectual, relational, serving and charismatic), lean in to it and balance
it too.

A Quick Check Up:

Ask yourself these questions:

1. How good of a follower am I?

2. How well am I leading?

3. How well am I managing my ministry?

4. How well am I building my team?

5. Am I taking time to innovate?

6. How much am I growing?

7. What is the quality of my prayer life right now?

Leaders – we are the key!

It is essential that ministry leaders keep growing and
developing their God-given potential.

1 Tim 4:12-16. Until I come,
devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to
teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message
when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters;
give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch
your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will
save both yourself and your hearers.

What do people see when they look at our life? Do they see a life of progress?

Jesus grew in wisdom (mental), stature (physical), favour
with God (spiritual) and people (social).

If you stop growing, you put a ceiling on the ministry and
the people you lead or the ministry begins to outgrow you. In contrast, when
you are growing you lift the ministry and the people around you to a higher
level and the ministry keeps growing with you.

Personal and ministry growth is your responsibility. It’s up
to you to discipline yourself and do whatever it takes to keep enlarging,
stretching and learning new things. Keep upgrading your ministry capacity.

Most leaders have too little input and too much output. This
leads to staleness, sameness and a lack of spiritual and ministry vitality. 

You can tell when a leader’s capacity has been reached –
there is a loss of passion, few new volunteers are being added to the ministry,
few new people are being reached, strong or different people become frustrated,
people are beginning to leave the ministry, there is a loss of creativity and
freshness, there are constant feelings of being overloaded and there are no
other significant leaders being raised up.

There are so many ways to keep growing today – on the job
training, books, audio messages, conferences, mentors, etc. Great leaders continually
keep themselves fresh by learning and processing new things. You are responsible to keep you passion and freshness. Don’t stop growing and learning or you will plateau.

Putting Legs on It:

* What are your strengths? Soar with them and build people
around you who are strong in areas of your weakness.

* What are you doing on a consistent basis to grow?

* What time are you investing regularly for personal and
ministry growth? Plan it.

* Who are your mentors – people more advanced in ministry than
you?

* Develop a list of personal goals for the year. Review them
regularly and hold yourself accountable to them.

It is so easy to become busy managing what currently exists,
that we fail to take time to improve what we’re doing let alone consider doing
things differently or doing new things. As leaders, we must work on tomorrow
not just keep up with today. This is what innovation is all about. 

We serve a creative God who, though he never changes in his
character, has designed a world full of variety and freshness (Gen.1:1). We are
created in his image (Gen.1:26). It is important that we seek to make your
ministry fresh and alive. Always ask, “Is there a better way?” Admit where
things are no longer working and make appropriate changes (Mk.2:1-5).

One definition of “entertainment” is “to capture and keep
people’s attention.” Jesus did this in his teaching through creative stories
and examples. God is not boring and therefore we need to present the truth of
the gospel and the Christian life as one of joy and positive expectation even
in the midst of the routines of daily living. If we are not attracting a crowd,
then we need to rethink how we are doing ministry. The message we have never
changes, but the methods we use need to be constantly updated to be relevant to
each generation and group of people we are endeavouring to reach.

Management expert Peter Drucker says that both management
and entrepreneurship are essential in any organisation. Both are always needed
at the same time and both have to be co-ordinated and work together. Not to
innovate is the single largest reason for the decline of existing
organisations. Not to know how to manage is the single largest reason for the
failure of new ventures. We must not just manage the existing but innovate the
new and the different. 

Change is the only certain in today’s fast paced
environment. Accept that it will always be with us. Change is never over – it’s
constant! See change as an opportunity not a threat. Talk about it in a
positive way and help people to not be afraid of it. Great organisations continually preserve the core (the mission and core values) and stimulate progress.

Putting Legs on It:

* Set regular times for brainstorming sessions with your
team. Think creatively.

* List some creative ways you can do some of the basics of
your ministry with new freshness. 

* Think about different or new things you could do to reach
more people for Christ.

* Create an atmosphere within your team that says, “Let’s find
a better way” and that encourages thinking outside the box. Always be looking
for a new idea that will improve or expand your ministry. Don’t get stuck with
a mentality that says, “That’s the way we’ve always done it.” New, improved or improving creates fresh momentum.

* Regularly ask yourself, “What’s working well and why?” and
“What’s not working and why?”

Prov.18:15. Intelligent people are always open to
new ideas. In fact, they look for them. NLT

Much of your effectiveness as a leader will be directly
related to your ability to build a team of people who are passionately
committed to the ministry you lead. Team building is leadership the way God
designed it (Mark 1:16-17. Eph.4:11-16). The “team building” process includes
four important tasks:

1. Gather –
recruit people to your team. As a leader, you must be a “people person” who is
friendly, outgoing and always on the look out for new people and new leaders,
so they can be gathered in and harnessed. Learn to relate to a wide variety of
people and be inclusive in your relationships. Then build relationships with your people. Spend time with them and share
experiences. Be around your people, love them, laugh with them, cry with them,
work with them, and eat with them. We can't simply cheer people on and give
them our best wishes. We have to make room for them in our lives.

Remember that the community
aspect of your team is just as important as the productivity aspect. Jesus called his disciples to be “with him”.
Teams that enjoy being together tend to be more effective. Make people feel
needed, worthwhile, valuable and important. Use ample amounts of encouragement
and express appreciation regularly. Take an interest in people’s personal
lives, not just in what they can do for you or the ministry. Enjoy the journey
together.

2. Motivate –
inspire and influence people with vision and purpose. Seek to motivate (not manipulate) people for mutual advantage. Create an
atmosphere conducive to motivation by creating a sense of expectancy, through
being enthusiastic and optimistic, through meeting people’s need for a sense of
belonging, as well as for opportunities for growth and recognition, through
ample doses of appreciation (say “thank you” often) and encouragement, and
through making ministry enjoyable.

All ministry is hard work and discouragement and apathy can
easily set in. Your job as a leader is to ensure that each person on your team
keeps motivated for the ministry. Your attitude, and especially your enthusiasm
(Jn.2:17. Rom.12:11), is highly contagious. As a leader, you need to be the
chief cheerleader of your ministry. Qualities such as passion, confidence and
courage are extremely valuable and need to be guarded carefully as they are a
prime target of the enemy (Gal.6:9-10).

3. Train – coach
people to effectiveness. Make sure people know exactly what they are supposed
to do and why, who they’re responsible to and then give them good training, direction and supervision, as well as
the resources they need. Give them opportunity to ask questions, share how they
are going and give you feedback. Then you give them honest feedback showing
them areas they can grow in and how they can go about it. 

Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do
better. Give people time, opportunity and training to help them become the very
best they can at what they do. Provide them with a variety of training
opportunities – personal coaching, group training sessions, resources (books
and or audio messages), mentors and appropriate seminars. 

4. Mobilise –
empower people through delegating ministry. Take time to get to know people,
their desires and their spiritual gifts. Then seek to place them in an area of
ministry that matches their strengths. The art of delegation is one of the most
powerful tools leaders have. It increases their individual productivity as well
as the productivity of their ministry. Leaders who can't or won't delegate
create a bottleneck to growth and development. The other benefit of delegation
is that it increases the initiative of the people within the church because it
gives them a chance to grow and succeed.

Delegation is "the process of identifying your work
responsibilities and assigning portions of your work to others, so that the
workers become fulfilled and the work is accomplished". When we delegate,
we have a job that needs to get done and people who need caring for and
development. Our primary motivation in delegation is not just getting rid of
work we don't want to do – it is developing
people! 

Leaders who fail to delegate do so because of insecurity,
lack of faith in others, lack of ability to train others, personal enjoyment of
the task, inability to find someone to do it, laziness,
lack of time, reluctance caused by past failure or an "I do it best”
mind-set.

Leadership development is the key issue for the ongoing
health and growth of any ministry. Build a dream team – let other people carry
the ball and star. It’s about winning the game not who gets the credit.
Insecurity in leaders is a deadly disease. It results in the failure to raise
up others, especially talented and strong people. There is no limit to what you can accomplish if you
aren’t concerned with who gets the glory.

How do you respond when (1) others are applauded OR (2)
others are more talented or experienced than you? Small people hold others down
while BIG people make room for everyone.

Putting Legs on It:

* Keep an updated list of all the leaders and
volunteers you are responsible for in appropriate groups. Make sure that each
person receives plenty of encouragement and lots of good feedback. Include
plenty of informality and fun along the way.

* Ask yourself: “What training is needed to this
person to a new level of effectiveness?” “Where are assistants needed and how
can I fill these gaps?” “Who has the greatest potential for development or
future promotion?” “Whose morale is sagging?”

* Resolve relational issues quickly (within 24 hrs, if possible) and
thoroughly. Untie those knots of anger and frustration. Nothing is more important.      

In addition to leading your ministry, you must also manage
it well (1 Tim.3:4-5, 12). “Leadership” can be defined as “doing right things”
(effectiveness). “Management” is “doing things right” (efficiency). Both are
important and necessary in ministry.

Managing involves a number of tasks:

1. Leading –
management involves ensuring that everyone knows the specific purpose and
mission of the ministry. Answer the questions, “Where are we going?” and “Why?”
Mission drifts and vision leaks, so they need to be continually reinforced.

2. Planning –
management then involves planning and strategy that helps the ministry achieve
its mission. This answers the question, “How are we going to get there?” This
mission needs to be translated into objectives that outline key activities that
will be done. Ministry goals can help you be effective in your ministry and
leadership. The year will be busy, but what with? Goals and objectives help us
focus our efforts on what is most important. Successful ministry events,
ministries and experience don’t just happen. They are the result of excellent
preparation and planning. Planning is a Biblical concept (Ps.20:4. Prov.15:22;
16:3; 20:18; 21:5. Jer.29:11). God gave Joseph a plan to save Egypt (Gen.41),
Moses a plan for the tabernacle (Ex.26) and David a detailed design for the
temple (1 Chron.28). Think and prepare ahead!

3. Organising –
management involves organising people and resources to accomplish the mission
of the ministry. People have to be assigned to specific tasks and events or
meetings have to be organised. This answers the questions, “Who will do this
and when?”

4. Directing –
finally, management involves continual monitoring and evaluation of how things
are progressing then making appropriate responses, adjustments or changes. This
answers the crucial question, “How are we doing?” There needs to be appropriate
measurements so that you know how things are going. If you don’t know what the
score is, then you can’t lead well. Make use of “vital signs”, to help measure
a ministry’s health and growth.

Putting Legs on It:

* Create a one-page list of strategic Ministry
Goals for the year. Involve others in the process, use your job description for
ideas, list everything you’re doing and think about what needs to change or
improve, think of new things you could start doing, and dream a little. Stretch
a little! If you can’t articulate what you’re trying to accomplish, you either
don’t know what you’re supposed to be doing OR you’re trying to do too much!

* Schedule all your important meetings and
appointments for the year well ahead of time (like “big rocks” in the jar).
Then don’t forget to be flexible along the way.

* Keep track of “vital signs” for your ministry,
so you can monitor its health and growth. What should you measure? We count
what we value.

* Be a great communicator. Make sure everyone
knows what’s happening well in advance and who’s doing what.

* Schedule an “energy burst” to do an important
task or brainstorm about a certain issue.

* Keep focused on the “big picture” by delegating
as many management details to other competent people. Empower, delegate and get
out of the way.

* See the big picture. Don’t get caught up in all
the minutiae details. Surround yourself with great people and trust them to do
their jobs. Turn people loose.

* Get rid of wasteful bureaucracy. Always seek to
simplify, remove complexity and formality. Make the organisation more
responsive and agile. Have a minimum of rules, approvals and forms. Streamline
decision-making.

Unfortunately, many people lack an appreciation for management, thinking it is un-spiritual. However, we must remember that administration is a gift of the Holy Spirit, just as prophecy, healing and faith are (1 Cor.12). Thank God for those who serve faithfully with this important gift. 

Although there is to be one mission and one direction for
each church, there are many expressions or ways that these are outworked. Like
a highway with many lanes, a growing church provides opportunity for many
different and unique ministries to thrive and flourish within the context of
its overall purpose, as long as there is integration and alignment between
them.

When it comes to your ministry, you need to lead with
excellence (Rom.12:6-8). Most ministries rise and fall on leadership. Overall
direction and broad parameters will be given to you, but the vast majority of
the details of what your ministry becomes is up to you. Our desire is to create
an empowering culture where many strong leaders can find ministry fulfilment
working together towards a common goal.

Leadership is not just occupying a position. It is about
creating “movement” (Deut.1:6-8; 2:1-3). God is a God of movement and he calls
us as leaders to be his “change agents” to bring about his purpose on earth. Leadership
is not easy. There are many challenges to be faced and obstacles to be overcome.
However, great leaders take full responsibility for themselves, their ministry
and the people they lead. They don’t make excuses or blame others when things
aren’t going well. They look at themselves and they make adjustments. They find
a way even when there seems to be no way. 

First of all, leadership involves giving people an example
or model to follow (2 Thess.3:7-9). People catch who you are – your spirit. It
is more than programs and events or even ministry activities. It is about a
spirit and an atmosphere of life, energy and joy that you impart to people.

Second, leadership also requires having a vision and giving
people direction (see Prov.29:18. Hab.2:1-2. Zech.4:1-2. Acts 2:17-21. 1
Cor.14:8). A leader has to define reality (the way things really are) and then
to paint a picture of a preferable future (the way things could really be).
Only then can you begin to move people to where they need to be. See things as
they truly are not as you wish they were. Don’t fool yourself into thinking
things are better than they are or that they will get better on their own. Recognise
the reality and then launch strategies and initiatives to help make things
better.

You’re in charge and therefore responsible. Like a coach of
a team, you need to know what is happening right now (this “play”), in the
context of this quarter (the “score”), this game, this season (year) and the
history and future of the team. This includes an understanding of the game,
your players (new and old, strengths and weaknesses) and the opposition. These
different perspectives assist you in making the right decisions and calls right
now. 

Putting Legs on It:

* Avoid being a leader who is not following
(overly independent) but also avoid being a follower who is not leading (overly
dependent). You’re the leader!

* Spend time in prayer, contemplation and
reflection on God’s Word, as well as observing other leaders and ministries.
Evaluate the intensity, clarity and size of your vision.

* Get with your team and do a SWOT analysis of
your ministry (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) and create an
improvement plan from it.

* Articulate your vision then get others
passionate about making it happen. Lead by energising others, not by an out-dated
autocratic style of leadership (‘command and control’). Create internal
motivation. Energise, excite and inspire.

* Live with a sense of urgency. Don’t waste time
through indecision. “Pounce” every day and be willing to work hard to make the
vision a reality. Leaders need great energy and an ability to spark excitement
and achieve results. Don’t be satisfied with the status quo.

* Involve everyone and welcome ideas from
everywhere. You don’t have a monopoly on leadership – or good ideas for that
matter. The hero is the person with the good idea. If your ministry has to rely
on you for all its good ideas, you’re finished. Get ideas from everyone, even
the quietest people.

Leadership occurs 360 degrees around us. We give leadership downwards to those who are looking to us
but we can also give leadership sideways
to our peers and upwards to those we
are responsible to. Each of us can lead or influence others positively from the
middle of the pack.

[Habit #3 – Manage]

Every leader needs to first of all be a good follower. In
fact, your ability to lead well is directly influenced by your ability to
follow well. The apostle Paul said, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” (1 Cor.11:1).
As church leaders, we too are to follow Christ by imitating him in character,
who we are, and ministry, what we do (see Mk.4:19. Mt.16:24. Jn.10:27.
Rom.15:5. 1 Pet.2:21. Rev.14:4). Shepherds are also sheep, disciplers are also
disciples, and leaders are also followers.

Secondly, church leaders are to follow the overall direction
of their senior leader and the church they belong to. Ultimately, there can
only be one mission or vision in a local church. Division is simply “di-vision”
or two competing ways of looking at things. A church should only have one
vision and go in one direction (Phil.2:2. 1 Cor.1:10-13). 

Our church has a Mission Statement that explains why
we exist as a church, twelve Core Values that describe who we are and
what’s important to us, and a DEVOTE 3
theme that defines what we are focusing on during this season in the life of
our church. Something powerful begins to happen when each leader embraces the
mission strongly, models the core values clearly and pursues the prophetic theme
passionately. As each leader does this, together we will achieve great things
for God through the power of unity (Ps.133).

Putting Legs on It:

* Be attentive to what God is saying to your
church, respond to it and use your influence to reinforce the message in the
hearts of those you lead. Micro-vision casting is very important.

* Make sure you “own” and live out the mission,
core values and vision of your church. Make them part of who you are so that
others catch the sense that you’re totally “on board”.

* Ensure that your personal and ministry goals
contribute to the overall direction of the church.

* Be open to feedback and adjustment about the
direction and progress of your ministry.

* Be aware of the various policies and procedures
that have been established to help the church run smoothly and work within them.

Before becoming the Senior Minister of our church, I spent 5
years as a volunteer leader then another 10 years serving specific ministries
of the church, while making other senior leaders successful. I learnt a great
deal about leading well from learning to follow well, even when my thoughts
differed at times from those who were leading me. Effective leaders are first
good followers.

[Habit #2 – Lead]

The Importance of
Leadership

Church and ministry leaders have a wide variety of tasks and
responsibilities. These may include preaching, teaching, pastoral care, training
and coaching others. One of our main tasks is to lead and God wants us to do
this with the very best of our ability.

Romans 12:6-8. In his
grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if
God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God
has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a
teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it
is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the
responsibility seriously (“govern diligently” – NIV). And if you have a gift
for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. NLT 

In many ways, everything rises and falls on leadership. When
good things are happening you can always trace it back to a leader who is doing
something right. When bad things continually occur you can usually trace it
back to a leader who is doing something wrong.

We live in a world of increasing fear, anxiety and upheaval.
This environment is very conducive for the cause of Jesus Christ as God shakes
everything that can be shaken. In times like these there is a desperate need
for strong godly leadership. People are looking for someone and something to
follow. As leaders, let’s not settle on our past achievements, as wonderful as
they are, but let’s focus on the opportunities in front of us.

Leadership in the church is a wonderful privilege that
provides a person with the opportunity to build a successful ministry that will
make real difference in the lives of people both now and for eternity. Leadership
also carries with it a tremendous amount of responsibility as leaders
face the challenge of reaching people for Christ in our contemporary culture
and then helping them grow to become fervent followers of Jesus Christ. It also
includes the responsibility of leading and managing the ministry itself
(including the leadership team, volunteers and various ministries) so that it
continues to be healthy and fruitful.

Leading a ministry requires the ability to do a wide variety
of tasks. It is essential that these tasks be done with excellence in order for
the ministry to continue growing in its impact. Over the next few days, we will
reflect on 7 Habits of Highly Effective Leaders.
These tasks need to be done well on a regular basis if a leader desires a
maximum return for his or her efforts.

These habits are also relevant for leadership in any other environment or context. 

[Habit #1 – Follow]