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.