WISE, INTENTIONAL

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

TITUS EMAIL

Volume 3, Number 10 – October, 2009

This is a little late in getting out.  I have Ram Prasad Shrestha from Nepal, our coordinator for that area with me.  We have been keeping very busy but it has been a very fruitful time of vision discussing and planning. 

            Go to WILD’s website – www.headwaterschristianyouth.com and click on the WILD icon.  On the website is a thorough study on the life of Peter and one on Paul, looking at their lives through a leadership perspective.  By studying the lives of Peter and Paul, you will gain a good understanding of portions of the Gospels and Acts.  The material is downloadable.  If you can not get to the website or are unable to down load the material, let me know and I will get it to you via email. 

These studies give you insight on how Biblical leaders developed in their leadership and mentored those on their teams.  The Paul study is not quite finished as there is study on Team Development I will add to that study.  Please let me know if and when you use those studies and also when you use the spiritual leadership training material. 

EQUIPPING THE TEAM

“A true leader is not someone who can do the work of ten people, but someone who can organize ten people to do the work.”  Dale Galloway.  We have a fallacy in our minds that we are irreplaceable.  That is not a Biblical concept. 

From Ephesians 4:11-12, we learn the truth that Biblical leadership is expressed in different ways through a variety of gifts.  “It was he (Christ) who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists and some to be pastors and teachers, (12) to prepare (equip) God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.”  The second truth on leadership here is the equipping of others for the work of service is what a Biblical leader needs to do. 

To be a Biblical leader, you must not only exercise your spiritual gift but also prepare and help develop other believers to serve the Body, to do ministry.  Could we be as so bold to say that if you are in a spiritual leadership position and not working to equip believers for service, you are not a Biblical leader? 

God has graciously given us fellow believers to work together in the Body to do ministry.  To say no to companions in ministry is to spit on God’s grace and not help keep ourselves accountable.  It is selfish ambition, perhaps jealousy and we are allowing pride to permeate into us.  God clearly shows throughout Scripture (mentoring/discipling) that we are to minister with fellow believers and constantly be helping to equip them especially those who come after us to enhance and continue the Kingdom. 

To equip another is to help that person become fully prepared, to not be deficient in any way.  Having a like-minded team member who is able to maturely serve is priceless.  It takes time, working together, getting the person involved with others who have similar gifts and be given opportunities to serve in their gifted area(s) to develop that person.  

Biblical leaders need to look for the potential in other Christians and then help develop that potential.  That does take effort and extra time.

Doing it the same way or with the same people does make our lives easier but does very little if anything to equip the next generation of leaders.  Who can you take under your responsibility and help develop?  Who is ready to go to their next level of commitment if just given the opportunity to be used the way God created them?  Ask God to show you who can build into, proving yourself as a Biblical leader.

ILLUSTRATION

During the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, the United States women were leading in the team gymnastics.  Entering the final round of the competition, the US women who were headed for the vault exercise, held a slight edge over the Russians.  The second to last vaulter for the US was Dominique Moceanu.  Much to everyone’s surprise, she landed on her bottom instead of her feet on her first attempt resulting in a very low score.  In vaulting you receive two opportunities and the lower score of the two is thrown out.  She missed also on her second attempt. 

          The US had one athlete left, Kerri Strug who was very good in the vault.  One good vault from her and the gold medal would belong to the USA.  When she tried to land her first vault, she too slipped like Moceanu and fell.  What was worse, she injured herself, tearing two ligaments in her left ankle.  Still she had to complete one more vault otherwise the gold medal would have most likely gone to the Russians. 

          With her injured ankle, Strug ran down the runway and vaulted, landing with both feet solidly under her and receiving a high mark.  When she landed, she felt excruciating pain.  Yet as she hopped on one foot, the whole US team knew they had won Olympic gold.  This was a girl who for so long had always been in the background, never the star of her gym but now became the Olympic star because she was willing to literally sacrifice herself for the team.

QUOTES

“We expect doctors to treat us, not to train us to treat others.  We expect lawyers to give us expert advice, not to admit us to the secret fraternity of those who understand how the legal system works.  Likewise, we want pastors to serve us, not to build and train us to serve others.”  Howard Snyder

“It must break God’s heart when people come to church with a consumer mindset, content to eat and run.  ‘Serve me’, they say.  ‘Teach me, pray for me, fix my kids, counsel my spouse. And  if you don’t do all of this up to my standards, I’ll go down the street and see if another church will pay better attention to me’.  I have learned that you can’t possibly build a God-honoring church with a congregation full of consumers.” 

Bill Hybels

“Coming together is a beginning.  Keeping together is progress.  Working together is success.”                                                               James. E. Hunton