Skip to main content

Tag: LEADERS

Kingdom Leaders and Civic Leaders: Working Together

If you were to browse the shelves of a bookstore or keyword search on Amazon “Books on Leadership,” you would be quickly overwhelmed. There are myriads of resources on the topic, and it would be difficult to exhaust the subject. Church Leadership is a subtopic that also gets a lot of attention. Any pastor, revitalization pastor, or replanter would do themselves a favor by putting much of their study and practice into leadership.

What are Kingdom Leaders and Civic Leaders?

But leadership has a unique factor in God’s design for the church. It’s communal, not singular. Church leadership does not all depend on one person. The congregation has decisions, and leadership relies on a mixture of different voices. Business leadership might have a top-down structure, but church leadership is cooperative. Those cooperative decisions work best when they are made by God-glorifying, humble servants who make up a church membership. 

  It seems there are also different types of leaders in a church setting that must operate together. In this week’s podcast, Jimbo and Bob discussed two types of leaders: “Kingdom Leaders” and “Civic Leaders.” These two distinct qualities can create conflict or make a beautiful partnership. A kingdom leader primarily focuses on what decision will best benefit the kingdom of God, while civic leaders make decisions based on wisdom, community, stewardship, or finances. Both of these leaders need to cooperate. 

Kingdom leaders need civic leaders to think about all aspects of ministry decisions. Civic leaders need kingdom leaders to recenter on gospel mission.

Pastor, have you ever desired that your church move forward in a decision, and when you brought it before your team, you were met with resistance? That’s because different leaders come to decisions with varying goals in mind. A kingdom leader will always ask, “What will best bring God the glory?” While Civic-leaders will ask, “What is the wise decision in this situation? What will provide the best outcome for our finances, resources, and time?” 

My pastor has a team of 4 other pastors and staff at my church. But every major decision that is made goes through a Ministry Advisory Council. This Council is not a decision-making board but a filter that provides different perspectives. Most decisions we make in a church setting must consult different viewpoints before becoming solidified.

Jimbo and Bob gave us a few ways that Kingdom Leaders and Civic Leaders can mesh together for God’s glory in the local church.

1. Lead with Respect

Notice that when we were saved and given the gift of the Holy Spirit, we were given various gifts and callings. Listen to 1 Cor. 12:4-7, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. Each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”

When we begin working with others, we must quickly realize their gifts. That will help us understand how we relate to one another. 

Sometimes, aggressive leaders want to do everything themselves. They think, “I know they can do it, but it would be better if I did.” This type of leadership is domineering, not respectful. Leading with respect means that we lean on one another and utilize each other’s gifts and callings to serve in a way that best serves the kingdom of God. 

2. Lead with Cooperation

Leaders collide, conflict occurs, and personalities clash. This is precisely what the enemy wants. But Kingdom work is cooperative work. Great leaders can take the strengths and weaknesses of others and create better leaders in one another. We are better when cooperating because the Mission of Christ is collective. 

In the podcast, Bob said, “My ideas have either been shaped or improved or strengthened or eliminated through the process of collaboration.” Sometimes, we can be so blinded by our excitement that we don’t realize that our ideas may not benefit our setting most. We need one another to collaborate with and filter through ideas for the glory of God.

3. Lead with Humility

Leading with humility recognizes that sometimes it’s good to take a back step and follow others. The best leaders are often the best followers, as well. It can be tempting in leadership to act like you are flawless and show no weaknesses. Humble leadership recognizes that authenticity is a critical factor in decision-making. Humble leaders know who they are and what they bring to the table.

One of the best examples is Jesus’ servant leadership in John 13. As he washed his disciple’s feet, he said, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” Jesus was willing to put others above himself, and God exalted him highly because of that humility. Even so, when we put others above ourselves, God strengthens and lifts us because he loves a humble heart.

4. Lead with a Healthy Dose of Reality

I am a dreamer when it comes to ministry goals. But God had a sense of humor when I married my wife and quickly discovered she was a realist. Our “creative discussions” are not so much pessimism vs. optimism but more idealistic vs. realistic. While we love to try and conjure up our ministry with lofty dreams, it helps to have a healthy dose of realism.

This means recognizing that success is often measured in many cycles of victories and setbacks. When we fail, sometimes, it can be a brief setback to come back from or a significant fall that you think you can’t return from. Failure simply will happen from time to time, and people will fail you, too. If you lead from a realistic perspective, you will have much more grace towards yourself and others. 

5. Lead with the Right Goals

While we live in a world of resources, strategies, and programs, make sure that your church mission is simple and that you keep the main thing the main thing. I saw a mission statement once that said, “To be the best church in our community and grow our congregation.” What? Focusing solely on church growth can be peremptory. Magazines will tell you exactly what type of lighting you need to grow your attendance. But replanters must keep the main thing the main thing. Our mission is the mission of Jesus Christ. To go and make disciples. Let’s lead together, toward this effort.

Long-Tenured Pastors Can Still Lead in Church Renewal

Is it ever too late for a pastor to lead his congregation toward church renewal? 

In the replanting and revitalization world, there has been much discussion on the barriers to church renewal. One of those topics has been the tenure of the existing pastor. 

Replanting is usually described as the decision to close an existing church and re-launch it as a new church with new leadership, new name, new identity, new governance, new ministry approach and overall new philosophy of ministry. 

Although this is one of the ways to describe replanting, there are different variations of church renewal, such as church revitalization, fostering, and merging. 

Still, the question remains. If a church needs to enter into a renewed effort and process, does the existing, tenured pastor need to go?

In this week’s podcast, Jimbo and Bob discussed this vital topic and clarified where some may be confused. The answer is yes: a long-tenured pastor can certainly lead toward church renewal. But it takes some clear thought, a considerable commitment, and the power of God working through the Pastor and congregation.

To highlight some of the discussion, here are three things that must be stressed when a long-tenured pastor wants to lead a church toward church renewal.

A Renewed Pastor

Every faithful pastor who cares about his church is concerned about his church’s spiritual health. Pastors might implement different strategies and approaches to help their church engage their community, reconnect to their mission, and focus on discipleship. I’ve talked to older pastors who have commented: “Many of us have been doing ‘church revitalization’ before it became a system or a process.” That’s encouraging.

It tells us that a true pastor’s greatest desire is to lead his congregation in the best way that honors God and grows God’s kingdom. Those qualities should be applauded and celebrated.

But there is a difference between slowly implementing different methods vs. trying to enter into a new season of renewal for a church. Church Renewal often takes an intentional, set-apart initiative that is time-bound and goal-oriented. Sometimes, it can be easier for a church to “start from scratch” and get a new pastor. This can often result in forced termination. Do we think that a church can be renewed entirely by just switching leadership? Although this may help sometimes, it can speak even better testimony if a church engages in a new process with the same tenured leadership.

A long-tenured pastor may face the barrier of staleness and an inability for his congregation to follow him or try something new. But if a church is to be renewed, it must take a dedicated effort. A long-tenured pastor can lead this way, but they must focus first on their own renewal.

This can begin with a pastor taking a sabbatical and personally resting from the work of ministry to have somewhat of a “restart.” During that time, that pastor should do some prayerful personal evaluation and possibly reach out to others for training on church renewal. Pastors committed to the long haul must commit to seeing it through.

In a situation like this, a pastor must get some perspective and insight from others. As difficult as it may be, it helps to reach out to congregants and those outside the church to ask the questions:. How am I doing? How can I be a better pastor? What do you see from the outside that you think will help our church? These questions can sometimes be painful, but we all have blind spots we must be aware of.

Working with others, decide what your strengths and weaknesses are and how you can come back ready to lead your church in an intentional process toward renewal.

A Hungry Church

If a church is not hungry and thirsty for God’s righteousness, a new pastor or a tenured pastor will change nothing. Church renewal occurs when God’s people draw near to him, ask him to reveal sin in their church, and seek his face daily through prayer. Church renewal happens when there is a revival of the church’s holiness and mission. 

If a church enters a renewal process, it must enter a season of prayer and anticipation. The leadership of a church communicates this through meetings and regular communication. It helps to set up a time-bound goal. At the first church we began serving towards Revitalization, we created a booklet called “90 Days of Prayer.” We challenged the church to enter into that season of seeking God together. This set up the stage for leading them to reconnect to their community and mission partners down the road.

We’ve talked before about creating a sense of “holy discontentment.” By conviction of leadership, help your church see that there’s something wrong. You’ll have to lead your church in some strong evaluation and rightly define reality. There are several different resources to do this. It can be tempting to jump from one Bible Study to another. But, a great leader will often go through a Bible study and then spend weeks leading his church in the application utilizing different functions and ministry. 

For example, most of you probably have read or at least heard of the classic Bible study book, “Experiencing God” by Henry Blackaby. Thirteen weeks. What a great study! What great information! But how will you take this study and point to its application regularly? How will you help your church see where God is working and join him in that work? Let us not forget the words of Jesus: “Blessed is he who hears these words of mine…and does them.”

Church renewal cannot rise and fall on the pastor. If this happens, a church is not dependent on God. They are dependent on a man. If a church is hungry for a “new pastor” but they aren’t hungry for God, church renewal will never take place.

An Intentional Culture

Lastly, for church renewal to take place through a tenured pastor, the culture of a church must also change. “Business as normal” must be challenged and shaken up. 

When we began leading our first church in revitalization, one of the first changes we wanted to make was to start worshipping together in the old sanctuary, which was much smaller than the new. The new sanctuary sat about 300 people, but only 12-15 were regular attendees. Moving into the old sanctuary created a sense of authenticity and reminded us that we were one family gathering together.

A long-tenured pastor must intentionally lead the church in a defined, new direction. He must also be able to communicate it clearly and compellingly. That message must be amplified as much as possible.

It’s essential to cast a simple but compelling vision statement. Where do you want to see your church in five years? In ten years? When you have “wins,” celebrate them regularly and build momentum.

There are many resources to help in your efforts. But one of the best resources is right here on this website! Many blogs, podcasts, and resources are here for you to browse through how to lead your church in these efforts. If you’re a long-tenured pastor seeking to lead your church in renewal, consider these things and implement them. It may very well be that God is not finished with your season of ministry at this church.

EPISODE #59 – LEADING AT THE END OF THE LIVER LINE WITH EVAN SKELTON

Replant Bootcamp
Replant Bootcamp
EPISODE #59 - LEADING AT THE END OF THE LIVER LINE WITH EVAN SKELTON
Loading
/

Attention Bootcamp Listeners! Be sure to sign up for our Replant Bootcamp Ball Cap Giveaway!

Last week at the Missouri Baptist Convention the guys caught up with their good friend and Replant Pastor, Evan Skelton.  The topic: the weightiness of leadership.

  • Pastors/Replanters are leading in very heavy times. (Politics, Covid19 etc.)
  • Pastors are exhausted and leaving the ministry
  • There is nothing like the weight of leading from the first chair
  • In the midst of chaos and crisis your people need a shepherd more than ever! A shepherd who leads from the confidence and joy in Christ.

The truth of being at the end of the “Liver Line,” sometimes in leadership it all comes down to you, when that happens you have to step up.

If everything “always comes down to you” it’s important to examine your leadership-this isn’t healthy and it won’t lead to joy, longevity or effectiveness in ministry.

How can you handle the weight of leadership?

  • Stay in the word and in prayer
  • Constantly remind yourself you are not the hero-Jesus is!
  • Be honest about your weaknesses and struggles with the right leaders
  • Allow God to redeem the bad moments in your leadership

Pastor Brother, are you hurting and in need of encouragement?  Contact us here that the Bootcamp or call the

Pastor Help Line: 1-844-PASTOR1. This is a free, confidential, dedicated help line for pastors. Trained, professional counselors are available every day from 8 a.m. – 10 p.m. (ET). Confidentiality is ensured by Focus on the Family.

Is your website weighing you down? Get some help by connecting with our great sponsor: oneeighty digital

Check out the show notes below for more detail. Show transcripts are an approximation of the podcast, audio should be consulted for exact detail

Continue reading