Leadership

Construction: Building Leaders

By jgiroux ⋅ July 18, 2008 ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

This is Part 7 of the Construction series on Thursday Leadership Lesson- Building Community. Last semester, we talked about laying a solid Foundation. This semester, we are focusing on the skills and resources needed to build teams, ministries, and groups. It’s about making disciples. Today, we are going to talk about the ultimate goal of discipleship- building disciples who build disciples. Another word for it is leadership.

In 2 Timothy 2:2, Paul gave very simple leadership directions to his disciple Timothy:

You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.

It’s pretty simple: leadership is passing on what you’ve learned to another person.

Today, we are going to talk about building leaders by following the 4 Ms- Model, Mentor, Motivate, and Multiply.

Model

The first thing you do in leadership building is to establish yourself as a role model. Leadership is caught more than taught, and people will lead the way that

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they have been led. In 1 Corinthians 11:1, Paul says, “You should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.” This echoed what he told the Corinthian church earlier in chapter 4, verse 16, “I urge you to imitate me.”

Are you a leader worth following? Before building other leaders, make sure that you have a solid foundation worth building upon. Then, begin to view your goal as a leader builder. Not a meeting planner or a discussion facilitator or even a small group leader– but a leader multiplier.

Another way to model leadership building is to continually set before your group the vision of building disciples who build other disciples.

Mentor

The next step is to teach. Each semester, choose 2-4 individuals who you consider to be potential leaders and begin to invest in them. You should spend 80% of your leadership time investing in these people. Teach them what you know–

• How to plan for a group
• How to lead a group discussion
• How to deal with difficult people in your group
• How to deal with difficult people on church staff (just checking to see if any of your are actually reading this)
• How to pray for group members, etc.

You may think you don’t have much to pass on, but if you have been leading groups for more than one week, then you definitely have learned things you can invest in others. Make a list of the things that God has taught you and actively look for ways to pass that on to other people.

Motivate

The best thing you can do to multiply leaders is to encourage them. Hebrews 10:24 says that we should “think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds.” What are some ways you can motivate your leaders?

• Allow them to lead group discussion one night. Give them constructive feedback afterwards.
• Give them a leadership assignment in the group that will set them up to experience a “win.” For instance, let them plan and lead an outreach or a social gathering. Coach them through the process and cheer them across the finish line.
• Talk to them about the gifts and potential you see within them. Pray with them regularly. Notice the things they have done well and acknowledge the areas where they are growing spiritually.
• Invite them to Leadership 101. I can’t stress this enough. Offer to go with them if that would help!

Multiply

The final step is to actually multiply. This is the final step of Paul’s instruction, where the leaders you have built are building leaders themselves. Multiplication begins at the very start of your group with a vision– to make disciples that make disciples

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that make disciples.

Here are some multiplication tips:

• Let your team leader and zone leader know at the beginning of the semester who your potential leaders are.
• Determine whether the potential leader will start a group that spins off of or “multiplies” off of your existing group or if they will be sent off to plant a brand new group.
• Develop a multiplication plan that includes dates for Leadership 101, application submission, and new group registration for the potential leader.
• Talk to your group at length about the potential leader and the new role that they are assuming.
• Rally the group around the potential leader in prayer.

Many of you have extensive experience in building leaders, so please share your own experience– both good and bad– through the comment thread.

As leaders at NCC, our ultimate job is to make disciples. And a true disciple will be one who is making other disciples. That’s what leadership is about.

So…are you making one?

About The Author: Heather Z. is the Pastor of Discipleship at National Community Church in Washington, DC.