Leadership Development Plan PDF

Preview

Summary

Download Leadership Development Plan PDF

Description

LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY

Leadership Development Plan

Submitted to Dr. Rod Earls, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of the course

LEAD 510 Biblical Foundations of Leadership

by

Anissa Chambers March 3, 2019

Contents Introduction ...................................................................................................................................2 Theology of Leadership.................................................................................................................3 Philosophy of Leadership..............................................................................................................7 Methods of Leadership..................................................................................................................5 Mission of Leadership....................................................................................................................5 Ministry Culture............................................................................................................................5 Leadership Development Plan......................................................................................................5 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………..……………7 Bibliography....................................................................................................................................8

1

Introduction Leadership is a part of everyday life. Engstrom explains that defining leadership is difficult, “but the one characteristic common to all leaders is the ability to make things happen.”1 There are examples from world leaders, to executives on Wall street, to Pastor’s at the local church all the way to the family. There are examples of great leaders and examples of terrible and wicked leaders. However, leadership from the Christian perspective stands out from the rest of the world if done correctly and can change lives not just here on earth but for eternity. Early explains we live with the lie that the only way to be happy, to be fulfilled, accomplish our dreams or have a great career is to make ourselves the center of our universe.2 He continues by saying it is bigger than then all of that because “The real business of life is glorifying God and being used by Him to transform unbelievers into people whose great delight in life is to know and trust Him.”3 Matt Thomas in his article The Indispensable Mark of Christian Leadership says, “that a leader’s actions combined with an agenda to promote God’s kingdom by influencing others marks successful and successive Christian leadership. The indispensable mark of Christian leadership is the combined effort and action and agenda purposing to intentionally influence others.”4 He goes on to explain that this is the kind of leadership that Jesus lived out and presented, not from words but from actions.5 The Bible is full of people who were both good and bad leaders and men who were and who grew into amazing leaders. Jesus was our ultimate example of what true Christian 1 T.W. Engstrom, The Making of a Leader. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing, 1976), 25. 2 Dave Earley and David Wheeler, Evangelism is. (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2014), 13. 3 Ibid., 13. 4 Matt Thomas, “The Indispensable Mark of Christian Leadership: Implications from Christ’s Methods of Leadership Development in Mark’s Gospel,” (Perichoresis 16, no. 3, 2018). 108. Accessed on March 2, 2019 from https://doi.org/10.2478/perc-2018-0019. 5 Ibid.

2

leadership should look like. A Christian leader is one who is a follower of Christ and has submitted himself to the Lordship of Christ.6 According to Forrest and Roden it is not as simple as looking for the word “leader” in the Bible.7 God has called all of us to some form of leadership, even as far back as creation when God gave us charge over his creation.8 John Maxwell says, “leadership…is an invitation to grow as a leader.”9 To understand this invitation we must look at what the nature of being a Christian leader looks like. In this paper we will discuss the theology, philosophy, methods and mission. We will also look at the ministry culture and finish with a leadership development plan which will show how to accomplish the purpose for our calling and fulfilling our commission of reaching the world with the Gospel of Jesus. Theology of Leadership If the “Real Business of Life”10 as Early puts it is bigger than us and it always invites all of us to be leaders in some form or fashion, we must know what the biblical pattern shows us regarding true leadership. Jesus himself called all his disciples and gave them an invitation to follow him in Matthew 4:19 when he said, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”11 This very invitation points to leadership. Myles Monroe says if you want to know the purpose of something you must get into the heart of the creator for that purpose.”12 Since leadership is something that came from God, then it stands to reason that we must get into the heart of God to 6 Aubrey Malphurs, Being Leaders: The Nature of Authentic Christian Leadership (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House Co., 2003), 15. 7 Benjamin K. Forrest and Chet Roden, Biblical Leadership: Theology for the Everyday Leader (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2017), 25. 8 Ibid., 33. 9 John Maxwell, 5 Levels of Leadership, (New York, NY: Center Street Hachette Book Group, 2013), 43. 10 Early and Wheeler (2014), 13. 11 Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the New American Standard Bible (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2008). 12 Myles Munroe, In Pursuit of Purpose, (Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image Publishers Inc., 2015)

3

know His heart about being a Godly Christian leader and this can be done through reading His Word. Leadership in the Old Testament were ordinary people who were given larger than life jobs to lead God’s people. Forest and Roden explained that the concept of leadership is more than just the term “leader” throughout the Bible,13 but it is character and qualities which were developed in people like Moses, Solomon, Joshua, Debra, David, Nehemiah, Gideon and Joseph. God empowered these men to be leaders and to guide and steward the earth according to Genesis 1:28, “God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” God never does anything without purpose you can see this in the world in which we live. God is the ultimate leader and has the absolute rule and sovereignty over all the earth and His directives are to be followed.14 In the New Testament, although the word “leader” is not used, the roles came from either calling or experience.15 As Christian leaders we know that Jesus was the greatest leader and our pattern to follow. We also understand that a Christian leader is one who is a follower of Christ and has submitted himself to the Lordship of Christ.16 Malphurs says “To be a Christian Leader, one must first be a Christian.”17 In the New Testament, we see Jesus served and led his disciples through humility, love and relationship. Jesus also showed leadership through the ultimate gift of love in His selfsacrifice for us all. He then empowered his disciples and followers to do what he did. We see

13 Forrest and Roden (2017), 30. 14 Ibid. 15 Ibid., 305. 16 Malphurs, 2003, 15. 17 Ibid., 15.

4

these same attributes in the examples like Peter, James, Paul and other first century leaders of the church. Frances Hesselbein says, “leadership is much less about what you do, and much more about who you are.”18 A leader is someone who has some form of influence over someone else. Leadership in the world is all about power and gaining more. Although there is some commonality within both Christian and Secular leadership, Christian leadership looks a lot different. “While secular leadership may utilize moral and biblical principles in their models, Christian leadership possess a quality beyond the implementation of principles, and distinctively emphasizes the heart and actions of the leader.”19 Philippians 2:3-7 says, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant, and being made in the likeness of men.” Malphurs says, “Christian leaders are servants with credibility and capabilities, who are able to influence people in a particular context to pursue their God-given direction.”20 Howell says, “greatness in God’s kingdom consists in imitating the Son of man who came not to be served, but to serve.”21 1 Peter 5:2-5 says, “shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. You younger men, 18 Maxwell, 2013. 45. 19 Thomas, 2018, 108. 20 Malphurs, 2003 21 Don N. Howell Jr., Servants of the Servant: A Biblical Theology of Leadership (Eugene, OR: WIPF & Stock Publishers, 2003), Wipf..

5

likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” This verse discusses and explains servant leadership which is in the heart of God towards being a Christian leader and especially the last part of the verse that talks about clothing ourselves the humility towards one another. “To obey Jesus’ call to servanthood would involve a radical surrender of one’s natural pursuit of comfort, wealth, and recognition.”22 It calls us to die to ourselves Galatians 2:20 says, I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Jesus was the ultimate leader and showed us the principles in which to walk as Christian leaders. One of the greatest stories in the New Testament is when Jesus took the role of a servant and washed his disciples’ feet. John 13:5 which says, “Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.” We now see this same principle being exemplified through Jesus to his own disciples whom he was training to be the beginning leaders of the church. Jesus also said in Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” We know and understand that leadership particularly in the gospels was “chiefly about discipleship.”23 Mark pointed to the fact that Jesus was training his disciples for ministry.24 Mark 3:14 says, “And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach.” Jesus was training his disciples and was showing them how to lead as a servant. 22 Ibid. 23 Forrest and Roden, 2017, 332. 24 David Black and Thomas Lea, The New Testament: It’s Background and Message. (Nashville, TN: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 1996), 143.

6

A Godly leader is one that will disciple people and teach them how to do the same. C.W. Perry says, “Leadership is accepting people where they are, then taking them somewhere.”25 This is what Jesus did with the disciples and what the disciples later did with others. Jesus when he was getting ready to leave gave the disciples some of the most important information when he said in Acts 1:8, “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” He sent them out with the great commission and part of this commission was to teach others to do what Jesus did. It was His example through being a servant leader that allowed them to become the great fathers of the faith and spread the gospel to all parts of the world. Forrest and Roden says, “Leaders submit their authority (and responsibility) to the sovereignty of God.” Leaders are submitted to authority and no matter what we must submit ourselves to the sovereignty of God.26 Philosophy of Leadership Understanding the philosophy of leadership is understanding first the theology of Godly leadership. It is what is built out of the theology of Christian leadership and will frame the ministry that you build as a Christian leader. Jesus taught us what leadership is, not from speaking but from what He did. “For example, the actions of [Jesus] in the Gospel of Mark is all important to the meaning of the Gospel, for we learn who Jesus is not so much from what he says as from what he does. Christian leadership as modeled by Jesus, is a reflection of who he was and what he does.”27 25 Maxwell, 2013, 16. 26 Benjamin Forrest and Chet Roden, Biblical Leadership Theology for the Everyday Leader (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2017), 258. 27 Thomas, 2018, 108.

7

One characteristic of Jesus was that he lived out his life with the disciples, “Jesus knew that the only way to perpetuate truth was to pass it on, so he set out to personally train his disciples.”28 We see that it was personally investing into their lives. This investment of His life is mentorship. “It was Jesus’ concentrated focus on the individual and the twelve that uniquely marked his leadership.”29 Thomas goes on to explain that in Mark 3:14 which says, “And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach,” the word appointed there really is a term used for the “creation of something new.”30 Which means that He was creating or making His disciples. Jesus was purposeful in His intent of creating His disciples for the purpose of sharing the gospel and he did this by sharing his life. Paul, like Jesus, believed in this relational style of leadership. Forest and Roden shared that “Paul taught the bible in relationship with those who were on the receiving end of his instruction. He apparently viewed as inseparable the cognitive and the relational aspects of Christian leadership.”31 In Christian leadership we must be willing to share our lives with those leaders we are training who will in turn do the same. A Christian leader is someone who will walk out his love for those in his care and will be strong in his faith. 1 Corinthians 16:13 says, “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” As a leader we must be alert that the enemy has traps, if we are not careful it could cause us or others to stumble in their faith. We must be strong in our faith so that we can stand and not fall during the strongest storms that life

28 Ibid., 110. 29 Ibid. 30 Ibid. 31 Forrest and Roden, 2017, 435.

8

can throw at us and the ministries that God has entrusted us with. We must also be an example of His love to those around us. A Christian leader is also someone who is a servant. When we look at the life of Jesus we see Jesus taking the role of a servant and washing his disciples feet. John 13:5 which says, “Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.” We know that being a servant leader was a principle taught in the Old Testament through people like Nehemiah. We now see this same principle being exemplified through Jesus to his own disciples whom he was training to be the beginning leaders of the church. Jesus also said in Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” A good Christian leader will know how to empower his people. Mike Abrashoff states, “In a nutshell, hard experience has taught me that real leadership is about understand yourself first, then using that to create a superb organization. Leaders must free their subordinates to fulfill their talents to the utmost. However, most obstacles that limit people’s potential are set in motion by the leader and are rooted in his or her own fears, ego needs, and unproductive habits. When leaders explore deep within their thoughts and feelings in order to understand themselves, a transformation can take shape.”32 God did not call us to be a one man show, but instead to release others to do the Great Commission. Jesus was a great example of empowering his disciples to do what He did. Matthew 28:16-20 says, “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I

32 Maxwell, 2013, 45.

9

commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” He empowered his disciples to go and do what He did on the earth. A Christian leader will walk in persistence and perseverance. In the Old Testament this is shown to be true through the persistence and perseverance of the leaders. The jobs they were called to do were always bigger than they were. Moses faced Pharaoh with power from God and later took the Israelites across the Red Sea on dry land these were unsurmountable odds that could not have been done in his own power. Joshua marched around the city of Jericho and saw the walls fell with a shout. Gideon leads a small army against ridiculous odds and saw the enemy confused and destroy themselves. These leaders faced obstacles that looked impossible to the normal eye, but with the vision of God they were able to face them, overcome and claim victory. A Godly leader must have a personal and real relationship with God.33 This must be the number one place in their lives in order to accomplish and walk out the plans of God for their lives and their ministries. In the Old Testament and the New Testament, the leaders followed God’s vision and direction with unquestionable obedience and loyalty because of their relationship with God. This did not mean they never made a mistake, but they repented and moved on with God’s plans. True leadership for us today is to have a strong relationship with God. We must encounter Him every day by spending time with Him and knowing His heart so that we can lead and guide His people. The only way to lead others to the truth of Jesus is to know Jesus ourselves. “If God is the source of salvation, then obedience to his word is the only real option.”34 If we as Godly leaders do not have this foundation then we are building on sand

33 Malphurs (2003), 15. 34 Forrest and Roden (2017), 135.

10

and it will fall. To know God’s direction, we must know God and have a real relationship with Him. Methodology of Leadership The church has been around for a long time and has gone through many changes. A Christian leader needs to look at where the church has been, what the Bible says about church and to determine the type of ministry and evaluate what you feel God is calling you to as long as you stay true to the Bible. You have churches that are strictly traditional and follow the way it has always been done. You have churches that are trying to be so culturally relevant that they have lost their way and have allowed seeds of deceit to grow in their midst and now they accept everything even if it is contrary to the Bible. A church needs to be generational in a since in order to take care of those that are aging and meet their needs, train up the children and youth in a manner that is Godly and relevant and reach young families so that they can be discip...