I Can See Clearly Now…

This is part of the Beyond The Starting 5 project. A writing safari where I explore the idea of what people-development looks like in the local church. I have no idea what I’m doing, mileage may vary.

The rain is gone. (You can thank me later for getting that song stuck in your head. And it is stuck. Don’t lie to me.)

Here’s the million dollar question this morning. How do you create a culture where people development is priority, not so much the ‘running of the beast?’ How do you become a people-developing kind of church?

Empower and celebrate leaders who are people-developing kind of people. These are people who invest in other people for their betterment. Their homes and lives are accessible to those on the journey with them. These may OR may not be people who are great at running a program.

We’ve got a bunch of ladies that invade our church every Thursday morning. I’ve watched this group morph from being a Ladie’s Bible Study to a nap-mat sewing group for kindergartners at McCarter to Prayer Walkers for our missionaries in China. Almost every month there is some sort of outward, serve other activity they are doing. And just show up one morning and act like you don’t know how to sew or whatever it is they are doing. They will have you in there learning before you know what hit you. The leaders of this group are people-developing kinds of people.

Model people-development from the “top” down.
In our particular structure, the pastoral staff and council are the ‘top’ level of leadership. And we are starting to ask each other this question – who are you discipling? Who is discipling you? We can’t lead where we’re not willing to go. We can’t do what we’re not doing or at least willing to do. And no organization is immune to this – the organization will only rise to the level of leadership that is modeled at the top.

This is how leaders are made – in the messiness of life on life discipleship. And there is only two ways churches get leaders like this – they either make them OR they steal them from other churches. Want to have a scary, sleepless night? Look at your church’s roster of leaders and then ask where were they discipled.

Measure success in life-change stories, not offering and attendance.
When evaluating systems and programs, start asking about what potential leaders are we developing, what life-change stories are happening.

Don’t start a life group or program without 3 layers of leadership – a Coach, a “leader”, and an apprentice.
A Coach is someone who has been there, done that. Think Yoda. A first line reference guide and source of encouragement for both the leader and the intern. A leader is that catalytic person who makes things happen. The apprentice/intern is the sponge, getting ready to lead, a learner.

Embrace the messiness.
Life is messy. People are messy. Spiritual growth is one messy, sporadic roller coaster ride. Embrace it. If a life group is going through stress or crisis — embrace it. When the wheels fall off the wagon, keep looking for what God is going to do next. Don’t fall in love with easy, neat, organized, and planned.

But this isn’t fiction we are talking about. There are going to be some obstacles. Talk about that later.

Your thoughts? Comments?