Leaders have to wear many hats.
Yes, all the books and articles tell us about the necessity of ruthless and singular focus when it comes to leadership, but the reality is somewhat different. As leaders, we find ourselves moving between project after project and decision after decision. This is especially true when it comes to leading in the church. We vacillate between preparing sermons, making phone calls, taking a quick trip to the hospital, and all the while trying to make sure the church as a whole is moving forward in her mission.
It’s moments like these when our focus is divided that it might be helpful to keep in mind a couple of truths:
- Jesus said it was His job to build His church. In fact, He promised to do so (Matt. 16:18).
- Jesus also said it was our job to make disciples (Matt. 28:18-20).
Whatever our tasks might be for each day, our primary focus must be to make disciples. In light of that, here are three imperatives for the discipleship-focused leader:
- Be a growing disciple yourself.
You might think this first point should go without saying. And yet there is a certain irony wound up in this statement because often the more involved we become in trying to create the systems, programs, and tools for making disciples, the less we are involved in growing as disciples ourselves.
And yet we cannot make that which we are not; we can’t pass on to others what we don’t possess ourselves. So the first imperative for the discipleship-focused leader is to not forget about his or her own soul. We must first recognize that we are to be disciples if we are to truly make disciples. So make sure in the midst of your leadership that you aren’t neglecting the rhythms of discipleship - reading the Bible, sharing your story, praying fervently, giving generously along with others.
- Be calling out other disciple-makers.
The second imperative for the disciple-making leader involves recognizing that the work of making disciples is meant to be spread across the church. It is not reserved for a select few and certainly not reserved for those who are paid by the church. This is a call for all, and that means as leaders we must be constantly looking for and calling out other disciple-makers.
This will be different depending on your context. It might mean raising up future leaders of small groups or Sunday school classes; it might be taking people out for coffee and encouraging them to begin meeting privately with one or two other people. Regardless, your mindset must be that of multiplication rather than addition. If you aren’t actively recruiting, equipping, and motivating other disciple-makers, discipleship will always fall on the shoulders of a select few.
- Be ready to say “no.”
If it’s true that our primary focus should be discipleship, then it means we must make it our habit to say “no.” There will never be a shortage of opportunities in church leadership. There will always be another program, another study, another chance for service - and the really difficult part is that none of these opportunities are bad.
And yet we must be prepared to say “no.” That’s because one of the essential elements of discipleship in any context is time. Everything we add to our calendar, or to other peoples’ calendars, means less time. So before we say yes to something, we must weigh it against a diagnostic question:
Does this further our church’s specific pathway of discipleship? Inevitably, that will mean saying “no” to a lot of things.
Yes, as leaders we will always be busy. That’s the nature of leadership. But in the midst of that busyness, let’s make sure we are focused. More so, let’s make sure we are focused on making disciples.
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By Michael Kelley, Rooted Network Executive Director