The church is one of the most difficult places to lead people. That might seem like an odd statement, but in the church, we have no leverage. In business, you have a paycheck. In the military you have rank, authority, and agreed submission. In the church we have a general commitment to becoming more like Jesus, but not everyone holds this expectation in as high of a regard as maybe they should. Making leadership even more difficult is that the church is dependent on volunteers to do almost everything she needs to accomplish, and those who supervise are usually volunteers as well!
Much has been said about leadership, and there are many different opinions about what makes a good leader. John Maxwell says leadership is simple: you go first. Then he writes in The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, “If you follow them [the 21 laws of leadership], people will follow you.” Jesus simplified it but then made it difficult. In Matthew 20:26-27 he said, “But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you, must become your slave.”
It is vital that we have good leaders, good volunteers, and good volunteer leaders in the church who can help people use their gifts to fulfill the mission and purpose of the church. So how can we identify people that can lead in a volunteer environment? Here are five practices that can help us fill our leadership roles with people who can lead well:
1. Define Leadership Roles
While there are many basic principles that make a good leader, within the church there are a variety of roles that require different skills, personalities, and passions. A teaching pastor will have many different qualifying skills than someone who will be leading worship or junior high small groups. If we are talking about a discipleship leader, that person will need to have the ability to listen, ask good questions, and have patience for people who don’t follow through. To get started, think through the type of position your prospective leader may fill, and then match them with some of the specific personality traits and skills necessary for that role.
2. Agree on Leader Characteristics
Pastors with whom I have spoken have different perspectives on specific leadership characteristics that qualify a person to lead. Some say they must know their own story of how God has worked in their life, have healthy spiritual disciplines, and be in line with the vision of the church. Others suggested that they identify someone in their life that really knows them and gives them honest feedback. While others suggest that the leader must have a clear sense of God’s call on their life.
A discipleship leader is likely going to assume the role of a shepherd in the lives of the people they lead. Jesus said he was the “good shepherd” and gave us some powerful defining characteristics in John 10:11 and 14. He said the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. While we won’t likely need people to die for their ministry, there is a real sense in which leaders have to give up their own desires, wishes, and time to serve those they are leading. Jesus also said he knew his sheep and his sheep knew him. To be a discipleship leader we must work to let people know us and to seek to know those we lead. These are important characteristics right from Jesus himself.
Take some time to think through what you believe the necessary qualities and characteristics are for the particular position you are looking to fill. This will help streamline the process.
3. Observe a Candidate in Action
In his comments about being the “good shepherd,” Jesus reminds us that there is a relational element in discipleship. Being around while a person is participating in a leadership opportunity can help us identify strengths and weaknesses. This allows us to watch people practice the skills and characteristics that define the leader we want. It is not enough to discuss with someone these kinds of character traits and insist that they follow them. It is much more effective to observe the person living out the characteristics we desire in our leaders. This will require us to spend some time with them and to provide an environment that will allow the candidate to live out their skills.
4. Develop an Apprenticeship Mentality
The likelihood of spontaneously observing a potential leader living out their leadership skills is slim. We must work to set up a system that allows potential leaders access to situations where they can be observed. This is where a group facilitator can become an important part of the process of identifying a discipleship leader. That facilitator can invite a group member to help with the leadership of the group. They might even include them in a leadership training environment to help encourage the potential leader. The facilitator has a front row seat to see how that group member functions in a real-life situation in a group.
If you have ever been in a small group setting, you know it is hard to control what happens, how the conversation goes, and who might take the group down an unhelpful path. Watching a potential leader address these unpredictable situations can reveal much about their readiness to lead.
5. Provide Mentors for Leaders
Many, if not most, people would decline the opportunity to lead a small group if they were asked to do so. Most don’t feel equipped, ready, or even willing to take on that role. But if they knew they had support and someone they could lean on when they had a problem or a question, that may help them have confidence and courage to take on a leadership role. This does not require an elaborate mentoring program, but simple mentorship between two people.
Mentorship can even be accomplished by sitting leaders around a table and giving them an opportunity to share their experiences with leading and the challenges they are facing.
A Worthwhile Pursuit
Identifying discipleship leaders is not easy. But it is possible to do it and do it well. Identifying discipleship leaders requires more than a periodic leader training meeting, and it must be backed up with some idea of what we want our leaders to look and to act like. Leadership development takes time, but the payoff is always worth it.
