Follow the Leader

Someone leading without anyone following is just someone taking a walk. This is almost true. Jesus is our model for leadership and at times He was completely isolated. Every New Church leader starts by effectively leading nobody. We can sometimes find ourselves in this position for a while. There comes a point when people start signing up to the new church or ministry and it feels like you are getting somewhere. It feels like they have bought into the vision and are ready to be led into the great unknown. The reality is a little different. Sometimes I encounter this expectation that leadership is a deeply ideal position where people follow your vision, your ideas, your preaching,  or your gifting. To start with I don’t think this is true. When a church is small enough for everyone to know the leader then relationship is what matters. First of all people need to like the leader, only then will they follow. Some Pastors spend much time convincing people that they are likeable (that's a hard one to sell, At least for myself.) However the only approval that is needed is from Jesus not man. Most unchurched people joining a church don’t care that much about the churches theology, worship, small group structure or even vision at first  They just want to feel like they can belong. Only once they have found there place in the community do they worry about the other things.

In His Grip,

Pastor J