Leadership is so often understood in terms of what we do: the processes we follow, the projects we complete, the profit we generate. Even as ministry leaders, we can easily fixate on results. How many kids attended Vacation Bible School? How many professions of faith happened at the revival? How many households were served in the food drive? All these are important things, of course, but if we seek to lead like Christ, they can’t be the most important thing.
Romans 8 reminds us that “all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose,” and that that purpose is “to be conformed to the image of his Son.” Character, it would seem, is more important than competency. In everything we do, whether we’re leading or following, our aim must be not just functional, but formational. How we lead shapes the people who follow, and so we must lead in a way that helps conform others to the image of Christ.
Whatever your immediate goals for this quarter, this VBS, this sermon series, this youth camp—those goals are subservient to the ultimate purpose of everyone involved becoming more like Christ. And if that remains our central aim, we’ll quickly find that leadership is not just about what we do, but how we do it.
Not Just Authority, But Humility
As a leader, you do have a measure of authority. Your staff is contractually obligated to do what you say, and even your volunteers are expected to follow instructions. But that authority will not bear worthy fruit if it isn’t tempered by humility.
Jesus, as our divine example, preached, taught, and led with an immense amount of authority. The Gospel of Matthew reminds us that “the crowds were astonished at his teaching, because he was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes” (Matt. 7:28-29). But even the incarnate Son of God, who was obeyed by the wind and the waves (Matt. 8:27), washed the feet of His disciples.
John 13 tells us that, on the night He was betrayed, Jesus knelt and washed His disciples’ filthy feet. Think about that. Jesus washed the feet of Peter, who would deny Him three times before the sun rose again. He washed the feet of Judas, who would turn Him over for petty cash in just a few hours.
The best leaders are not about power and influence for themselves. The best leaders are going to serve first. They don’t make use of others for their own ends. Instead, they choose to be used for others, to propel and empower others to do what God has called them to do.
Not Just Vision, But Clarity
I’m a question-asker. Over the years, the pastors I’ve served with would see me coming and go, “Oh, here comes Terri! She’s got questions!” I didn’t mind (and neither did they), because like the people you’re leading, I need clarity to be able to carry out my role. Confusion kills momentum. If you’re going to lead, vision is great, but your people need clear expectations.
They need to know both the “big picture” and the “small” one. They need to be able to clearly articulate both the ultimate purpose of your team’s work and their specific role in that work. They need both the overarching “why” of your ministry, and the unique “what” of their tasks within it.
If anything, I’m an over-communicator. Transparency builds trust, so I know that the more I communicate to my team, the more reason they have to trust me. This kind of rapport is essential in those (hopefully rare) moments where you’re unable to communicate fully. Without a foundation of trust, our team can so easily fill an information void with negative assumptions: “I bet we’re using this vendor because it’s the pastor’s friend”; “She’s only saying that because she has to save face”; “They’re not telling us the results because someone made a mistake.”
But, with a core dynamic of trust established by clarity of expectations and transparency of processes, your team will be better positioned to make gracious assumptions: “I know they’ll tell us when they’re ready”; “She would never withhold information I need to have”; “I’m sure they have a good reason for maintaining confidentiality.”
So, cast a vision, but make it a clear one.
Not Just Accountability, But Grace
Ministry teams are people, not robots. Even when everyone you serve has a relationship with Christ, we’re all still sinners saved by grace. We don’t always do things right. We don’t always respond to people correctly. So yes, we’ll sometimes be called on to call people out, and provide accountability when mistakes are made. But we must always do so by “speaking the truth in love,” not in bitterness or retribution.
Being grace-filled doesn’t mean we let people off the hook or overlook unwise behavior. If our goal is the sanctification of the people we serve, then we must be willing to do as God does and call our brothers and sisters to repentance when we see them straying. Yet we also balance those high standards with grace, admonishing as a loving parent, not a vindictive taskmaster. Our Father in Heaven, after all, disciplines us not because He wants to take us down, but because He wants to build us up.
Not Just Direction, But Presence
Jesus didn’t just tell people what to do. He walked alongside them. He both pointed the way and then walked that Way with His followers. If you desire to lead well, you need to get to know the people you are leading and the need to know you, too.
So, just as Jesus did with his disciples, take time to get to personally know the people on your team. Of course, if you’re serving in a large church or institution, then you won’t have the capacity to personally know everyone in the organization, but you still need to know your core leadership. Again, Jesus had thousands of followers, but he invested special care in His relationships with His twelve disciples, and with His inner circle of Peter, James, and John.
Take time to know and understand the people in your care. What are their strengths? What are their weaknesses? What’s their personality? Are they extroverted? Are they introverted? Are they more people-focused or task-focused? What’s happening in their hearts, their homes, their families? If we’re present with our team members and know what’s going on in their lives, we can not only help them step into places where they can skillfully serve, but also provide the freedom they need to take added rest or receive additional support.
Not Just Them, But You
Never forget that God’s number one priority is to see His children conformed to the image of His Son. That’s His purpose in your people’s lives, and it’s His purpose in your life. Please, do not fall prey to the lie that your ministry accomplishments are more important to God than your soul. Our people need us to lead with emotional and spiritual health, because healthy leaders create healthy teams.
One of the best ways to encourage your team to establish rhythms of rest and spiritual renewal is to model those rhythms in your own life. Take time for regular and consistent Sabbath rest. Know that you have all the permission you need to seek help when you need it, to get counsel, to get guidance, to find mentors, or a counselor. Your ministry work is hard and it is valuable, but the most important work you have to do is to become like Christ.
