“We need more leadership in church” is a common observation today. But what does it really look like in practice?
We know what other tasks in the church should look like. Greeters at the door on Sunday are usually men dressed in suits handing out the printed church notices. Pastoral care is listening to someone talk about their latest holiday because they don’t want share their spiritual struggles. Sunday school is more often children colouring pictures of Daniel in the lions’ den (and less pictures of what happened to Daniel’s accusers). In a similar vein, leaders are the people who tell us what to do, often beginning with “the Kirk Session has decided…”
Real leadership produces results
As you may have guessed, I presented a caricature in each case. Done well, greeting, pastoral care, Sunday school and leadership involve much more than this.
Take greeting for example, make it a team effort. Keep the men and add some women and young people. Choose members of the greeting team for their ability to be friendly, remember people’s names and their warmth. Always have someone available to show a new person to a seat and introduce them to others in the congregation. This picture of greeting, when done well, is also a description of the results of good leadership.
Real leadership is not always immediately obvious
Leadership is not as easy to see in action as other roles – we often see it less in the act of leadership and more in the results. My mum jokes that when there is a big job in the garden, like cutting down a tree, it will often be me and others doing the work with my dad looking on. Except that’s not all he’s doing. He’s working out where the tree should fall to avoid the house and how to make the cut with the chainsaw. Then he tells us how to do it and the tree falls in the right place. He does get his hands dirty too, but if that’s all he did, the house would suffer.
Real leadership is relational
Leading involves thinking logically about the best way to do things. It is relational and involves two-way communication. A long time ago, when I was a young engineer I was reprimanded by a manager on the factory shop floor for having my hands in my pockets. My cheeky reply was, “I’m paid from the head up,” which was true.
The guys on the shop floor could assemble machinery or wire electrics with their hands far more efficiently than me. But, as I soon learned by getting to know them, it was also true that needed to use what was upstairs too. By building relationships we did our jobs better together – and on more than one occasion they saved me from disaster.
Real leadership requires learning
I’ve always thought that if I’m going to do something, I need to learn as much as I can about how to do it well. I believe that is encompassed in the use of the word ‘wholeheartedly’ when it comes to serving the Lord: “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people,” it says in Ephesians 6:7.
If God has gifted you to be a leader in church the volume of material on leadership to assist you can be almost overwhelming.
A good place to go is the suggested leadership resources found here. There are also a number of resources on leadership here (including specific resources for Ruling Elders).
There is much to take in from reading and applying what we learn, but we learn from life’s lessons too – and for that reason, a good prayer to pray – whether it went well or not so well – is “God, what are you teaching me in this situation about leading for your glory?”
As PCI’s Training Development Officer, Tom’s role is to facilitate courses and develop or signpost resources for the equipping of church members.