Leadership reflections: Being prepared for leadership

Being Prepared for leadership

Leaders in congregations, are often the people with ideas, people encouraging others and people who are responsible to make sure things happen. As Christians we can also feel at times we are expected to do more than others or that the standard is higher for ourselves. As a result we can feel under some pressure.

The following teaching is an introduction to help us as leaders prepare for and respond to the pressures that exist in our lives.

It is important to understand your situation

Various Vocations: Everyone has a number of vocations as individuals and as leaders, ie. roles God has called us to and placed us in and given us responsibility for. The reality is we need to be able to balance these various vocations and roles. Some roles are easy to enter and exit, others are not so easy but choosing to enter or exit a role is not our decision alone, it involves consulting God. What are the various roles you have in your life?

Limited Resources: We have 3 main resources that are all limited by worldly standards. One is money, another is time and the third is talent. At times through creativity, better management, working with others and new approaches we are able to better use these resources. It is important to keep in mind that we are called to manage these resources, not allow these to control us. When we allow our resources to control us, it often limits what God can do through us. Which of the resources do you need to manage more effectively?

It is important to understand what your role is:

Being aware we are leading not representing:

God has called each of us to lead. We may be leaders in our family, our community, our social scene, at church, in a work situation. In following God God has placed amongst people where we have the opportunity to lead people. Fortunately leading for God is not about having everything in place, it is about leading people for God, and allowing God to help us. It is also not about imposing your own ideas but about introducing and leading people with God’s ideas. It also involves continual learning and growing. At times it also involves letting go of the past. Who do you have the opportunity to lead? What do you need to rely on God for to help you as a leader?

Being aware of what is expected of you from the organisation or community:

As a leaders in a church it is important that we understand what is expected of us. A good organisation has clear a mission and vision and descriptions of what is expected and how you fit into that mission and vision. Can you tell others what is expected of you and how you are contributing to the congregation’s mission and vision?

It is important to understand who you are:

God has created each of us, not as robots but as individuals who are part of a community and the church

Some of the areas that will help us understand who we are include:

Being aware of your Talents: What are your interests, your natural bent and what you do well?

Being aware of your Spiritual Gifts: The New Testament talks a bit about Spiritual Gifts, unfortunately many people focus on the supernatural ones, but many of the Spiritual Gifts are not. Do you know what are the inner giftings that God gives you so you are part of the bigger picture, the Body of Christ? Have you undertaken a Spiritual Gift inventory?

Personality Types: There are different personailites that God has given us, some of us are by nature introverts, some of us extroverts. Some of us think more with our heart and others more with their head. So what are your built in preferences for where you feel most comfortable, what energises you, how you take information in, how you make decisions and how you steer your life. Do you know your personality traits and how they relate to others?

Values: Each of us have ideas of what is important. And what we understand to be important affects our decisions. What do you think is important about church and Christian life? Is this consistent with the bible?

Passions: What do you like doing? What are the things that make you feel you happy? How are these affected by your leadership?

And finally: It is important to understand you are part of the Body of Christ,

you are not the body of Christ!! reflect on what this means for you!!!