Leadership

Leadership. For most of us it’s a loaded term and a vague concept. While the word itself enjoys almost universal recognition, its meaning, depending on who is using it and in what context, is far from uniform. So what do we mean when we talk about issues in pastoral leadership?

What does it mean to be an effective pastoral leader? We read books and attend leadership seminars and conferences, but many of us still struggle to implement the good information into our ministry setting. Is it possible that the biggest or most pressing problem in developing solid pastoral leadership skills is not so much desire, ability, or information as much as it is an inability to implement? We hear all these good ideas. We see what has worked for others. But how do we apply the right principles to our setting?

One of the key questions that we too often fail to ask is: “How do I lead these people in this place into a deeper relationship with Christ?” Others might include: How do I make disciples in my context? What are the best kinds of “programs” or “methods” to use? How do I prioritize what needs my attention now and what can wait? How do I deal with conflict in the congregation and on the board? How do I handle power struggles and weather personal attacks? How can I get something moving that has been sedentary for many, many years? All of these questions are, in one way or another, leadership questions. And more to the point, they are questions that are only answered in the practically application of sound biblical leadership principles.

Please join us over the next few weeks as seasoned pastors and proven leaders David Roper and Knute Larson guide our discovery and application of sound pastoral leadership. We will be dealing with everything from structural leadership to conflict resolution to power and humility. It is my hope that you will engage in these conversations over the next few weeks so that we might learn from one another what it means to be a more Christlike leader as we journey together. Our hope during these conversations is that you and I might be able to help one another apply the truth of the Scriptures to concrete situations so that we might all be more Christlike in our leadership.

What have been you greatest leadership challenges over the last couple of years?