Note: This is Part 6 in a 7-part introductory series on the foundational principles of StartingWell.net. You can find the previous posts here: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5
If you were to conduct an online search for “leadership books,” how many results would you expect to receive? Ten thousand? One hundred thousand? A million?
I would have guessed as high as ten million, but after completing the search, I was shocked to find that Google returned over two billion results. That’s a billion with a ‘b.’ That’s two with nine zeros behind it!
It seems the topic of leadership is quite popular.
Leadership is crucial in every aspect of our world, including the church. While Christ serves as the Chief Shepherd of the church, He calls pastors to act as His “under-shepherds” within local congregations. One of a shepherd’s primary responsibilities is to lead the flock. Therefore, if you are a pastor, you are a leader.
However, how you choose to lead is entirely up to you. Whenever you start serving at a church, you have the opportunity to lead effectively from the very beginning. If you are currently serving or will soon be serving in a new church, here are six ways to lead well during your first year:
1. Lead prayerfully
Jesus was a prayer warrior. Throughout the gospels, we find Him praying on multiple occasions, so much so that Luke noted how He would often withdraw to deserted places to pray” (Luke 5:16). Before every significant event in the gospels, you would find Jesus praying. He was truly a prayer warrior.
As His under-shepherd, you must make every effort to follow His example and lead prayerfully. Pray that the Lord will give you a love for His church. Pray for wisdom and discernment to lead effectively. Pray and ask Him to help you lead patiently, humbly, collaboratively, optimistically, and strategically.
Leading God’s people is a humbling and potentially overwhelming task. It’s a task you cannot do effectively in your own strength. You need the Lord’s help and strength. Therefore, if you want to lead well, you need to lead prayerfully.
2. Lead patiently
As you seek to lead your church, you will identify changes that need to be made. You will be tempted to move quickly and make changes rapidly. Resist that temptation. Be mindful of the pacing of change, recognizing that the church will likely only be able to handle one major change a year.
And during your first year, you are that change!
That’s why you may be able to introduce some minor changes in the first year. However, you should avoid any major change until you’ve been there a while and have loved well, learned well, and listened well. Therefore, you must lead patiently when introducing change.
Similarly, you must also lead patiently when encountering those who resist or oppose those changes. Not everyone will get on board immediately, but that doesn’t mean they are your enemy. Depending on the nature of the change, church members may need to process it emotionally, and that takes time. Just because they oppose the change initially does not mean they won’t come around in time. Be patient, trusting the Holy Spirit to work in their hearts and minds in His perfect timing.
3. Lead humbly
Do not approach your new church as if you have all the answers on day one. As I mentioned in a previous post, you need to take time to learn about the church and listen to discern God’s preferred future. This is only possible if you lead humbly.
Also, be careful not to criticize the church’s past or present practices as you begin your ministry. Although the church may need significant revitalization, some members have invested a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into its growth over the years. Unnecessarily criticizing the church without taking the time to discover why it operates the way it does may convey a haughty spirit, implying that the people were wandering in the wilderness until you arrived.
Leading humbly also means not expecting the church to conform to you and your preferences. Just because you don’t like receiving the offering at the beginning of the worship service, singing out of the hymnal, or conducting the invitation at the end of the service, it doesn’t mean you should make wholesale changes with little regard for how it impacts the church. Leading humbly means looking out for the interests of others and not just your own (Phil. 2:3-4).
4. Lead collaboratively
One of my core convictions is that we are better together. When we work together, we can accomplish more for the Lord than on our own. This principle also applies to pastoral ministry. Part of leading well is understanding that you don’t have all the answers. Therefore, don’t be a lone ranger; take intentional steps to lead collaboratively.
One of the best ways to do this is to listen well. Listen to the input of others in the church. Listen to their hopes, dreams, fears, and frustrations. Listen to their feedback regarding a potential change, and be very careful about making a change if no one else supports it. While you are still the primary leader, you will be more likely to start well if you don’t attempt to lead alone.
5. Lead optimistically
If your church is like most, it might be plateaued or declining. Church members may look fondly at the past but may not have much hope for the future. Because of its current state, the congregation might feel low-level depression or even guilt. This is compounded if you constantly criticize it.
Rather than communicating what’s wrong with the church, talk about what’s working well. Identify any programs or ministries that God has blessed and celebrate the wins, no matter how small or insignificant they might seem. Be sure to thank your volunteers regularly and publicly. We serve a God who is able to do far more than we can imagine or think, so lead from a posture of optimism!
6. Lead strategically
One key to starting well in a church is to lead strategically. This site will provide plenty of resources to help you do just that. In particular, it is critical to lead strategically when implementing change.
As you strategically implement change, you will need to consider several factors, including the nature of the change, the necessity of the change, the degree of the change, the pacing of the change, the congregation’s readiness for the change, the communication of the change, and the potential receptivity to the change.
Volumes could be written on each of these factors, but the key point in this post is to illustrate the necessity of thinking strategically before making a change. Doing so will help you start well and avoid many potential headaches later.
Follow the Leader
Paul exhorted the Corinthians to “imitate me, just as I imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). My prayer is that you will take a similar leadership approach. Call your flock to genuinely follow you as you genuinely follow Christ. If you do so, you will be well on your way to leading well!
Note: This is Part 6 in a 7-part introductory series on the foundational principles of StartingWell.net. You can find the previous posts here: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5
Photo by Jehyun Sung on Unsplash
