To reach Montana with the gospel, our churches need to make disciples and develop leaders. What’s your real motivation for developing disciples and leaders?
If making disciples and developing leaders is a phase or a short-term project that grows out of pain, then it will not be priority. You can cultivate and set the culture when you catch a vision for building up people in the Lord.
If we only build leaders to fix an immediate need because we lack qualified people and are in pain, it is a reaction that doesn’t build healthy cultures. The church of Jesus Christ is called to raise people up, not just plug people in to vacancies.
When your conviction of raising up disciples and building up leaders becomes embedded in your church, everything changes. You will over time see momentum building and people transformed. It will ripple through your entire church.
At Send Network a framework has been developed for churches to aim at developing future planters and leaders with the “9 Essentials of a Faithful and Effective Church Planter.” Here is a quick overview:
1) The Heart. Your chief identity isn’t a church planter or a pastor but a disciple of Christ and a child of God. It is a “safeguard for you” (Philippians 3:1) to be trained and reminded about holiness, humility, spiritual disciplines, and your walk with Christ.
2) Relationships. Ministry happens in community. Planters, if married, must have a healthy home. In relationships, planters must learn how to collaborate with other churches and ministries, cultivate an honest and transparent community with brothers in Christ, and navigate conflict in a Christ-honoring way.
3) Calling. We want to make sure you are confident in your calling to serve in church planting. Starting a new church from the ground up is one of the most challenging tasks in ministry. Confidence in God’s call on your life is crucial to endure the difficult seasons.
4) Theology. Planters need to be theologically grounded and centered on the gospel. Does your theology ignite your prayers?
5) Mission. Church planting is not starting a worship service. We want you to “do the work of an evangelist” (2 Timothy 4:5) and to disciple and pastor “God’s flock” (1 Peter 5:2). Church planters engage the city, make disciples, and plant the church.
6) Teaching. According to God, pastors must be able to teach (1 Timothy 3:2). No matter the setting or audience, planters must be skilled in explaining and applying the Scriptures in light of the person and work of Christ. Planters must faithfully stand on God’s Word, no matter what’s going on in the surrounding culture.
7) The Church. Planters must know what they are planting. A Planter should understand essential matters of ecclesiology, leadership, pastoral care, and leading a church to pray.
8) The Nations. What is your vision for your church plant to engage the nations with the gospel?
9) Practical Leadership. Planters need to be faithful and effective. Planters are pastors, preachers, counselors, evangelists, fundraisers, and leaders. You must lead the team, lead services, lead meetings, and lead volunteers. You need the toolbox of wise and practical leadership to be a faithful and effective planter.
Check out the New Churches website around the 9 Essentials. You can head to the home page and find articles, videos, podcasts, and other resources tagged around the 9 Essentials.
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned about leadership development is it must be intentional. Don’t assume that if someone is hungry to learn, they’ll figure it out. Avoid giving them something to do and hope it works. That is not a development plan—it’s a cross your fingers plan.
Let me encourage you—don’t build a pipeline of leaders out of panic; build it out of purpose.
Let me know how we can help you can be intentional in making disciples and developing leaders in your church.
About the Author
