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In the introductory article to this series I mentioned several measurable factors as related to the overall health and culture of a church, one of which was functional or effective structures. In the series I am discussing eleven elements that make up the functional structures of a church:
- Constitution and Bylaws
- Branding and community identity
- Personnel and volunteer selection policies and procedures
- Explicit and implicit policies
- Official and tacit influencers
- Schedules and calendars
- Programs, silos, and turf mentality vs. collaboration and empowerment
- Confining mental models
- Procedural practices such as how meetings are conducted
- Buildings, facilities, property and how they are managed
- Leadership training
This article is the final article in the series on Improving Your Church’s Culture and is offered in an effort to assist leaders in developing more effective administrative structures. Don’t underestimate the effects of these culture-scaping structures as you are building an exceptional ministry. They serve to form the frame on which the ministry is built. Links to the previous articles are listed at the end of this article.
LEADERSHIP TRAINING?
You guessed it! The reason the section heading has a question mark is because that is the answer I sometimes receive back when I ask church leaders about leadership training in their church. Do a Google search of leadership training or church leadership training and you will find a plethora of links to good materials and programs. Why then do so few churches have ongoing training for leaders? Of course they have leadership training…for Bible study and Sunday school teachers, but what about ongoing leadership training for deacons/elders, teams, committees, and church councils? As discussed in previous articles in the series, some of the issues raised at deacon/elder and church council meetings may not 1) be within the authority of the group discussing the issues, and/or 2) may not be related to the direct tasking of the group. I have found that when deacons and elders who are responsible for assisting the pastor with spiritual issues of the church discuss other things, it is because they lack spiritual maturity and depth. When support ministry groups, committees, and teams deal with things outside of their tasking, it is usually because of poor management of the meeting. Each of these is related to leadership training or the lack thereof.
When leaders and the teams they lead act outside of their tasking, it is because of either they have their own agenda or they lack leadership training—both scenarios are dangerous to the organization.
LEADERSHIP TRAINING IS DISCIPLESHIP
Let’s face it—nobody ever “arrives” to the point where they cannot benefit from leadership training. However, as with discipleship, many churches have neglected to train their leaders. Leadership training is an ongoing process rather than an occasional event or program. In fact, leadership training IS discipleship though it is neglected by many churches. Consider that as Jesus was with his disciples especially following the resurrection, one might say that he had switched from discipleship training to leadership training. They had a new and deeper perspective of Jesus Christ after his death, burial, and resurrection. They possessed a deeper connection to Jesus Christ and his mission. By this point they were more open to Jesus’ teaching than pursuing their own agendas.
Jesus spent his last days and weeks on earth training his disciples to be the leaders of the first churches.
LEADERSHIP TRAINING SHOULD BE REQUIRED
In two of the three churches I have served there have been leaders who challenged me as the church leader and it was clear that they had their own hidden agendas and personal issues. The Lord minimized damage to the churches involved and I learned more about myself and about caring for people. It was important for me to remember that 1) the Lord loved them, 2) they had not been trained in Christian leadership, and 3) they both had underlying spiritual immaturity issues. Leadership training is now a large part of my ministry.
It is often up to the pastor as to whether leadership training will be required or at least strongly encouraged.
A Leadership Training Model
I use a combination of three materials I have researched and used with good success for leadership training:
- Lead Like Jesus by Ken Blanchard and Ken Hodges
- Leading Congregational Change by Jim Herrington, Mike Bonem, and James H. Furr
- Simple Discipleship by me; chapter seven offers an in depth discussion of the leadership training process.
Implementing leadership training is about growing disciples to maturity so that they become great leaders. Discipling all church members will go far to change the church culture but developing leaders will solidify the culture change and stabilize a congregation.
QUESTIONS FOR THOUGHT…
Other than for Bible study leaders, what ongoing training is done in your church for leaders? Mandating anything for volunteers may meet resistance, so how would you achieve full participation in leadership training? What materials do you use and recommend for ongoing leadership training?
Other Helpful resources:
Good to Great by Jim Collins
Good to Great and the Social Sectors by Jim Collins
Simple Discipleship by Tom Cocklereece
Church Administration by Robert H. Welch
The Church Organization Manual: Policies and Procedures for the Local Church by Robert H. Welch
Simple Discipleship: How to Make Disciples in the 21st Century was published and released by Church Smart Resources in November 2009. It is not a self-published book. To learn more about Simple Discipleship and to order the book, follow the link below:
http://www.simplediscipleship.com
Series Links:
- Intro- Improving Your Church’s Culture- Introduction
- 1- Governing Documents
- 2- Branding and Community Identity
- 3- Personnel and Volunteer Selection
- 4- Explicit and Implicit Policies
- 5- Official and Tacit Influencers
- 6- Schedules and Calendars
- 7- Programs, Silos, and Turf Mentality vs Collaboration and Empowerment
- 8- Confining Mental Models
- 9- Procedural Practices
- 10- Buildings, Facilities, Property and How They are Managed
Simple Discipleship Blessings!
Dr. Tom Cocklereece
