Ministry Leadership Training & Resources

Online Training

• Leadership Ministry
    Overview
    Types of Leaders
    Leadership Resources
    Factors to Consider:
      God's Calling
      Leadership Capacities
      Leadership Challenges
      Effect on Church Culture
      Critique of Leaders' Success
   
  
• Body Life
• Christian Education
• Church Purpose
• Finding Your Best Fit in Ministry
• Helping Ministry
• Outreach Ministry
• Prayer Ministry
• Shepherding Ministry
• Spiritual Gifts
• Staffing Ministry
• Teaching Ministry
• Worship Ministry
   
  

Bible Curriculum
Devotionals
Discussion Guides
Teacher Training
Specials
 

Children's Ministry
Church Life
Equipping Resources
Ministry Ideas
Seasonal / Holiday Resources
Teacher Training
 

Directories of Our Affiliate Stores to Help You Find What You Need:
	Books, Bibles, Music, DVD's
	Church Supplies
	Novelties, Crafts, Gifts, More

Did you benefit from this site?   Praise God! Here are tools to inform your church or ministry. Or, simply Tell a Friend.

Leaders need to measure themselves against the right criteria. Evaluate against God's standards, not worldly or carnal definitions of success.

Performance

• Demonstrated by: perfectionism, lots of activity, "big" projects/programs
• At its core: insecurity, fear of failure, need to feel good about self

Strategic purposefulness

the greatest purpose being to love (Matt. 22:36-40)

Matt. 9:13; 12:7; Mk. 12:33

Politics

• Demonstrated by: manipulation and flattery for personal gain for self or your area of ministry
• At its core: greed, selfish ambition

Speaking the truth in love

integrity (Eph. 4:14-15)

Phil. 2:3-4; 1 Thess. 2:5

Popularity

• Demonstrated by: people-pleasing, using your charisma or influence to woo people to your side
• At its core: ego, fear of rejection, need for approval

Selflessness

rather than drawing people to yourself, you point them to the Lord who is the Chief Shepherd, the King of kings, the Lord of lords

1 Thess. 2:6

Possession

• Demonstrated by: terminology like this is "my church," "my ministry;" a sense of ownership
• At its core: entitlement

Stewardship

realization that you are merely managing God's resources, coaching His people, being a facilitator

Eph. 4:15; Matt. 25:14-30

Power

• Demonstrated by: unilateral decisions, throwing around your authority
• At its core: need for control

Shared leadership

empower others, delegate responsibility, model the way to do things (1 Tim. 4:12)

Matt. 20:25-28

Professionalism

• Demonstrated by: organizational and institutional titles and positions requiring highly educated or experienced people to fill them
• At its core: self-sufficiency, need for feeling of worth

Secure in the Lord

successful through God's power and wisdom

1 Cor. 1:20-31

Prominence

• Demonstrated by: hierarchical structure, importance of position
• At its core: pride, need for recognition

Servanthood

humility, submission, and sacrifice(Phil. 2:5-8)

Matt. 18:1-4; 20:25-28

Because of the type of leader they are, different leaders will tend to ask themselves different questions when critiquing their leadership success. If not careful, the questions they ask could take them into a more worldly or carnal measurement.
 

Visionary Leaders:

Tend to Ask: Did people come on board?
 
Caution: could take them into a need for prominence (position, influence) or politics to make it happen
 
Alternative Question: Did it advance the cause of Christ?

This question shows the recognition that it is His church, not the leader's. The leader is a steward. This question places importance on God's agenda and cause. The leader is a servant. This question cares about God's ways and means. The leader knows the importance of speaking the truth in love.
 
 

Administrative Leaders:

Tend to Ask: Did it work?
 
Caution: could cause them to take performance too far using only a pragmatic objective and failing to acknowledge the spiritual dimension
 
Alternative Question: Did it conform to the Lord and His ways, resultantly bringing glory to Him?

This question acknowledges that the end does not justify the means and that doing for the sake of doing is meaningless. The leader strategically purposes what and how tasks are accomplished.
 
 

Shepherding Leaders:

Tend to Ask: How do people feel about it?
 
Caution: could grow into a people-pleasing mentality and a need for popularity
 
Alternate Question: Did people change and mature, becoming more Christ-like?

This question stresses that God's desires for people are more important than how they feel about the leader. The leader becomes selfless, like John the Baptist who said "He must become greater; I must become less" (Jn. 3:30).
 

Interested in a Print Version?