We ask others to participate ministry training but so often as leaders fail to avail ourselves of sufficient training opportunities. Yet, we too need to keep growing. Whether in our walk with God, or ministries, we need to believe the words of the Apostle Paul about ourselves:
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. (Phil. 3:12)
How can we help others keep growing if we’ve stopped growing? Jesus said, “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master” (Matt. 10:24). Someone who stops growing soon has little to offer those he/she leads.
Personal Training Needed But Also Training Together as a Leadership Team
While some of our training as leaders will happen on a personal level, some should also be done together with our leadership team. That could include attending a leadership conference together, reading and discussing a book, watching a video presentation, along with other possibilities. It could also include a brief training segment at regular staff or board meetings.
Leadership needs to be on the same page regarding the ultimate purpose and basic philosophy of ministry and how best to implement that approach in their ministries. This takes coming together to learn and grow as a ministry team. When leaders each have their own agendas and don’t come under a broad umbrella, it can be confusing for the remainder of the Body if there’s a discrepancy between what they’re learning and seeing around them.
Training that Begins with Leadership Sets an Example for Others
Success in convincing others of the importance for ministry training will likely increase the more they see a hunger for continued growth in their leaders. Whether attending training events, reading books, or online training, let people see and hear your excitement in learning something new or being reminded of key truths.
- Request prayer for your leadership team when engaging in training.
- Take time to share short snippets of what you’ve learned from the pulpit, in staff meetings, on social media, newsletters, or one-on-one with others.
- Pass on links to online articles, titles of books, etc., prefacing it with how you learned from it and thought it might be helpful to them.
If you’ve learned from the Ministry Tools Resource Center, you can pass it on using the tools at this link: Helps for Informing Others
Bottom line: To learn from your example, people need to be aware of what you do. They won’t know if you don’t share it in some way.
For Some Leadership Training:
Leadership Section on MinTools.com
TrainChurchLeaders.com
Additional Resource for Church Leaders