Leadership_Development_Draft.docx.pdf

Leadership Development Strategy

Ministry Praxis Capstone – RLGN489

By: Christy Long – L25913602

April 30, 2018

Presented to:

Dr. Floyd S. Elmore, Th.D. – Liberty University

Introduction

Youth Ministry is the heart of the church. The teens of today are the church of tomorrow.

Investing in their spiritual development is a top priority in today’s very secular culture. Training

and equipping leaders to answer this call to lead is a high calling. Most importantly leaders need

fully cleared by the Senior Pastor and Elder board and also have a list of references. Although

Jesus came for the sick and lame, the worst of the worst, and not the healthy physicians so to

speak, we must make sure that the safety of our children is top priority. However, those who

have a criminal background but have been “made new” in Christ also deserve a chance to serve

and we cannot hold their past against them. If a situation like that arises, it is on a case by case

situation and would have to be determined individually. But that brother and sister in Christ

have been redeemed by the same blood we have been redeemed by and have purpose in the

kingdom. Wise words from our brother Paul:

opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is

Philosophy of Leadership

Great leaders are those who are great teachers. Jesus was the greatest teacher of all and

our example for great leadership. Jesus taught and trained His disciples and then gave the

assignment of the Great Commission before He ascended into heaven. Jesus told his disciples,

Jesus made the first generation of Christian leaders, we too must multiply the church through

teaching the Word of God. The disciples were passionate and dedicated leaders in the early

church. Even being martyred for their faith. It was not politically correct or culturally popular at

the time when Peter and the disciples appeared on the scene.

great leaders and spread Christianity throughout the world. The teaching of the Word of God

through generations is imperative to the command in Matthew 28. The fear in our church today

is that we have lost the fire our founding church brothers and we need to train up leaders as Jesus

The church is at risk. What began so powerfully as a movement has all too often become

just an organization. Its leaders have become caretakers of yesterday’s gains who

surrender the future to movements both good and bad. Here is the fundamental problem.

Once the elders of the church, teachers by calling, become chief executive officers rather

than teachers, the church is relegated to organizational status. Likewise, when elders

simply embrace the culture and its leadership trends, they are set adrift in the cultural

currents and lose their ability to speak the Word of God with clarity and authority. The

church should be dynamic, cutting-edge, and life-changing in its impact. But this happens

only when church leaders teach the Word of God in a relevant manner while retaining a

firm commitment to the biblical text and biblical authority. (pg.11)1

Description of Ministry

Servant Leadership is what we are called for as Christians. We have been chosen and

foreknown by God and we must follow the leadership example of His Son, Jesus Christ. Christ

reminds us, “You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit,

so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for using my name.” (John 15:16) Jesus made

the first choice to love us and die for us. The most sacrificial love there ever was or will be. In

ministry we must apply this first and foremost. Seeking God’s will and direction for our ministry

will shape and define us as leaders and also our ministries. For the purpose of this paper we will

focus on Youth ministry. Our youth are precious in the sight of our Lord. Although the term,

1 Bredfeldt, Gary J. Great Leader Great Teacher: Recovering the Biblical Vision for Leadership,

“Youth Pastor” is not biblically recorded, the Lord delights in our youth. The Lord is counting

on us to train them up as they should go. Psalm 71:5 says, “For you have been my hope

Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth.” And 1 Timothy 4:12 Paul tells Timothy,

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers

in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” Paul was training up the youth and so

who show interest and leadership qualities. The average youth group that you find in today’s

church culture is usually tailored to meet the spiritual needs of middle school and high school

students. This would be grades 6th through 12th. Averaging anywhere from thirty kids to larger

youth groups with over one hundred kids. When the youth gather, the first hour should be an ice-

breaker game or sports and snacks to get to know one another. The entire youth group gathers

together for fellowship, worship and fun. The kids must be then grouped in the same age

brackets to cover relevant topics. For example, grades 6th through 8th can break out into smaller

groups and study and learn topics on apologetics. Whereas, High Schools students, 9th through

12th could cover more serious topics such as fornication or pre-marital sex, the setting matters

and the groups matter. The average youth group will need at least six to eight leaders. The youth

future spiritual leaders who are mature and grow in their faith to be leaders of their own future

ministries. Multiplying leaders is our goal.

we must multiply the multipliers.” (Earley & Gutierrez, Ministry Is, 2010, pg.276)2

The art of recruiting, training and developing leaders in ministry is one that is an ongoing

learning process. We must never become complacent with how we are leading people. We must

also never get prideful and think we have all of the answers. The leaders under us will have

great ideas and wise advice, we must be open to that. The model that works best for most

ministries is that created by Dr. Dave Earley. Dr. Earley has created a simple, yet effective way

to develop and multiply leaders. His four stage process is: model it, mentor it, motivate it and

multiply it.3 The first step in the process, model it, is to have them watch you as you are leading.

and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them,

because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a Shepard.”

2 Earley, D. & Gutierrez, B., Ministry Is..How to serve Jesus with Passion and Confidence, (Nashville: B&H

Publishing Group, 2010) pg. 276

Like Jesus our hearts should have compassionate and we should be modeling love as our

behavior in all we do. Vukich & Vandegriff conclude in regards to youth leaders:

encouragement and reinforcement and being there to answer questions if the leader seems to

need help. After the kids leave, offer feedback and positive encouragement. Jesus demonstrated

this in Matthew 10:1 when he gave his disciple’s authority to heal sickness and cast out demons.

Matthew 10:1 records, “Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive

out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.” Again, Jesus must be our example.

Thirdly, we must be motivating as leaders. If as the head youth pastor, we come in down

cast and negative, the vibe will follow. With teens this will be detected instantly and it will be

detrimental to the entire time. Make sure that we are motivating our leaders through our attitude

and desires. Then we allow them to take on the group on their own with excitement and passion.

God has chosen these leaders well before they entered the doors of our church. We must equip

them and motivate them for their calling. Galatians 1:15 says, “But even before I was born, God

chose me and called me by his marvelous grace.” We must instill this truth into our leaders.

Finally we multiply. By the forth step our leaders are well equipped and trained and are

off and running. Now is their chance to identify young shepherds and start training them up.

Just as Peter and the disciples had multiplied the disciples to over 5,000 before Paul enters the

scene.

youth pastor, meeting weekly with one leader individually will help them feel more connected

and valued for their own ministry style. When you invest your time into your leaders, that

energy is spread to the teens they are leading and the passion will radiate and stimulate the

multiplying process. Yearly outreaches and retreats will help all leaders bond and connect.

Invest time in having your leaders start their own home bible study where they can invite student

and connect in a non-church setting. Most teenagers in youth group are looking for guidance and

love. We must project love and keep them wanting to come back week after week.

Conclusion

The most important part of the development of leaders and ourselves is to always have a pure

heart. We must model and live what we preach and teach. If our hearts are not right, then

Pastor Paul David Tripp reminds us, “The bottom line is the great internal war of

ministry. You are called to be a public and influential ambassador of a glorious King, but you

must resist the desire to be king. You are called to trumpet God’s glory, but you must never take

that glory for yourself. You are called to a position of leadership, influence and prominence, but

in that position you are called to “humble yourself under the mighty hand of God.” (Dangerous