The church is about people—their relationship to God and to one another. God’s ministry is accomplished through people, and the Bible says that all Believers are the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27). A leader who is responsible for others must therefore develop them to their full potential. This is true of any leader, whether in business or any other organization. In the church we call this discipleship, and a leader must help his or her followers to fulfill God’s purpose for their lives But it is also practical ministry management. The Church leader has 3 main responsibilities with respect to developing people. First, their primary purpose is to make disciples. This is the Great Commission and the sole purpose of the church. Second, the church leader must train and equip others for ministry. All Believers are ministers for Christ. I like the way Paul says it when he says that “we are therefore Christ’s ambassadors” (2 Cor. 5:20). As ambassadors we are all representatives for Jesus Christ to the non-believing world. We are all called to be ministers of the gospel. No one gets a free pass on this one. And third, church leaders are to develop other leaders. In order for the church to grow or multiply, more leaders are needed. Pastors cannot do all of the ministry work themselves, nor should they. Church leaders should also be concerned about the future and should always be developing others to take their place. The Apostle Paul’s development of Timothy is a great example of this. Being an effective developer of people is key for any church leader.
Last year I attended Catalyst, and it was phmnoeenal! There was a lot of philosophical and practical information to help develop me personally and help me lead those around me. As with any conference, the key is the ability to process, filter, and contextualize. I hope more people post!