Leadership

Recent Article Shows Just How Important Christian Leadership Training Is

October 31, 2013

Learning how to correctly manage complicated spiritual situations isn’t an inherent skill. In many cases, it takes Christian leadership training to meet the needs of children, teens and adults. According to a recent article published by the Barna Research Group, “More than half of Christians in this country identify themselves as leaders (58 percent).” Before you celebrate however, the article goes on to say that 82 percent believe that the U.S. is currently facing a leadership crisis. So what does this communicate?

One probable truth is that many people feel “called” to lead but not as many actually participate in ministry. Could Christian leadership training make a difference? The answer is a resounding “Yes!” Here are a few reasons why you should consider offering your leaders and potential leaders training.

You’ll help define the role of leadership. Many mistakes occur when leaders don’t understand their roles and limitations. With training, leaders will better understand how the many ministries of the church work together to fulfill the vision and mission.

Leadership development offers leader personality assessments. Ever wonder why some people feel the need to take the lead while others prefer hovering in the background? It’s all about personality styles! With training, pastors, teachers and leaders will better understand their personal leadership style and how to relate to other leaders, regardless of style.

Infuse biblical principles into leadership. Serving in leadership at church is quite different than leadership in business. As leaders, teams should be able to meet the challenges of ministry in a manner that reflects positively on the church and Christ. The focus should remain on servanthood.

Build the team’s confidence with leadership training. It all boils down to having the confidence to serve. You can help your team stand firm, even during challenging situations with good coaching.

Keeping the focus on Christ

For those who are blessed to have natural leadership skills it’s important to take extra care to guard your heart. A gentle reminder can be good for us occasionally and can keep us from encountering unnecessary struggles down the road. While leadership training should include ways to develop and grow, the very core of any Christian leadership training should be Christ focused. It’s easy to get so focused on pushing forward to accomplish our immediate tasks that we become distracted from our true center.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

When it is time to launch a new leadership training program for your organization, always take time to seek God and pray for guidance. As you pray, you will remember to focus on His vision for the future and take care to submit to His authority. It was not unusual in the Bible for God to choose the most unlikely people as leaders. David, Moses, and Joseph were not who we would typically choose to lead. However, the leaders God chose in the Bible had one thing in common. They had a passion to serve God, and a humility that allowed them to submit to His leadership.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight” Proverbs 3:5-6

Remembering that it does not take our strength to reach the goal will help us accomplish more in the long run. Whether you are a new leader or have been leading well for years, a good leadership training program will help you focus on what is important and is a valuable resource for any organization.