Just because you’re a leader, doesn’t mean you need to dominate everything. In fact, good leaders are bold enough to step aside and let others take control. They do not abdicate their God-given role of leader. Instead, they lead by allowing others to accept greater responsibility. Leaders sometimes need to give up center stage.
Are churches prepared to accept all kinds of help and participation? Are we poised to use various types of personalities, dispositions, and temperaments in ministry contexts? If the church really is a collection of people characterized by unity and love, is it possible to use even the misfit-types in ministry?
Oceans of ink have been spilled on the subject of “finding God’s will.” Christian seminars and elective Sunday School classes on “Discovering God’s Will” are usually packed out. The theme of discovering God’s will is a hot topic indeed. Although the process of “finding God’s will” has often been described in six-steps (or twenty) and requires a lot of discussion, there is a simplicity to it all. God’s will is revealed in the Bible. One of the clearest statements of God’s will instructs us to do something that may, at first glance, be surprising.
In thousands of churches all across the world, worship leaders take center stage on Sunday morning. From the orchestra-conducting arm-waving song leaders, to the skinny-jean wearing, Christian tattoo-emblazoned guitarists, worship leaders take a variety of forms. The purpose is the same — to lead in worship. Here is some thoughtful advice for worship leaders.
Let’s get one thing straight. Complacency is a killer. That smug sense of satisfaction, the settled sense of security with the status quo — this complacency — is a really bad deal. A.W. Tozer said, “Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth.” He’s right. How do you know that this killer has crept into your ministry?
You’ve probably heard the quote by William Carey, “Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God.” Are Christians really doing “great things” though? Are we actually attempting massive undertakings and big kingdom efforts? It seems not. Many Christians are living the risk-free, safety-zone life, bunker-mentality life — refusing to reach out in courage and boldness do greater things. Why?
Leaders are called to be out in front. One mark of a true leader is that he or she accepts this fact. There are some would-be leaders who crave being out in front for the attention that they will receive. That’s not leadership. That’s pride. True leaders understand that being out in front is a scary, vulnerable, and difficult place. Nonetheless, being out in front is the only way to really lead. There are four realities that you’ll face as a leader out in front.
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We spoke with Dodd Caldwell, the president of Rice Bowls, an innovative mission that helps to feed orphaned children around the world. Dodd knows what it means to lead an organization with integrity, and to mobilize change in the world today. We put some tough leadership questions to Dodd, and profited from his authentic and instructive feedback.
Too often, leaders hold high expectations — both for themselves and for those around them. Expectations that are set too high often lead to disappointment and frustration. This kind of friction is never healthy for an organization or for the leader. Sometimes, leaders need to lower their expectations.
