A Biblical model for recruiting,
training and deploying potential leaders for ministry.
Before
the Anaheim Vineyard started, when I was a consultant to churches around
America, one of the most common questions I would get from pastors was “How do
you identify potential lay leaders?” Over a number of years, I had trained
pastors in five western states on how to identify, recruit, and deploy leaders
for small groups. So I wrote up a list of things I looked for in potential
leaders.
I
occasionally dust off that list and use it to encourage pastors as the primary
ministry recruiters in their churches. Imagine you’re sitting down with a
couple in your church who would like to work in some crucial area of the
ministry. You recognize leadership potential in their lives. Nevertheless, to
avoid being “…hasty in the laying on of hands…” (1 Tim. 5:22a), I suggest
keeping the following “shopping list” of leadership values in mind.
This
isn’t a fail-safe method. Even with these criteria, I’ve managed to select
poorly at times. These values and principles have served us well over the
years, both for managing professional staff, and mobilizing and recruiting
volunteers from the congregation. I believe they can serve you as well.
We
conceive in our philosophy, leadership not as a position, a title, power,
authority, respect, or privilege…but an obligation to service and
self-sacrifice. There’s a difference between structural authority (in which one
has all the aforementioned) and spiritual authority based on attitude,
character, gifting and anointing.
Without
agreement here, you’ve got a problem from the outset. I’m not talking about
false humility and putting yourself down. I’m talking about a willingness to
render unassuming service. That’s what Jesus called for in Luke 17 when he told
the story of the servant who went out into the field and came in that night.
All he had done at the end of the day was to render humble service. All any of
us will have done by the end of the day is render humble service. It doesn’t
matter whether you have to plow five hundred acres or one that day; you’ve just
rendered humble service. You’re the Master’s and the Master can employ you any
way he desires.
Some
people equate leadership with position. The apostles had a little to learn
about this business of humble service.
And
they said to him, “Grant that we may sit in Your glory, one on your right, and
one on Your left..” And calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, “You know
that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and
their great men exercise authority over them. But it is not so among you, but
whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant and whoever
wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did
not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for
many.” (Mark 10:37, 42-45)
The
disciples were already grousing over who was going to get the best spot. They
were looking for rewards. I don’t care if you are recruiting a drummer, an
usher or a nursery worker….if he or she doesn’t understand that we humbly
render our service to the Lord, then they’ll constantly look for rewards.
As a
leader, you can certainly show appreciation in some appropriate way to those
who are serving. Paul instructed the church in Philippi to welcome Epaphroditus
”and honor men like him, because he almost died for the work of Christ” (Phil.
2:29b-30a). But ultimately the servant must satisfy himself in Jesus, and the
opportunity to serve him.
Along
with people who provide humble service, you want to look for those who
understand that service continually requires unction and anointing by the Spirit.
But
select from among you, brethren, seven men of good reputation, full of the
Spirit, and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task…"and they
chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 6:3,5)
In our book Power Points Kevin Springer and I tried to clarify the different ways Luke uses the concept of “filling,” “filled,” and “being full.” Luke employs three Greek words for filling, and they all give a slightly different twist to its meaning.
Acts
6:5 describes filling more like a character quality or disposition in which a
person is habitually controlled by God’s Spirit. Stephen was full [pleres] of
faith and the Holy Spirit (see also Luke 4:1; 11:24). In the Acts 6 passage
above, to the “full of the Holy Spirit” is synonymous with possessing mature
character.
It
doesn’t really matter whether you are parking cars, changing diapers, or
teaching 4th grade Sunday School, its all about the same stuff and
at the end of the day we get the same pay for it. (Cf. Matt. 20:1-16).
We’re
looking also for people who through exposure to and intimacy with the leader
respond in loyalty. For years I had people approach me and say, “I don’t feel
called to the movement. I feel called to you.” I now know this is a bad sign.
Usually it meant they had little consideration for their peers, and sometimes
held their peers in disdain. What they were looking for was some kind of
privileged place next to me. When I look back over the years, some of the
recruits who have been the most unfruitful have approached me with that kind of
language. So now, that rings a big alarm when I hear it. I respond “Man you’re
called to the wrong person. It’s Jesus we’re serving around here. You ought to
go serve him for a while.
Yes, I
want loyalty, but at this point in my life, I’m trying to carefully take the
tentacles off me and put them on the Lord. I see this as essential if there’s
going to be a Vineyard after John Wimber.
And
He appointed twelve designing them apostles that they might be with him and
that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to cast out demons.
(Mark 3:14-15)
Notice
the phrase, “that they might be with him.” You’re called to Jesus. Jesus was,
and is, the only disciple-maker. We make disciples in the sense that we work
with the people who are being called to be his disciples. But the ultimate
loyalty and commitment belongs to him.
That
doesn’t impugn an appropriate consideration and loyalty to the “family” that
they’ve been united with. But there ought to be a balance. I’m not looking for
people who are looking over their shoulder, or looking at this church as a
stepping-stone. “Let me sit under your ministry for a few years because I’m
going to go do thus and so.” I don’t have any problem with training someone short-term
that is on his way to do something. But I want to make sure he’s not using us
in the process. I want some assurance they really are a part of the family.
Then we can happily send them out as a family.
Loyalty
doesn’t mean a person can’t speak his or her mind from time to time. Anyone who
knows my wife Carol and me, knows that Carol speakers her mind; but at the same
time she’s a submissive wife. I believe loyalty expresses itself in speaking
one’s mind. And then at the point that you’ve spoken your mind, being willing
to continue to walk in the situation even though you don’t agree.
At
a very pivotal point years ago in our engagement with the prophetic ministers,
John McClure wrote me a rather lengthy letter, and came and confronted me on
three different occasions regarding his concerns. His loyalty compelled him to
wave a flag of warning. As far as I know, he never shared that with any other
human being other than possibly his wife, Margie. That’s loyalty! He was
working with me, but he was pointing out some problems, and he was right to do
so.
So
we’re not looking for automatons, or people who always seem to agree, but those
are inwardly seething with resentment, or talk behind your back. That’s
disloyalty. People who wont stand up and be counted, how can you work with
that? We all need a few people who can say, “I love you; I think your wrong in
this area; here are my reasons why.”
Loyalty
isn’t tested by agreement or disagreements. But it can be reinforced by
willingness to let things lie until such a time as they can be dealt with. I
don’t require people who work with me to sign or verbalize a “loyalty oath.”
I’ve never said to a colleague: “I want you to be loyal to me.” Rather I
encourage people many times to be loyal to one another, because that’s a vital
Christian characteristic.
This
implies the ability to resist being bribed or bought. It doesn’t always relate
to money. It comes sometimes with visibility, opportunity. I’ve seen some guys
leave one staff and go to another simply for a more prominent position. And it
never produces much in the realm of the Spirit; it usually was disastrous for
everybody.
So
look for people who really have the same heart for what you’re doing that you
have. “Furthermore, you shall select from all the people able men who fear God,
men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain…” (Exod. 18:21). Ministry should be
given away….but you don’t give it away to anyone.
Years
ago, I had a staff member who, in the process of coming to me, cut some corners
with the people he was working with. I confronted him about it. He said he had
taken care of it. Later I found out from the people that he hadn’t. Before the
long pattern started showing in everything he did around us. Cutting corners
had become a way of life. I realized he was gifted, but corrupted in an area of
his character, so we had to confront him again. He didn’t respond well, so we
had to let him go. It became painfully clear I couldn’t entrust anything in the
way of ministry responsibility to him.
Now
it’s different for a parking lot attendant as opposed to an associate pastor,
but the value is valid at any level. As a fisher of men, you want a net made up
of people who are trustworthy, so the unsaved are caught in something healthy,
whole, and righteous.
When
recruiting people for the more weighty positions of leadership, look for those
who are capable, and respected, mature in the faith, and with proven ministry
ability.
An
overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate
hospitable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to sine or pugnacious, but
gentle, uncontentious, free from the love of money. He must be one who manages
his own household well, keeping his children under control with dignity…not a
new convert. And he must have a good reputation with those outside the
church…(1Tim. 3:2-7).
I see this passage as prescriptive, as opposed too descriptive. Most of us fail I some way at some way at some of these points. But we’re all working toward this standard. We’re all playing with the same rulebook. We’re all measuring ourselves against what Scripture calls us to be.
Someone
once told me, “I don’t trust leaders who don’t walk with a limp.” Give me a
leader who has wrestled with God, and been shown the limitations in his
character or make-up.
“Let
not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall
incur a stricter judgment.” (Jas. 3:1). That applies to teachers because of the
multiplication of influence through teaching. But it’s valid wherever one
ministers, or whatever he does. There ought to be standards, with penalties
extracted when you don’t live by those standards.
Many
times I’ve seen guys wearing themselves out to get their church off the ground,
and at the same time, they undermine their ministry week after week by the way
they treat their wives, handle their money, or brag over things that have gone
on in the church. Someone coming along side with a fatherly hug and saying, “Have
you thought about this?” can help. Pointing out connections between lack of
success and lifestyle issues, if done lovingly, can help greatly.
1
Peter 3:7 makes a connection between the effectiveness of our prayers, and the
way we treat our wives. Ministries can be undermined, and the confidence of the
people eroded if we are not functioning well in our household, and rearing our
children. That doesn’t mean we have unbroken success. All of us have had some
tough moments-or even years- with our kids. But the issue in the 1 Timothy 3
text above is that we are trying. We are not ignoring or running away from the
problem. We’re dealing with it the best we know how.
But
we’ve been called to build a body of people, and we need accountable people and
people who are willing to accept reproof. Many folks come to me and say,
“You’re my pastor.” And I would say a great comeback to that is “We’ll see if
I’m your pastor the first time I have to say ‘no’.” People say, “I’m with you!”
Then I have to correct them, and I find they’re not with me. They were with me
as long as I never crossed their path with any correction.
People
who willingly accept reproof are people who can be built together in a body.
You get 40 people together like that in a church, and you can take care of 500
people comfortably. You have this inner core of team players that want to do
this thing together.
He
said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” …And he said
to Him, “lord, You know all things; You know that I love you.” Jesus said to
him, “Tend my sheep.” (John 21:17).
Peter had avoided the crucible of identifying with Christ by denying him three times. Now the resurrected Jesus probes the very core of Peter’s motivations. Before Jesus was going to turn the keys to the kingdom over to this impetuous Galilean fisherman, he wanted to fortify him with the essential motive; if you really love me, then tend my sheep. Love my people.
There’s
a terrible price to be paid for such a commitment. It cost Peter and the rest
of the Apostles their lives. Vineyard leaders have paid an awful price for the
privilege of tending the sheep. I’ve spoken elsewhere about spiritual warfare
dynamic of attack and counter-attack. This past year has been a grim reminder
of that reality, but by God’s grace we’re still here. And as a movement we’re a
stronger, tougher crew as a result of the fiery trials that have come our way,
especially since we rededicated ourselves to evangelism, church planting, and
missions.
Years
ago I consulted with a young man (not in the Vineyard) during a conference in
the Midwest. He has been an evangelist in a certain denomination for several
years, and had wearied of that, and wanted to pastor. His denominational leader
had said to him, “Why don’t you go up to this community here. We have a little
church that hasn’t done too well. Go up there and see what you can get stirred
up, and if you do well, then I’ll give you a more choice position later on in a
bigger church.”
We
met at a restaurant and he brashly told me what he was going to do. He wanted
my advice on how to “jump start” the church.
I
said, “I can’t do that.”
“Why”
“Because
there’s no integrity in what you’re doing. You’re going up to that little
community like a gigolo, pretending you love this part of the bride of Christ.
You’re going to have intercourse with her in hopes of having children, but you
have no intention of raising them. No intention of loving, protecting, or
caring for her. You just want to have a few babies with her so you can get a
chance to have some other babies somewhere else. I can’t bless that, and I
don’t want any part of what you’re about to do.”
This
really angered him. He swore at me, then got up and left. He called me at my
hotel around eleven o’clock that night. “I’m sorry I swore, but you made me
really angry.” “It was calculated to do that. I was trying to show you the
bottom line.”
“Well,
you’re right. That’s exactly what my motivation for going there. And that’s
exactly what I was told to do. Who was wrong here? Me or my supervisor?”
“I
don’t know about your supervisor, but you were the one who was going to do it.
So you have to take responsibility.”
“Well,
I talked to my wife, and we both agreed that if we cant go there with the
intention of staying there permanently, I’m not going to take the assignment.”
“If
you do that,” I said, “there’ll be integrity, and ill be glad to help you out.”
There’s
got be some integrity and sincerity in all this. We just can’t do something to
advance our career, or position. We need to recruit people who love God’s
people. I know its always a love-hate things, but if you don’t love the church
most of the time, get out of the ministry. Let’s raise up people who love the
church. That’s true with your team in the church. If they don’t love the church
why do they want a position other than to make something out of it, or use it?
You don’t want to give position to someone who doesn’t love the church.
Look
for willingness to be a “team player” and to help ones co-workers succeed.
“Do
nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each
of you regard one another as more important that himself; do not merely look
out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
(Phil. 2:3-4).
That doesn’t mean that we live constantly in touch with this feeling, but whenever the issue presents itself, we defer to that. This attitude manifests it in ministry situations by praying not only for my portion of the work, but also praying for other areas of the ministry. We will be confronted with our own selfishness in this arena, but when you see that, like anything else in the way of sin, you just confess it (“Oh God, I’ve let up on this again…Forgive me.”)
If the wife resents the guy being the Sunday School leader of director or taking over all the house groups, and being out a couple of nights a week extra because of that, you’re in trouble. If you’re going to ask someone to give a ten-hour a week commitment on top of going to church and all the other things they have to do, you better sit down with both of them, and find out. And if she doesn’t say it with her mouth, she’ll say it with her body whether she’s happy or not. So watch what’s going on when you’re talking. Sometimes they’ll work together. Sometimes the roles are reversed. You don’t want a husband either who is dragging his feet while the wife is getting more involved.
Conclusion
If these values I’ve listed are shared, taught and rigorously adhered to, over a period of time it will build a culture of commitment among your lay leaders. I would hold scrupulously to these values in recruiting whether I had 50 people in my church or 500. In fact, when you’re building a church from the bottom up, it’s even more important to set these values in place at the beginning, and make them intrinsic in everything you do.
Several months before Germany surrendered to the Allies Franklin Roosevelt had expressed hopes that the Yalta conference would not last more than five to six days. Sir Winston Churchill had a more patient outlook: “I do not see any way of realizing our hopes about world organization in five or six days. Even the Almighty took seven.” Take your time, and listen to the Spirit as you recruit and deploy leaders. There’s no hurry when you’re building something lasting.