basics of church leadership management part 1
DESCRIPTION
This study is written specifically for those who feel incompetent to do Bible College, or in their current church leadership engagement because they haven't done any pre-requisite preparation. If you're in this category, please worry not for this study is design to meet your need at your level. This is part 01 and will prepare you to continue on to part 02.TRANSCRIPT
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 2 of 68
TABLE OF CONTENT
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................................................................ 3
INTRODUCTION TO LEADERSHIP ......................................................................................................................... 4
LET US DEFINE THE TERM LEADERSHIP. .............................................................................................................................. 4 THE CHRISTIAN LEADER ......................................................................................................................................................... 6 THE EXCUSES OF A LEADER ..................................................................................................................................................... 8 GROUP EXERCISE ....................................................................................................................................................... 14
LEADERSHIP IS INFLUENCE ................................................................................................................................. 16
INFLUENCING TRUTHS ......................................................................................................................................................... 17 LEADERSHIP LEVELS ............................................................................................................................................................ 18 NEEDED QUALITIES FOR SUCCESS AT EACH LEVEL ..................................................................................................................... 23 ARE LEADERS BORN? ..................................................................................................................................................... 25 GROUP EXERCISE ....................................................................................................................................................... 26
THE THREE LEGGED STOOL OF LEADERSHIP ................................................................................................... 27
LEADERSHIP COMPARISON ................................................................................................................................................... 27 IMPORTANT LEADERSHIP CHARACTERS ................................................................................................................................... 30 RESPONSIBILITY & DELEGATION ............................................................................................................................................ 32
LEADING A CELL GROUP ...................................................................................................................................... 35
WHAT IS A CELL GROUP? ..................................................................................................................................................... 35 GROUP DYNAMICS ............................................................................................................................................................. 36 STARTING WELL ................................................................................................................................................................. 37 GROUP MEMBERS .............................................................................................................................................................. 40 OPENNESS & CONFIDENTIALITY OF THE GROUP.......................................................................................................................... 41 GODS WORD IN LEADING A SMALL GROUP ............................................................................................................................ 42 WATCH OUT GROUP LEADER ................................................................................................................................................ 44 WHAT A CELL TIME IS FOR: .................................................................................................................................................. 45 WHAT A CELL TIME IS NOT: .................................................................................................................................................. 45 HOW TO PLAN A CELL TIME ................................................................................................................................................. 46
LEADERSHIP & UNDERSTANDING PEOPLE ....................................................................................................... 48
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................................. 48 PEOPLES CLASSIFICATION .................................................................................................................................................... 49 TIM LAHAYES CATEGORIZATION ........................................................................................................................................... 50 GOSPEL PEOPLE CLASSIFICATION ........................................................................................................................................... 53 FOUR WAYS A LEADER CAN USE TO RELATE WELL TO HIS/HER TEAM ............................................................................................ 54 OTHER MENTORING TIPS ..................................................................................................................................................... 64
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 3 of 68
Acknowledgement
This material has been put together to help Kingdom Workers in our local churches
who did not have the privilege to attend a Bible College. We have sincerely tried to
simplify many of the topics by summarizing their content in points form. We hope that
they will do some good in your local church leadership and ministry.
To all those who have supported us along the way by prayers and finance, we are
greatly indebted to you. It is our prayer that you will gain much Kingdom Returns
through these materials. May the Good Lord bless you all.
Team Leader
ACTS Ministry Fiji
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 4 of 68
1.
Introduction to Leadership
Jeremiah 1:5 (NLT)
I knew you before I formed you in your mothers womb. Before you were born I set you apart and
appointed you as my spokesman to the world.
Leadership is one subject that is not so much talked about in many of our churches.
Thus we have distorted views and definitions of the word. We begin to import
secular meanings, which are good, but in the long run, they erode its true designation.
As a result, many undertakings of the church are not being completed, many have lost
focus, and many do not know where they are going, because those called to leadership
have no idea what leadership is about. It is highly recommended therefore that you
refer back to the Bible for sure guidance, direction, clarity of meaning, and
understanding, on this subject.
Let us define the term LEADERSHIP.
The term Leadership can be summed up in one word = INFLUENCE
Leadership = Influence
Great leaders have tried to define what leadership is and who is a leader. I have
noted some here:
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 5 of 68
A leader is a man who knows the way and can lead the others through that way
with no signpost or map.
A leader is a person who can motivate others toward a specific goal
for the purpose of making them successful.
Leadership is the ability to initiate change.
Leadership is the ability to change potential force to active force by
motivating people.
Leadership is a pro-active state of generating energy to quicken change and
encourage performance.
Leadership is the ability to draw participation and commitment to
harness diversity and build consensus.
A Leader is a person who lifts someones personal vision to a higher sight and
raising his/her performance.
Leadership is the ability to gather people around a problem, to coach
their efforts and to inspire action.
A Leader is a person who is able to empower a team and its individual members to
get things done.
Leadership is the ability to make things happen.
Leadership is the ability to take people to new levels and new grounds.
Leadership is the ability to get his people from where they are to
where they have not been.
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 6 of 68
Leadership is the ability to create a vision for the future and inspiring people to
make that vision a reality.
Leadership is to develop people to become successful in
accomplishing a particular purpose in life.
Leadership is the ability to translate vision into reality through human
participation and dependence upon God.
The Christian Leader
A Christian Leader is a born again person called by God, living Godly a life, gifted with God
given abilities to serve and influence a specific group of God given people, for a God given purpose,
using their God given potentials, leading them on to a God given goal, and focusing them on to our
God given eternity.
How does God choose a Leader?
God chooses some very unlikely people to be his leaders. People whom we think are
incapable; people with tainted backgrounds. If they were to be evaluated
academically and socially, they may not make the cut because they do not meet the
standard criterion acceptable to our secular society.
1 Corinthians 1:26-30 (Summarize)
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Although the context of the above verses is referring to Gods provision of
salvation, the principle in my view is applicable to this study. What God wants is
a willing and obedient heart. His choice is not dependant on education, strength,
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 7 of 68
or wealth. These are beneficial but not necessary. It is clear from the above verses
that God uses simple and foolish things to shame the wise. This has been the case
throughout the Bible. God can use anybody and anything. Nobody is
indispensable, yet God plus an obedient person is a power that attracts
recognition.
Read Exodus 2:11-14; & Exodus 3: 7-10
What did Moses do in Exodus 2:11-14?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
What happened in Exodus 3:7-10?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Why do you think people are not willing to accept a murderer as their leader?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
People have weaknesses, downfalls, and shortcomings. Even-though expectations and
credential requirements of leadership are high; there is not a perfect person in the
world. But it is demanded of all Christians to live a Holy Life that is worthy of their
calling.
What is the Good News given in 1 Corinthians 1:26-30?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 8 of 68
How do these verses apply to you?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Moses was brought up in a culture and civilization that was not his own. He had
come to accept what the Egyptians believed. They had many gods with different
names that signified their powers and responsibilities. When he had this personal
encounter with God (YHWH), his beliefs in these heathen deities were challenged. I
AM simply means that YHWH God cannot be equated with any other so-called
god. He is who He is. He is unique in His own; The Only One; The Only True God,
and He does not recognize any other. In a world where values, morals, and laws are
changing constantly, your leadership shall find stability and security in our
unchanging God. YHWH God does not change. If you want to know Him; you need
to follow Him. You dont have to take that much time to figure Him out.
The Excuses of a Leader
The pretext of Social Insignificance
Exodus 3:11
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Moses asked Who Am I?In paraphrase he is saying Lord I am insignificant. Social
status is not a problem to God. He is THE highest point of any social status and
significance. But we can sometimes hold back from taking up leadership because we
feel socially unimportant in view of our academic achievements and social status.
Whats the big deal about having a university degree or being a RATU or ADI
when God is calling you?
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 9 of 68
The pretext of Personal Integrity
Exodus 3:13
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Moses argued, They will not believe me. He left Egypt as a renegade. He murdered,
deserted, and defected to the land of Midian. The crime he committed back in Egypt
had an eyewitness. So he is really troubled because now God is calling him back to
the place where he has a criminal record and is considered a traitor. He is questioning
his own integrity and even before God as he weighs his life with the mission before
him; he feels hopeless. Past failures must not be a stumbling block to the prosperous
future and the execution of great assignments God has prepared in advance for you.
Ephesians 2:10
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
The pretext of Divine Messengers Credibility
Exodus 4:1
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Moses left Egypt with little or no knowledge of YHWH God. He took with him his
knowledge of his Egyptian gods. The Israelites in Egypt know who YHWH is. They
know that one day the Great Deliverer will deliver them. Who among them would
have thought that God would speak to this murderer in the desert and after 40 years
of being lost would return as YHWH Gods instrument of freedom. Moses said to
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 10 of 68
God, They will not believe me. Every human being has the ability to commune with God.
God made man to be able to experience both the natural and the supernatural.
Although the experience of the supernatural has ceased the day Adam and Eve
disobeyed God and can only happen through divine intervention. But now we have
the privilege of reliving that experience through our faith in the finished work of the
Lord Jesus Christ who then commits the Holy Spirit to be our Parakelet; lit meaning
He who walks beside us. You will definitely hear God in your Leadership if you choose
to stick close to Him no matter what your past record is.
Hebrews 1:1-3
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
The pretext of Personal Inability
Exodus 4:10
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Moses said he is not an eloquent speaker. In Gods strategy of selecting people for
divine executive appointments; he does not rely on the abilities of man to reach his
objectives. At every call The Glory of God (Not of man) is purposed to be manifested
through his servants. So when God calls, he will also equip. God always equip those
he calls thoroughly in his own way. Therefore Personal inability is not an issue with
our YHWH God. Remember, Gods call is always far greater than the abilities and the
resources of the person he called.
It is easy for us to bring to the fore our weaknesses when God calls. We fail to
understand that when God calls a person he will help that person get the job done. If
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 11 of 68
the job will involve some of our weak areas, than we can trust that He will provide
words, strength, courage, and other abilities where needed.
Moses gave excuses because he felt inadequate for the Mission God commanded him
to do. It was natural for him to feel that way. He was inadequate all by himself. But
God was not telling Moses to work alone. He offered other resources to help (God
Himself will be with Moses; Aaron, and the provision of Gods miraculous power). When God calls
a person to do something that seemed difficult or impossible in the eyes of man, He
will equip us with the resources we need. We need not hide behind our inadequacies
as Moses did but look beyond ourselves to God who is the author and Perfector of our
faith. When you recognize His call on your life and obey, blessings will flow; not just
blessing but abundant blessings.
On the pretext of Passive Disobedience in view of a task too great.
Exodus 4:13
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Looking at the task ahead can cause a potential leader to throw in his towel, back off,
or resign. The challenge for him is too great an undertaking. The greatness of this
undertaking overshadows the privilege and the results. Passive disobedient is an
indirect disobedient with a compound of all the other 04 above plus other personal
agendas. Moses reluctance to obey this command is a final summation of his
shortcomings, which to him were beyond his own words to explain. His concluding
answer is an understatement to Gods awesome power.
Have you ever felt like this before? _____________
Let me tell you about Gods awesome power. God is Omnipotent (meaning He is all
Powerful; He has all the known and unknown powers; all powers belong to him be it physical, or
metaphysical). Omnipotent comes from the 02 words; Omni meaning all, always,
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 12 of 68
forever, for all time; and potent means strong, powerful, effective, compelling, influential, great.
This means that God is able to do what nobody thinks is possible to do. He has the
potential to do far more than the impossible. He is the God of potential and he made
us to be Poten-tial i.e. to have the capacity and ability to do the impossible through
his powerhallelujah. So why do we want to excuse ourselves when the Omnipotent
God is backing us up.
The Pretext of Low Self Esteem
This is a behaviour that grows out of a period of neglect, weaknesses, failures in the
eyes of man, criticisms & bad remarks, and lack of personal development. It can cause
a person to question Gods call on his/her life and giving a lot of excuses like Moses.
Low self-esteem happens when you look down on yourself and your inability to
escape your mess and have come to accept that you are insignificant. One of the major
effects of low self-esteem is that it obstructs you from envisioning the future God has
prepared for you. Your negative attitude on yourself causes you to believe that
nothing good can emerge from something you believed as substandard. Hear this
great news: when you receive Christ as Lord and Saviour, He adds value to your
nothingness.
Exercise-13- Check your standing Tick the appropriate column
STATUS A B C D
Level of Education
o Tertiary
o High Sch
o Primary
Sch
o No Sch
Award [Secular or
Theological Study] o Degree & Higher
o Diploma
o Certificate
o No awards
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 13 of 68
Property
o Million $$
(+)
o Thousand$$
(+)
o Hundred$$
(+)
o No $$
Community Status
o Ratu / Adi
o Tauvanua/
Commoner
o From a Single
Parent
o Different
Ethnicity
Church Involvement
o Deacon/Elder
Pastor
o Layman
o Ministry Leader
o Church
Member
Marital Status
o Single Spouse
o Divorcee
o Remarried
o Bachelor
Employment Level
o CEO
o Manager
o Supervisor
o Labour
Do you drink grog / beer? Yes No
Do you smoke? Yes No
Do you have any debts (Bank / House Debt/ Money Lender)? Yes No
Do you have a stable Job? Yes No
Do you have any weaknesses? Yes No
Do you think the world would consider you a leader? Yes No
Is God YHWH able to make you a leader? Yes No
WHY?
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 14 of 68
Exercise 14 Tick the appropriate Column
FAITHFULNESS Never Once Sometimes Always
Church attendance
Arrive early for church service
100% Work attendance
Arrive early for work
Time out with spouse
Time for the family
Attend community gathering
Attend village gathering
Attend parents day
Soli niyasana
Soli 1/10 (Tithe)
Total up the score in each column. Each
tick is worth 10 points.
GROUP EXERCISE
1. Leaders are born Do you agree with this statement? Why & why not?
2. Discuss in groups why some people are so eager to take on positions of leadership
and why some are reluctant.
3. What are some repercussions of running away from leadership positions and
leadership responsibilities?
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 15 of 68
4. In this fast changing world, do you think modern education system contributes
positively or negative to your cultural leadership system? Discuss.
5. Are you a leader? Analyze yourself using the chart on pages 12 14. What do these
charts say about you?
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 16 of 68
2. Leadership is Influence
Matthew 4:25
Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan
followed him.
I have said from study one that the one word that is able to sum up the definition of
LEADERSHIP is INFLUENCE. It is the ability to obtain followers. And nobody can
obtain followers unless he is good at influencing people.
When we look back at history and observe our local
leaders such as Rt. Sukuna, Rt. Penaia, Rt. Mara, and
many others, we can see that all of them were excellent
at influencing people, with the help of their Ratu
titles, became great leaders. The Lord Jesus was the
Master of it all for all of those leaders have come to an
end but the influencing power of the Lord Jesus Christ is getting stronger and
stronger as years go by.
Name a person who has greatly influenced you?
____________________________________________________
In what ways has he/she influenced you?
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
LEADERSHIP is
INFLUENCE. It is the ability to obtain
followers.
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 17 of 68
Influencing Truths
We all are able to influence another person
Everybody can influence or be influenced by another person.
We all have our groups. We join that group, whether it be in
school, church, pubs or club, but we join because there is
someone in there that motivates us to be there. Nobody joins
a group of cars. Why? Because they dont talk back. We join
people because we are relational beings and people influence
people.
You never really know whom or how much you influence
People are influenced by what is said and done by other people either directly
or indirectly. You may not know that there are people who are leaning on you.
You may not know who is taking his queues from you. I went to a friend of
mine to conduct a Bible Study. His son sat in a posture that seemed awkward
to other family members. When asked to sit nicely, he replied; But uncle Joji
normally sits like this. (Uncle Joji is his Sunday School Teacher). Thats being an
influence and being influenced. We leave our marks on people.
Your good influence today is an excellent investment for the future
The good we influence people with today will touch the lives of others and
many more after that. People change and will also be able to be Life Changers.
Leaders are Life Changers.
Develop your influencing skill
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 18 of 68
In the book Power and Influence by RobertDilnschneider, he wrote about the
Power Triangle and the three components which increase the leadership skill
and potential of a leader. They are;
Communication, Recognition, and Influence.
Excellent communication leads to greater recognition, which leads to increase
influencing power. Effective communication is achieved when a leader is able
to Hear what is not said, and See what is not shown. Fellowship plays a major part in
this and when or where there is good Christian fellowship, there is good
communication.
Leadership Levels
In JohnMaxwells book Developing the Leader within You,
he classified the levels of leadership into 05 categories which I
summarized as follows:
Level One Position Level
This is the basic level of leadership and the main
influencing power here is your title. People on this level have their title as their
only source of authority. When the title is taken away their leadership collapses.
Those who stayed too long on this level will fight for territorial right, protocol,
tradition, and organizational chart. These things are not bad but can be
unfavourable to development when they become the basis for your authority and
influence.
Are you involved in a ministry right now? ________________________________________
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 19 of 68
Do you people follow you because youre a leader by appointment or
because of your influencing power?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
How do you influence people?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Identity of Leadership at this level
Security is based on Title, not Talent;
Leadership is gained by appointment;
His followers will not follow him beyond his boundary of authority;
Leaders have difficulty in working with volunteers, white collars workers,
and young people.
Level two Permission Level
At this level people do not care how much you
know until they know much you care. A person on
this level will lead by interrelationship. He will focus
on developing people. He will put the people and
their need first on his priority list. He also knows that
at this level you will need to build solid and lasting
relationship otherwise you will not be able to sustain
the effectiveness of your leadership. People are very
important at this level and you cannot lead people
without loving them. We also need to be cautioned
not to jump stage. There are a lot of people who preferred to skip this stage. The
permission level is very important because it is the foundation that provides the
staying power of any lasting and effective leadership.
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 20 of 68
Do you think that you have reached this stage? ____________________________________
How is your relationship your people at this stage?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
What are you doing to foster your relationship with those you are leading at
this stage?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
What are you doing that show that youre putting their needs and interest
first?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Level three - Production
Good things happen on this level but that will
also depend on how well your have built level
two. Your output will increase, turnover is low,
and morale is high, needs are met and goals
achieved. Your people will want to continue the
momentum. So as you begin your leadership
with level one and two, you will notice that
people get together just because of straight
fellowship and there is really nothing in
common but just straight relational bond. But at the production level it will be
different. Your people at this stage will come together not only for fellowship but
to achieve something. When you have reached that stage, you have moved from
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 21 of 68
being Fellowship-Oriented to Result-Oriented. A word of caution at this stage;
as a leader you will need to give your people projects to do and some may even be
challenging because if they are not given any responsibility at this stage they will
retreat back to being Fellowship-Oriented.
Do you think you have reached this stage?
___________________________________________
How long have you been leading your people or your ministry?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
What is your output assessment?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
If youre having low output, what do you think is the problem?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Can you quantify your output in terms of souls saved, souls discipled, souls
trained, souls earmarked for future leadership, souls completed the cycle
and are now back in ministry this last three years?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Level four People Development
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 22 of 68
A leader at this stage, because he/she has come through the last three stages well, is
consistently focusing on developing people. He sees the importance of people here as his
most valuable assets. People who will become as Paul tells Timothy;
Reliable Men who will be able to train others also. He will be empowering others to do
the work, either continue the work they have been taught to do or design new
ministries to work with people from another angel. At this level there is a lot of
loyalty shown by the followers or those whom you lead. Their loyalty is based on
your tract record. Your tract record shows GENUINE LOVE (Thats why they loved
you in Level 02); QUALITY PRODUCTIVITY (Thats
why they admire you in Level 03); CONSISTENT
PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT (Thats why they are loyal
to you in Level 04). You win peoples hearts by helping
them grow personally.
A point to remember The core of
leaders who surrounded you are those whom
you have personally groomed, developed, touched, or helped in some way.
These are the people who will stand by you in good and bad times.
Do you know of a person in your church who has reached this level?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
How has this level been exhibited in his life?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Write down 2 Timothy 2:2
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
The core of leaders
who surround you are those whom you have personally groomed,
developed, touched, or helped in some way.
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 23 of 68
Level five - Personhood
Only a lifetime of proven leadership will allow us to be promoted and sit at this
level to reap the reward of our past years of labour. I believe you are hoping to get
there one day. I am not just hoping but expecting the same.
Needed Qualities for Success at each Level
Level one Position
Well founded in the Faith
Practice the discipline of the Basics of Christian Growth
Knows what is required of the position
Be a team player
Accept responsibility
Strive for excellence
Use initiative well
Service and improvement of service
Level two Permission
A genuine love for the people especially those you serve
Build up your co-workers
Accept criticism
Put people first before procedure
Serve for the betterment of everyone involved
Do not neglect the masses
Deal wisely with difficult people
Level three Production / Results
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 24 of 68
Initiates and accept responsibility for growth
Has a Vision and Mission and follows them
There is constant evaluation
Focus on the things that will give high eternal return
Communicate your vision and mission to those whom you are training
Become an agent of change
Understand the timing for change
Make difficult decision that will make a different
Level four People Development / Reproduction
Realize that People are your most valuable asset
Place a priority on developing people
Set good examples for them to follow
Expose your potential leaders to growth opportunities
Focus those whom your are developing to a common goal
Surround yourself with an inner-core that complement your leadership
Level five Personhood / Respect
Your followers are loyal and sacrificial
You have spent years of molding and mentoring leaders
Your have become an Assembly or church Father.
You have great joy in watching others grow in all areas of their lives
especially spiritually.
You are a living model of what a Follower of Christ is like.
Ascertain where you are now in the level of leadership and make a simple
evaluation of your performance so far in relation to the list of qualities for that
level as stated here.
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 25 of 68
Where do you need to make substantial improvement, and why?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
ARE LEADERS BORN? A good leader is not born. All leaders are made. God gives the leadership traits to a
person and when those traits are nurtured correctly they contribute greatly to his/her
leadership. Our individual responsibility is to fan into flame what we've got. There is no
shortcut up the ladder of leadership. Each stage is a preparation ground for the next. You
cannot expect to do well at the top level if you have not done well at the lower levels.
You cannot expect to lead 30 men well, if you're still struggling with your 15 men. People
have the tendency to rush to the top by crook of by fluke. This may work sometime but
not all the time; and time will show who you really are. Weve got to understand that
promotion is not dependant only on knowledge, skills, qualification, and experience but
also on character, attitude, and spiritual maturity that are manifested in actions that seek
to bring glory to God and service to the people; otherwise you are just filling a position.
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 26 of 68
GROUP EXERCISE
1. Are your Group Members well founded in the Faith?
2. Do they practice the discipline of the Basics of Christian Growth?
3. What position do your Group members hold in their community, church, or place
of work? Do they know what is required of the position? Briefly explain what each
of their position requires.
4. Is each group member a member ofa team? Is he/she a Team player?
5. Do they accept responsibilities?
6. Strive for excellence? Briefly explain their individual and Team goals for this year.
7. Define initiative. Do they use initiative well?
8. Has each individual member improvedhis/her service from last year? How can it be
proven?
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 27 of 68
3.
The Three Legged Stool ofLeadership
Joshua 24:15
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord
Leadership Comparison
The life of a leader in the church is like a three-legged
stool. One of our late chiefs also invented the definition
of the three-legged stool but I believe he was focusing
on the Responsibility side of leadership. Our three-
legged stool in this section is focusing on the leader &
not on leadership. The values of a leader will determine his focus. The focus of a leader
will define his leadership. If one of the legs we will look at is not there, the leader, and
of course his leadership, will collapse. In the secular world you may just need two
legs, but not in the church. So let us look at these three legs now:
The Leader must be God Oriented
This is very important because unless God is leading the leader, those who
are being led may not reach their eternal goal. The goal of any secular
institution is restricted to this earthly life. The goal of any leader in the Church
of the Lord Jesus Christ is eternity. Therefore he must be serving the people,
nurturing them to become like the lord Jesus, and to be in Eternity with Him.
Being God Oriented is characterized by the following;
The values of a
leader will determine his focus. The focus of a leader will define his
leadership
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 28 of 68
i. Strong faith in God and a consistently prayer and Bible Study life;
ii. Takes Gods purpose in his life very seriously;
iii. He is certain about his calling and does not waiver from it;
iv. He is not dictated by the busyness of life, but he dictates busyness;
v. He is spiritually and physically disciplined with good bearing;
vi. He lives out his preaching and teaching on a daily basis;
2 Chronicles 31:21
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
He must be Purpose Oriented
Luke 2: 49
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Purpose is the reason for your existence. It defines who you are and what you
do. Without a purpose you have no reason to live. Life is meaningless without a
purpose. Wherever you are, you must determine
why you are there at that point in time. When you
know your purpose you will be motivated to stay
the course in good and bad times. You also will
most certainly exhibit the characters below;
i. You have Vision (you know where you
are going) Proverbs 29:18;
ii. Youre a man of action (you make your
vision a reality) 2 Corinthians 10:15;
iii. Youre not afraid to make changes when necessary Proverbs 24:16;
Esther 4:14.
iv. Faithful to your responsibilities Philippians 3:21; Hebrews 12:1-2; he is
committed.
When you know your
purpose you will be motivated to stay the course in good and bad
times.
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 29 of 68
v. Youre a reliable and responsible person Genesis 39:4;
vi. Youre motivated and positive in the things you do Philippians 4:13;
vii. Youre a persistent person;
viii. Youre a good decision maker;
ix. Youre uncomplicated;
x. You have the ability to make others catch your vision;
The Leader must be People Oriented
Matthew 22:39
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
I have said earlier that people are relational beings and we cannot live as lone
rangers. We need the companionship of others around us. And leadership is involved
in the business of influencing people. Things cannot be influenced, only people. A
leader cannot influence people if he does not spend
time with them. To be a people oriented leader youve
got to mix around with people and getting to know
them with the intention of channelling positive
changes. A person or leader who is people oriented
will show these qualities in his life:
i. He is a good role model;
ii. He is sensitive and discerning to the needs of others;
iii. He is Trustworthy;
iv. He is creative and always look for ways to help people;
v. He serves with humility (John 13:3-5)
vi. He is loyal to their course;
vii. He is very influential;
viii. He is flexible and allows time for people to change;
ix. He is patient;
A leader cannot
influence people if he does not spend time
with them.
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 30 of 68
x. He encourages people and complement their hard
ward;
xi. He is diplomatic and tactful (He is smart at
solving problems or issues, good at negotiating,
find common ground to work together);
xii. He listens to people and is a good communicator;
The characters above might look like the ideal leader but I am not anticipating that
you will be 100% in all these areas, yet you must grow into it with your BEST; and at
least these will give you the fundamental idea that to be a good & effective leader, you
needs to be first God Oriented When you are God Oriented it will cause you to be
Purpose Oriented; and People Oriented. This is a fundamental truth in all levels
of leadership whether you lead a Church, a Government, a Company, or a Cell Group.
Otherwise you can be bending on working for your own gain.
Are these 03 orientations obvious in your life?
_______________________________________________
Which area do you still need to improve and how?
_______________________________________________
Important Leadership Characters
Most important is INTEGRITY
What is Integrity? Integrity is the character of a person
that shows him to be honest, truthful, honouring, loyal,
reliable, and upright. All these words define integrity. It
show who you really are. A person with integrity is a
person who walks his talk. His words match his deeds no
matter where he is. It is not what we do but who we are.
Integrity is being satisfied with what I have and find pleasure and satisfaction in the fruit
Integrity is the
character of a person that shows him to be
honest, truthful, honouring, loyal,
reliable, and upright.
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 31 of 68
of my work. With integrity you have freedom, there is contentment, there is stability,
decisiveness, focused, and your spirit is free.
Priority
Prioritizing is the act of classifying your works or responsibilities in order of
importance. Priority shows where the heart of a person is. If a man has his work as his
first priority, he will tend to spend most of the time in it and as a result other areas will
be neglected. If a man has fun and leisure time as his priority, than he will spend most of
his time at partying. As a Cell Leader and a potential Christian leader for tomorrow, you
need to follow this set of priorities in their order of their
importance; 1. God; 2. Family; 3. Work; 4. Church; 3.
Community. My relationship with God is indispensable
and takes my whole time and life. It permeates into my
other areas of life. My family comes second. All the others
need to have a balance to be effective. When priorities are
not in order you will not focus, and when that happens you will not be able to achieve
your goal. If you do not set out your priorities right, there is a greater possibility of
mixing up the URGENT with the IMPORTANT. In the end some important things are
not done because of some unimportant urgency causing fatal repercussions. Learn to set
priorities and set them right. Wrong priorities will make you unproductive and get you
into trouble.
Luke 2:49
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
That was one of the Lord Jesus priorities; to be in his Fathers house in John 4:34?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
Priority shows
where the heart of a person is.
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 32 of 68
This is another of the Lord Jesus priorities.
What are your priorities?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Responsibility& Delegation
[The Story about - Somebody, Everybody,
Anybody, Nobody]
Everybody wanted to get something done. So he asked Somebody if Anybody can do it.
Somebody forgot to tell Anybody about it. Luckily Nobody was there and took the initiative to do
it. So it ended up that Nobody did what Everybody wanted to get done because Somebody forgot
to tell Anybody about it.
What does Responsibility mean?
It is a specific task that is assigned to a specific person or
group to do at a specific time for a specific purpose to
contribute to the fulfillment of a specifically desired goal. I
heard the story above a long time ago. It got stuck with
me. Not until now, when I am in church ministry, that I
find the underlying truth in it. When responsibilities are
not carried out, they ended up not being done. In the end
people suffer, the group suffers, the church suffers.
Significant Part to Play
The body is an excellent analogy and really brings out this fact about responsibility.
Paul clearly explained this in his first letter to the church in Corinth chapter 12. Each
part is significant. Each part of the body has its own responsibility, an important role to
Delegation of task
is not passing the buck; it is taking the initiative and
opportunity to employ the availability and
skills of his people so he can be free to do what he alone as a leader must do.
Responsibility is a
specific task that is assigned to a specific
person to do at a specific time for a specific purpose to contribute to the
fulfilment of a specific goal.
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 33 of 68
play for the whole body to function as it should according to its design. When a part is
affected the whole body is affected. Each part works in unity and coordinates perfectly
with the others and as a result the whole bodys mechanism moves gracefully and is a
delight to watch. Those who know Waisale Serevi delighted in watching him running
with the ball in a game of rugby and observe the coordinating movements of every part of
his body. Its awesome. No wonder the Psalmist said I am wonderfully and fearfully
made (Psalm 139:14).
Why Delegate
Leadership has its own responsibilities. Sometimes leaders get bogged down with
minor things that could be done by those around them. Part of a leaders responsibilities
is to delegate tasks. Delegation of task is not passing the buck; it is taking the initiative
and opportunity to employ the availability and skills of his people so he can be free to do
what he alone as a leader must do. In relation to the responsibility of delegating tasks, do
not delegate your responsibilities. You only delegate the responsibilities of the unit or
group that needs to be done, and not your responsibilities as a leader. Look at this
example.
2 Samuel 11:1
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Who usually go to war in spring?
________________________________________________________________
Whom did David sent?
_______________________________________________________________
Were they Kings?
_______________________________________________________________
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 34 of 68
What was Davids position?
_______________________________________________________________
Where did he go?
_________________________________________________________
Where should he be?
_________________________________________________________
He stayed home when he should be at the front line. He saw something one evening,
which finally got him to an uncomfortable situation. What did he see?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
Chain of Command
In any church, you will know that there is always an existing chain of command. You
have those above you whom you are responsible to; and there are those below you
whom you are responsible for whether you are in an evangelical denomination or a
Pentecostal denomination the chain of responsibility stays the same. When
responsibilities are not done, it affects the church structure both ways; those whom
you are responsible to, and those whom you are responsible for. With responsibility
comes accountability. Accountability is being answerable to your responsibilities; be
it accountable to (above you) or accountable for (below you). Things can get really
messed up when leaders are not carrying out their responsibilities; especially when
important issues are involved. When you reduce this scale down to Cell Group or
Bible Study Group level and the principles will still be the same.
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 35 of 68
4.
Leading a Cell Group
Matthew 5:1-2b (ESV)
Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And
he opened his mouth and taught them
What is a Cell Group? Cell group is method of grouping people together in a
local church that is designed to cause numerical
increment and spiritual development. It works through
dispersing the core to gather the crowd. A core person
will then pick (after much prayer, fasting, and
observation) reliable men and women of not more than
12 from his crowd to form the core of his own his group.
He will then train and develop them to maturity before
he can disperse them to gather their own crowds. This
model is taken from the work of the Lord Jesus Himself
when training the twelve. It is liken to the growth and development of a human body.
Thats why it is called CELL GROUP because it is designed to multiply. As the core
is dispersed to gather their crowd, the number multiplies.
We have looked at leadership principles & characters and now it is time to go into
the practical aspects of leadership. It is good therefore to start with leading a small
group (Cell Group) whether it is a Bible Study, Discipleship, or any other group. Let us
look at some principles that will help you in leading a Small Group.
Cell group is a
method of grouping people together in a local church that is designed to cause
numerical and spiritual growth. It works
through dispersing the core to gather the
crowd.
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 36 of 68
Group Dynamics How can a group run well for a longer period of time? Most
of the time I find that inconsistency is the enemy of
sustaining and expanding a Bible Study group. Some excellent
ministries come to a halt because of inconsistency on the part of workers. God has
given the vision and the mandate along with his Holy Spirit to empower and guide
us, his Word as our curriculum, but then we choose to do it our way. As a result
God allowed us to move on BUT without him in absolute control, things will
definitely go out of control. Dynamics reminds us of POWER. There is power
when God is in total control not just in the group but in every individual member.
This fact must be established in the life of both the leader and the group members.
Matthew 18:20
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
There is power when 2 or 3 are gathered IN HIS NAME; you can expect
great things to happen.
Acts 2:1
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
They were all together in one place; the power of the Group.
Acts 2:4
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Acts 1:8
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 37 of 68
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Starting Well
It is important to start well. This will give the group a good launching pad to move
into the unknown days ahead. This will involve a lot of
prayers and asking God for the goals of the group after
receiving the vision of the Senior Pastor concerning Cell
Groups. Have the goals written down; prepare and plan
for the launching night. The followings must be established
from the start.
Setting the Vision
The Vision for the Cell Groups is set by the Senior Pastor, who caught his
vision from God after spending time in prayer and fasting. His vision is then
transferred to Ministries Leaders who will implement this vision. The Cell
Leader will catch the vision of where they are going from the Senior Pastor
of the church. It is important to know this vision before starting so that all
Cell Groups will be moving in the same direction, reaching the same
objective, and achieving the same Goal; which is also the Goal of the church.
If there is no vision from the Pastor concerning Cell group, then it better be
stopped.
Leaders and members understand the goal
In starting well it is vital for the leader to understand the Goal/s. He will
need to share these goals with the group members. The goals will give the
group members a good idea of the leaders intention, the direction he is
taking them, and the end results he expects, and what the group should
anticipate benefiting from their study & fellowship.
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 38 of 68
Does your Cell Group have a vision? _______________________________________
Who sets the vision? _______________________________________________________
What do you think will happen if there is no goal or, the goal is not being
clearly understood? _________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Mark 1:17
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
What happened when Simon and Andrew understood what the Lord wanted
to do with their lives? (Vs 18)
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
When goals are understood, people will be willing to follow.Is this true?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Expectations are clear & understood
Expectation is important. You need to clearly state that you expect the best
from your group; or that you expect the group to change to some degree
after a given time frame or at the completion of a study. You will also need
to be flexible with your expectations when caliber and personal characters
are brought into consideration. You cannot expect everybody to be the
same, for each person is uniquely different, but you can expect the best from
their uniqueness. This must be stated clearly to the members of the group.
Expectation is the anticipated result of the Groups Purpose. When
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 39 of 68
expectations are not clearly understood or not stated at all, group members
performance will stagnate or dwindle.
Are you in a Bible Study Group?
__________________________________________________________________________
If No; Why not?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
If Yes, what is expected of you from your cell group?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
1 Peter 1:15
_____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
What is expected of the people of God?
______________________________________________________________________________
Why are they expected to be Holy?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
The meeting place
The meeting place needs to be clearly explained and known by all members. If
there are new people who do not know its location, efforts must be made by
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 40 of 68
the leader to help them. A simple map of the place will be of great assistance.
Here are a few guidelines to consider in the preparation of a meeting place;
1. It must be comfortable with enough space for members to move around and
stretch their legs;
2. It needs to have enough lights to read with;
3. It needs to have good ventilation;
4. It must not be an isolated location and far from the members;
5. It must be clean and well prepared before every session;
6. Free from distractions and noisiness;
7. It needs to have good and clean toilets that can be used by both sexes;
8. If living in the town area, transportation availability needs to be considered
if people are coming from afar.
Group Members
Remember that a group has people who have different backgrounds, feelings,
characters, worldviews, etc. All these will need to be taken into consideration
when the group is in session. Each life-lesson gleaned from each session must be
applied to challenge the members different world-views to cause effective change.
But each member may and have something to contribute to the group. But at the
end of the day their world-view must submit to the view of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Size of the group
It has been proved that effective learning occurs when the group has between 712
members. The Lord Jesus knew this and he chose 12 disciples, which could be the
maximum number for effective learning. There are some disadvantages in having a
group that has more than 12;
It will be difficult to control;
Some group members will not participate or contribute to
group discussion;
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 41 of 68
It will also be difficult to develop interpersonal relationship
between group members.
Interest of the group (FAQ)
The major question that group members will frequently ask is: Whats in it for me?
There needs to be something of value that captivates them to come and remain in
the group. Jesus is and has the answer therefore the Word of God will need to be
shared to meet the spiritual needs of all the members. People will stay when
spiritual needs are met.
How big is the study group that you belong to; how many members does it
have?____________________________________________________________________________
If your group has more than 12 members, how does your leader cope with the
principle of effective learning? Is he able to spend enough time with every
member and be able to deal with his or her queries?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Openness & confidentiality of the group
There is bound to be some self revelation about past behaviours and experiences;
therefore, an environment of trust needs to be cultivated in the group because
there is always bound to be mistrust at the initial stage. The leader can guide the
group into sharing what can be shared and how can it be shared. This is
important, and it must also be clarified that what is shared in the group stays
within the group.
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 42 of 68
Gods Word in Leading a Small Group
The Word of God
Knowledge of the Word of God
1. A leader needs to have good knowledge of the Word of God.
2. He must be able to quote well-known Bible verses from memory.
3. It is beneficial that he has a fair overview of the Old and New Testament.
He must have sound knowledge of Theological Concepts in relation to
the finished work of Christ.
4. He is able to share the Gospel with ease at any time in any situation.
Preparation
1. A leader preparation time is also important. Good preparation leads to
good presentation.
2. He needs to set aside not less than two hours per week to prepare
himself. He prepares everyday and not just a single day. Straight after he
concludes this weeks study he is preparing again for next week.
3. His preparation must be showered with prayer. As the leader talks to
God, He as our great teacher through his Holy Spirit will teach and
counsel me first before I teach others.
4. Also remember that in preparation a leader must learn to gather good
Christian Books as he builds up his resources.
Anticipation
1. As the leader prepares he anticipates. As he anticipates he prepares.
2. The expectation of what the group might ask in relation to the subject or
topic of discussion must prompt the leader to prepare well. The leader is
to expect the unexpected.
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 43 of 68
3. The military term in this kind of preparation is Action ON. It is similar
to the question What IF/. So as a leader prepares in anticipation, he
will prepare a few Action ON that he/she thinks are likely to come.
Research
In his preparation and anticipation the leader will have to do
some detail research on the text or subject. His research will
have to cover the good to know, should know, and the
must know of what he is going to share with the group.
His research will not be restricted to the Bible alone but the
world and its system in general and how it relates and applies
to the topic. The leaders knowledge of the subject must be
broader and a step up from those he/she leads. This is not to say that he
knows it all but at least he is able to provide an answer to most of the group
members questions. Some good resource books are; The New Bible
Dictionary, Walvoord and Zuck Bible Commentary of O.T & N.T,
Systematic Theology by Grudem.
Scripture Memorization
With all the Bible and general knowledge a leader can accumulate during
his time of research, he must never forget the importance of Scripture
memorization. A leader must try to memorize a key verse that illuminates
the subject [if he is doing a topical study] or a key verse that gives a clear
exposition of the whole text [if he/she is doing an expository study]. But
scripture memorization is not just for that but it first is essential to the
leader because it will guard him/her from temptations and guide his life
with Christ.
Psalm 119: 9 11
____________________________________________________________________
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 44 of 68
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Watch out Group Leader
Discouraged Group Member/s
Watch out for your group members who
may be discourage and facing difficult time,
or having low self esteem. The group and of
course you as group leader need to be ready at all times to offer words of
encouragement based on the Word of God.
(2Tim 4:2)
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Meeting the needs
It is important that the group not only meet the spiritual needs of the
members but also be prepared to meet or assist in their physical needs in
whatever way you can.
(Acts 2: 44 - 45)
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Growth
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 45 of 68
Your focus as leader must be on their spiritual birth and growth to maturity.
Everything that is done in the group must support this focus. If it does not
serve this focus, than it is a waste of time and energy.
John 10:10
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
What a Cell Time is for:
A time to discuss
Cell is a time of discussion. This will allow members to
explain what they have been studying about a given topic or raise questions
on subjects that need clarification.
A time to meet and fellowship
Fellowship comes from a Greek word, which means, Sharing in common.
As the Cell meets they will share what they have in common spiritually in
the Word and Prayer, and even a cup of tea together.
What a Cell Time is not:
Not a Church Service
Do not run a Cell group like a Church service. It will lose its purpose. Have
the Cell group in a more formal way and nurture an atmosphere where
members can freely voice their opinions. When you start to preach, then you
are running your Cell group like a church service.
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 46 of 68
Not a Classroom Teaching
Cell group should not be run like a classroom teaching where every member
becomes students and facing the board to be taught. The teacher is the one
who knows everything and the group does what he says. In a Cell group we
are all there to learn from one another and each member looks at a particular
topic of discussion from a different approach.
Not a One-Person Speaking
In a Cell group, it is vital that all members are be given time to speak and
share what she/she thinks about the subject. No one should be allowed to
dominate the discussion that others are ignored.
Tips for Cell Leaders during Cell Time
1. Make your points clear
2. Make it personal
3. Challenge the group
4. Expand their Thinking
5. Encourage your group
6. Be Creative
How to Plan a Cell Time a. Fellowship and Worship (15-20 min)
b. Opening & Introduction (15 min)
c. Creative Discussion (45 60 min) relating to the subject.
1. Small Groups activity
2. Art work (focused art work on the topic)
3. Buzz group (throwing in ideas about the topic being discussed)
4. Think Tank (serious thinking / strategize thinking)
5. Prayer (focused prayer on the topic)
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 47 of 68
6. Music (focused songs, hymns on the topic)
7. Memory Verse (focused memory verse on the topic)
d. Worship &Closing (15 min)
e. Fellowship (2030 Min) light tea if possible but not necessary.
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 48 of 68
5.
Leadership & Understanding People
John 11:33
When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in
the spirit, and was troubled
Introduction
In this section we will look at the subject of understanding people, which will help you as a cell leader in your work of character building. We are going to focus on
RELATING covering the following minor subjects:
a) Advising
b) Reassuring
c) Understanding
d) Self-Revealing
People are relational beings. This means that they need to live together with other human beings in a
community in order to function well. If they are left
alone, they will become lonely. This loneliness will
affect their character, behaviour, and performance.
God saw that Adam was lonely and concluded that
it is not good for man to live alone, so he separated
the feminine side of the male and created another
human being calling her woman (meaning taken
out of the man), so he (Adam meaning Man) can relate with another human being
People are
relational beings. This means that they need to live together with
other human beings in a community in order
to function well.
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 49 of 68
like himself (Man relating to Taken out of man). The Bible also says that we are not to
give up the habit of meeting together (Hebrews 10:2425). As we meet together and
begin to relate to one another, hearing our brothers and sisters experiences will
definitely encourage us.
Business houses, non-governmental organizations, government departments, etc; have Public Relation Officers portfolios. Their job is to find ways whereby their companies
or departments can have good working relationship with members of the public.
Public Relation also involves the projection of an image that looks real and favourable
to the public. But whether we are in a more complex institution or just a simple Bible
Study group, the challenges are similar since they both involve people.
Relating to people can sometimes be hard work as people are different. Some psychologists have classified people into the following categories to help us
understand their character:
Peoples Classification
Thinkers
These are people who think a lot. In most situations they would think, analyze,
trying to understand the surrounding circumstances. They need thorough
planning before undertaking any project. They are also perfectionists and one
little blunder can really put them off.
Feelers
These people are very emotional. They sympathize a lot with people and really
feel for them in difficult or trying situations they face. They can be very caring.
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 50 of 68
Doers
These people are very active and outgoing. They are always on the go. They
need little planning and are quick to see the big picture. They are starters and
have the tendency to move on to another project before they finished one.
Which one of the categories above do you belong to? ________________
Have you met people like these in your local church? _________________
Do you think these groups can work together? _____________ Why?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Tim Lahayes Categorization I also noted the categories of people, which Tim LaHaye stated in his book Spirit
Controlled Temperament. These categories are provisional to the temperament that
an individual possesses. Temperament is the combination
of inborn qualities that subconsciously affect a mans
behaviour. These qualities are affected by the persons
gender, race, nationality, and other inherited factors. Let
me describe them simply:
Sanguine
This group of people is known to be warm, lively, enjoying, and receptive by
nature. Always happy and does not like solitude. Good and fun to be with.
Attracts a crowd; easily befriends people; can easily break the ice in an
environment where people do not know each other; can be noisy sometime;
quick to speak before thinking; people feel welcome where he is; no stranger in
their midst; his friendly way makes him appear more confident than he really is;
A good teacher, salesman, speaker.
Choleric
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 51 of 68
This person is quick, active, strong-willed and practical; self-sufficient; can be
very independent; very decisive and dogmatic about what he believes; he can
make decisions for himself and others. He thrives on activity; he is not
frightened by adversities; he likes challenges; he hates tears; he does not
sympathize with others easily; he does not cry; he is quick to recognize
opportunities and how to take advantage of
them. Sometimes he does not like people
standing in his way when he is focusing on his
goal; he does not appreciate art; he is
considered an opportunist; he can be difficult
to reach for Christ in adulthood; he has
difficulty in trusting Christ for his daily
supplication; but he is a good leader.
Melancholy
This person is analytical, self sacrificing, gifted, perfectionist type, with a very
sensitive emotional nature. He likes fine art. He can sometimes prefer to alone
and quiet but other times noisy, outgoing, and moody. When the situation
seems very depressed and gloomy he is withdrawn and can be quiet aggressive
(antagonistic). He does not make friends easily but can be a very faithful friend;
he does not push himself to people but allow people to come to him. He is not a
shirker or a slacker and others can depend on him. He has a great desire to be
loved by people; disappointing experiences make him reluctant to take people
at face value. The analytical ability makes him a good planner. His greatest
satisfaction in life comes through personal sacrifice. He is very thorough and
persistent. The melancholy is a good musician, artist, educator, and
philosopher.
Phlegmatic
This person is calm, easy going, cool, and well balanced. His life is happy,
although unexcited, but pleasant. He avoids as much involvement as possible.
people come in
different shapes, sizes, characters, attitudes, worldview, and church views. They do things
differently
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 52 of 68
He is not easily moved or alarmed. He is not easily angered or explodes in
laughter. He hides his fears beneath his calm and cool. His emotions are always
concealed. He enjoys people and has a dry sense of humour (may never laugh
but only smiles when around people). He has a good memory; sometimes takes
things lightly. He is a spectator and is not easily motivated. But he is kind-
hearted and sympathetic yet does not always show it. He can be a good
diplomat, teacher, leader, accountant, and scientist.
Which of these groups do you see yourself in? ______________________________________________________________________
Do you have people like these in your church or cell group? ______________________________________________________________________________________
What is so significant about their differences?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
The categories above proved that people come in different shapes, sizes, characters, attitudes, worldview, and church views. They do things differently, they have
different preferences, taste, hobbies, and are attracted to different people and styles of
worship. People are also on different commitment levels. The question is; How do
you relate to these different groups of people?
Lets take this down to a simple and manageable group level. When you lead a group, as we have already studied, you will need to understand the fact that people are
different with different experiences and backgrounds. Relating brings into
consideration these aspects of life because they play a vital part in communication.
When you grasp this truth, you will be a step closer to positively affecting and
influencing their lives. If not you will do more harm than good.
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 53 of 68
Gospel People Classification Let me show you another kind of groupings. I came across these groupings when I
was doing Ian Malins Discipleship Course, Come Follow Me. He categorizes
people following the Lord Jesus as:
Crowd
These people followed the Lord because they
wanted to see miracles and wonders and be
awed by his teachings but they dont want to
make any real commitment.
Sinners
These people followed because they felt
accepted when they are with him but they dont
want to leave their old way of life and dont want to make any real
commitment.
Restored
These people followed because they felt indebted to the Lord Jesus for their
physical restoration.
Disciples
These people followed because they were called and have committed
themselves fully to learning from Him.
The Camp Builders
I want to add another group here which exists a lot more today than in days of
the Lord Jesus. I called them the Camp-Builders. These are the people who
It is the leaders
responsibility to give quality and influencing
advices, which will build up his followers
in their ways and learn to place their trust in
God.
-
Basic Ministry Leadership Development & Management
Page 54 of 68
are willing to follow the Lord Jesus but only on a temporary basis and learn
from Him; but when tough times come they will immediately back-away. They
have no solid foundation and the credibility of their commitment is
questionable.
Which of the above groups do you belong to?
______________________________________________________________