Empowering Leadership

1. Building People Is the Job: The Church's Core Mission

"God didn't send people to build the church. He sent the church to build people. That's the job, the real job: building people."

People are the priority. The church's primary mission is not to construct buildings or create programs, but to develop and empower individuals to fulfill their God-given potential. This shift in perspective transforms how we approach ministry, focusing on personal growth and development rather than organizational expansion.

Equipping for purpose. The goal is to help people discover their unique gifts, talents, and calling, then provide an environment where these can be nurtured and expressed. This involves:

• Creating opportunities for service and leadership
• Providing mentorship and discipleship
• Encouraging personal spiritual growth
• Fostering a culture of continuous learning and development

By prioritizing people development, the church naturally grows in both quality and quantity, fulfilling its mission to change the world through transformed lives.

2. Culture Trumps Everything in Leadership Development

"Culture is who we are and governs what we do and what we hold dear."

Culture shapes everything. In any organization, including the church, culture is the invisible force that determines behavior, priorities, and outcomes. It's more powerful than vision statements, strategies, or even individual leaders. To create lasting change and develop effective leaders, we must first address and shape the underlying culture.

Key elements of culture:

• Language: The words and phrases used regularly
• Celebrations: What is recognized and rewarded
• Heroes: Who is admired and emulated
• Stories: The narratives that are told and retold
• Rituals: Regular practices that reinforce values
• Unwritten rules: Implicit expectations and norms

To build a leadership-development culture, churches must intentionally align these elements with their desired outcomes. This involves consistently communicating and demonstrating the value of leadership development, celebrating growth and risk-taking, and creating systems that support ongoing learning and mentoring.

3. The SERVE Model: A Framework for Effective Leadership

"A leader is a person who sees where we as a church are going and how the ministry in which she serves fits into that future."

SERVE as leadership philosophy. The SERVE model provides a practical framework for understanding and developing leadership:

• See the future
• Engage and develop others
• Reinvent continually
• Value relationships and results
• Embody the values

Vision and action. Effective leaders not only have a clear vision of where they're going but can also articulate how their specific area of ministry contributes to the larger mission. They actively engage others in this vision, continuously seek improvement, balance relationships with results, and consistently live out the values they espouse.

By adopting this model, churches can develop leaders who are both visionary and practical, capable of inspiring others while also driving tangible results. This approach moves beyond traditional volunteer management to create a culture where everyone is seen as a potential leader with a vital role to play in the church's mission.

4. Shoulder Tapping: The Key to Building a Leadership Pipeline

"Shoulder tapping is an organic process and very fluid. It can take place in a passing conversation or it can be the result of a weeks-long process."

Personal invitation is powerful. Shoulder tapping, the practice of personally inviting individuals into leadership roles, is a key strategy for developing new leaders. This approach replaces mass appeals for volunteers with targeted, relational invitations that recognize and nurture potential.

The shoulder tapping process:

1. Selection: Identifying potential leaders based on character, competence, and chemistry
2. Connection: Building a relationship and sharing the vision
3. Vision: Raising the bar and communicating expectations
4. The Ask: Inviting them to prayerfully consider the opportunity

This method creates a culture of intentional leadership development, where current leaders are always on the lookout for future leaders. It also ensures that new leaders are aligned with the church's vision and values from the start, reducing turnover and increasing effectiveness.

5. Creating a Leadership-Development Culture

"Get the serve equation right!"

Servant leadership as foundation. A leadership-development culture is built on the principle that true leadership is about serving others, not self-promotion or power. This mindset shift is crucial for creating an environment where everyone sees themselves as potential leaders.

Key elements of a leadership-development culture:

• Believing more for others than they believe for themselves
• Valuing character over gifting or charisma
• Creating a safe environment for failure and learning
• Promoting based on cultural fit and leadership potential
• Emphasizing continuous growth and development

To foster this culture, churches must consistently communicate these values, model them at all levels of leadership, and create systems that reinforce them. This includes rethinking how leaders are identified, trained, and promoted, as well as how success is measured and celebrated.

6. The Growth Track: A Systematic Approach to Leadership Development

"A well-built pipeline equips people to know and enables them to be known by others."

Structured pathway for growth. The Growth Track is a systematic approach to leadership development that provides clear steps for individuals to grow in their faith, discover their purpose, and develop as leaders. This structured pathway typically includes multiple stages, each building on the previous one.

Components of an effective Growth Track:

• Accessible: Multiple entry points and clear communication
• Simple: Easy to understand and navigate
• Culture-creating: Reinforces core values and vision
• Relational: Fosters connections and community
• Action-oriented: Focuses on application, not just information

By implementing a well-designed Growth Track, churches create a clear pipeline for leadership development that moves people from new believers to mature leaders. This system ensures that no one falls through the cracks and that there's always a next step for growth and involvement.

7. Love God, Love Each Other, Love the World: The Three Core Values

"We do three things!"

Simplicity and focus. By distilling the church's mission into three core values - Love God, Love Each Other, Love the World - Manna Church creates a clear and memorable framework for all its activities. This simplicity helps everyone understand and align with the church's purpose.

Practical applications:

• Love God: Inspiring worship experiences
• Love Each Other: Life-giving small groups
• Love the World: World-changing outreach

These values provide a filter for decision-making and resource allocation, ensuring that every activity and program contributes to the church's core mission. They also offer a simple way for members to understand their role in the church and how they can participate in its mission.

By consistently reinforcing these values and their practical applications, the church creates a culture where everyone understands their part in the larger mission and is empowered to live it out in their daily lives.

Last updated: April 25, 2025