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Leadership

When a church's elders are qualified, the people are cared for and the staff are supported and encouraged. But when the elders are not qualified, even one gossipy person can destroy a church of 1,000 people or more. It is a lot of work to develop a leadership culture and to follow biblical principles in appointing qualified people, but it is infinitely easier than salvaging a church being torn apart by unqualified leaders. If this sounds melodramatic or negative, please find some pastors whose ministries have been destroyed. You wouldn't have to look very far. There are three sources of disruption in the church: the pastor and/or staff, the elders, the congregation. What do all three have in common? People.

Here is our approach to the path people can take depending on their end goals.

Graph of Leadership Structure

We offer three programs designed to bring up people's levels of biblical literacy. Foundations classes are for all people, Academy classes are university–level, and Institute classes are seminary-level. If tht is your goal, then our classes will help you succeed. However, our hope is that you are learning so you can serve. If you have taken the core classes in Foundations or Academy, they you will have the biblical knowledge to pursue ministry, and over the next several years we will be adding many more classes to help you with specific ministries. If your goal is to move toward paid ministry, then the core Institute classes will teach you all the biblical and theological knowledge you will need.

If your goal in leadership, then it is imperative that you spend time in ministry and service before moving on. There are feqw things worst than people in power that don't have a history of service.

So we offer two leadership tracks. Lay Leadership prepares you for service and possible for being elders. Pastoral Leadership prepares people for staff positions and perhaps, eventually, the preaching role. In both tracks, the classes are divided between Prepare (getting people ready for service) and Nurture (caring f0r current leadership).

Preparation

The first step for both tracks is to make the decisions as to the type of church you want to be. Developing a leadership culture is hard work, but not as hard as trying to solve the problems after they develop. So as a church, with your existing, please work through this first step, then you will know how to proceed with either of the leadership tracks.

Related Materials

Preparation for a Leadership Culture
Developing a Leadership Culture in the Church
Theology of Ministry
Leading a Healthy Church Culture
Developing Leaders in the Small Church
5 Classes
Created by: @biblicaltraining