Advice to Christian Leaders
How to become better Christian leaders?
This short article is written for pastors, teachers, missionaries, evangelists, seminarians, church leaders, deacons, elders, and any Christian who is or will be in a leadership position.
Please take this advice as encouragement. It is not meant to bring you down but to build you up. I know leadership is hard, but don't neglect these nuggets of wisdom—I’ve neglected them many times and had to bear the cost.
Before I share this advice, I want you to know that I’ve served as a leader in both small and large group settings. This is not to boast but to share my successes and, more importantly, my failures so that you can become a better Christian leader.
With that brief note, let me offer you my two cents:
You become a better leader when you follow Jesus.
Jesus is the greatest leader, in my opinion. The closer you follow Him, the better you reflect His nature as a leader.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” — John 10:11 (NIV)
Don’t see your leadership as a position of pride but as a responsibility to be faithful.
Whether you lead a small group or a large one, don’t view leadership as something to take advantage of. See it as a responsibility to steward well. When you do, you are more likely to be a servant leader rather than a dominant dictator.
Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must 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 10:42-45
Be faithful to God, regardless of the number of people.
The people God has entrusted to you need you. Lead them faithfully. Don’t worry about numbers—God may or may not give you more people. What He desires is for you to serve faithfully, no matter the size of your congregation.
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” — Luke 16:10 (NIV)
Take care of the people God has entrusted to you.
Jesus went to great lengths to care for His sheep—He even died for them (John 10:11). We learn from Jesus that to lead is to care. This call to care is not just for pastors but for anyone in a leadership position.
"Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood." — Acts 20:28
Prepare second-line leadership.
Too often, we focus only on the present situation, but a great leader looks to both the present and the future. You must always be preparing someone to whom you can pass the baton. That is how your leadership becomes fruitful.
“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” — 2 Timothy 2:2
I’ll end this article here. There are many things to keep in mind, but I hope this advice serves as a starting point.
Do you have any more advice that could benefit us? Comment on this post, and we can have a wonderful time learning from each other.
God bless you!
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such a blessing❤✨
Loved reading this, I wish you had more to share.