Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Lewis Center for Church Leadership of The Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., United States for Wednesday, 19 July 2017 "Leading Ideas: Reluctant Leadership | Simple Strategies for Raising Up New Leaders"

Lewis Center for Church Leadership of The Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., United States for Wednesday, 19 July 2017 "Leading Ideas: Reluctant Leadership | Simple Strategies for Raising Up New Leaders"
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Wednesday, July 19, 2017

From the Lewis Center for Church Leadership of Wesley Theological Seminary
Reluctant Leadership by Doug Powe
Congregations often struggle to fill vital ministry roles because new leaders are reluctant to step forward. Lewis Center director Doug Powe names three critical factors in overcoming this reluctance -- clarifying the function of each role, clearly defining the required time commitment, and allaying fears about the potential for controversy.
Congregations often face a leadership dilemma. No one wants to step up and assume necessary leadership positions. Many congregations struggle to fill positions and often are begging people to take on necessary positions so the congregation can function. There are some deeper issues that need addressing that cannot be covered in this article, especially related to what it means for living out our baptismal vows. Yet, a practical question remains for many congregations, “How do we encourage individuals to fill leadership positions and move beyond reluctance?”
Individuals are often reluctant to take on leadership positions for several reasons like unclear expectations, fear of time commitment, and avoidance of controversy.
Getting people to step into positions of leadership can be exacerbating for nominating or leadership development committees. Individuals are often reluctant to take on leadership positions for several reasons like unclear expectations, fear of time commitment, and avoidance of controversy. Certainly, individuals need to demonstrate gifts and leadership qualities before stepping into any position, but here are three quick pointers to address the aforementioned objections.
1. Clearly describe the way the role functions at your congregation
We often give potential leaders generic job descriptions that while true do not help them to understand the role they will be playing. For example, a generic description for trustees typically focuses on being the stewards of the property. While this makes sense at a certain level it does not clearly define the role a person will play. It is helpful to share clear expectations for what a person will do like making sure all legal documents related to the church are in order, making sure the grounds are well kept, and being responsible for use of the building. The goal is not to define everything a person will do, but to help a person better understand the role they are expected to play. The reality is that often even those who have been members of a church for a while are not clear what some roles entail.
2. Time Commitments
Many of us have more on our plate than we can handle. The idea of adding one more thing, especially something that seems burdensome, is not appealing. It is important to clearly define the time commitment for any position. For example, the finance meeting is the second Monday of every month for one hour. The finance chair is also responsible for developing the agenda and running the meeting, and the term of service is three years. This helps individuals understand the commitment they are making and that it will end at some point in time.
3. Fear of controversy
Most people do not like controversy. The last thing individuals want is to get stuck in the middle of controversy. This is especially true at church where we are seeking spiritual wholeness. It may not be possible to completely avoid controversy, but a couple of things can help. First, have clear policies in place for things like weddings, funerals, and building use. Otherwise, the pastor or someone else will make up policies as they go along, and this will not be helpful because there will be no consistency. Second, make sure you adhere to the policies. Issues often arise because we feel that someone else is getting preferential treatment. By following the policies that are in place, all individuals will be treated alike according to the policies. It may be that a policy needs revisiting, but this is a different issue than not adhering to the policy. The key is ensuring that individuals are treated equitably and that favoritism is not being shown to some.
Encouraging individuals to fill positions can be challenging. There are individuals willing to be in leadership, but they want to know what role they will be playing and for how long and that, after serving, they will still be in love with their church. It can help to clearly state expectations and time commitments and to address the fear of controversy. Taking these simple steps can help your congregation to better fill leadership positions.
Related Resources:
Simple Strategies for Raising Up New Leaders by Kay Kotan 
The need to develop new leaders is vital to the future of individual congregations and the church as a whole. Church consultant and author Kay Kotan suggests some simple, organic approaches to identifying and equipping new persons for ministry roles in your church.
Leadership development comes up nearly every time I work with pastors and churches. I have come to understand that we can only grow our churches in proportion to how we grow our people. To take the next step, you could say, we can only grow our churches in proportion to how we raise up leaders.
So often in churches we are so eager to get someone to say yes to fill in a required blank on a form that we skip over the most important part. We skip over fully equipping the person for the ministry. Equipping comes in a variety of forms. Yes, we need job descriptions for all ministry positions. People need to know what to do and what is expected of them. But what is even more important is mentoring people into ministry positions.
How we raise up leaders speaks volumes about who we are as a church. Invite people into leadership wisely and carefully.
The five-step model of mentoring
One of the simplest and easiest processes to use in equipping people is this:
  1. I do. You watch. We talk.
  2. I do. You help. We talk.
  3. You do. I help. We talk.
  4. You do. I watch. We talk.
  5. You do. Someone else watches. You talk. I move on ….
So, imagine using these steps in mentoring someone to lead a small group. Week one you are just watching what I do. After the small group, we talk about what I did and why I did the things I did. I also assign a part of the leading to you after explaining what to do. In week two, I lead the lesson and you do the prayer and check-in. We talk afterward about how things went, pointers, and so forth. We also talk about how you can help next week with the lesson. For week three, you do the lesson and I help with the prayer and check-in. After the small group, we talk about how things went, pointers, and so on. We also talk about how you will lead the class next week and I will be there to watch and support. For week four, you lead the class on your own while I watch. Afterward we talk about how it went, pointers, and who you will begin mentoring next week to lead a small group. For week five, you have someone else watching you and you talk with them afterward, just as we did in week one. I then move on to mentoring someone else and walking through these same five steps.
The five-step process model to mentor and equip is easy to understand and easy to implement. Yet, it is so very powerful! People will feel as though you have invested in equipping them. And the reason they feel that way is because indeed through this five-step model we have invested in them. This model promotes confident leaders because they are empowered with know-how and the expectations have been modeled for them. Another person has come alongside them, invested in them, and supported, nurtured, and encouraged them.
Here is what I see in you
Another helpful tool in encouraging people to step up is to use the “ICNU” process. Again, this is a simple process to understand and execute. Train your staff and leaders to consistently look for traits in people for leadership and serving. When a staff member, leader, or pastor notices spiritual giftedness in another, they approach the person explaining “here is what I see in you” (ICNU). You go on to explain what giftedness you see in that person and how they might be able to use that giftedness in ministry.
For example, you might share with Sally that you just love watching her with other people. She is one of those people who never meets a stranger. She is always so friendly, upbeat, and with a smile on her face. You go on to share with Sally that you see the spiritual gift of hospitality in her. You think she would be a great addition to the hospitality team. You ask her to think about it and pray about it and you will call her in a couple of days. Indeed, call her back in a couple of days to check in and see about her desire to use her gifts in ministry.
This is a one-on-one process that is authentic, personal, and specific to giftedness in relationship to ministry. This is a recommended process over the “cattle call” process of calling for volunteers from the pulpit, in a newsletter, by way of a clipboard, and so forth. Those other approaches are impersonal and don’t always allow people to connect with their giftedness. They most often are ineffective, too. It also doesn’t help people identify their gifts through the eyes and experiences of others like the ICNU process does. Personal invitation is always personal, specific, and working alongside another. Remember, you will never recruit well until you first identify well.
Notice people whom God is “working on”
Be on the lookout for people who are growing in their faith and participating regularly in not only worship but also service and ministry. Who is practicing their spiritual disciplines? Who are positive role models? Who does the congregation already see as a Christ-centered leader?
I firmly believe that those asked to lead need to set examples for others and be role models. If we allow people to lead who are not positive role models for living out their life as a mature disciple, we are only setting our churches up to fail. Not only are these leaders the models for your congregation, but they are also Christian models for the community. How we raise up leaders speaks volumes about who we are as a church. Invite people into leadership wisely and carefully.
This material is excerpted from Gear Up! Nine Essential Processes for the Optimized Church (Abingdon, 2017) by Kay Kotan. Used by permission.
Related Resources:
Read more.
The Right Question:
Leaders do not need answers. Leaders must have the right questions.
As with all organizations, churches develop their own rules. From time to time it is good to gather staff and volunteer leaders to examine those taken-for-granted procedures with this question.
  • If you could eliminate or change one rule (procedure, practice, report, etc.) that would help you do your ministry better, what would it be?
Want more Right Questions? Read Right Questions for Church Leaders.
Read "High Yield: Seven Disciplines of the Fruitful Leader" by Lovett H. Weems, Jr. And Tom Berlin
Whether by training or intuition, fruitful leaders develop a set of practices that serve them well and bear much fruit. These practices often become second nature to these leaders, and thus they seldom think to share them with other leaders who may be struggling. Tom Berlin and Lovett H. Weems, Jr., provide a vital resource to leaders through High Yield, a book that consists of a series of short chapters on leadership practices the authors have found most fruitful in their leadership and what they’ve seen exemplified in others. While many of these practices are common among diverse leaders, their implementation is as unique as the leaders themselves.
Endorsements
“I needed this book. High Yield drips with the wisdom that can only be learned by experience and careful listening. It is brutally honest about the difficulties of leadership in the church and gives practical advice about how to meet challenges and overcome them. It inspired me to keep going!” [Jacob Armstrong, pastor of Providence United Methodist Church, Mt. Juliet, Tennessee]
“Berlin and Weems invite us into the grace of attentive and aspirational leadership. Enter into this conversation with them, apply this wisdom, and experience ‘high yield’ ministry, not as a formulaic result but as faithful ministry in tune with God’s creative spirit. This book is a gift to leaders and to our church.” [Hope Morgan Ward, Resident Bishop, North Carolina Conference, United Methodist Church]
“Tom and Lovett clearly, kindly, and thoughtfully give practical, transferable, field-tested, and biblically-rooted principles to help church leaders and congregations become more fruitful for God in their communities and world. Church teams should study, digest, and apply this book.” [Jorge Acevedo, lead pastor of multisite Grace Church, Florida]
Free “Implementation Exercises for High Yield”
These exercises offer readers of High Yield a way to practice and apply the lessons of the book. Download now.
Available from Cokesbury and AmazonFruitful leaders develop a set of practices that serve them well and bear much fruit. Tom Berlin and Lovett H. Weems, Jr., provide a vital resource to leaders through High Yield, a book that consists of a series of short chapters on leadership practices the authors have found most fruitful in their leadership and what they've seen exemplified in others.
Learn more now.
How to Attract Millennials to Your Church
Though most millennials say they value spiritual development, fewer than half say that religion is important to them. How can your church help millennials see the value in church as a way to grow closer to God? Tricia Brown offers suggestions in a post for United Methodist Communications.

Photo credit: Pixabay / Ryan McGuire
How to attract millennials to your church by Tricia BrownA 2015 study suggests that some millennials, young adults born between 1984 and 1997, tend to have a less-than-positive outlook on church, but that doesn’t mean they don’t consider themselves spiritual.
In fact, 84 percent of millennials who took part in a Barna study (conducted on behalf of The United Methodist Church) said that they value spiritual development. That number only slightly decreased (71 percent) when respondents were asked if they believe that church has something to offer them.
84% of millennials in Barna study value spiritual development. 71% believe church has something to offer. TWEET THIS
So, millennials are not anti-church. That’s good news.
The bad news is that Pew Research Center has found that less than 50 percent of millennials say that religion is important to them or that church has a positive impact on the country — let alone their own lives.
Since you, as church pastors and leaders, know the value that church can and should play in our society as well as our personal lives, it’s imperative to ask, “How can we help this generation be more attracted to church?”
Make church like church.
Contrary to popular belief, just because someone is relatively young does not mean that they expect church to be some sort of social club. In fact, research indicates that most millennials like sanctuaries better than coffee shops or auditoriums. In addition, they don’t mind overtly Christian images in their places of worship. They actually think the imagery helps them feel closer to God.
And while a church's size isn’t necessarily the most important factor, they tend to be like Goldilocks and prefer churches that are not too big, not too small, but just right. Millennials are like most of us when visiting a new place. They don’t want the congregation to be so small that they stand out like a sore thumb, but they don’t want the congregation to be so large that they are just a number. In fact, many millennials are somewhat turned off by megachurches that seem to them more like big business than a haven of peace and praise.
Include technology correctly — when it’s relevant.
Yes, millennials are technological natives. They have grown up with cell phones in their pockets and computers in their bedrooms. They have no qualms about sharing the intimate details of their lives on social media. They know how to tweet, are adept at taking selfies and use hashtags with confidence.
But, as hard as it may be to believe, these young adults are not impressed with technology just for the sake of technology. Technology is impressive when it is used correctly, is relevant and actually enhances experience. Millennials will be turned off if you don't post engaging content or if you don't know how to use hashtags. If your projected lyrics aren’t timed correctly, you're technology will end up hindering worship instead of helping.
So, if you are trying to attract millennials, then use technology wisely. Think about ways that it will be beneficial to your congregation and implement those types of advancements.
Convey the right message.
The primary factors motivating millennials to attend church are to find help with their spiritual development and to have an opportunity to find out more about God.
For many churchgoers, this might seem obvious, but for others, it is a surprising find.
Volunteerism, community service projects, fighting for social justice … these are all great things that have their place among any body of believers. But, according to the research, the primary reason unchurched millennials would consider going to church is the very same reason the church exists in the first place.
Millennials are looking for enjoyable, insightful and meaningful sermons that are practical and actionable in their lives. This is even more important than whether hymns are being sung or drums are being played. It’s more important than whether the service is traditional or contemporary — projection, no projection. It’s even more important than whether or not they know someone in the congregation.
If millennials are going to go to church, it’s for these reasons. They want to grow spiritually. They want to find out more about God. Go ahead and preach sermons to connect with millennials or sermons about taboo topics. They’re searching for truth so they want to hear facts, reason and evidence without people telling them what to think, but rather how to think. They want to hear how the Scripture applies to tough subjects; how it applies to their lives.
In addition, according to the Barna study, United Methodist churches can benefit from the knowledge that 74 percent of all seekers surveyed (all ages) found the tagline “Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors” appealing. Therefore, you may want to not only use that tagline but also to think about how that message can be incorporated into your services, ministries and worship.
Create a community.
Millennials are a generation of young adults who have grown up with friends on Facebook and whose concept of neighborhoods is no longer limited by geography. Friends are not necessarily the people who live next door, but are just as likely gamers from across the world.
Emails, texting, video chat and social media have made proximity an unnecessary factor in relation to companionship. However, despite that broad interpretation of comradery, millennials report that another primary motivation to attend church is the desire for community.
These young people are no different than many of their elder peers. They too are searching for face-to-face connections. They want the opportunity to meet new friends and to connect on a deeper level with friends they already have. They want to be welcomed. They want to be whole, which includes having role models to lean on when times get hard. They want to be included. They want accountability and community that support and accept them. Churches are an awesome avenue to do just that.
Find out for yourself
So, given these finds, what can your church do to attract more millennials?
Check out these key findings about millennials for yourself. Find out what some of the other priorities are in their lives. Figure out what matters to them.
Remember, generalizations are never spot-on. Every person is unique, and there is a wide disparity in the age span of the millennial generation. Life events, which drastically affect how one thinks about church and spirituality, will vary greatly from a college student whose greatest concern is trying to pass this week’s chemistry test to a married-with-kids 33-year-old who is battling bills and trying to climb the corporate ladder. So, while this information is being presented on the basis of statistics, it's best to just make friends and get to know millennials for their individual qualities.
Start with the millennials already in your church. Talk with them. Ask their opinions on matters of church business. Make their appearance known and felt in your church. Discover how they think. Put them in positions of leadership. Encourage them to participate. Build the very thing they are looking for — a community of Christ followers, growing spiritually as they learn more about God and love each other.
Don’t let age be a barrier. Get to know what millennials like and what turns them off. Seek out personal, meaningful relationships with individuals in this age group, and help them see the relevance of the church in the lives of all believers.

Tricia Brown has been a freelance writer and editor for more than twenty years, ghost-writing and editing for individuals as well as for health, education and religious organizations. She enjoys reading, writing and public speaking commitments in which she teaches and encourages other women.
Read now.
Quotable Leadership:
There are innovations that spring from a flash of genius. Most innovations, however, especially the successful ones, results from a conscious, purposeful search for innovation opportunities. [Peter F. Drucker]
Learn to Improve Summer Attendance
Worship attendance is vital to the mission of the church. And though attendance often declines in the summer, it's important to increase a congregation's worship momentum during this season. Learn how, plus many other strategies to improve hospitality and increase worship attendance with the Reaching Others through Worship Video Tool Kit.
Learn more and watch introductory videos now.


Connect with the Lewis Center:

Lewis Center for Church Leadership
Wesley Theological Seminary
4500 Massachusetts Avenue North West
Washington, D.C. 20016, United States
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