Shared Learning Experience 1

Aiming Real Leaders at the Mission Field WELCOME! Session Three Aiming Real Leaders at the Mission Field

Core Purpose Our core purpose today is to help participants understand the kind of leadership and communication needed to lead a church through change.

Objectives Understand how critical communication is to change process. Identify the qualities of effective leaders. Discover methods to use to determine spiritual, physical, social needs of your community and how God wants your church to address them.

Objectives Learn the importance of recruiting, developing and reproducing effective leaders continually. 5

Objectives Understand the importance of establishing 3 key teams -Prayer -Vision -Leadership Development 6

Ground Rules Be on time Be engaged Be curious Be respectful: Please silence cell phones 7

Spiritual Centering Exodus 18:13-27 13 The next day Moses sat as a judge for the people, while the people stood around Moses from morning until evening. 14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What’s this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, while all the people are standing around you from morning until evening?” 8

Spiritual Centering Exodus 18:13-27 (Common English) 15 Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16 When a conflict arises between them, they come to me and I judge between the two of them. I also teach them God’s regulations and instructions.”

Spiritual Centering Exodus 18:13-27 (Common English) 17 Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing isn’t good. 18 You will end up totally wearing yourself out, both you and these people who are with you. The work is too difficult for you. You can’t do it alone. 19 Now listen to me and let me give you some advice. And may God be with you! Your role should be to represent the people before God. You should bring their disputes before God yourself. 10

Spiritual Centering Exodus 18:13-27 (Common English) 20 Explain the regulations and instructions to them. Let them know the way they are supposed to go and the things they are supposed to do. 21 But you should also look among all the people for capable persons who respect God. They should be trustworthy and not corrupt. Set these persons over the people as officers of groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. 11

Spiritual Centering Exodus 18:13-27 (Common English) 22 Let them sit as judges for the people at all times. They should bring every major dispute to you, but they should decide all of the minor cases themselves. This will be much easier for you, and they will share your load. 23 If you do this and God directs you, then you will be able to endure. And all these people will be able to go back to their homes much happier.” 12

Spiritual Centering Exodus 18:13-27 (Common English) 24 Moses listened to his father-in-law’s suggestions and did everything that he had said. 25 Moses chose capable persons from all Israel and set them as leaders over the people, as officers over groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. 26 They acted as judges for the people at all times. They would refer the hard cases to Moses, but all of the minor cases they decided themselves. 13

Spiritual Centering Exodus 18:13-27 (Common English) 27 Then Moses said good-bye to his father-in-law, and Jethro went back to his own country. 14

AT YOUR TABLES DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS

Reflection Questions… Describe a time you stopped to ask yourself in the midst of ministry busyness, “Why am I doing what I’m doing?” Have you ever been in a similar situation to Moses? What did you do about it? Are you there now? In what ways do you and your church leadership develop teams to carry out the mission of the church? 16

Action Plan Review 17

Action Plan Review Assignments Did you make a plan for how you will spread what you are learning with others in your church? Did you register with MissionInsite and discuss your findings in your debriefing session with your pastor? 18

Direct Hit – Key Concepts

Direct Hit – Key Concepts Two reasons churches remain inwardly focused: People are not willing to lead, or don’t believe they are leaders. The leadership of the church doesn’t have a well-developed communication strategy to lead the church through change.

Direct Hit – Key Concepts Leadership Topics for Today: The Importance of Communication The Qualities of Effective Leaders Leadership Development and Reproduction God’s Heart for Your Community Three Teams of Leaders 21

Direct Hit – Communication The ability of an organization to effectively accomplish its purpose is ultimately determined by leaders who are effective because they communicate well.

Direct Hit – Communication Your job as a church leader is to lead the congregation to find strategies that enable followers of Jesus to effectively reach lost and dying people with the Good News. 23

Direct Hit – Communication Renewal that refocuses believers on seriously carrying out the Great Commission is perhaps the greatest priority facing the church. Leaders desiring to drive such change must understand that this demands the strategic use of words. 24

Direct Hit – Communication A major overhaul of communication strategy is required to lead a change to fulfilling the Great Commission. 25

Direct Hit – Communication One of the most effective ways to motivate people to get involved in a mission is to show them examples of others carrying it out. Show them people hitting the target. Celebrate successes elaborately. 26

Direct Hit – Communication The vision must be communicated all the time and everywhere. 27

Direct Hit – Communication Vision is cast primarily through well-told stories with compelling metaphors. 28

Direct Hit – Communication A crucial element of communicating effectively in order to move a church from being inwardly focused to being mission focused is communicating urgency. The presentation of vision must always be accompanied by a presentation of urgency. 29

Direct Hit – Communication Wise leaders always give people a choice between a preferable future and an unacceptable present. 30

Direct Hit The Great Commission 8 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.” 31

Direct Hit The Great Commission Jesus gave all His authority to us, and He expects results. “The Great Commission” by arikodi

Direct Hit Leadership Qualities Passion for God, for reaching the lost. Willing to die for this. 33

Direct Hit Leadership Qualities Courage to shift the power center of the church away from those who are not mission-focused to those who are. 34

Direct Hit Leadership Qualities Flexibility about how the mission is carried out. Unbending about the mission itself. 35

Direct Hit Leadership Qualities Missional. Think strategically about how to bring the Kingdom of God to earth. 36

Direct Hit Leadership Qualities Missional leaders welcome accountability. Missional leaders make sure people are discipled to: Find their place in ministry. Be engaged in the mission of the church to make disciples. 37

Direct Hit Leadership Qualities Wisdom: the ability to apply biblical knowledge to human experience to produce a spiritual behavior that honors God. 38

Direct Hit Leadership Qualities Wisdom directs a pastor that if a congregation member chooses not to participate in making disciples, then they are not given a voice or authority in how the mission will be accomplished. 39

Direct Hit Leadership Qualities Positive about the Lord’s ability to go before us and produce Victory. 40

Direct Hit Leadership Qualities Positive leaders believe that the people they lead: Want to serve. Want to be effective. Are willing to sacrifice for the cause. 41

Direct Hit Leadership Qualities Positive leaders don’t use guilt. God has wired humans to not respond to service on the basis of guilt. We respond when we get a vision of a great God who has called to great things. 42

Direct Hit Leadership Qualities Responsibility: Effective leaders don’t blame others or make excuses when things are not going well. 43

Direct Hit Leadership Qualities Unfortunately, the church shies away from responsibility perhaps better than any other organization in society. Pastors and lay leaders often perform in an environment where faithful endeavor is honored, but fruitful results are not expected nor demanded. 44

Direct Hit Leadership Qualities The importance of Leadership Development and Reproduction! 45

Direct Hit Leadership Development A congregation grows in proportion to the number of new leaders that are being developed every year. 46

Direct Hit Leadership Development One of the reasons churches become inwardly-focused and begin to die is that people in the congregation do not believe they are leaders. 47

Direct Hit Leadership Development The key to growing a healthy, fruitful congregation is to develop a leadership community that is constantly identifying and growing new leaders. 48

Direct Hit Leadership Qualities God’s heart for your community. 49

Direct Hit God’s Heart for Your Community The most basic question every Christian must wrestle with is whether a person living in this world is a lost individual, spiritually separated from God…. 50

Direct Hit God’s Heart for Your Community If lost people matter to God, they must matter to us. 51

Direct Hit God’s Heart for Your Community How you can determine God’s heart for your community: Pray cosmically. Exegete (understand) your community. Assess your congregation’s strengths. 52

Direct Hit God’s Heart for Your Community Holy Spirit moves throughout Where the community’s needs intersect with the congregation’s strengths and the leader’s passion is your church’s sweet spot for ministry. Vision The Leader’s Passion The Community’s Needs The Congregation’s Strengths 53

Direct Hit The Need to Establish 3 Teams Team One: Prayer Team Two: Vision or Dream Team Three: Leadership Development 54

Direct Hit Prayer Team It should have been put in place at the beginning of FCJ. Uniquely different from other church prayer teams. Focus is on the FCJ process and the church’s mission, especially the church reaching out to and connecting with its community. 55

Direct Hit Vision or Dream Team Works closely with the pastor to dream about the church’s future. Studies the community to understand its needs and dreams. Discerns where God is at work and how the church should join in. NOTE: Wait until Step 2 of FCJ before creating this team. 56

Direct Hit Leadership Development Team This is your FCJ Team! Use this curriculum as your initial study. Look for new leaders. Provide training for leaders beyond your team throughout the Shared Learning Experience and even after it ends. 57

Key Learnings 58

Action Plan & Prayer Concerns 59

Next-Step Assignments Make sure your church has a prayer team for the FCJ. Continue to make and carry out a plan for sharing what you are learning with others. Conduct some interviews with people in your community. Go to www.inumc.org for resources. 60

Continue the Conversation! 1. Facebook page = http://www.facebook.com/makingdisciplestransformingcommunities 2. Blog Site = http://churchdevinumc.wordpress.com/ 61

Our FCJ Toolbox Asking the “so that…” question Using a team/church covenant MissionInsite demographic tool Prayer Team Leadership Development Team 62

Core Purpose Our core purpose today was to help participants understand the kind of leadership and communication needed to lead a church through change. 63

Objectives Understand how critical communication is to change process. Identify the qualities of effective leaders. Discover methods to use to determine spiritual, physical, social needs of your community and how God wants your church to address them. 64

Objectives Understand the importance of establishing 3 key teams -Prayer -Vision -Leadership Development 65

Wrap-Up & Closing Next book: Taking Your Church to the Next Level, by Gary McIntosh Evaluations

Have a great month!