Leading, Growing, and Sustaining God’s Church: Concepts and Strategies for Success

By Clarence Duff Ph.D.

Focusing on what facilitates effective leadership, church growth, and retention, this book sets forth a process-oriented framework for understanding the dynamics of church growth and what works for and against it.

The author, who is currently serving as the senior pastor of a local church in the City of Brampton, Ontario, for more than twenty years, highlights basic concepts and practices related to church leadership and growth. He considers questions such as:

Why do some churches grow in numbers while others lag?
What are the dynamic processes, strategies, and pathways that underlie effective leadership, church growth, and retention?
How can the answers to these questions inform endeavors to increase and retain church membership?

The author also asks if it’s true that God is in partnership with his leaders, why are so many of our local churches not growing but declining?

The world the church was established in more than two thousand years ago is not the world we live in today. Rethink what it means to lead, grow, and retain membership in a changing world with this important book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jul 13, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664238244

Clarence Duff Ph.D.

Clarence Duff, Ph.D., earned his Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees in educational psychology from Capella University. He earned his Bachelor of Science in psychology and Master of Arts in professional counseling from Liberty University. He also pursued doctoral studies in organizational leadership at Grand Canyon University. He has been a college professor of psychology for more than fifteen years.

Book preview

LEADING,

GROWING, AND

SUSTAINING

GOD’S CHURCH

CONCEPTS AND STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

CLARENCE DUFF, Ph.D.

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Copyright © 2021 Clarence Duff, Ph.D..

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except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Scripture taken from the New King James Version® Copyright © 1982

by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International

Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica, Inc.

TM. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

ISBN: 978-1-6642-3823-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-3900-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-3824-4 (e)

WestBow Press rev. date: 6/30/2021

This book is dedicated to my wonderful and loving wife, Anne, whose

love and encouragement continue to inspire and empower me forward.

CONTENTS

Preface

PART 1   LEADING GOD’S CHURCH

Chapter 1     A Biblical Foundation for Christian Leadership

Servant Leadership: The Biblical Perspective

• Servant Leadership: An Integrative Activity

• Leadership Dilemma in Churches Today

• Contributions from Current Leadership Research

• Organizational Trust and Organizational Commitment

• Job Satisfaction, Job Performance, and Followers’/Employees’ Motivation

• Transformational versus Servant Leadership

Chapter Summary

Chapter 2     The Church as an Organization

The Church as Organization and Organism

• Organization and Organism

• The Purpose of Organization

• The Pastor as Organizational Leader

• Organizational Leadership and the Challenge of Growth

Domains of Organizational Leadership in the Church

• Origin of Board Governance

• Board Governance: The Legal Perspective

• Board Governance: Biblical Insight

Chapter Summary

Chapter 3     Cultivating a Healthy Church Governance

The Pastor-Board Relationship

• Bridging the Divide

Roles and Responsibilities of a Church Board

• Legal Duties

• Board Structure and Responsibilities

• The Board’s Role in Healthy Governance

• Selecting Board Members

The Church’s Constitution or Bylaws

• The Importance of Bylaws

Chapter Summary

Chapter 4     What Effective Church Leaders Do

The Tasks of Pastoral Leadership

• Create a Vision

• Set Priorities

• Lead by Examples

• Pursue Excellence

• Lead Change

• Motivate Members

Chapter Summary

Chapter 5     Understanding and Shaping Your Church’s Culture

Understanding Organizational Culture

Understanding the Church’s Culture

• The Church’s Visible Culture

• The Church’s Communicated Norms, Beliefs, and Values

• The Church’s Underlying Assumptions

When to Change Your Church’s Culture

Benefits of a Healthy Church Culture

• Collective Identity

• Shared Values

• Membership Retention and Growth

• Membership Commitment

Leadership and Culture

• Church Leaders Influence Church Culture

• Importance of Assessing Transferees

• Exit Interview

Chapter Summary

Chapter 6     Organizational Church Management

Understanding Organizational Church Management

• The Pastoral Manager

Differences between Leadership and Management

Leaders Are in Partnership with God

The Task of Planning in the Church

• Biblical Basis for Planning

• Strategic Planning

• Setting Goals and Objectives

• Making Decisions

God’s Role in Human Decision-Making

The Task of Organizing the Church

• Ministry/Department Creation and Organization

The Task of Controlling in the Church

• The Ministry-Control Process

Chapter Summary

PART 2   GROWING GOD’S CHURCH

Chapter 7     From Ministry Development to Capability

The Church Was Meant to Grow

Strategies for Winning People and Growing the Church

• Create a Vibrant Children’s Ministry

• Create an Effective Hospitality Ministry

• Create Ministry Groups

• Encourage Different Forms of Evangelism

• Create or Improve the Marketing and Advertisement Ministry in Your Church

• Create a Ministry That Serves the Homeless and Needy

Chapter Summary

Chapter 8     The Role of Preaching in Growing and Nurturing the Church

What Preaching Is Not

• Not a Quest for Stardom

• Not a Platform for Comedians and Entertainers

• Not a Market Place for Money Changers

What Preaching Is to the Church

• The Heartbeat of the Body of Christ

• A Channel for Human-Divine Conversation

• A Public Transaction

• A Spirit-Led Initiative

• A Direct Path to Growth

Chapter Summary

Chapter 9     Understanding People, Their Needs, and Their Vulnerabilities

Understanding Human Nature and Personhood

The Consequences of Sin

• It Affected Their Relationship with God

• It Affected Their Psychological Disposition

• It Affected Their Interpersonal Relationships

• It Affected Their Physical Well-Being

• It Affected Their Children

• The Psychospiritual Effects of Sin

• The Psychosocial Effects of Sin

• It Affected the Entire Human Race

Chapter Summary

Chapter 10   The Role of the Church in Meeting People’s Needs

What People Really Need

• People Need a Compelling Experience

• People Need to Be Purposeful

• People Need to Feel They Belong

• People Need a Spiritual Awakening

Bridging the Gap between What the Church Offers and What People Need

• The Church Is a Family

• The Church Is a Community

• The Church is a Body

Chapter Summary

PART 3   MEMBERSHIP RETENTION

Chapter 11   Conditions for Member Retention

Total Membership Engagement (TME)

• What Is Engagement?

• The Need to Contribute

• The Need to Express Oneself

• People Need to Have an Impact

Track Attendance and Member Participation

• Identify Where and Why the Loss Is Occurring

• Signs a Member May Be Thinking of Leaving

Pastoral Care and Nurturing

• Shepherds Intimately Know and Care for Their Sheep

• Shepherding Through Times of Crisis

Chapter Summary

Chapter 12   Creating a Culture of Learning in the Church

The Importance of a Culture of Learning

How to Create a Culture of Learning

• Lead with a Growth Mindset

• Make Learning a Core Value of the Church

• Promote Information Sharing

• Challenge People to Grow

• Push Members Out of Complacency

Chapter Summary

Endnotes

PREFACE

Why is it that some churches grow in numbers while others just seem to lag, struggling with only a few members for years? Why is it that some members move from church to church, looking for what some call a better place to be, only to move again after a year or so? Why is it that some churches have difficulty leading or evangelizing visitors to become committed members of the body of Christ, while others seem to thrive? Why do we even need to be concerned about such questions?

Maybe a better question to ask is, if God is the one leading and growing the church, should we be concerned about leading and growing his church? The answer may vary depending on who you ask. Most honest Bible-believing Christians will answer with an astounding Yes, we should be concerned! The Bible tells us God is in partnership with us, growing and leading his church. Here the issue gets even more complicated. If it’s true that God is in partnership with his leaders, why are so many of our local churches not growing but declining? These are some of the questions we will tackle in this book.

This book was born out of my many conversations with pastors who had serious concerns about the state of their local churches in terms of growth and membership retention. I also experienced firsthand the struggle to grow the congregation I have been pastoring for several years. There was no doubt in my mind that God wanted his church to grow. It wasn’t just about having a large gathering per se; I wanted authentic growth, with people experiencing genuine spiritual change in every aspect of their lives. The quest to understand how to grow the church and have people stay became a growing passion that led me in directions that eventually converged into this book.

This book isn’t just another good read on the popular topic of leadership and church growth; it challenges the reader to reconceptualize what it means to lead, grow, and retain church membership in a changing world. The world the church was established in over two thousand years ago is no longer the same world we live in today. Everything from politics, culture, language, and technology to how we see and understand the world has changed. While some principles and strategies remain the same, many things have changed. The church doesn’t exist in a vacuum; neither does it operate in the same environment as the early church, as some might think. It exists in a world that is ever changing and evolving in ways we have never seen. It is in this changing environment that leaders are called to lead, grow, and nurture the church.

Many churches are stagnant for many reasons, and some of the most important ones are discussed in this book. It is a book that gets to the heart of the issue. It is practical in that it outlines ready-to-apply principles. It is biblical in that it is undergirded by sound biblical and theological truths. It is academic because it draws from reliable and relevant scholarship.

What makes this book interesting to read is that it offers an in-depth exploration of topics that are often neglected in books on leadership and church growth. To explore some of the subjects that are of uttermost importance to the life of the church, this book is divided into three main parts covering twelve chapters. Part one addresses the issues of leadership. This is the longest section and covers six chapters, all dealing with the subject of leadership. This section offers tremendous insights into the nature and practice of leadership. Drawing from applicable research, biblical cases, and practical experience, the book challenges the reader to rethink organizational leadership in the context of the church. Part two contains four chapters that address the subject of church growth. The question of why some churches aren’t growing is tackled in these chapters, and possible solutions are discussed. Because church growth is kingdom growth and rests heavily on leadership, the section follows naturally from section one. The chapters outlined in this second section explore strategies and practices that can contribute to the growth of the church. Part three is the final section and deals with membership retention. When a church grows, its membership needs to be retained. But this isn’t so in some churches. Reasons for membership decline are examined, and strategies are discussed regarding how to keep members from leaving.

This book is written for pastors who are looking for practical and down-to-earth strategies that will help them move their churches to different levels of success. It is written for students studying ministry and leadership, who want to see the academic side of ministry as well as understand the process of leadership, church culture, church growth, and retention. It is also written for lay members who want to understand more about church operations and processes.

It is my hope that as you, the reader, engage with the information presented in this book— whether you are a leader, student, or lay member—your passion and desire to see God’s church grow and become a dynamic force in this world will be ignited and set ablaze.

PART 1

Leading God’s Church

CHAPTER 1

A Biblical Foundation for

Christian Leadership

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Leadership has become a buzzword today. This might be because of the heightened interest and emphasis current leadership has placed on it in scholarship, businesses, and organizations. The subject of leadership and the attention as to its importance aren’t new. For thousands of years, there has been strong interest in its importance to success in areas such as battles, organizations, kingdoms, governments, politics, and so on. What is different today is the level of interest and research now being poured into understanding and promoting its importance and practice.

Most universities are now offering entire degree programs and majors in leadership studies. Industries and corporations ensure that their middle and top executives have leadership training and well-developed leadership competence. The number of currently available books, workshops, seminars, and conferences on leadership is astounding. Organizations and industries are now ranking leadership development as one of their top priorities in making their organizations effective and competitive. According to Bolden and colleagues, leadership has become the panacea of our times.¹ The increased attention to and investment in leadership have literally become a global trend.

It is now widely understood that without effective leadership, governments, companies, organizations, and corporations would fail to change and transition effectively into the future. As a result, governments would be weak and easily toppled, and crime and violence would increase around the world, creating fear and panic. Getting things done, empowering people, creating change, engaging, and moving people and processes forward all require effective leadership at every level.

There is more! Effective leaders are believed to have attributes that enable them to bring out the best in followers, help people believe in something bigger than themselves, and envision goals impossible to achieve in the present but are conceivable in the future. They have the capacity to expand on what is given to them, create a path when one isn’t visible, and be committed and passionate despite varying and unfavorable circumstances. They are also able to bridge gaps between opinions, bring people of various positions to work toward a single goal, blind their eyes to trivial criticism, rebound after disappointments, and see failures as opportunities.

Are we putting too much emphasis on leadership? Is it overrated? Answers may vary, depending on who you ask. Most scholars agree that the emphasis on leadership for organizational success and change is well deserved. Others believe leadership cannot be fully understood without a corresponding understanding of followership. They hold that leaders emerge in the context of followers; one cannot exist without the other. Interestingly, leadership is of interest not only to people in the world but also to God. Leadership plays an important part in God’s plan for his people. We see this truth throughout the Bible beginning with Adam, the first leader, who represented all humanity; his failure ushered in a time of brokenness and unhappiness for humans and all creation. Then came men like Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon, Nehemiah, and the apostles of the New Testament, to name a few. The actions of these leaders became models for how leadership can affect the welfare of many people, good or bad.

God puts a premium on leadership. This is demonstrated in the fact that he created Adam to lead in the establishing of humanity, Noah to lead in the building of the ark of safety, Abraham to lead in the building of a nation of faith, Moses to lead Israel to the Promised Land, Nehemiah to lead in the building of the walls of Jerusalem, and the apostles to lead in the building of the New Testament church. This fact leads us to ask the following questions: Does the Bible give us a perspective on what an effective leader does and is like? Furthermore, is there a difference between the biblical and secular perspectives of leadership? Should Christians apply secular principles of leadership in leading God’s church?

The answers to these questions are important for several reasons. First, they will help us clarify whether secular concepts of the attributes and styles of leadership are similar or different from God’s view of leadership. Second, they will help us explain whether the attributes of leadership are inherent qualities in leaders themselves or emergent properties of the context in which leaders find themselves. Third, they will help us make decisions on whether we should regard secular conceptualizations and principles of leadership as parts of God’s revealed truth about leadership in general. Fourth, the answers to these questions will help us formulate a biblical perspective or a theology of leadership, which isn’t limited to a few selected passages of scriptures but includes both revealed truths from scriptures and truths revealed outside of scriptures, which are referred to as general revelations.

Servant Leadership: The Biblical Perspective

The scriptures are quite clear regarding what God expects from leaders and how he sometimes prepares them to become effective leaders. Cases of men such as Joseph, Moses, Nehemiah, and the apostles give us good insight into God’s perspective on leadership. For example, Moses was brought up in Pharaoh’s house to someday become a mighty prince and leader of Egypt. He spent the first forty years of his life in preparation for this task. Based on Egyptian standards of what an effective leader needs to be, Moses would have passed with the highest of distinction. Yet at this level of leadership, he still wouldn’t be qualified to lead God’s people. From God’s perspective, he needed leadership qualities that couldn’t be acquired through the learning available in Egyptian education. To acquire such leadership competence, it was necessary for God to take him out of Egypt and bring him to a place where he could mold these qualities into him. From this, we see that certain leadership qualities can be developed and acquired under specific sets of circumstances. While Moses no doubt had some leadership skills, the leadership task God had for him required much more. God wanted him to be an effective pastoral leader or shepherd leader, not one who led by force or by being lord over others. To acquire such leadership attributes, Moses had to be trained for another forty years—this time not in the comfort of a palace and among the elite scholars of Egypt but in the wilderness of Midian with a flock of sheep. From God’s perspective, a true and effective leader needs to have the heart of a shepherd rather than the heart of an Egyptian prince.

What is the difference between being a prince leader of Egypt and a shepherd leader? Clearly, being a prince leader of Egypt, Moses was trained to have total control over people and to have people obey him by the authority of his position. The will of the prince would become the will of the people. People would be forced to do, not led to do; commanded to obey, not motivated to do; forced to follow, not inspired to work; and chastised to get up after failures, not encouraged to see failures as opportunities.

The Egyptian training for leadership isn’t different compared to the leadership training students receive in the secular universities of our time. Like the Egyptians, leaders of today are trained to see people only as assets to be managed, positioned, manipulated, and used as resources. Secular leadership training, while important, can never be sufficient to qualify a person to lead God’s people. God’s leaders must be trained under his tutelage and in his way. God brought Moses out of Egypt so he could lead sheep for forty years to develop the attributes of leadership that would qualify him to lead God’s people.

The story of Nehemiah gives us yet another perspective on leadership. We aren’t told whether Nehemiah had any specific leadership training or held any leadership positions before assuming the leadership over the building project in Jerusalem. What we are told is that he was the king’s cupbearer, the man who tasted the king’s drink to protect him from being poisoned. This was a position that brought Nehemiah into a close connection with the king. Whether he was born with certain traits that inclined him toward leadership or developed them under certain conditions is uncertain. One thing is clear: whatever leadership qualities he possessed; God enabled them to get to another level for his divine work.

The leadership lessons in the book of Nehemiah revolve around two themes, which are the physical and spiritual restoration of conditions in Jerusalem. The first six chapters tell us about the physical restoration of the city’s walls. The last seven chapters inform us about the life of the people after the walls were built. Nehemiah was concerned not only about the task of the physical building but also about the task of building people. A careful observation of the narrative reveals that God’s concern for his people included, but wasn’t limited to, the physical building of the walls; he also had their social and spiritual well-being in mind. Building the walls was strategic in achieving the latter two goals.

From a biblical perspective, leadership is not only about mobilizing, influencing, motivating, and using people as resources to get things done or achieving material outcomes. It goes further to building up the people themselves. This, no doubt, is the central dimension missing in the secular perspectives on leadership. We also have strong evidence from the New Testament scriptures regarding God’s perspective on what makes for good and effective leadership. In Mark 10:35–45, we have one of the best indications in scriptures regarding how God views good and effective leadership. In verses 42–45, we read the following: But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, ‘You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.’

Among all the examples of leadership in scriptures, Jesus provided the most explicit perspective and model of what God expects a leader to be. In the passage above, Jesus redefined leadership in terms of servanthood. He pointed out that leaders in the world operate by lording it over their followers. Here he showed the difference between the leadership of the world and the leadership God expects. Leaders of the world lead from a position of power and control. However, those who would be leaders of his church shouldn’t lead this way. They should lead as servants.

Jesus not only taught his disciples the nature of servant leadership but also demonstrated it when he bent down and washed their feet. In John 13:3–15, we read,

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, Lord, are You washing my feet? Jesus answered and said to him, What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this. Peter said to Him, You shall never wash my feet! Jesus answered him, If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me. Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head! Jesus said to him, He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you. For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, You are not all clean. So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.

Leaders of today may find it hard to conceptualize Jesus’s servant leadership model, in which the leader leads by serving. At first glance, this will appear to be a paradox. How can a leader lead by serving? How can he lead at the front and at the same time serve those he leads? According to Peter Northouse, author of Leadership: Theory and Practice, Our everyday images of leadership do not coincide with leaders being servants. Leaders influence and servants follow. How can leadership be both service and influence?² Northouse went on to conclude that although servant leadership seems contradictory and challenge our traditional beliefs about leadership, it is an approach that offers a unique perspective.³

There is no doubt that the servant leadership model Jesus instituted is by far the most unique and effective approach to leadership. When Jesus established this model, he had two important things in mind that leaders should focus on. The first is the building up of people through service. This means leaders should be servants first. They should provide for the needs of their followers, even at the expense of their own needs, as Jesus did. They should do so by showing care and consideration for their followers’ needs and concerns. What is important to followers must become important to leaders. In the upper room at the Last Supper, Jesus demonstrated this truth when he recognized the need to wash the disciples’ feet and immediately took the opportunity to meet the need. Washing guests’ feet in those days was a servant’s role. When the disciples booked the room for the Last Supper, Jesus didn’t request a servant. The room had everything else, including water, basin, and towels, but no servant. When Jesus washed their feet, he literally took the place and assumed the role of a servant.

In Matthew 14:13–16, we again see Jesus showing care to those who were following him. Here is what the text says: When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them and healed their sick. When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, ‘This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.’ But Jesus said to them, ‘They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.’"

In Acts 6, when concerns were raised regarding the neglect of the Grecian widows, Peter and the rest of the leaders immediately responded to the issue by appointing qualified men to minister to the needs. While Peter and the other leaders weren’t directly involved in the administration process itself, it’s important to note they not only took the leadership initiative to recognize the need but also went further to ensure a ministry to do so was created.

The second thing Jesus had in mind when he inaugurated the servant leadership model was mission. This model teaches us that we cannot separate people from the mission. He connected his mission to people. He showed that the mission and the people were inseparable. Nowhere else is this more demonstrated than in the way he built his church. The church consists of people, and people have hearts, minds, needs, and concerns. The believers are the church. One doesn’t exist without the other. To build the church is to build up believers. This, nevertheless, doesn’t negate the fact that, like organizations and businesses in the world, the church has operational structures, which include administrative processes, management structure, vision, job descriptions, schedules, and so on. Unlike these institutions and businesses, the model of servant leadership sees these as intrinsically connected and parts of the same purpose and mission.

In their book, The Servant Leader, Ken Blanchard and Paul Hodges noted that, to understand servant leadership, one must understand both its visionary and operational roles.⁴ This means servant leaders don’t compromise tasks for people or people for tasks but see them as important dimensions of the same process. In this the servant leader is both mission oriented and people oriented. In fact, among the list of gifts given to the New Testament church, we have among them the gift of leadership, showing the spiritual connection between people and mission or operation. The entire concept can be captured in the saying Without the vision, the people perish, and without the people, the vision also perish.

Servant Leadership: An Integrative Activity

In the world of businesses, organizations, and institutions, people are not only seen as operational resources but also treated as expendable and replaceable. Organizational outcomes are measured not in terms of benefits to workers but more so in terms of operational outcomes for the organization. From this perspective, workers are