Effective Leadership: Top 10 Areas Every Christian Leader Should Consider When Moving Towards Effective Leadership

By Jonathan Lotson

There is without question a plethora of leaders in the world today. However, not every leader is effective, according to God's design. This book highlights the importance of effective leadership, with a concentration on ten key areas that every Christian leader should move towards. This book is both thorough and profound while holding a sincere commitment to Scripture. The studies found in this book examines far-ranging issues of effective leadership, from internal character matters to external problems of systems. The goal of this book is to address the diverse aspects of leadership, with a deep sensitivity to the realities of the twenty-first century and yet a deep commitment to the kingdom of God, as revealed in Scripture. This book offers excellent development concepts for the beginning leader, as well as for the seasoned leader. Effective Leadership: Top 10 Areas Every Christian Leader Should Consider brings cohesion to diverse issues in such a way as to form a holistic approach to leadership. This approach is both profoundly theological and yet practical in ways that can be applied in churches and organizations alike. The practical applications are simple enough to implement yet developed enough to provide ongoing guidance for leaders and their organizations. This is an insightful and needed book for leadership in the church and faith-based organizations at large. Christian leaders should provide effective leadership to their organizations, churches, denominations, and the world; and the ten topics highlighted in this book will assist leaders in their pursuit of effective leadership.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 8, 2019
• ISBN: 9781645691631

Book preview

cover.jpg

Effective Leadership

Top 10 Areas Every Christian Leader Should Consider When Moving Towards Effective Leadership

Dr. Jonathan Lotson

Copyright © 2019 by Dr. Jonathan Lotson

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Introduction

But Jesus called them to Himself and said, You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.

—Matthew 20:25–28 (NKJV)

This is a book on effective Christian leadership, and the chapters to follow will focus primarily on practical aspects of Christian leadership. They will include areas such as self-care, strategic foresight and direction, innovation, proper systems and structures, assessment, and relevance; but before the practical principles can be built, a proper foundation must be laid. As the apostle Paul wrote in his epistle to the Corinthians, No one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 3:11).

Because Christianity is a system that encompasses both the spiritual and physical aspects of life, a spiritual foundation must be put in place regarding Christian leadership before practical principles can be built upon it. Therefore, before addressing ten vital areas Christians leaders need to consider for effective leadership, a foundational subject to address is this: What is Christian leadership?

Leaders in the world are often considered such due to their power and influence. In other words, in the worldly sense, to be a leader is to have power. It is to have influence over others—whether politically, practically, or spiritually. However, Christian leadership is meant to include far more than one’s power or influence. Jesus spoke on this very topic when He discussed the leaders of His time, in the quote that opens this introduction. In short, He told His disciples what kind of leaders generally existed in the world—those who would lord over others with their power and influence, often doing so with force and without compassion or concern for the people themselves.

Jesus called His followers to another form of leadership. He commanded them to follow His example by taking on the persona of servant leadership. And, of course, Jesus was the greatest example of a leader who made Himself a servant.

The apostle Paul, this time in his writings to the Philippian church, remarked that Jesus

made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Phil. 2:7–8)

Paul encouraged the followers of Jesus to take on this same mind-set and continues by saying, Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus (Phil. 2:5).

Jesus is the foundation, and Jesus is the example.

As such, before addressing the various areas where Christian leaders should take note in order to provide effective leadership to their ministry or organization, a leader who wants to be relevant and effective must first and foremost strive to take on the mind of Christ. He or she must adopt the principles that outline and reflect the heart of Christ.

There are, of course, a number of principles we could outline and delineate to define a Christian in general and a Christian leader in particular. In fact, we could expand this introduction into an entire book on various principles. Because spiritual principles are not the focus of this book, it would be impossible to devote sufficient time to any one of them.

However, it would also be remiss to leave them out altogether, thus we will begin this practical book on ten areas that can make or break effective Christian leadership, with a discussion on vital foundational principles that should serve as the markers for every Christian life.

Love

The apostle Paul stated in his famous address to the Corinthians that among faith, hope, and love, the greatest is love. For any Christian leader to lead effectively, love must be the primary driving force and chief motivation. Love is meant to be the defining point of a Christian. It is meant to be the Nucleus of the entire Christian existence.

The lack of love apparent in the world today could be why there are so many questions and doubts as to the effectiveness and veracity of Christianity in modern times. Jesus told His disciples that the presence of love would be how others knew they were His disciples (John 13:35). It stands to reason that if love is lacking in a Christian ministry or organization—or if love is lacking as the primary driving force for Christian leaders—people will not be able to reconcile the organization’s or leader’s message with the heart of the gospel, which is love.

God’s calling upon our lives as leaders and our purpose must always be in proper relationship to love. Our love for God invites us to do everything in our power (no matter how difficult) to put a smile on God’s face. This love gives us the extra impetus needed to continue our individual journeys to fulfill our purpose in life, even when things do not seem to make sense in the ministry or in our personal lives.

Love also allows us to trust our Creator, knowing that we love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). Because of His great love for us, God is willing and able to guide our footsteps every step of the way. Because of our resultant love for Him, we should be willing to follow in the path that He leads.

Love is the foundational principal to effective Christian leadership, as it assists godly leaders in their decision-making. Making a decision of any kind is always easier when you know that the person you love will always be there for you. No matter how much others may love us on earth, their humanity will fail us periodically through life. God has a proven track record of never failing us, which should ease our minds as we make the decision to follow the purpose that God has handcrafted for our lives. It should motivate us to strive to show the love of Christ to all in and through our leadership.

Regardless of what other skills and gifts a Christian leader may have, love must stand supreme.

Truth

A second vital guiding principle for every Christian leader is a wholehearted adherence to truth. John the Beloved, when speaking of Jesus, stated that He was full of grace and truth (John 1:14). He came with grace and poured out grace in such full measure so as to align the heart of man with the heart of God.

Jesus restored a right relationship between a holy God and a sinful man, yet He also came with a message of truth to the world. He called people to repent. He did not state that sin was okay or that it would be overlooked. Although He offers full forgiveness and grace upon grace, He also came with words of counsel such as Go and sin no more (John 8:11).

A leader who seeks to follow in the footsteps of Christ will offer grace, mercy, and forgiveness yet will mix truth into that recipe. They will not balk nor step down from the responsibility to bear truth to a world that increasingly believes there is no such thing as absolute truth. Especially in this climate of moral ambiguity and relativism, the call of a Christian leader should reflect truth as it stands in the Bible.

A faithful Christian leader will not reshape the message of the gospel, removing truth from the equation, just to gain followers or members to an organization or supporters to ministry. Truth is an unpopular word in today’s climate, and this is why the mark of a true Christian leader should be truth mingled with grace and love. This will cause Christianity to stand apart from the overwhelming cry of moral relativism today.

Spirituality

Although there are many other attributes of an effective Christian leader, a final one to consider in this introduction is that of spirituality. Again, in today’s culture, a word like spirituality can have a negative connotation. It can bring to mind someone whose adherence to truth or sound principles is undermined by their head in the clouds or their focus on impractical and mystical concepts. True spirituality, however, is simply a personal decision to follow the teachings of Christ and to put first those things that Jesus stated were to come first—to love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love one’s neighbor as oneself (Mark 10:30–31).

Because we cannot do these things or even work up the desire to do so in our own strength, effective spirituality is resting on the power of Christ, who gives us the ability to follow Him and to put first those things that He would put first. It requires a spiritual walk, in step with Christ and daily communion with Him in His Word and in prayer. Thus, the first chapter of this book will address that very aspect—the importance of self-care for a Christian leader—which basically boils down to a dedication to put God first in order to then lead effectively.

Chapter 1

Self-Care

Caught Up

Leading a church, organization, or ministry is far from an easy task. The amount of stress and constant pulling on a leader can grow overwhelming, if leaders are not careful. The vital responsibilities of a Christian leader grow even more difficult when leaders fail to practice personal self-care on a consistent basis.

Self-care is vitally important, not only because all leaders need to take care of themselves for the sake of longevity and overall health but also because leaders set the tone and pace of the organizational culture in which they lead. If a leader of an organization is not healthy—spiritually or physically—this lack of health will reflect on the organization as a whole and on the people within the organization.

For this reason, self-care is not only important for senior leaders, but it is also important for those they lead. Self-care is an area where leaders should be showing the way, leading by example that a healthy, balanced life is possible and necessary. Christian leaders who constantly serve others and meet the needs of others while neglecting their personal needs will soon find themselves depleted and therefore ineffective.

Providing compassionate spiritual care to another in a church or ministry does not begin with an assessment of another’s need; it begins with an awareness of who we are as Christian leaders and what we bring to a particular encounter.¹ In other words, caring for others must begin with effectively caring for oneself. This is a difficult thing for Christian leaders, in particular, to grasp because we know that we are called to a life of self-sacrifice, a life of taking up the cross and following Jesus. Yes, Christians are called to take up their cross, and they often will be called by others to sacrifice and let go of things along the way that might distract them from their God-given purpose. But sacrificing health and self-care just for the sake of making a statement or trying to seem spiritual is not the idea.

Self-care is not only imperative for leaders to provide godly leadership to others, but it is also essential to maintaining a healthy relationship with God. The key to serving in the kingdom of God is positioning yourself physically, spiritually, and emotionally to handle various encounters that may come your way.

Self-care is the process whereby Christian leaders consistently develop their physical, spiritual, and emotional health to effectively serve in the kingdom of God. Practicing self-care ensures that you will not get caught up in simply doing the work of God yet forgetting the importance of maintaining a relationship with God. Why is this important? Consider the following statistics.

Eight out of ten pastors feel they must be on-call, twenty-four hours a day. Of the correspondents, 51 percent strongly agree, 54 percent of pastors agree the role of a pastor is frequently overwhelming, and 48 percent of pastors often feel the demands of ministry are greater than they can handle.² These sobering numbers make it clear that church work has consumed many leaders who have gotten completely caught up in the ministry and have made little to no room for self-care.

Let me be clear—working in the church is honorable. If you feel called to a