Spiritual Leadership For Church Leaders

A Handbook ByJoan S. Gray

Christ Presbyterian ChurchSession Reflection

Gathering

“Yet Elders and Deacons if present, are still the backbone of any Presbyterian church, and few churches rise far above the level of leadership of their lay leaders” pg ix

God raises up among the Christians in a congregation the gifts needed to carry on ministry in that place.

A spiritual leader is one whose way of life is centered in a relationship with God revealed in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Pg 3

Spirituality is a way of life that leads to a deeper relationship with God.

Leader…

A leader exercises authority or influence to motivate other people to follow him or her. Leadership implies movement and change. Pg 3

Leaders have a vision of something that is not yet accomplished.

A Spiritual Leader leads others to seek and do God’s will.

Spiritual Leaders

God does not call the qualified;

God qualifies the called.

Think of Someone you

have know who you

would call a spiritual

leader.

What characteristics,

habits, or practices that

made that person

effective?

When you hear the

word Spirituality

what comes to mind?

Spirituality

What is your reaction to this statement?

“The primary work of a Presbyterian session is to lead a congregation to seek and do God’s will.”

Session as Spiritual Leaders

Authority and leadership are intertwined. Authority is what enables leaders to motivate followers to move together toward a goal.

Authority to Lead

At the deepest level, all authority exercised in the church belongs to Jesus Christ; Christ delegates spiritual authority to those called to lead.

Authority is from Jesus

Christ

Scripture and tradition support the authority of Elders.

What factor’s erode that “automatic” authority?

Turn to page 12 and please reread through the end of the chapter.

What are some of the

ways that Christ

Presbyterian Church

grants authority to it’s

leaders?

What are the qualities

of rowboat churches?

God has given the church a basic agenda and then left it up to the church to get on with it.

Progress depends on circumstances like the amount of money in the bank, the number of volunteers available, the charisma and skill of its leaders, and the demographics of its community.

They ask the question, “What can we do with what we have?”

Presence or absence of resources largely determines what can be done.

What the is sea like and how willing people are to ROW makes the decisions

What are the qualities of sailboat

churches?

Leaders know that what they have or lack in the way of human and material resources is not the decisive factor in what they can accomplish.

Look on church as a continuing adventure with a God who leads and empowers them to do more than they ever could have dreamed.

The adventure involves believers in and intimate relationships with the triune God who guides their life as a church

Key question is not “what do we have?”, but “What is God leading us to be and do now in the place where we find ourselves?”

They believe that the God who calls is the God who provides, and that if they are invested in doing what God wants the church to do, God will provide the resources.

Rowboat Churches

“We can do this or we can’t do this”

Sailboat Churches

“God can do more than we can ask or imagine.”

Dominant Attitudes

The basic difference between them has nothing to do with the circumstances of a congregation; rather, the difference is in the attitude of the leadership and

members. Pg. 18

The early believers used a sailboat to symbolize the church because the idea of being powered by the Holy Spirit of God, as the wind moves a boat, was at the heart of their experience of being church. From the beginning the church was intended to be a God-powered movement.

Pg 18-19

Three basic components of being a sailboat church:

Passion for God

Faith in God’s provision

Willingness to let go

Where is God in relation to the center of your life?

How does this relationship with God empower your ministry as a Church officer?

Sailing Skills for Church LeadersSanctified Imagination

Rising Above Self-interest for the Good of the Church

The Willingness to Risk and Fail

The Ability to Discern and use the Gifts of others in God’s Work

Using the resources of Tradition and History

Discerning Kairos Moments

Leadership Style

Divide into small groups to discuss the various leadership styles.

Provide a summery to the group on the assigned style.

What’s Your

Natural

Leadership Style?

What’s are the styles

of leadership that our

congregation expects

from its Pastor and

Officers?

What is the difference

between a servant

leader and leaders

who act like slaves or

martyrs?

http://youtu.be/EKAMLBqSjz0

Why did you say yes

to being an Elder for

Christ Presbyterian

Church?

Read advertisement on the top of page 68

Conflictv. Kuh n-flikt; n. kon-flikt

1.to come into collision or disagreement; be contradictory, at variance, or in opposition; clash

2. to fight or contend; do battle

Effective Spiritual Leaders are not surprised by conflict. They expect it and prepare to deal with it in healthy ways.

Pg. 73

Have you seen God

bring good out of a

situation that on it’s

face seemed negative?

How do you respond

to the statement that

a church that never

experiences conflict is

dead?

What causes conflict

in the church?

How can leaders work

to keep conflict from

getting out of hand?