LIVING AND LEADING MOVEMENTS

Session 1
Part 1 - Bible study: Movement leaders

LEADERS

There is a lot of talk about movements, but little real understanding of what they are. Before you can lead a spiritual movement you must have a clear picture of what it actually looks like. You cannot lead someone to a place you are not going yourself.

DISCUSS

Which of these are movements? Describe why.

• Occupy
• Scouting
• UN
• Agapè
• Your church

MOVEMENT

A movement is a group of people working together to advance their shared goals.

List some things you notice about this definition.
Get a couple of people and share with the group.

MINISTRY VS. MOVEMENT

Many of us may already be involved in a ministry. Leading a spiritual movement is a different thing from just being busy with good ministry activities and programs.

A movement of God will always have:

• Supernatural outpouring of the Holy Spirit;
• Movement leaders with their own vision and ownership;
• Sense of momentum - going forward.

YOUR MOVEMENT

• What is its identity?
• Where is it going?
• Who is in it?
• How are you leading it?

Spiritual movements are not always ‘safe’. They can be messy and sometimes a little scary!

12 EMERGING LEADERS

When a movement stops.

Numbers 13: 1-3
The Lord said to Moses: “Send men to explore Canaan, which I’m giving to the Israelites. Send one leader from each of their ancestors’ tribes.” [12 tribes] So at the Lord’s command, Moses sent these men from the desert of Paran. All of them were leaders of the Israelites.

NOTE

Key time in the movement of God’s people towards the Promised Land.

Only the best 12 leaders were selected to spy out the land.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Numbers 13: 17-20
When Moses sent them to explore Canaan, he told them: “Go through the Negev and then into the mountain region. See what the land is like and whether the people living there are strong or weak, few or many. Is the land they live in good or bad? Do their cities have walls around them or not? Is the soil rich or poor? Does the land have trees or not? Do your best to bring back some fruit from the land.”

NOTE

Their job description was clear:

• Explore
• Observe
• Bring back fruit

MANAGERS

Numbers 13: 26-28
They came back to Moses, Aaron and the whole community of Israel at Kadesh in the desert of Paran. They gave their report and showed them the fruit from the land. This is what they reported to Moses: “We went to the land where you sent us. It really is a land flowing with milk and honey. Here’s some of its fruit. But the people who live there are strong, and the cities have walls and are very large. We even saw the descendants of Anak (giants) there.”

NOTE

The leaders became managers.

The risks became too great.

The status quo was safer.

STALLING MOVEMENT

Numbers 13: 30-33
Caleb told the people to be quiet and listen to Moses. Caleb said: “Let’s go now and take possession of the land. We should be more than able to conquer it.” But the men who had gone with him said: “We can’t attack those people! They’re too strong for us!” So they began to speak lies among the Israelites about the land they had explored. They said: “The land we explored is one that devours those who live there. All the people we saw there are very tall... We felt as small as grasshoppers, and that’s how we must have looked to them.”

NOTE

When democracy doesn’t work. 10 votes against 2 won the day.

The movement of God’s exodus stalled here.

When you feel like a grasshopper, you will lead like one.

FINAL COMMENTS

1 Corinthians 10:11-12
These things were written down as a warning for us who are living in the closing days of history. So, people [esp. leaders] who think they are standing firmly should be careful that they don’t fall.

Movements stop for lack of movement leaders.

LIVING AND LEADING MOVEMENTS

Session 1
Part 2 - workshop: Managing your time

MANAGING YOUR TIME

When God made time, He made enough of it. So, if we always feel under pressure and hurries, i.e. not having enough time in the day - we need to ask the question: “What things do I need to stop doing?”

The challenge for every leader is to ruthlessly eliminate hurry from their lives!

DISCUSS

Ecclesiastes 13: 1
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven...

Movements stop for lack of movement leaders.

What ‘season’ of life are you in?

Ecclesiastes 3: 13b
Find satisfaction in all your toil - this is a gift of God.

Are you ‘satisfied in all your toil?’ (Happy in your work?)

PLANNING & PRIORITIES

There are 2 things that most leaders find difficult to do: thinking ahead and doing things in the right order of importance.

Planning ahead and prioritising your responsibilities is the difference between a leader and a follower.

THE PARETO PRINCIPLE

20% of your priorities will give you 80% of your results
if
you spend your time, energy and money on the top 20% of your priorities.

Or, to put it in another way: 80% of the benefit from your leadership can be derived from doing the right 20% of your activity well.

20% PRINCIPLE EXAMPLES

SETTING YOUR PRIORITIES

Not all things are of the same importance. We need to place a value on our activities and on our relationships. An observation of the gospels shows that Jesus knew his priorities (set by the Father) and he planned his day according to the order of those priorities. He did not allow the demands of the urgent to dictate his schedule.

TOP 7 PRIORITIES

List your top 7 priorities for this week. These will be the most important activities in your life and work. No two weeks are ever the same. This is a flexible and ever changing list.

TOOLS

Two simple tools to help manage your time:

Notebook: this is to record your weekly set of priorities and plans. You should have a fixed time, usually at the beginning of the week to make your list. 5 minutes spent doing this will help you focus on the top 20% of your activities for that week.

Diary: this is to remind you where to be at the right time. It does not organise you! The most common mistake leaders make is to trust their diary to organise their time.

TIPS

Don’t just work harder - work smarter.
A man was told that if he worked very hard, he would become rich. The hardest work he knew was digging. So he began to dig holes in his garden. He didn’t get rich; he only got backache. He worked hard, but he worked on the wrong priorities.

Organise or agonise.
The ability to juggle 3 of 4 priorities successfully is a must for every good leader. A life in which ‘anything goes’ will ultimately be a life in which nothing goes.

Good is sometimes the enemy of the best.
Practice saying ‘no’ to some good things (those lower priority activities) so that you will be able to say ‘yes’ to the best things (your higher priority activities).

LIVING AND LEADING MOVEMENTS

Session 2
Part 1 - Bible study: Leading yourself

LEADING YOURSELF

We sometimes get so focused on loving our neighbour that we forget to love ourselves. In leadership terms we can get so busy with the needs of our followers that we neglect our owns needs. Some maybe see this as a noble thing and an evitable part of leadership. In reality, it is a recipe for poor leadership and it usually means that we give up.

DISCUSS

Proverbs 4: 23
Guard your heart more than anything else, because the source of your life flows from it.

• What is your heart?
• Who guards your heart?
• Why is the heart of leader important?
• What happens if the source runs dry?

MARGINS

What do you do when the computer asks the question:
“Printing outside the margins - do you want to continue?
yes/no.”

We want to fill the page of life with too much good stuff. We don’t have enough reserves of time, energy and money to provide for our own needs, never mind for the needs of those who follow us. To put it simply: as leaders we sometimes spend what we don’t have. We live in deficit! We are overdrawn spiritually, emotionally and physically. Having margins in our life pays back what we have spent. Margins restore our energy for life and leadership.

QUESTIONS

What margins do you have?

List the fun activities that you do that are just for you.

What margins did Jesus have?

What fun activities did Jesus do on a regular basis to restore his energy and joy?

BURN OUT

The word comes from rocket science and refers to the point at which the fuel of a missile is completely used up.
No margins (no refuelling) = burn out sooner or later.

PERSONAL CRISIS

1 Samuel 30: 1-2
Two days later, when David and his men came to Ziklag, the Amelekites had raided the Negev, including Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag an burned it. Although they captured the young and old women who were there, they killed no one. Instead, they had taken the women and other prisoners and gone away.

NOTE

1 Samuel 30: 1-2
Ziklag was David’s temporary base of operations as he fled from Saul.

David is God’s anointed king in waiting (unknown to David - Saul is about to die in the next few days).

GRIEF

1 Samuel 30: 3-5
By the time David and his men came to the town, it had been burned down, and their wives, sons and daughters had been taken captive. Then David and his men cried loudly until they didn’t have the strength to cry anymore. The Amalekites also captured David’s two wives, Ahinoam from Jizreel and Abigail from Carmel.

NOTE

It would seem that real men do cry!

This was not just leadership crisis, it was also a personal disaster for David.

FOCUS

1 Samuel 30: 6
David was in great distress because his people in their bitterness said he should be stoned. (They were thinking of their sons and daughters). But David found strength in the Lord his God.

Read the rest of the chapter to find out what happens.

NOTE

How to keep your head when all those around you are losing theirs.

David first leads himself by focusing on God. Only then he can lead the others.

THE HEART OF LEADER

Our hearts are either growing or shrinking. As a leader there are already too many difficult things and too many draining people that will cause our hearts to shrink. So the question “how do we find strength in the Lord?” is key to surviving leadership.

What are the things that make your heart grow?

FIRST LOVE

Bill Bright was the founder and first President of Campus Crusade for Christ (in Europe: Agapè). For many years when he addressed the staff anywhere in the world he nearly always preached the same sermon ‘Your first love’. The heart/love of the leader is key. If our love for God begins to cool, then our energy and fruitfulness in leadership will decline.

LIVING AND LEADING MOVEMENTS

Session 2
Part 2 - workshop: Planning

PLANNING

Failing to plan is planning to fail. If the leader does not have a plan then we are all in trouble and the movement stalls. Planning is hard work that is mostly done behind the scenes. It requires our time and energy.

DISCUSS

Vision is not enough.
He needs a plan.
A step by step explanation of how to move from vision to reality.

And this is the job of a movement leader.

Do you agree: vision is not enough?

Why do some plans work?

What does ‘step by step’ mean?

THE PLANNING PROCESS

Planning is not a once off event, but it is an ongoing creative process. There needs to be a clearly appointed leader who directs/chairs this planning process. After all, leaders also need to be led by someone.

1. VISION

The order of the following these 6 steps of planning is important.

Where the movement is going (its vision) needs to be clear to all its leaders. Take the time it needs to debate and defend the vision. The vision then needs to be written down in a simple and concise way. A two-page vision statement is too long and probably so complicated that it will not be reached. Do not rush this stage of planning. Take all the time it needs.

Common mistake: all the leaders are not singing from the same song sheet!

2. STRATEGY

A strategic plan is composed of ministry activities arranged into a program. The vision must determine the strategy. Sometimes good ideas/events can be planned without reference to the vision. We can get busy doing good things for the wrong reasons.

Common mistake: the program leads the movement.

3. TIMING

This ‘step by step’ process needs a time frame. Certain things can happen quickly whilst other processes require much longer. Therefore, include the order of events and deadlines in the plan. Certain things can only happen after an activity (first evangelism - followed by follow-up).

Common mistake: a good idea at the wrong time can become a bad idea.

4. COMMUNICATION

A great vision and a great plan needs even greater communication. If we want people to follow us, we need to inform and involve them. To this end we need to: say it simply and say it often. We should use multiple methods to say the same message over and over again. We should avoid using Agapè jargon words with people who do not understand them e.g. KGP; ‘3 hearts’; ATM; Action Groups, etc.

Common mistake: we do not KISS! (Keep It So Simple).

5. BUDGET

A movement needs money. So your plan has to have a budget i.e. a realistic cost of how much it will take to run the programs and communication. Movement leaders need to find the money. This will come from themselves and outside sources called partners or sponsors. A big vision needs a big budget if we are to ‘move from vision to reality‘.

Common mistake: money leads - rather than serves the movement.

6. REVIEW

Planning is an ongoing dynamic process. It needs feed-back to see what is actually working and what needs changed. Our plan ‘A’ will need mid-course corrections and some fine-tuning to make a good plan even better. Sometimes after a review we need to make a plan ‘B’ or perhaps even a plan ‘C’.

Common mistake: Too busy to ask the big question...:
“So, how are we really doing?”

FINAL COMMENTS

And finally, a word from a successful leader who has been at the top of his game for over two decades: Sir Alex Ferguson (trainer of Manchester United) says: “Keep things simple and have a long term plan.”

LIVING AND LEADING MOVEMENTS

Session 3
Part 1 - Bible study: Integrity

INTEGRITY

Character refers to the real you - what you are in the dark i.e. when no one else is looking. This is foundational to our leadership. It has been said that “you can foul some of the people, some of the time; but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.” Sooner or later the real you is exposed. At the heart of character is our integrity.

Integrity = one (the state of being complete, unified).

My words and actions are one and the same.
What I say, I really believe and will actually do!
Integrity is who we are and it determines what we do.

We are firstly - human beings.
And secondly - human doings.

DISCUSS

Big question:
What is more important to me?

HOLY SPIRIT

The filling of the Holy Spirit produces integrity.

Ephesians 5: 18-21
“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.” [wild living]
Our behaviour.

“Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

“Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.”
Our words.

“Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.”
Our worship and our hearts.

“Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our lord Jesus Christ.”
Our joy and outlook on life.

“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
Our relationships.

The real test of integrity is not found on a Sunday morning in church. Rather it is seen on the soccer pitch, in the bedroom and the workplace i.e. where the real life happens!

TRUE OR FALSE?

• Leaders are to live at a higher standard than followers.
• We should work harder on our image than our integrity. After all, our public persona is all important!
• A charismatic personality will attract people to the movement. Only integrity will keep them there.
• Integrity has a low influence value.
• Integrity is a victory, not a gift.

SCIENCE

The appliance of science: lessons from the way we learn:

• Visual 89%
• Audible 10%
• Other 1%

It is clear that we learn best by seeing something rather than just hearing it. ‘Things are better caught, rather than taught.’
The more a follower can see and hear their leader being consistent in both action and word (integrity), the greater their faithfulness to the movement and to the leader will be.

What they hear, they understand. What they see, they believe and follow!

INTEGRITY AUDIT

Personal integrity audit (to be answered in private).

How are you in the secret places?

EYES

Internet
How are you visiting sites you know are wrong?

DVD’s/Blu-rays/magazines
Are you watching/reading things because of their sexual content?

HANDS

Are you happy with your work rate?

How could you manage your time better and excel in your work?

EARS

Are you an open gate-way for gossip, slander and malice?
How will you deal with this?

HEART

How is your heart? (Proverbs 4: 23)

Do you connect with the Lord on a daily basis?

Have you “lost your first love”? (Revelation 2:2-5)

FINAL COMMENTS

Where to from here?
Practice spiritual breathing:

Confess ► Repent ► Be filled again by the Holy Spirit.

Without the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives we will not be leaders of integrity. We will suffer from spiritual AIDS (Acquired Integrity Deficiency Syndrome).

LIVING AND LEADING MOVEMENTS

Session 3
Part 2 - workshop: Leading others

LEADING OTHERS

You could read 5 different books on leadership and get 5 different theories of how to lead. This workshop is not the last word on leadership, but it is based on what has actually worked in movements. It is not just leadership theory but hopefully teaching that is biblical, practical and simple.

1. VISION

Vision is the first of 3 pillars of leadership (appendix 1 has a leadership questionnaire you can complete in private).

Vision: know where you are going.

It is the job of the movement leader to see things before the followers can. They need to have a picture of the future and that picture needs to capture their hearts.

Bill Hybels: “Vision is a picture of the future that produces passion.”

There seems to be no end of visions. As leaders we need to be sure that they are from God and not just another good idea. A revelation of God is the best source of any vision.

A vision without action is merely a dream. So the next 2 pillars are important.

2. COMMITMENT

Commitment: you really want to get there.

Sometimes you watch a soccer game where the best team does not win. All the money and talent did not guarantee victory. It was the team (underdog) that wanted it more who won the game. The team that worked the hardest saw the victory.

True or false: too many good/Godly visions die because we are lazy leaders.

Proverbs 20:4
A sluggard (lazy man) does not plow in season; so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing.

Commitment = hard work and single-mindedness i.e. being sold out to the vision. Saying ‘yes’ to too many good things is a mistake. Having too many commitments or responsibilities will make us average at many things and good at nothing!

“Send us some of your campus workers, trained in success as well as failure... so that we may know that they will endure.”
- A letter sent from India in 1886

3. INFLUENCE

Influence: taking others with you.

The simplest definition of a leader is: someone who has followers.

Being able to influence others is the key to growing your movement. Do you agree that ‘influence‘ is perhaps the weakest pillar of your leadership?

True or false: if no one is following you, then you are taking a walk on your own!

MAXIMIZE YOUR INFLUENCE

Integrity
This is the baseline for everything in leadership. If we fail this test then we will end up taking that long, lonely and frustrating walk on our own. Sometimes a poor leader will blame the followers for not following, when in fact they are just voting with their feet.

Vision
Have a clear, God given picture of the future. Know where God wants to take the movement. Share this clearly, simply and with passion.

Communicate
Do not think that communication is primarily what you say. It is rather who you are; it is how you live and what you do as a leader. The best way to lead an Agapè movement is to have a personal ministry of winning, building and sending. Remember, you can only lead someone to a place where you yourself are going.

Full employment
Followers need to feel that they have a contribution to make. So work hard at finding a job for everyone. Minimize the spectators and maximize the players. When people feel involved then your vision becomes theirs; your movement becomes their movement.

God’s authority
As a leader you need God’s approval to be upon you (some may call this an ‘anointing’). Joshua as a young emerging leader could not influence his peers (his fellow 10 spies). 45 years later Joshua was able to lead the whole nation into the promised land. Clearly, Joshua’s influence had grown. [for private reading: Numbers 13; Deuteronomy 31: 1-8; Joshua 1].

Without the foundation of integrity the pillars will not stand. And without the pillars there is no movement.

Which pillar do you need to strengthen the most?

LIVING AND LEADING MOVEMENTS

Session 4
Part 1 - Bible study: 360° leader

360° LEADER

When we think of leadership we usually only think of influencing those that follow us. Our influence is in one direction only, on those below us. However, the 360° leader has influence in many directions - on their peers an even on those above him.

QUESTIONS

• When you think of your leadership, which direction do you look? (Is it usually south?)
• Is your leadership positional or functional?

INFLUENCING OTHERS

If our leadership is based only on our position/title then we only look south. If however, we are functioning as a leader and influencing others, then that affects everyone around us - including our peers and the leaders above us.

INFLUENCING OUR PEERS

Looking East and West
How do you know who is the leader in a group of peers? Follow the eyes whenever a question or a problem arises. The group knows who to look to when an answer is needed.

First amongst equals
God puts leaders, especially emerging leaders, together in teams. Just as “iron sharpens iron” (Proverbs 27:17) so too do peers sharpen peers. However, one of the greatest difficulties to influencing our peers is competition that is driven by our own pride.

THE GREATEST

Luke 22: 24
Then a quarrel broke out among the disciples. They argued about who should be considered the greatest.

This is at least the second time the disciples (peers) had this argument.

Luke 22: 25
Jesus said to them: “The kings of nations have power over their people, and those in authority call themselves friends of the people.”

This is the way leadership works in the world. Position and power rule!

Luke 22: 26
But you’re not going to be that way! Rather, the greatest among you must be like the youngest, and your leader must be like a servant.

We are called to a higher form of leadership - where influence is based on serving.

INFLUENCING OUR LEADERS

Looking North
This is perhaps the last place we look as a leader. How may we influence our own leaders and still remain submitted to their authority?

Some examples of influencing up:

• Nathan (prophet) rebuking king David
• David (runaway) reminding king Saul
• Hannah (woman) correcting priest Eli
• Samuel (boy) warning priest Eli
• Jesus (at His trial) silence with Herod

Bible references in appendix 2

Do you know of any more examples?

GOOD NEWS - BAD NEWS

Your leader, the person above you, is usually older and more experienced in leadership. They will be in a position of more power (the ability to make things happen) and authority (the right to do it) than you. If they are a Godly leader then they are easy to influence because they remain teachable. They have not stopped learning - even from you!

However, the problem arises when you think your leader is wrong. This may be in a decision they have made or worse still, a sin that they are committing. This is clearly bad news, yet the good news is: influencing a leader like this is still possible.

INFLUENCE YOUR LEADER

How to influence your leader:

• Be a joy and not a burden to your leader. Our default should be to obey and submit to their authority (Hebrews 13: 17). A good follower will always influence their leaders. Nehemiah had the favour of the king and his released resources.
• Pray for them (not just in public to be seen!) (Matthew 6: 5 & 1 Timothy 2: 1-2).
• Remain loyal to them, especially when you are with other peers/leaders e.g. David had a chance to kill Saul yet he still honoured “God’s anointed” at great personal cost. David’s leadership career was slowed by this act of loyalty (1 Samuel 24&26).
• Do not challenge their authority, especially in public, e.g. Hannah gently corrected Eli when he got it wrong (1 Samuel 1: 12-18).
• Rebuke in private. Nathan brings life-giving words that are wise and timely to king David who had committed adultery and murder. In the order of things, the position of the prophet was below the king. Yet Nathan took therisk to confront the sin of his leader and bring about restoration (2 Samuel 12)
• And finally, whatever direction we lead, always remember: people do not care how much you know, until they know how much you really care. This is particularly true for your peers and those that lead you. Your heart (attitude) says more than your words ever do.

LIVING AND LEADING MOVEMENTS

Session 4
Part 2 - workshop: Teams

TEAMS

Leading in community rather than going solo is God’s plan ‘A’ for leadership. Jesus formed a leadership team he called the 12 disciples to fulfil the great commission and leadership was plural in the early church. As leaders we need to develop teams around us.

PAUL SPEAKING...

2 Corinthians 2: 12-13
Now when I went to Troas [10km from Troy] to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.

DISCUSS

• What is an open door?
• Why did Paul not go through this door?
• How important was a team to Paul?
• How many teams was Paul part of?

Can we conclude that with Paul - no team meant no ministry?

WORKING TOGETHER

TEAM. Together Everyone Achieves More.

Have you ever wondered why birds fly in a V formation? Over long distances they can fly 70% further in a group than they can alone. Each bird benefits from the uplift of the bird in front of it. The lead bird (at the head of the V) is rotated often because being in the front is the most exhausting position.

TEAM STAGES

1. Forming - people get together for a shared task.
Excitement and hope mark this stage.

2. Storming - Conflict and failure are experienced.
Frustration and anger mark this stage.

3. Norming - Strong leadership is needed to steady the ship.
Forgiveness and renewed hope mark this stage.

4. Performing - Goals are being reached and Christian community is experienced.
Success marks this stage.

Storming is nearly always part of a successful and fruitful team.

CONFLICT IN TEAMS

Acts 15: 36
After a while Paul said to Barnabas: “Let’s go back to every city where we spread the Lord’s word. We’ll visit the believers to see how they’re doing.”

Note
Barnabas is the team leader and Paul is leading up. His suggestion to follow-up is a good idea.

TEAM SELECTION

Acts 15: 37-38
Barnabas wanted to take John Mark along. However, Paul didn’t think it was right to take a person like him along. John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to work.

Note
Argument over team selection. Paul was confronting the problem of John Mark’s poor performance.

DISAGREEMENT

Acts 15: 39a
Paul and Barnabas disagreed so sharply that they parted ways.

Note
This storm broke the first NT missionary team.

CONFLICT IN TEAMS

Acts 15: 39b-40
Barnabas took Mark (his cousin) with him and sailed to the island of Cyprus (his home). Paul chose Silas and left after the believers entrusted him to the Lord’s care.

Note
The split produced 2 fruitful teams. The right thing happened but for the wrong reasons!

ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

Conflict in teams is guaranteed. Where you have people you have problems.

• Teamwork is not just an activity but relationships.
• The best teams are made up of people who are different from each other.
• Teamwork does not make ministry easier - only more fruitful.

Conflict is like the elephant in our room/teams. Do we ignore it or deal with it?

YOUR DREAM TEAM

List the top 3 things you look for in your ‘perfect’ team player.

How do you compare to your own list?

What areas of growth are needed?

• Read Matthew 7: 3-5 privately

LIVING AND LEADING MOVEMENTS

Session 5
Part 1 - Bible study: Finishing well

FINISHING WELL

In the Christian life is not only how you start that matters. It is how you finish. No one knows exactly where their finishing line is. But one thing is certain, Christian leadership is not a 100m sprint - it is more like a marathon.

THE END

On the eve of Paul’s death he says:

I have fought the good fight,

I have finished the race,

I have kept the faith.

2 Timothy 4: 7-8a
Now there is in store for me a crown of righteousness

DISCUSS

Buzz words:

• Fight
• Finish
• Keep

What do these words suggest about Christian leadership?

FINISHING BADLY

There is a scary statistic about Christian leadership. Only 10% of present leaders will finish well. This means that 90% will have a major blow out and will not be serving God into their old age. They started well, but did not finish strong!
With the 12 spies, how many of these gifted and called leaders finished well?

BIBLE QUIZ

Sort these leaders into the following groups:

• Finished badly
• Finished OK
• Finished well

Gideon - Deborah - Abraham - John Baptist - Eli - David - Manasseh - John Mark - Samson - Judas - James - Hezekiah - Caleb - Saul - Ruth - Jehosophat - Solomon - Elijah - Rahab - Uzziah
(Bible references in appendix 3)

THERE IS HOPE

2 Peter 1: 3
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness

If this promise is true what does ‘everything’ mean?

All of God’s power is at our disposal for life and godly leadership. Our problem is we sometimes remove ourselves from God’s power and protection.
Worse than that, we then walk straight into an ambush!

AMBUSHES

Warning! Ambushes ahead.
We are warned that the devil is “like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5: 8). With any lion in the wild you respect its strength and killer instinct. Only a fool would go head-to-head with a lion. But, this is sometimes what we do as leaders. We walk blindly into an ambush set by the enemy of our souls. And in doing so, we walk away form ‘His divine power’.

SEX

Ambushes in a (younger) leader’s life.

“There is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1: 9). For millennia sex has been the downfall of many secular and Godly leaders e.g. David, Solomon and Samson. Sex is still the #1 ambush!

The ambush looks like this:
1. Little or no accountability in the leader’s life. They are alone in ministry.
2. Ministering too closely with the opposite sex. Approximately 80% of men became sexually involved with women who they counselled.
3. All leaders think that it will never happen to them!

MONEY

One of the most misquoted verses is: “Money is the root of all evil”. We like this verse, especially if we are a poor student. However, it is the ‘‘Love of money”(1 Timothy 6: 10) that can become a root/source for the downfall of a leader - causing a “wandering from the faith”.

The ambush looks like this:
1. We let money rule us. As a leader it begins to dictate our vision, programs and lifestyle.
2. We are no longer content with what we have and our greed causes us to chase the euro and the bigger salary.
3. We hold on too tightly to what we already have. We stop tithing and begin to grab the money, even if it is not ours!

PRAYER

Lord may we have ‘a long obedience in the same direction’. May we experience your “divine power” and stay under your protection. Help us to avoid the ambushes. By your grace may we finish well and receive your crown of righteousness. Amen.

LIVING AND LEADING MOVEMENTS

Session 5
Part 2 - workshop: Succession

SUCCESSION

The true test of a leader’s success is found in their successor i.e. the next leader who comes after them and carries on their leadership role. This does not happen by accident but rather is the result of servant leadership and a good succession plan. Do you want to succeed?

DIO

Apostle John writes to a church:

3 John: 9-10
“Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us.”
A leader who loves to be #1 doesn’t associate with Godly leaders.

“So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us.”
He uses words as a weapon, tearing down rather than building up people.

“Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers.”
He is unfriendly and excludes others.

“He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.”
He is a bully and blocks others from serving and leading.

AN UN-SUCCESSFUL LEADER

2 Corinthians 2: 12-13
Dio was not a team player and he was only interested in looking after #1. Yet he was a very influential leader in this church. He is an example of a bad Christian leader who does not want to succeed. He wanted to hold onto position and power for as long as possible.

EMPOWERMENT

Succession is the ultimate act of empowerment. It is when you hand over all your authority and power to your successor. You do not do this with a stranger but rather with someone you trust completely to carry on leading the movement.

“Empowering others requires giving away some of your authority and power.
This is based on trust.”
- James Lawrence

SUCCESSION PLAN

How to make a succession plan.

1. Start early.
Within the first week of your new leadership appointment give some thought to whom you could pass your leadership role onto next. In team sports there are some players who only pass the ball when they are in trouble or when they have no other option. The result is a bad pass that usually sets their team-mate up for failure. Passing on our leadership should be our first option not just when we are in trouble or tired of leading. We need to pass it on in a way that sets the new leader up for success.

Have you started yet?

2. DEVELOP MANY LEADERS

Selecting the right leader to take your place is very important. You want to choose the right one to succeed you. This means that there should be a pool of possible successors. Strong movements will have deep pools of emerging leaders. Rather than waiting until the month of leaving your present leadership position, begin to develop those around you. Now. Ideally, you want to choose your successor from 2 or 3 potential leaders.

Make a list of those that you are developing.

3. SOMEONE BETTER

Look for someone better than yourself.

Are you comfortable with just having average people around you? Or do you look for talented people who are better than you? Secure leaders are happy to surround themselves with other great leaders. Chill, God does not expect you to be the best at everything. His Spirit has distributed gifts to the body as “he determines” (1 Corinthians 12: 11). Good leadership teams are made up of many different people with gifting and talents spread throughout it. There is no super Star!
When your successor does even better than you, then you have truly succeeded e.g. Paul succeeding Barnabas (Acts 15: 40-41).

4. DON’T RUSH THE PROCESS

It took Moses 40 years to pass the leadership baton onto Joshua, so do not be in a hurry. For most of us we do not have the luxury of this many years to prepare our successor. At best we may only have a few months. Rather than rush the process maybe it is better to stay on an extra year/few months to ensure a good hand-over.

When is your hand-over date?

5. CLEAR AWAY THE LANDMINES

Where there are people there are problems and Christian leadership has more than its fair share of difficult people. Just look around the room!
The outgoing leader should try not to leave any known unresolved issues. Sometimes it is much easier to ignore them and leave them for the new leader. Leadership fatigue has set in and the departing leader just wants to move on. If time does not allow for these problems to be solved the outgoing leader should at least inform the incoming leader where the land-mines are.

What issues could become land-mines?

PRAYER

Lord may we get excited about making other people successful. May we serve like John the Baptist and be happy to see others excel in leadership. Amen.

LIVING AND LEADING MOVEMENTS

MANUAL

INTRODUCTION

This manual serves as an introduction of the ‘Living and ...’ series of workshops. The 15 sessions are bundled in 3 documents:

1. Living and Telling the good news
2. Living and Making disciples
3. Living and Leading movements.

These documents can be downloaded individually.

MOVEMENTS

Living and Leading movements the final series of workshops.

The first part of each session is teaching from the Bible and not just secular thoughts on leadership. It is looking at the important matters of the heart of a leader.

The second part of each session is a workshop. This again, is Bible based and will hopefully equip you with practical skills on leading both yourself and others. This deals with the hands-on part of leadership.

CONTENTS

Session 1
Movement leaders
Managing your time

Session 2
Leading yourself
Planning

Session 3
Integrity
Leading others

Session 4
The 360° leader
Teams

Session 5
Finishing well
Succession

Appendices
Leadership questionnaire
Examples of influencing up
Finishing well

CREDITS

All scriptures are taken from the Holy Bible, New International version, NIV. Used by permission.

3rd edition, April 2014.

© Copyright: Agapè Europe
Design: Cliff Studios

LIVING AND LEADING MOVEMENTS

Appendices

APPENDIX 1

Leadership questionnaire:

1. Do you consider yourself to be a leader?
2. Define leadership.

For the sake of this questionnaire, we shall divide leadership into 3 main parts: vision, commitment and influence.

3. Define Vision
4. What is your vision? Take the time to work on this. It needs to be short and simple.
5. What things shape your vision?
6. Would you describe yourself as a committed leader? Would your friends agree?
7. Do people follow a vision or a leader?
8. In your desire to be committed, do you work smarter or harder?
9. Do you set priorities - each week, each term & each year?
10. Would you describe your leadership style as more reactive (dealing with issues as they arise) or more proactive (setting your own agenda)?
11. If a leader is someone who has followers, then who is following you?
12. How do you influence others?
13. Do you see leadership as positional or functional?
14. Are you developing your replacement now?
15. What are you doing to ensure you finish well?

APPENDIX 2

Examples of influencing up:

• Nathan (prophet) rebuking king David
  2 Samuel 12
• David (runaway) reminding king Saul
  1 Samuel 24&26
• Hannah (woman) correcting priest Eli
  1 Samuel 1: 12-18
• Samuel (boy) warning priest Eli
  1 Samuel 3: 10-18
• Jesus (at His trial) silence with Herod
  Luke 23: 8-11

APPENDIX 3

BIBLIOGRAPHY

There is a ton of leadership books in most Christian bookshops. One can get dizzy trying to decide which ones to read. There is a radio program called ‘Desert Island’ where you have to choose only 5 books to take with you if you were left alone on an island. So, below is a small leadership bibliography (apart from the Bible):

• Growing leaders by James Lawrence
• Spriritual leadership by Henry & Richard Blackaby
• Finishing strong by Steve Farrar
• The fuel & the flame by Steve Shadrach
• Courageous leadership by Bill Hybels.