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Sep
1
E Leader , F Leader , I Leader , Jay Fennell , L Leader

Developing a Transformational LIFE Team

By Jay Fennell

Effective leaders are people who influence by intentionally equipping and empowering others. Ephesians 4:7-13 clearly calls leaders to equip (empower) people so the body of Christ can be built up.
In Developing the Leader within You, John Maxwell says: “The one who influences others to follow only is a leader with certain limitations. The one who influences others to lead others is a leader without limitations.” Equipping or empowering people changes followers into leaders.
The core structure of our LIFE Groups ministry at Brentwood Baptist is expressed by the acronym L. I. F.E. L stands for Love One Another. I stands for Involve ourselves in Community. F stands for Focus on God’s Word. And E stands for Engage the World with the Gospel. These are the four functions of a LIFE Group.
When your LIFE Group is small in number, one or two people may champion each one of these functions, but as the group grows numerically, it’s really important to develop a team of people who can take leadership of each one of these functions. We call this developing a Transformational LIFE Team. In other words, put together a team of people who are using their spiritual gifts to serve the group by championing each function of a LIFE Group.
But how do you put together a Transformational LIFE Team? I want to give you a few pointers to putting together leadership team in your LIFE Group:
 

  • Begin with Prayer. In Matthew 9:38, Jesus says, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest field.” Prayer is the essential first step to enlisting leaders in your group.

 

  1. Enlist Potential Leaders face to face. The general announcement to the whole group “we need leaders” rarely works. What works best is for the main leader to take the time to set up a time to meet with a potential leader face-to- face. The message that’s sent is that this leadership opportunity is important.
  2. Communicate clearly why the leadership role is very important. Don’t downplay the role as marginally important. People want to be a part of something that’s significant. They want to know that what they give their time to will make a difference. Explain the opportunity and make sure you communicate the importance of the role.
  3. Give reasons why you are approaching a potential leader. What observations have you made that led you to approach them? Perhaps you’ve witnessed their giftedness in a certain situation. Maybe their personality type is a great match for a specific role. Whatever the reason, be sure to tell them why them.
  4. Invite them to pray about the opportunity. Don’t expect an answer on the spot. Allow them time to process and pray.
  5. Follow up with the person within an agreed time. Don’t wait for them to get back to you. You take initiative to follow up to see if they’re ready to commit to the leadership opportunity in the LIFE Group.

As leaders, we are called to mold other leaders, investing in them for the purpose of releasing them to fulfill God’s call in their lives as they use their gifts to serve the body and glorify God. Be intentional about connecting people to ministry in your LIFE Group.

Jul
1
F Leader , Jay Fennell

The Benefit of LIFE Groups in a New World Reality

By Jay Fennell

I think it’s obvious to everyone that popular culture is changing rapidly. Instead of the culture leaning in toward God, it leans in the opposite direction, away from God and against Biblical values and worldview. We have known that the world is in darkness, blinded by sin and thus cannot see the Light, which is Jesus Christ. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, “And even if this gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” This is not new. The enemy is active and seeks to kill, steal and destroy. We look around and confirm that he is good at what he does.
But as the world continues to drift more and more into darkness, as Christ followers we are called more than ever to be a light. As we embark on the day, God is sending us out as missionaries in our own context, to demonstrate and communicate the redemptive grace of God wherever we go. We participate in His Kingdom by being His ambassador, a messenger with good news, and reflecting the glory of Jesus Christ by the things we say, do and think. And this work is not easy. In fact, it is extremely difficult. Darkness doesn’t understand the Light (John 1:5). As we go out as Christ’s ambassadors, we will undoubtedly face ridicule and persecution and conflict. We will be depleted and poured out as we interface with a lost world. There is war going on for the souls of men and we are on the frontline of that war, engaged in battles that will at times discourage and exhaust us to the point of giving up.
That’s where the LIFE Group community comes in… to be a community of encouragement and refuge where Christ followers come to be filled up so that they can go back out and get depleted all over again. LIFE Groups are not the destination. They’re not to be “holy huddles” removed from the world. They are to be a place where Christ followers gather to mutually encourage and build each other up; to receive the nourishment of God’s Word; to pray and enjoy community with others who have trusted Christ and are saved by His grace; so that they can be sent out like sheep among wolves to engage the culture with the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  A LIFE Group is an interdependent community of people who are all on mission to love Jesus and reach a lost world together.
Yes, we are in different times. Yes, we look around and can become discouraged by what e see in the world. But the mandate remains: we are to go and make disciples of Jesus in this world. And LIFE Groups are designed to be Christ-centered environments where people are empowered, equipped and encouraged to do that.
My encouragement to you is to position your group this way. Don’t settle for laissez-faire expression of LIFE Group. Keep the mission of Jesus front and center… to seek and save he lost.