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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Invite them to pray about the opportunity. Don’t expect an answer on the spot. Allow them time to process and pray.
- 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.