Leadership is Simple

What is God looking for in a leader? Great oration skills? Exegetical prowess? Influential magnetism? Visionary foresight? While a case could be made for each of these, God bypassed all of them when he chose David. What possibly could a shepherd boy, "...who followed the ewes..." bring to the table of leadership? Everything.

God overlooked the educated, trained, and motivated intellectuals of the city to choose a boy tending sheep in the pastures. Why? Because leadership is more than the sum total of the peripherals in our life. Leaders are often seen as people possessing skill-sets obtained from reading the latest books or attending the hottest seminars. They quote the leadership giants in the business arena, and hold a death-grip on their teaching--until something new comes along. In a quest for principle-based leadership they forget that ministry is still about people, not principles. Does leadership have to be that difficult? Not according to Psalm 78:72.

So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart,

                                  And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.

David's leadership style was utterly simple: To shepherd and guide. That is what a leader does. The word shepherd, ra'ah, is a frequent Old Testament word. To anyone growing up in the rural pastures of the ancient near-East the word was loaded with connotative meaning. It was the word used for tending a flock of sheep or herd of cattle. It meant the complete process of leading them to feed and caring for their needs. It implied the act of spending time and knowing the animals individually. God prepared David to be a shepherd of people by teaching him to be a shepherd of sheep. The application to ministry is clear.

His second activity, guiding, is the word nachah. The word literally means to lead. Leading requires knowing where one is going, and knowing the way to get there. It is a combination of both orientation and orienteering. A leader is responsible for directing the paths of his congregations by living correctly (orientation) and moving forward (orienteering). Again, we see David was well schooled for this activity. His perceptions of danger effected his movement of the flocks. His skills to unite the flock for protection and comfort would prove beneficial in leading Israel.

If David's leadership style was based on shepherding and leading, then his philosophy of ministry was based on two simple components: the internal and the external. His shepherding of the flock rose from, "...the integrity of his heart". The Hebrew for integrity is tom, and means "simplicity of mind". It is a mind free from evil intentions--a mind uncluttered by fleshly desires and love for the world system. How this is needed in leadership today! No agenda-seeking, self-aggrandizing narcissists need apply!

David's leadership may have sprung from the heart, but it was manifest in his hands. His internal beliefs became external actions. I won't dive too deep on this, but "skillfulness" is a word more commonly translated "understanding"...a mental process. It is highly likely that David's philosophy of ministry compelled him to live out his beliefs in practical ways. I hope that's true in your life as well.

All of this points to one encouraging aspect for me: leadership is simple. Though the tasks we accomplish and the situations we face may be complex and perilous, the principles of biblical leadership are basic--leading and feeding. Shepherd your flock with integrity and lead them with skill.

Cultivating Spiritual Growth...in spiritually barren places

Some years ago a wise person told me, 'You can't squeeze blood out of a turnip'.  I had no idea what they were talking about.  Then I became a church planter.
Many communities across rural America can truly be labeled as spiritually barren.  The towns lack any known desire for the knowledge (or even respect) of God. They are pagan in both beliefs and practice. Is this a viable place to begin a ministry?  And, how would one start?
Before I begin, I'll make a couple of observations:


We must be willing to call a horse a HORSE.  It's easy to live in denial about the spiritual condition of a small town--even making excuses for why there are problems.  We can blame the economy, lack of opportunities for the kids, bad schools, or any other excuses.  Those are all just symptoms.


Understanding the PROBLEM is paramount to understanding the SOLUTION.  We will never address the problem until we understand what it is, and we will never solve the problem if we become mired in the symptoms. So, what has gone wrong?

LOSS OF IDENTITY

Rural morality is a symptomatic result of men losing sight of their role as fathers in their homes. Here is the pattern: loss of identity equals loss of activity which equals loss of example.  This perpetuates itself through generations.  The men then find their identity in the culture and adopt the activities which will give them their masculinity.  Ask yourself this question about your community: Who are the men that the community looks up to, and why?  For many farming communities, people will admire the guy who farms the most land or has the nicest equipment.  In others, it may be those who have many extended family members living in the same community together. These men, and their associated behavior, become the cultural role models in the community. Men, long ago, have lost sight of biblical manhood.  The women resign themselves to a survivalist mentality and look for suitable food and shelter.

INFLUX OF IDEAS

Many areas of rural America, pre-1970's were culturally isolated from the rest of the country. This all changed when Taylor Howard built a satellite antenna in 1975. Within six years it was a $50 million industry--mostly rural.  Worldly influence grew exponentially when internet capabilities reached the farm. Today, more than 12 million homes are served by satellite TV--most in rural areas.

This influx of ideas has been positive in many ways...and negative in some others.  The fact remains that the influx of ideas has brought change to the farm. Now exposed to a world's culture, the rural people continue to mimic that of people living across the globe. Traditional values and lifestyles are quickly being replaced with a 'casserole' or blended culture.
INFLUX OF IMMIGRANTS
When a new family shows up in town, the town changes.  Today, the fastest growing minority of rural America are Hispanics. Numerous communities throughout the Plains states have suffered severe growing pains when the meatpacking industries opened up for business. But they're not the only ones showing up on the farm.

One of the latest arrivals on the door step of rural America are a whole new class of citizens:  the New Rural Poor. Urban families are moving to rural America to extend the value of their government entitlements...and they bring their culture with them. As a law enforcement officer, I witnessed this several times as families from metropolitan areas moved to our isolated communities.  They spoke another language thorugh the way they dressed, talked, and related to others in the local school and community. Needless to say, they didn't last long.

How has the church responded to these changes?  Not well.  I will cover that next time.

Raising Up Workers

When one considers the enormous task of church planting in rural North America, the logistics seem insurmountable. Where will the pastoral families come from; and how will they be trained? The demand is far greater than the supply. Bible colleges are ever increasing their focus on urban ministries. Large-venue (or, possibly menu) churches along with their executive-style pastors are catching the eyes and excitement of the generation Y crowd. And, for those that end up in rural places, they are often met with the stereotype that they're a second-rate pastor serving in a third-rate church. Of course, you already know nothing could be further from the truth. How does a person become involved in perpetuating the flow of quality, well-trained and prepared workers in small-town North America? Easy, I believe. I think we need to follow the biblical pattern of modeling/mentoring. I'll spare you the sermon, but I will point out one verse:


And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also (2 Timothy 2:2).

The word commit is παρατίθημι. It means to "set beside/before someone" or "to make a deposit". It is really a TRANSFER of that which you've been given to the LIFE of someone else so they may be able (sufficient in ability) to PERPETUATE the process. So, how is that process coming in your life? How are you strategically working to perpetuate the role of preparing workers for ministry? Would you like to?

Almost weekly, I speak with young couples/individuals regarding serving with RHMA as interns. I can assure you of a couple of things. First, they are not looking for "exposure" to rural ministry--they're looking for "field experience" that will equip them to serve where God has called them. Second, they want to roll up their sleeves and learn the mechanics of living and serving God in rural places. They want someone who will TRANSFER the knowledge they've been given, to them.  They are not looking for a three month stint on a dude ranch.  They want to see the power of the Gospel at work in rural America!

This generation of church planters are looking for authenticity that moves beyond the ideals of the classroom...to the realities of the field.  They want God's Word applied to life.  The only way they'll learn that is through others--like you--who are willing to apply the type of mentoring demonstrated by Paul and Timothy.

What would happen if you decided to pour your life into a young ministry couple? Could you imagine the joy of following their ministry over the years, and watching them flourish in the fields where God plants them?

Church Planting Stages

Here are four stages of rural church planting that I've been thinking through and developing over the past several months.  Although I find it hard to confine ministries to pigeon holes, and the lines are often overlapping, most church plants will progress in a similar manner.

1.  Upward Stage:  This is the vision stage--where it all begins.  The upward stage includes the survey of the field, developing the vision and goals, raising support, and moving to the field.  It begins with the call of God to plant a church and ends with establishing a residence on location.  In agricultural terms this would be parallel to tilling the field.

2.  Forward Stage:  This is the action stage.  It is a move from planning to planting.  This is time when the first seeds of the gospel are sown.  Relationships are built, Bible studies are held, sinners are saved.  If the first stage was to design the ministry, this stage is to deliver the message.

3.  Inward Stage:  This is the focus stage.  Here, we're moving from planning and planting...to people.  New believers are growing in grace and maturity as they're watered by the word of God.  Discipleship.  Leadership is being identified and developed.  Practical considerations (such as a meeting place) to a growing body are being considered. Biblical community is happening in a scriptural sense (think Acts 2).  Often, this stage is a prolonged and difficult process.  It takes time for the crop to grow and mature. 

4.  Outward Stage:  This is the intention stage.  We are beginning to bring this process full-circle.  Now, as a functional body of believers, we are looking at our purpose or intention...duplication.  The expansion of the gospel is moving believers to new areas where the harvest will continue. There is an emphasis on moving the message from Jerusalem to 'the ends of the earth'.  Faithful followers of Christ are being developed and sent.

Each of us probably has a favorite area of church planting.  They're all important, but I like the outward stage best.  I enjoy forming relationships with people, sharing the gospel, and getting people on-board.  Where do you best see God using you in this process?  Are you the analytical type that enjoys thinking through strategies and developing vision?  Or, do you like the long days of developing leadership and unity in the body?  Where are you now (as a church), and what are you planning to accomplish this year?  One thing I've noticed after 15 years of church planting is that one of the stages is not called the Neutral Stage.  We're always going somewhere!