[featured_image]Leadership development is critical to the ongoing effectiveness of any community of believers. For there to be continual growth and expansion, leaders must be both recruited and raised up. Also, intentional effort must focus on the process for empowering and supporting leaders.

This is especially true in new churches. There are never enough leaders. Recruiting leaders from outside may be helpful, but raising leaders from within is the long-term approach that we see Jesus modeling in the Gospels.

My friend Greg Wall works in the construction industry. He has learned first-hand about the importance of leadership, planning and organizational structure. Many of the lessons that he has learned on job sites and reviewing blueprints and budgets have given him practical insights that are transferable into a ministry context.

Greg and I both serve on the volunteer staff in our church’s ministry to college-age adults. Recently we’ve engaged in discussions focused on how to best develop emerging leaders, and how to maximize the contribution of our volunteer leadership team. We believe that it’s critical to clearly articulate the mission of our ministry and to take the necessary steps to ensure that we are doing all that we can to fulfill that mission.

Here are some of the questions that Greg asked recently to help us improve our strategy:

  • Are we effectively utilizing the skills and abilities of the staff?
  • Do we know what those skills and abilities are?
  • Are we developing leadership to replace us (i.e., student leaders)?
  • If we were suddenly leaderless, is the staff equipped to carry the ministry until the leaders return?
  • Do we have a clear mission statement? Have we reviewed our progress against it?
  • Has our mission changed since our inception? If so, have we adjusted our mission statement?
  • Are we planning our future (3-months, 6-months, 12-months)?
  • Have we set goals for the year? If so, are they in line with our mission? Do we have a plan in place to meet these goals?

How have you answered these questions for your ministry? What other questions should be asked?