This is such an important session and so much is at stake.  If we aren’t training up the next season of leaders…the Church ends with us.

Great leaders always take people with them.

2 tim 2:1-2. “You therefore, my [a]son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

With these words, Paul presses home a leader’s responsibility to train others to lead.  The same is true around the world as it is in America, “The missionary of today (we are all missionaries) should be less of a performer, and more of a trainer.”  This statement highlights one of the great needs in current mission strategies….Training leaders.

Paul showed the same concern when training Timothy.  Timothy had a timid nature, but Paul didn’t hesitate to put him in positions that were beyond his abilities.  How else can someone develop competence and confidence if not by stretching them toward the impossible?

Relationships:

Taking people with us includes our relationships with our group members.  John Maxwell often teaches, “The leaders job is to connect with the people they lead.”  In an ideal world, that’s the way it should be.  The quality of the relationships we have with people in our groups will impact it’s success or failure.

1. Cast vision for leadership 

Leading together = ownership

“He (Moses) chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people…They served as judges for the people at all times.  The difficult cases they brought to Moses.” Exodus 18:25-26

“A one-man show can never grow larger than the load one person can carry.” It’s important for us to define roles within each LifeGroup and delegate within each group.

2. Identify apprentice 

1. Look around – Who is taking ownership? Who is going out of their way to make people feel welcomed?

2. Examine the relationship – Evaluate the relational chemistry they have with other group members.

3. Don’t be too picky…lead them up.  80% rule.  If they can do 80% as good as I can…let them.  then lead them the remaining 20%.

3. Give them incremental opportunities for leadership

A. Shadow the leader and discuss

The best process I know is to prepare you for leadership begins with “doing it myself”  (I can’t give you what I don’t possess myself.) and have you shadow… I explain what I’m doing.  I encourage you to ask questions.  I want you to see and understand everything I’m doing.

B. Give them the opportunity.

You can only learn so much from watching.  At some point you have to jump in and actually try it.  When they reach this stage, it’s the leaders job to encourage, gently correct, and redirect as needed.

Note: There is a clear difference between equipping and developing people. When you equip people, you teach them how to do a job.  When you develop people, you are helping them improve as individuals.

Developing people pays higher dividends than equipping because it helps the whole person and lifts him to a higher level.  It’s a long term process.

C. Release them into leadership

As soon as you have the fundamentals down, I step back and give you some room to develop your own style and methods.

4. Multiply

The last part of the developmental process is to help you find someone to develop and encourage you to get started.  There’s an old saying, “You never really know something until you teach it to someone else.”  The process isn’t really complete unless you pass on what you’ve received to someone else…and keep on passing.

Conclusion

As we dedicate ourselves to the development of people and commit to it as a long-term process, we will notice a change in our relationships and the overall culture at Castle Hills. No work is more rewarding to a missionary, than developing leaders.

When we continually develop people, there will never be a shortage of leaders prepared for a growing ministry.

“Disciples are not manufactured wholesale.  They are produced one by one, because someone has taken the pains to discipline, instruct, nurture, and train one that is younger.” -Douglas Thornton

To be spiritually connected we have to develop some relationships with other believers where we can be real.  Where we can reveal ourselves and we don’t have to try to impress people or act like we have it all together.  We were designed to be together.  Bnd just showing up at church on Sunday doesn’t guarantee this will happen.  In fact if you only show up on Sunday, I guarantee this isn’t happening.  Here are four benefits for spiritual connection.

1. CONNECT FOR HEALTH.  One of the deepest needs in life is to be understood.  We need some people that we can connect with.  Have you ever been talking to someone in a conversation and it dawns on you that you’re not really connecting? We have this deep need to connect with others.  We need people in our lives that get us. I came across this study from the Department of Health and they found that if you are disconnected from others…
   • You are two to three times more likely to die an early death.
   • You are four times more likely to suffer from emotional burnout.
   • You’re five times more likely to suffer clinical depression.
   • You’re ten times more likely to be hospitalized for emotional or mental disorder.
2. CONNECT FOR GROWTH.  Col. 2:19 says “We are joined together in His body by His strong sinews and we grow as we get nourishment and strength from God.”  The Christian life is not just a matter of believing.  It’s also a matter of belonging. To grow, I’ve got to be connected.  We can’t grow in the Christian life alone.  If we are disconnected, we can’t grow.
3. CONNECT FOR EFFECTIVENESS.  Eph. 2:10 says “God made us to do good works, which He planned in advance for us to live our lives doing.”  Good works here means ministry.  You were made for ministry.  You were made to make a difference.  If you’re not doing anything with your life that makes a difference in the life of someone else, you’re never going to feel significant.
4. CONNECT FOR SUPPORT.  We’ve got to have support from each other.  If you’re disconnected there is no way you are going to be able to make it through the crisis that comes into every one of our lives.  As a believer, you’ll never have to walk through a dark valley alone.  As a believer, you’ll never have to walk through the loss of a loved one alone.  God will walk through it with you.  As a believer you’ll never have to walk through troubles by yourself because you’ll be connected to a group of believers who will walk through it with you.  Eccl. 4:10.  “If one person falls, the other can reach out and help.  But people who are alone when they fall are in real trouble.”

Are you connected?