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Qualities of Effective Church Leaders that Know How to Lead
Qualities of Effective Church Leaders> Those God has called to lead Christian ministries in the church have to be effective in serving others, and giving them direction. Leadership in Church is about leading others in the way that God would have them go. An effective church leader should know and understand what God desires from him or her so that they will do the right thing. There are certain qualities that a leader in the church needs to have in order to be effective in their ministry. We will discuss 13 of them in this article.
Vision
Church Leadership determines the direction of the Flock. One of the most important qualities that I have observed in Dedicated Driven Church Leaders that have made a powerful difference in the Kingdom.
What is Vision Casting – Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish
Check this vision – I would follow this – Greg Gaines
They Know Where they are Going. They are traveling that path, and their commitment and sacrifice leave such a powerful impression on my life. My Thoughts move to “I want what they have, I want to go also, Don’t leave me behind. People follow Leaders who Know where they are Going
Greg gaines
“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” KJV
(Proverbs 29:18)
Qualities of Effective Church Leaders / Wise Men / Ever Learning
It is a very strong Charastic of great leaders, is that the ones I have gotten close to are in a constant mode of personal growth. They are exploring learning, growing. finding new ways to learn and serve. They spend a lot of time identifying other leaders that they can learn and grow from. Because of their constant inflow of learning and growing.
The things they teach are fresh – they are not canned or mundane. These leaders are growing and that is contagious.
One of the most powerful traits of these Leaders that know where they are going, learning how to sharpen their skills and strengthen their followers.
One of the most powerful scriptures that have stuck in my mind, was this. Solomon the wisest man ever to Live said this
“He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.” (Proverbs 13:20)
If you as one of God’s Leaders surround yourself with other wise leaders. Their wisdom will rub off on you. Also when you have challenging times you can also lean back into their wisdom. This is so much wiser than shooting from the hip.
Leadership skills.
One who is leading others in the church needs to understand his or her role in leadership. A church leader should be passionate about their role and be competent in leading others. A leader gets their direction from God so that they can walk the right path and show others the way. God expects that one who desires to lead in the church should have his or her house in order to show that they are capable of handling the responsibilities they face in the church (1 Timothy 3:12).
Prayerful.
An effective church leader should spend time in prayer seeking God for direction and solutions. There are many things a leader in the church needs to accomplish and they need God’s strength to do so. When we pray, we invite God to come and do His will in a situation so that everyone will be blessed. A leader who is struggling with a cloudy judgment should pray and listen for God’s answers. He or she should always go to the throne of grace knowing that God is waiting to hear from them (Hebrews 4:16).
There was a period of probably around five years that the complete focus was trying to learn about prayer these are some of the important points i learned
- Some Feel that God does not move until asked by His faithful
- What if every great movement of the expansion of God’s Borders was preceded by a request from a humble child requesting the father for it.
- Prayer did not come naturally to me
- Prayer was a discipline – for over one year, I went out each night into a field across from our home. I spent 1 hour a night – alone talking to god – this helped me tremendously
- I had to repent – i was a very strong leader in the Lords’ Church – I prayed at meals and when I was called on at services – What type of leader was I ???
- I researched great men of prayer
- Jesus spent several times all night in prayer – had i ever
- This is a Discipline that can be learned
Patience
A church leader has to deal with many personality types and requires patience to avoid getting worked up. Different people respond differently in various situations, some are slow and others fast. To effectively communicate with others in the church, a leader must have a patient heart. The servant of the Lord should be gentle and patient with all and correct others in humility (2 Timothy 2:23-25).
Loving
An effective church leader should be one who loves others and is kind toward them. Such a leader will know that true love is shown by actions and not merely words. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 shows us what God means by love. When our hearts are full of God, we can love others unconditionally and allow them to experience God through us. You may be a gifted leader, but without love, you will not achieve much for the Kingdom of God.
Just like your own children – Church Family can be trying. They squabble, they wander, They squeal, they whine, Patience and love is something that is golden.
Cautious.
Some people are sensitive and if you use particular words on them, they get hurt and feel offended. A church leader should be cautious about their words and actions to avoid stepping on the toes of especially those who get easily offended. It is prudent for such a leader to choose carefully those they want to associate with as they serve in church (Proverbs 12:26).
Decisive / Make Decisions
My Favorite saying is this. I had this on my office door and always kept it in the front of my mind. If we keep doing things the way we have always done them we cannot expect a different result.
If The Horse is Dead Dismount
Organized.
To be an effective leader, one should be organized in how they approach their daily tasks. Working in the church is no different. A church leader needs to ensure that they have their documents in the right place, their work station is tidy and not cluttered, and they plan their schedule ahead of time. Disorganization can lead to missed deadlines or forgetting important things. An organized leader knows where to find everything they need to work with excellence.
Sociable.
Leading in a church setting means that a leader will interact with lots of people on a daily basis and he or she needs to be friendly. Being sociable means that you greet others with a smile and you are kind and polite with them. You care about their issues and you value them as individuals. When you are a person who is welcoming to others, they can trust you and enjoy being in your presence.
Moral.
I’m sure you have heard people say that a leader should lead by example. That’s true because others are watching their leader and will notice if they indulge in anything immoral. 1 Timothy 3:10 says that deacons should be blameless, meaning above reproach and well behaved. We have not all been called to be deacons, but we need to heed this Scripture. God has given us His Word to show us how He expects us to behave and especially when He has called us as church leaders.
A leader needs to hold themselves to a higher standard than most of the flock. The reason for this if the leaders get lost, there are sheep, mamma ewes, baby sheep, obstinate rams that are closely following. Sheep follow so closely, they cannot see where they are going they only see the butt ahead of them
Humble.
Others like to deal with a person who is humble and not abrasive with their words. A humble leader will be compassionate and will place the needs of others above their own. This doesn’t mean that they neglect themselves, it simply means that they focus on serving others. A good leader wants to have the grace of God and not to have a great fall because of pride. A humble leader takes the thoughts and ideas of others in the team and recognizes the gifts that God has given others. He or she knows that they don’t have all the answers but through a team effort, they can come up with solutions for the challenges that are in their church.
I have known some very intelligent people. People that unfortuanetly were consumed with how much they knew. A person that radiates that they have arrived, that they know everything that have the answer to every Question.
If you are a Church Leader and you are full of pride. You will have problems with encouraging people to follow your lead. Prideful leaders are constantly having to work alone, always needing help, because their preoccupation with themselves, always being in charge, being the boss, repels faithful humble workers in God’s Kingdom
Strategic.
An effective leader will benefit from being strategic in how they plan for their ministry. The strategy helps a leader prepare for what lies ahead while focusing on what is at hand. Strategic leaders help the church grow and reach a wider audience who need to know Jesus. There are many areas in the church that require strategic thinking, for example, what technology to use, how to expand while on a budget, how to keep costs low in their daily operations, etc.
Conclusion
The above are some of the qualities of an effective church leader. There are many more and as a leader, you can ask God to show you what qualities He wants you to have for the leadership position He has given you. God is always ready to help every church leader give guidance and direction to their ministry so that they can steward His resources well. As good stewards, they should use biblical principles to help them lead the way God desires.
