Tag Archives: Leadership culture

Who Will Lead the End-Time Church? #6

Posted on 11/06/2023 | Comments Off on Who Will Lead the End-Time Church? #6

Skillful Listening

Great leadership depends on effective communication. A leader who cannot skillfully communicate will not lead very well or for very long.

In his famous prayer, St. Francis of Assisi asked God to help him to “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” When we are talking, we are simply repeating things we already know and understand. It is only through listening that we have the opportunity and ability to learn something new.

Understanding doesn’t come by talking. It only comes from listening and being attentive to what and how it is being said. Skilled listening is one of the most critical parts of being a great communicator. Learning to hold our tongue is a valuable skill for anyone, but for leaders, this is a must.

James 1:19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.

To be quick to hear and slow to speak means having both humility and respect for others. It means we take the time to sincerely listen to people instead of just voicing our opinions.

A simple skill to practice is to control our body language in the listening process. Sit up straight, lean forward, act interested, nod your head to show that you are tuned in and fully engaged, and track the speaker with your eyes.

If we practice these simple techniques, we do two important things. First, we position ourselves to hear what is being said, reading between the lines and discerning the true nature of the conversation. Second, it encourages the other person to be more open and comfortable sharing details, giving more specifics, and being more vulnerable.

3 Keys to Effective Listening

  1. Listen to God

Good communication with people starts with good communication with God. After all, it is His people we are ministering to. Always remember that we are the gift He has chosen to give to the people. Suppose we prayerfully seek God’s will and direction before ministering to others, inviting His involvement, and being mindful of His perspective. In that case, we will tap into His wisdom and better express His heart in any given situation. If leaders first practice this in their prayer life, the fruit of it will show up when it’s time to communicate.

When leaders don’t first communicate with God, they tend to lean too much on their understanding and their strengths and abilities. This often leads to misunderstandings, offenses, broken relationships, and eventually burnout. Trusting in God and inviting Him into the conversation brings the fruits of the Spirit and promotes healthy relationships.

Leaders must learn to first communicate with God before they even consider speaking with people. Don’t find this point to be over-stressed; it’s not. Keeping that practice in order will help produce the most effective communication available.

So often in the church, we find too much counseling of others without first seeking God. There are too many meetings in which the church’s affairs are discussed without first seeking God’s guidance in prayer, and far too many decisions being made without adequate preparation in prayer, and yet we still expect God to bless it.

           Prayer is one of the most critical parts of any leader’s life. Not their talents, not their gifting and abilities, not their personality and charisma, but getting direction from The LORD on how to proceed.

“He who cannot be a good follower cannot be a good leader.” ~Aristotle~

The best leaders are always the best followers of Christ. If the Lord is not leading a leader, how is he to properly lead those who are following him in the ministry? To be an authority with dynamic influence, we must submit to God’s authority and invite His influence. Christians follow leaders primarily because of their relationship with God, a relationship that is birthed and cultivated in the secret place but is evident to all.

  • Listen to people.

Listening to people is more than just hearing words. Listen with our eyes when people are talking, and pay attention to how they enter a room, their tone, body language, eye contact, emotions, and any emphasis on words or phrases. Listening to people is about gathering information to provide the proper response. If we pay close attention and let people do most of the talking up front, the appropriate responses will usually become apparent—many times, from the one talking.

Proverbs 18:13 He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him.

Give people plenty of time to share their thoughts, and don’t interrupt. Interruptions send a message that we don’t value what they say. If we’re going to understand a person’s situation and honor them correctly, we should always let them fully express themselves.

Silence can be our friend. A nod and a thoughtful look will often keep them talking and bring out more important details they may be hesitant to share. The skillful use of silence can do some of the heavy lifting in a conversation.

When we speak, it should be an improvement on silence.

Making a habit of weighing what we say against the current silence will prevent us from speaking harshly or out of turn. It avoids offense and protects relationships.

Beware of the Lobbyist

Some people do not seek answers or counsel; they lobby for agreement. If a person uses phrases like “God said, or God told me,” Don’t get trapped in a debate or argument. If God honestly did say something, that leaves no room for us to argue or disagree, and we need to make that clear to them. This puts the responsibility of their future actions squarely on their shoulders.

We can ask questions like, “Are you sure God spoke to you?” If they insist that He did, we can counsel them to be patient and pray for God’s will, timing, and purpose to prevail in the situation, but we shouldn’t speak against what they believe God said unless it blatantly opposes God’s Word. On the other hand, if they are sincere and submit to leadership, using language like, “I think God is telling me this, or I believe God is directing me to,” then we have an open door to lead and council.

  • Listen to our heart.

Proverbs 16:23 The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, and adds learning to his lips.

We must give our heart time to tell our mouth what to say.

There is tremendous discipline involved in being slow to speak. It also creates the potential for immense power to be released. It shapes the atmosphere and allows us to hear the Holy Spirit talk to us before we speak to others. It’s so easy, when someone comes to us in a hurricane of emotions, to write them off because of their delivery and not listen to what they have to say. In times like this, we need to lean on the Holy Spirit for patience, love, and grace so that we don’t respond in the same manner.

Good communication is not a one-way dialogue but a two-way street. Good communicators promote an equal amount of traffic in both lanes, understanding that the listening lane is the first one traveled.

Question: Why is listening important when communicating?

Question: What is the first key to effective listening?

Question: What percentage of time do we spend listening when in prayer?

Question: How would you describe communication in your own prayer life?

Question: On a scale of 1-10, how would you rank yourself as a skilled listener?

Question: What can you change to raise that number?

Thank you for visiting Truth Pressure Ministries. Please share and help reach more people with the truth.

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Who Will Lead the End-Time Church? #5

Posted on 11/06/2023 | Comments Off on Who Will Lead the End-Time Church? #5

Leadership Culture of Jesus

Culture is defined as the shared values, goals, attitudes, and practices that characterize any organized group of people. A well-defined leadership culture promotes momentum, creates unity, and provides identity and stability within the ranks.

First, we must define and understand the culture that Christ established throughout the gospels. He is our model. His life and His practices are perfect theology. Our leadership culture can and should have its unique expression, but it should stay within the ministry culture that Jesus modeled. If we embody the culture that Jesus established in the early Church, we can then tailor it to fit the specific emphasis and work that God has called us to.

When Jesus burst onto the scene in full-blown ministry, He immediately chose a diverse group of 12 followers to invest in and develop as emerging leaders. Jesus inspired His followers to leave everything behind to follow him. He taught them from the beginning the importance of laying down their lives and denying themselves. 

From the start, Jesus boldly challenged the current religious culture by teaching and preaching the kingdom of God and demonstrating kingdom power and authority. The mark of a believer is that signs and wonders will follow them. The gospel must be seen and experienced, not just heard.

Mark 16:15-18 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

What are we teaching others if our doctrines are only heard and not experienced? Power and demonstration will always accompany true believers and validate the true message of the gospel. If we are missing the fruit of the Holy Spirit’s power and demonstration in our gatherings, then we have a problem. This is not the Church culture that Jesus or His disciples modeled.

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 And I, brethren, when I came to you, I did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

          In this passage, the apostle Paul admits to being weak and scared. It is OK to be weak and trembling; that’s why God gave us a comforter called the Holy Spirit. God shows up well in our weakness.

We also see that Paul didn’t come to them with a well-thought-out, three-point sermon with just the right amount of scripture, humor, wisdom, and persuasive language. He came in the demonstration of the Spirit and power. Why? So that their faith would not be in his eloquent teaching and human wisdom but in the power of God.

It is the power of God demonstrated through yielded vessels that causes people to follow Christ. Not just a well-crafted sermon that convinces people to pray a short prayer to get their ticket to Heaven. That was never modeled in scripture, yet it has become a common thing in the global Church culture.

It will take courage to challenge the current Church culture. End-time leaders must maintain an intimate personal relationship with the Father through personal devotion and prayer, focusing on the written word and guarding their hearts against all evil influence.

We cannot lead others to a place we have not been. So, the first order of business is to take an honest self-assessment and ask some pointed questions.

  • Do I function in the power and demonstration of the Holy Spirit?
  • Does my team?
  • If not, what are we doing to rectify this problem?
  • Are we crying out to God in prayer for the correction and instruction needed to facilitate change?
  • Are we watering down the word of God to match our limited experience, or are we praying that God elevates our experience to match His word?
  • Are we earnestly contending for the faith once delivered to the Saints? (Jude 3)
  • If so, are we seeing measurable progress in this area?

Culture identifies what is essential to a body of believers, reflecting the vision, values, and purpose. Every local assembly will have its unique expression in the body of Christ, and it is the leadership’s responsibility to identify and steward this expression.

If we don’t base our culture on the patterns and practices established by Jesus and His disciples, we will continue to stray from the truth and be subject to the bondage of men’s religious ideas.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

To change the current culture of leadership, the values of the leaders must first align, which means the beliefs of the leaders must first align.

People have deeply ingrained assumptions and beliefs about Christ and the gospel. These can be strongholds that can take time to dismantle. The most effective way of addressing people’s deeply held assumptions and wrong beliefs is to teach God’s word with demonstration and power. People will not change what they believe simply because we believe it. They must be shown why they need to change.

Great leaders consistently demonstrate to the people that the proposed change is rooted in scripture. This helps the emerging leaders and the congregation recognize the need for change and see that the authority to demand that change goes beyond the influence and desires of the leaders and comes directly from God.

Developing a culture where the Word of God is final authority is the only solid foundation to build upon. Taking time with your leaders regularly to help define and reaffirm the culture will produce much fruit in the future.

Don’t be rushed into defining your culture. Have leadership meetings to discuss ideas and hold them up as a prayer target. Allowing emerging leaders to have a voice develops and maintains influence. You don’t necessarily have to follow their suggestions. However, allowing them input gives them a sense of belonging and importance that makes them feel like they are valuable, a part of the process, and an essential part of the ministry.

Culture is an expression of our faith, a reflection of our beliefs. What we do and don’t do, from missions to local outreach, how we embrace first-time guests to discipleship, and developing emerging leaders, all play a significant role in shaping our leadership culture. We don’t need to tell visitors what our culture is. They will experience it. 

Excellence in Leadership

Colossians 3:23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,

This has a massive impact on culture. Excellence, as with most things, begins and ends with leadership. Leaders should regularly be asking themselves, “Can we do better?” As more staff and volunteers are added and more resources become available, the level of excellence should evolve and become more apparent. Excellence in ministry is a ministry by itself.

The mentality of excellence requires constant training, emphasis, and maintenance. We can easily slip into the “it’s good enough” mentality. This shows a lack of understanding about what we are doing and why we are doing it. A ministry will never rise above the level of excellence its leaders portray, so our responsibility is to model excellence in everything we do.

When leadership culture is healthy and well-defined, it prepares us for growth and success in ministry.

Three things will happen with a well-defined leadership culture:

1) Evangelism will increase.

People will love being involved, and they will talk to others about the amazing ministry they are involved with. It creates a desire within the body to invite others to get involved. The ministry will become attractive to the community and make it easier to fulfill its vision.

2) Spiritual growth increases throughout the body.

People flourish in the place of their God-given assignment. A strong culture creates a sense of belonging and inspires people to get involved, taking ownership of some portion of the ministry. This allows people to develop and use their gifts and talents, causing growth and strength in the individual. In turn, this creates strong, healthy relationships and edifies the body as a whole. One of the most rewarding things for leaders is to witness the growth, development, and healthy progress of their followers. This is what makes leadership exciting and rewarding.

3) It attracts great leaders.

Up-and-coming leaders will join themselves to the ministry. This creates a pool of leaders to mentor and disciple, preparing the ministry for future growth and additional outreach.

Question: Can we define our leadership culture right now?

Question: Who sets the culture of a ministry?

Question: What is happening right now in our ministry that does not reflect our leadership culture?

Question: Is excellence in ministry a focus of the leadership team?

Question: What areas of ministry can we do better with minimal effort, and why aren’t we doing it?

Question: What changes need to occur within your leadership team to embrace the leadership culture of Jesus better?

Thank you for visiting Truth Pressure Ministries. Please share and help reach more people with the truth.

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Who Will Lead the End-Time Church? #3

Posted on 11/06/2023 | Comments Off on Who Will Lead the End-Time Church? #3

Mentoring and Discipleship

Not all followers of Christ are qualified to lead, and not all emerging leaders are qualified to lead right now. Being an end-time leader will require a deep and ever-increasing understanding of God’s written word, the development of Christ-like character, and leadership skills.

The word of God is the most essential thing in any believer’s life and ministry. It is the foundation upon which all wisdom, understanding, and godly character are built. Without constant intake and exposure to God’s word, character and skills will never reach their highest expression. A deep love and respect for the things of God creates provides a sound example for others to follow. And helps keep us on a steady path of spiritual growth.

Character is developed in us as we give ourselves to understanding and obeying God’s word. However, Godly character without the needed leadership skills can cause frustration and discontent within the body and the leadership team.

In turn, having a leader who has an abundance of skills without a Christ-like character produces animosity and mistrust from the body and other leaders. Both situations can set the leaders up for failure and create an abiding tension among our followers and in relationships within the leadership team. This hinders the overall growth, development, and fruitfulness of the ministry.

Developing both character and skills ensures the leader will become a pillar in the church and not a stumbling block. Pillars are always placed squarely and solidly on the word of God.

Character

Godly character reflects God’s nature, and character is developed with maturity. Character is the nature of God being expressed in our lives. This should be every Christian’s goal, not just leaders. The character and nature of God is what we are leading others to. We can’t lead another person to a place we have never been. God’s nature must be established in us before we are qualified to lead others. Love is God’s nature. Without love, we cannot lead others into a relationship with God.

1 John 4:8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

1 John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails.

According to John, love isn’t just the nature of God. Love is the embodiment of God. God IS love.

In 1 Corinthians 13, we see how God (love) behaves. These behaviors must be developed and continually strengthened in a leader so that God’s nature can be evident to all. Embracing love will bear the fruit of the Spirit. The development of this behavior doesn’t come through striving and trying to “be better.” It grows through intimacy with God and a devotion to His word.

Galatians 5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

In Matthew 12:33 it tells us that a tree is known by its fruit, so let’s take a closer look at the fruit that should be hanging from the tree of a leader.

1) Love: The opposite of love is not hate; it is selfishness. A leader lays down his life for others, denying himself in favor of another. It should never be about you.

2) Joy: Nehemiah 8:10 says, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” Joy not only brings strength to the leader but to those around him. A good leader enjoys what he is doing, and others want to work with them and be involved with them in other capacities.

3) Peace: Peacemakers create an atmosphere that promotes healthy relationships with God and others. They avoid unfruitful confrontations and diffuse strife and contentious situations. A leader will find common ground to build on and will magnify the positive, not the negative, creating a safe environment for learning and development of leadership skills.

4) Patience: Patience makes room for others to grow in their gifts and calling, providing an environment that makes others feel safe, allowing them to make mistakes without the danger of condemnation and shame. Patience doesn’t just see the individual but has a view of what that individual will look like when wholly submitted to God.

5) Goodness: Romans 2:4 tells us that it is the goodness of God that leads men to repentance. Being good to people, even when it costs you, and doing the right thing even when it is not convenient causes people to turn to God and away from self-centered living. People notice goodness because it is a characteristic of God’s nature that attracts people to Him.

6) Gentleness: 2 Timothy 2:24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient.

A leader must always be mindful of proper etiquette and understand that etiquette may be different in any given situation. Being mindful of culture, gender, age, position, and the emotional state of those we deal with is essential. Using kind words tempered with wisdom and discernment tremendously impacts the conversations. Expressing genuine concern for the individual creates a platform to minister from and provides the needed influence to speak effectively into the lives of others.

7) Faithfulness: 1 Corinthians 4:2 Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.

Leadership is a stewardship from God. Being steadfast, reliable, honorable, and consistent speaks volumes about the heart and character of the leader. Faithfulness is a consistent behavior that is noticed by all, especially God.

8) Meekness: Meekness is not being a doormat or pushover but the humility of controlled strength. Numbers 12:3 says that Moses was the meekest man in all the earth, and yet he was the one used most in the earth at that time. There is a connection between humility and a vessel God can use and move through.

9) Self-control: This can’t be accomplished without a healthy prayer life and regular intake of God’s word. We can’t control ourselves without the Father’s help. The more intimate time we spend with God when no one else is looking, the more effortless self-control will be. A robust prayer life creates a constant awareness of God that makes it easier for us to resist temptation and make the right decisions. Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit that helps us to die to our carnal nature more quickly.

Question: As a leader, are you stronger in your character or skillset?

Question: Do you, or did you have strong leaders to mentor you and help you develop as a leader?

Question: What are you a steward over right now, and what would you like to be a steward over in the future?

Question: On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rank your faithfulness?

Thank you for visiting Truth Pressure Ministries. Please share and help reach more people with the truth.

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Leadership Culture for the End-Time Church

Posted on 10/27/2023 | Comments Off on Leadership Culture for the End-Time Church

Culture is defined as the shared values, goals, attitudes, and practices that characterize any organized group of people. A well-defined culture promotes momentum, creates unity, and provides identity and stability within the ranks.

First, we must define and understand the culture that Christ established throughout the gospels. Our culture can have its own unique expression, but it should not stray far from the ministry culture that Jesus modeled. If we embody the culture that Jesus established in the early Church, we can then tailor it to fit the specific emphasis and work that God has called us to.

When Jesus burst onto the scene in full-blown ministry, He immediately chose a diverse group of 12 followers to invest in and develop as emerging leaders. Jesus inspired His followers to leave everything behind to follow him. He taught them from the beginning the importance of laying down their lives and denying themselves. 

From the start, Jesus boldly challenged the current religious culture by teaching and preaching the kingdom of God and demonstrating kingdom power and authority. The mark of a believer is that signs and wonders will follow them. The gospel must be seen and experienced, not just heard.

Mark 16:15-18 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

What are we teaching others if our doctrines are only heard and not experienced? Power and demonstration will always accompany the true message of the gospel. If we are missing the fruit of the Holy Spirit’s power and demonstration in our gatherings, then we have a problem. This is not the Church culture that Jesus or His disciples modeled.

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

          In this passage, the apostle Paul admits to being weak and scared. It is OK to be weak and scared, that’s why God gave us a Comforter called the Holy Spirit. We also see that Paul didn’t come to them with a well-thought-out, three-point sermon with just the right amount of scripture, humor, wisdom, and persuasive language. He came in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power. Why? So that their faith would not be in his eloquent teaching and human wisdom, but in the power of God.

It is the power of God demonstrated through yielded vessels that cause people to follow Christ. Not just a well-crafted sermon that convinces people to pray a short prayer to get their ticket to Heaven. That was never modeled in scripture, yet it has become a common thing in the global Church culture.

It will take courage to challenge the current Church culture. End-time leaders must maintain an intimate personal relationship with the Father through personal devotion and prayer, focusing on the written word and guarding their hearts against all evil influence.

We cannot lead others to a place we have not been. So, the first order of business is to take an honest self-assessment and ask some pointed questions.

  • Do I function in the power and demonstration of the Holy Spirit?
  • Does my team?
  • If not, what are we doing to rectify this problem?
  • Are we crying out to God in prayer for the correction and instruction needed to facilitate change?
  • Are we earnestly contending for the faith that was once delivered to the Saints? (Jude 3)
  • If so, are we seeing measurable progress in this area?

Culture identifies what is important to a body of believers, reflecting the vision, values, and purpose. The power and demonstration of the Spirit must again become vitally important to the Church.

Every local assembly will have its unique expression in the body of Christ, and it is the leadership’s responsibility to identify and steward this expression. If we don’t base our culture on the patterns and practices established by Jesus and His disciples we will continue to be a weakened Church, straying further from truth and being subject to the bondage of men’s religious ideas.

Thank you for visiting Truth Pressure Ministries. Please share and help reach more people with the truth.

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