Christian Leadership Notes

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (LBTS - Liberty University campus

January 26 ~

Introduction and going over syllabus

Next Monday Dr. Schmitt won't be in class, but there will be a video.

What is leadership?

Godly character, confidence, decision making, far-sighted, guiding by example, influential, personal faith and godliness, democratic and Jesus-like, management and delegation, receive instruction well, pastoral skills, well-balanced, diligent

Teacher's definition:

"Leadership is the process (activity) of influencing (guiding or motivating) other people to work together to accomplish a desired purpose."

Some definitions of Leadership could be:

1) Staying ahead of others. He shouldn't be so far ahead that he loses contact.

2) Being in charge.

3) Influencing others.

4) Guiding or directing others.

5) Developing others.

6) Arranging or controlling a situation.

7) Moving group to accomplish a goal.

8) Getting what one wants.

Myron Rush, The New Leader, p. 16:

"A leader is one who recruits people to follow his example and guides them along the way while he is training them to do what he does."

Why Study leadership?

1. Leadership can be developed and improved. (There is a spiritual gift of leadership)

2. Churches need more leaders.

3. Volunteer leaders in churches require more skill to supervise.

4. Church leaders are behind the secular world in the science of human relations.

5. Failure to apply principles of good leadership to prevent many Christian workers from achieving their full potential.

The lack of leadership has hurt many pastors and perspective pastors. Many pastors do not have any books on leadership in their libraries. Delegation is a helpful thing to do so the pastor or leader can direct his attention elsewhere.

Executives can have several people who work as administrators.

When there are quality administrators, an executive can delegate power and authority. Then the executive doesn't even have to know every little thing that is going on. Dr. Falwell has said, "All I have to do is show up and preach and act like I know what is going on."

Without leadership skills, the size of their ministry will be limited.

Ways People Become Leaders:

1) Appointed from Above

problems could be acceptance by the group (jealous factor, authority factor)

2) Elected by a group

3) Emerge (a leader will emerge from the group)

4) Sent by God

We have learned a lot about leadership from our experiences: what we want to imitate and what we don't want to imitate.

Signs of Effective Leadership:

1. Uses time wisely

2. Develops subordinates

3. Has integrity

4. Is flexible (consistency is important, too; but one needs to bend when it's time to bend)

5. Learns from mistakes

6. Establishes standards

7. Sets (realistic) goals and (Godly) priorities

8. Keeps on going

9. Stays morally pure and clean

10. Is a self-motivator

Signs of Poor Leadership:

1. Doesn't understand people

2. Fights change or is afraid of innovation

3. Lacks imagination

4. Passes the buck

5. Lacks team spirit

6. Loses emotional control

7. Becomes defensive

8. Refuses to take risks

Some Christians are so Heavenly-minded that they are no earthly good. In this case, I believe that they are not Heavenly-minded at all.

A Christian Leader Is:

Saved

is saved from the penalty of sin

is forgiven of all sin

is indwelt by the Holy Spirit

is gifted by the Holy Spirit

is adopted into the family of God

is a citizen of the kingdom of God

Spirit Filled

is cleansed of sin (fully confessed)

is totally surrendered to the will of God

is living by faith (Colossians 2:6)

is controlled by Christ

Accepts the Bible as authority

Searches the Bible for answers

Principles

Promises

Examples

Questions any teaching against the standard of the Bible

--The only way you can get through to God is letting Him get through to You by means of Jesus Christ.

--When the devil knocks, let Jesus answer the door. When the devil sees it's Jesus, he runs away (like people did with Goliath).

Nehemiah, Barnabus, Moses were good leaders.

Distinctives of Christian Leaders

1. Servant Leadership

Opposite of Rehoboam in 1 Kings 12 (he calls advisors together and decides to be harsher than his father; this divides the people)

Jesus came to serve

Paul, the bond slave

Leads by guiding not driving

2. Build up or edifies group

Jesus was a teacher

Jesus trained the apostles

"perfect (equip) the saints" Ephesians 4:12

Teach so they can teach others

Leadership style is important

3. Love

Finds and follows God's will and methods

Should be successful

Vision, wisdom, excellence, teachable

February 9 ~

Concentrate on learning objectives in each chapter and the video notes for the test in 2 weeks.

Time Management:

We are expected to be a steward of time, talents and treasure.

We all have different amounts of talents and treasure, but the same amount of time.

Have goals and a sense of direction. Ask yourself what you are doing with your time and what you want to accomplish with your time.

--Know where you are and where you want to go. Have a plan of action. Determine the direction and steps. Commit yourself.

The Strategy

How we live our life is determined by our goals.

What goals we choose is determined by our priorities.

Whether we reach our goal is determined by our planning.

A strategy for living needs goals.

**5 Step plan of Improvement:

1. Set goals

2. Establish priorities

3. Plan strategy

4. Plan schedule

5. Evaluate and revise

--Goals have the power to change your life. If you want to change your life, change your goals.

**Reasons for Goals:

1. To give direction

2. To provide standard for choosing activities

3. To help motivate

4. To provide mile-posts (if I drive to San Diego, I set mile-posts. I plan from here to Atlanta. From Atlanta to Texas, etc. I shouldn't worry about the entire trip. Just knock out pieces at a time.)

5. For tool in evaluation (how do you know if you get there if you don't know where you're going?)

6. Put emphasis on results, not activity (making the people believe that you are productive isn't right)

**Good Goals Will:

1. Be specific

2. Be measurable

3. Be attainable (but challenging)

4. Be dated

5. Be written

Classification of Goals:

1. Long Range (over 4 years)

2. Intermediate (2-4 years)

3. Short Term (about a year)

4. Immediate (3-5 months or less than a year)

--make a graph with Long Range at the end, then branching out with 2 Intermediate goals, the 4 Short Term and 8 Immediate goals.

--the sense of evaluation is important. What will you let into your life? How will you spend your time? Will this help your reach your goal or will it keep you from reaching your goal?

Why Have Priorities?

1. Too much to do!

2. Too little time

3. Too many changes

4. Need for direction

"The urgent is seldom important, and the important is seldom urgent". General Eisenhower

--you need to be accessible, but you need to have some time to yourself, too

Personal Value System:

1. God

2. Family

3. Ministry

4. Self

5. Christian World

6. Community

Ideas for Goals:

I. God

-Devotional life

-Witnessing life

-Spiritual maturity

-Stewardship

II. Family

-Spouse

-Children

-Parents

--to fail to plan is to plan to fail.

Planning doesn't take time, it saves time

--if there is little plan time, then there is a lot of work time

--if there is more plan time, there is less work time

Strategy for Planning ~

Goal: (where you want to go)

Present Situation: (where are you now)

Helping Forces: (i.e. Christian friends, Christian music, working out, praying, etc)

Hindering Forces: (i.e. drugs, alcohol, disobeying the law, doing poorly in life or school, etc)

Actions:

1.

2.

Ideal Time Allotments: (if things were perfect, how would I spend my time)

Personal~

Devotions

Sleeping

Eating

Bathing-Dressing

Exercising

Ministry~

AOL

Youth crisis hotline

Planning Weekly Schedule

1. Determine the time allotments for an ideal week with no scheduling of time. 168 hours.

2. Schedule a general week

3. Schedule a specific week

Scheduling Helps

--Plan for some unplanned for events - "Free time" (There should be 2 three hour blocks that aren't scheduled until 24-36 hours before) Some sliding time is necessary.

--Shift time allotments when necessary

--Do a daily time use inventory two times a year

--Schedule time to plan schedule

--Re-examine goals and actions

Saving time:

Using time twice. Doing two things at once. Working out and worshiping God through music and prayer. Etc. Driving and praising God. Thinking and planning while driving or doing something.

February 16 ~

2 questions from Maxwell videos

Test next Monday. 10 total questions. 1 or 2 from each chapter (look in study guide at the beginning of the chapter; list, discuss or describe. Questions are from these study questions.).

Leadership type or style is 1) the way a leader carries out his functions and 2) how he is perceived by those he attempts to lead.

--how the leader operates

i.e. Autocratic (boss, leader centered), Democratic (guide), Laissez-Faire (stimulator-he educates and facilitates)

Autocratic: determines policy and procedure, seeks obedience, thinks of himself as the man

Duties:

1. Makes all decisions. Decides who, what, when and how. Usually with little hesitation.

2. Uses control, threat, force, or manipulation to accomplish his will.

Disadvantages:

1. Leader is inflexible

2. No checks and balances (no feedback or control group)

3. Leader careless of feelings

4. Fails to develop leaders (Joshua failed to develop leaders or a successor, but Moses was more autocratic in the beginning and did develop Joshua)

5. Stifles creativity

6. Regarded as authority in too many fields

7. Work slows or stops when the leader is absent

Paternalistic Style (Benevolent Dictator):

Father-like attitude toward the group. Benevolent-autocratic style.

Democratic: group-centered

The basic idea is people rule or at least group participation. This is the preferred style in most Christian manuals and books on leadership. He wants to get ideas and suggestions from the group and involve them in the decision making process.

Democratic leadership is based on "a religious conviction which grows out of a certain deep reverence for life. As a matter of faith, there are those who affirm that the potential worth of the person is from God.

Democratic Duties:

1. Determines decision-making procedure

2. Provide group with all the facts for every issue (tells people why)

3. Moderate discussions

4. Guide group toward a decision

5. Develops followers as leaders through participation

Democratic Disadvantages:

1. Discipline is hard

2. Requires educated and motivated group

3. Quality may be subject to quantity

4. Time consuming - 1 person can make a decision quicker than a group

Laissez-Faire: Individual centered

--means "hands off" or "free reign" in French

--it has minimum direction from the leader and the maximum freedom for the individuals. The leader is a kind of first among equals. He serves as an information booth and supplies material for the group. The group could possibly manipulate the leader.

Laissez Faire Duties:

1. An information booth

2. A supply depot

3. Exercise little control, but provides maximum freedom

4. Creates comfortable and permissive atmosphere

Laissez Faire Disadvantages:

1. Lack of control

2. Lack of coordination

3. Time consuming (possibly more than democratic)

4. Progress may be haphazard

5. Some followers can't work like this

--people don't do what you expect, they do what you inspect.

--try and find people who are compatible with your leadership style. Remember that the less educated people will need more supervision. Are they motivated? Will they learn?

--recognize the kind of leadership the people need (sometimes you inherit people)

Factors to Consider In Choosing Types:

1. Individual Subordinate

2. Group

3. Situation

4. Leader's Personality

5. Forces at Leader's disposal

Hazards of Leadership

1. Loneliness

2. Balance

3. Work

4. Expect Opposition (it can be a sign that you are going the right way). When you grow you will have to change. When you change, expect opposition.

5. Disappointment - performance expectations, sin problems, etc. ("it can tell a person's greatness by what it takes to discourage him" Dr. Falwell").

6. Success

7. Morals - Jerry Falwell has a man from church travel with him. They sleep in adjoining rooms. He opens the door between the rooms so nobody can accuse him of doing anything wrong like sleeping with a prostitute. If he sees a woman from church on the side of the road, he won't pick her up, even if she needs a ride in the rain. Bill Clinton's problems wouldn't fly in ministry. Character does matter. We should abstain from the appearance of evil.

8. Money

Women in Leadership

1 Timothy 2:12

A woman should not "usurp authority" from men - KJV or "authentin" in Greek

4 Wrong Meanings of this:

1. For a past day or period, "this doesn't apply today"

2. More authority in teaching of Jesus than of Paul

3. Applies to married women only

4. Women are not to have any position of leadership over a man

3 Right Meanings (Thayer)

1. One who does a thing himself

2. One who acts on his own authority, or who is autocratic

3. One who exercises dominion over another

3 Conclusions:

1. Woman should not teach Biblical material to men or settle doctrinal disputes between men.

2. Woman should not exercise autocratic style of leadership over men (however, it may not be best for a man to exercise autocratic leadership, also).

3. Woman should not act on her own authority in a church leadership position

Study questions for the test:

Chapter 1

1. Define leadership and explain the terms used in the definition.

--the process of influencing people to work together to accomplish a desired purpose.

Leadership is a process: work, action. Leadership involved influencing and motivating. An organization needs a leader for every about 6-8 followers. The work should be to accomplish a goal or purpose.

2. Explain why church leaders need to study leadership.

--leadership can be developed and improved, more leaders are needed in the churches, supervising volunteers is harder than supervising paid staff, leaders in churches have been weak in public relations, a failure to develop leadership prevents one from achieving his potential, church staff are accountable as stewards of the people in their churches

4. Describe the ways a person can achieve a leadership position.

--appointing, election, emerging, sent by God (Moses)

5. Distinguish between signs of good leadership and signs of poor leadership.

Good signs: uses time wisely, develops subordinates, has integrity, is flexible, learns from mistakes, establishes standards, sets goals and priorities, keeps on going, stays morally pure and clean, is a self-motivator

Poor signs: doesn't understand people, fights change or is afraid of innovation, lacks imagination, passes the buck, lacks team spirit, loses emotional control, becomes defensive, refuses to take risks

Chapter 2

1. Identify leadership attributes in the lives of selected Bible characters.

Joseph- worked hard, had a good spirit, stayed pure, planned wisely, delegated authority, established policies and controls and organized the work force.

Moses- faith, vision, integrity, obedience, responsibility, organized people, selected and trained leaders, delegated responsibility to others.

David- loyalty, spiritual leader, sought God's blessing, gave God credit, wise diplomat

Nehemiah- compassion and concern for his people, prayed a lot, accepted responsibility, planned well and carried out plans, sacrificed his time and possessions

Barnabus- sold his property and gave it all to the church, courageous, unselfishness, praised and served the Lord through trials, "Son of encouragement"

2. Explain the distinctive characteristics of Christian leadership.

-considers himself a servant, build up and edify the group, love is driving force, looks for God's will and follows it, success

3. Describe the spiritual gift of administration.

-will be recognized by others, you will be asked to use it, study models and compare yourself to them (in the Bible), you should feel this is your gift

4. List the ways Christian organizations are different from other organizations.

-conceive themselves as a part of God's plan for to the world, have a special "family" relationship with the workers and members, a "Bible-based" set of values, the expectations of Christian organizations are higher, should reflect love for people and concern for the individuals, some have devotions or chapel services

Chapter 3

1. List the values of goals.

--give direction, provide a standard, motivate, provide mile posts, provide a measurement device for evaluation

2. Explain the way that goals can be classified according to time.

--long range (5 or more years), intermediate goals (2-5 years), short term goals (1-2 years), immediate goals (3-6 months or less than 1 year). The smaller/shorter goals should relate to the larger/longer goal.

3. Give the characteristics of good goals.

--different from objectives, should be specific, include a measurement device, attainable but challenging, dated, written.

4. List questions that can be used to establish priorities of goals.

--How urgent is the goal? How important is the goal? Can someone else do the task? How often must it be done? Is it part of the larger task to which I am committed? What will happen if it is not done at all?

5. Explain the personal value system suggested in the notes.

Priorities such as: God, Family, Ministry, Self, the Christian world, the world in general.

6. Identify the sections of a "Strategy for Planning Worksheet."

List the Goal, present situation, hindering forces and helping forces, and actions.

7. Explain how to plan a weekly schedule.

--allocate time for 168 hours, General week: time controlled by others, General week: time controlled by self, a specific week

8. List time savers and time wasters.

Savers: use time twice by combining activities, use dead time like waiting time, make decisions quickly, handle papers once, group work and trips together, say "no", use a pocket calendar, develop a good file system, delegate and use a secretary and associate, set personal deadlines, learn to read faster

Wasters: inefficiency and doing work over a second time, telephone, indecision, poor work environment and a cluttered desk, over-communication with excessive memos or meetings, incoming mail, casual visitors, commuting, waiting for people, television, equipment breakdowns, excessive change, mediocre personnel that requires excessive assistance, being a perfectionist, crises, unrealistic time estimates

Chapter 4

1. Identify the different styles of leadership.

Autocratic, Democratic, Laissez Faire

5. List the criteria a leader should use when selecting a leadership style.

Subordinates as individuals, the group climate, the situation, the leader as a person, forces at the leader's disposal

6. Describe the Managerial Grid of Blake and Mouton.

This model contrasts the leader's concern for production vs. the concern for people. The best balance wins.

7. Describe the concept of styles presented by Robert Dale.

Catalyst, Commander, Encourager, Hermit

8. List the characteristics of Theory Z management style.

--high trust among workers and managers, shared information, mutual goal setting, straight talk, concern for personal growth, intimacy expressed through caring, support and unselfishness, lifetime employment, close ties to related businesses and even schools, non-specialized career paths, commitment to company and not to a specialty, holistic concern for individuals and workers become family

Chapter 5

1. List typical hazards which church leaders can expect to encounter.

--loneliness or isolation, balance, work or long hours, opposition, disappointment and discouragement, success, morals, money

3. Suggest good and bad ways to interpret to words "usurp authority" from 1 Timothy 2:12 in the KJV.

--the Greek word "authentin" means "usurp authority". 3 definitions: one who does a thing himself, one who acts on his own authority (autocratic), one who exercises dominion over another.

4. Explain the conclusions that were given to the study of women in the church.

--the woman should not act in a position of authority over a man as either a teacher of Biblical material or as one who settles doctrinal disputes, the woman should not use an autocratic or dictatorial style of leadership, especially when men are involved; she should use a democratic or laissez faire style, a woman should not act on her own authority in a church leadership position. They should never act on their own, but always recognize their position as being under the authority of the senior pastor and any others he designates. It does not teach that a woman should never lead, just that she should lead under authority.

5. List the special problems which assistant leaders may face.

--the leader, the job, no advancement probable, morale, insecurity

6. Tell what advice was given to assistant leaders to insure a good relationship with their supervisor.

--identify and adjust to your supervisor's leadership style, recognize and accept the goals of the church and pastor, never surprise the pastor with your plans or programs, remember you are a subordinate, demonstrate personal and professional integrity and honesty, be dependable, be loyal.

March 2 ~

Levels of Control

1. Leader makes decisions and informs group

2. Leader makes decision and sells it to the group

3. Leader presents a tentative decision for group to discuss and change if desirable

4. Leader presents a problem, defines the limits, and has group make a decision

Categories of planning:

1 Operational

2 Project

3 Annual

4 Long Range

Principles of Planning

1. Present Choice - build or staff

(can limit future actions)

2. Positive Action - causes plans to happen

3. Commensurate Effort - efforts should be in proportion to results desired

4. Planning Stability - (the further plans are in the future, the less specific and stable they will be) short term planning is set, long term planning is flexible

5. Potential Resistance (The greater the change, the greater the resistance)

6. Future Events - cause and effect

7. Increasing Responsibility - as a person moves up, they become responsible for more future planning

8. Involvement - the more people involved, the more successful and approved it should be

9. Alternate Plan - there should be a plan B

--when you are not sure which direction to go, look back to the founder and ask what he intended

Planning Steps

1. Determine objectives

2. Write goals

3. Establish priorities

4. Plan actions

5. Set organization

6. Schedule Time

Estimating the Future:

Anticipating or estimating what tomorrow is going to be like.

1. Study past with charts and graphs

2. Use studies of future by others

3. Distribute a questionnaire

4. Look around you

1. Judgmental

2. Statistical

A. Regression Analysis

B. Time Series Analysis

Church trends

1. Long term trend

2. Seasonal

3. Cyclical

Policies: standing answers to recurring question

Procedures: series of steps to be followed in a definite order to accomplish a specific task

April 6 ~

3 Meanings of God's Will - Sovereign, Moral and Individual

April 27 ~

Base of Standards

1) Ideal

2) Historical Averages

3) Competition

4) Currently Attainable

5) Critical areas for success