Leadership Ends Policy

Acts 20:28
Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.  

Ephesians 4:11

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers.

 

Psalm 72   (Summary)

The leadership that pleases God is a spiritual enterprise that seeks to be a vehicle for God’s purpose and blessing.  The leader becomes a servant for the good of all.

 

Background:

 

  • The two great commandments direct us to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves.  We are to help each person develop and use her or his unique gifts and talents for His Glory.
  • A leader is one who inspires by example. True Christian leadership comes from a strong faith – it requires a move from just being religious to being faithful. Leaders continue to strive to grow in their faith and seek to lead others to Christ.
  • Christ-centered leaders listen to God’s guidance, pay attention to their passions, and are prepared to respond.
  • Leadership development involves mutual peer support as well as mentoring.
  • Our mission is to create an environment or culture of leadership where people want to share their skills and gifts.
  • Every member who desires to become a leader, whether as a functional leader (participating in or leading groups) or as a Christ-centered role model, is encouraged and assisted in developing their leadership skills. 
  • Leaders are needed internally (adult/youth ministry, committee leadership, council), externally (entrepreneurship, non-profit boards, social service, disaster relief) and corporately (ELCA, church at large).

 

Ends Policy:

Lord of Life develops Christ-centered servant leaders for the congregation, the community and the Church at large, throughout the world.

Reasonable Interpretation:

The purpose of the Lord of Life Leadership policy will be to:

  1. Create a leadership culture within our congregation that:
    1. is inspiring, nurturing and supportive
    2. identifies and encourages everyone to be a leader as they are able
    3. enables leaders to identify their passions, skills and educational needs
    4. facilitates learning and growing as leaders
    5. provides educational, inspirational and skill-creating opportunities for leadership development and growth
    6. connects leaders, mentors and potential leaders
    7. Create leaders who:
      1. are faithful, servant-oriented, growing spiritually, passionate and responsive
      2. understand they are called by God to be leader
      3. will go into leadership positions where God calls them, whether at Lord of Life, within the church at large or in a secular position
      4. volunteer to lead Lord of Life programs and ministries

Current Activities:

Children Youth and Family

  1. Ongoing training for volunteers
  2. Junior High Leadership Team
  3. Senior High Leadership Team
  4. Peer Ministry
  5. Teens in Mission (TIM)
  6. Mission Trip Trainings

Adult Ministry

  1. Adult Ministry  LeadershipTeam (every 6 weeks)
  2. Annual Leadership Retreat
  3. Individual Ministry Orientation, Training and Support
  4. Special Events, including Care Ministry Training and Prayer Retreats 

Staff and Council

  1. Periodic staff in-service
  2. Individual staff continuing education,
  3. Leadership Summit and Special events
  4. Annual and monthly council learning times
  5. Department specific training  

Leadership beyond the Congregation

  1. Pastors and Staff currently serve in various capacities in support of the larger church
  2. Members also currently serve the church and community in a variety of ways

Seminarian Support

  1. Pastors encourage vocational discernment in those with gifts for ministry
  2. Pastors mentor and support seminarians
  3. Lord of Life financially supports seminarians  

Next Steps:

  1. Coordinate Leadership Ends Policy with Faith Formation Ends Policy
  2. Be intentional about planning and implementing a Leadership strategy
  3. Pastor Phil will coordinate planning with pastoral staff to further the Leadership strategy
  4. Leadership strategy will include:  goals, ways of measuring success, specific activities to achieve goals, resources – financial and otherwise, people to achieve goals, timeframe for implementation
  5. Lifting up and celebrating leadership activities that are already taking place (including leadership that is currently happening outside of the congregation)
  6. Exploring ways of supporting Christian Leadership in the workplace
  7. Exploring ways of  Children Youth and Family and Adult Ministries collaborating on Leadership initiatives
  8. Identifying ways to support a cycle of leadership – raising up new leaders and finding ongoing opportunities for experienced leaders to move on to new challenges of leadership