Whether it is a class, a church, or a ministry, if we want our organizations to grow, we are going to have to do what Jesus and the Apostle Paul exemplified, and that is to disciple a disciple-maker, or as Arthur Flake said, Enlist and Train Leadership.
CHAPTER 5: Enlist and Train Leadership
Flake had a Driver
1. We need to ENLIST the leaders
It may be true that some are naturally gifted as teachers or
professionally trained as teaching or even through the spiritual gifts are
supernaturally endowed with the ability to teach. This is not always the case
or even the norm. Group leaders tend to do what they are trained to do.
Training is the driver that results in good
teaching, good leadership, good administration, and effective Bible study
groups.
· Congregations providing at least four
training sessions a year had more than 13 percent in attendance over four years
and
· those that provided no training declined by
an average of 2 percent during the those four years.
Ephesians 4:11-12 that: “… he himself
gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and
teachers, equipping the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body
of Christ.”
2 Timothy 1:6, Paul instructed Timothy to “rekindle
the gift of God which is in you.”
In the second chapter he spoke of teaching skills when he
said, “Be diligent to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker
who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.” Avoid
irreverent and empty speech, since those who engage in it will produce even
more godlessness,” (2 Timothy 2:15-16).
In chapter 3, he reminded Timothy that, “All
Scripture is inspired by God, and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for
correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be
complete, equipped for every good work,” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
In chapter 4, Paul challenged Timothy with
the words, “Exercise self-control in everything, endure hardship, do the
work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry,” (2 Timothy 4:5).
2. Evaluate
Your Training
Steve Parr writes in chapter 5
Evaluation is essential, not expensive but it
does require us to be intentional in enlisting and evaluating how we are
growing future leaders and teachers in our classes.
3. Enhance
your skills
Most of you are experienced, educated, endowed teachers, but
all of us need to enhance our skills of teaching. That’s why you’ll hear me say
Good Teachers are good learners and good leaders are good readers. No that is
not unique with me but it is more than a catchy phrase. It is a the truth, as
we saw Paul’s admonition to Timothy.
Saul the persecuter of the church himself
took years more than a decade of training before he became the Apostle Paul.
from
Look for leaders and teachers and encourage
them by demonstrating that you yourselves need to be continually trained in
learning to be a better leader.
If every teacher that we had would have one
teacher in training, we would be better prepared as a church for what I call
“scary growth”. In fact, I would not be surprised that God is not using this
pandemic to get us prepared for a great outpouring of his spirit. People are
searching for answers and they are not found in our media, politics, schools,
or anywhere in the world except in the
church which is founded on the preaching, teaching and reaching of the word of
God.
4. Educate
and EXEMPLIFY.
What is a good Systematic Plan for learning to teach and
training our teachers, both present and future?
Two excellent resources I have used over the
years is Dr. Howard Hendricks “7 laws of the Teacher” and Bruce Wilkinson’s “7 Laws
of the Learner”.
Both books can be ordered by our church if
you would read and implement them, that would be a great resource for your
equipping ministry.
Steve writes, “Should we meet weekly,
monthly, or quarterly? We should start where we are, but be careful not to
overwhelm leaders with initial plans. We might begin with a few gatherings this
year and increase the frequency based on our church’s unique culture. Here are
several options that we can mix and match to create a customizable plan to
equip our leaders, and I will follow with how to build in accountability.”
On page 59, we see 10 different ways we can
educate and equip you and your prospective disciples.
1. The On-Site Launch
2. The Off-Site Conference
3. The Banquet
4. The Breakfast/Lunch Option
5. The Standard: Plan quarterly, bi-monthly,
or monthly training sessions for the volunteers.
6. The Proxy: Purchase a book for all
leaders, ask them to read it, and organize discussion groups to follow up.
7. The 24/7 option: Let me give you some good
resources that you can have online right now (in addition to …. *ahem*… my videos).
If you go to sampsonresources.com/streaming
you can find several online resources. (passcode is 5963SAP)
Also at RightNow media, you also have
thousands of resources at your fingertips of your keyboard to watch. Go to www.fbckilleen.com/rightnow to
register.
8. The Quick Pitch
9. The Marathon
10. The Retreat
5. Expectation.
I want to
hold you all accountable and responsible to study to show yourselves approved
workmen and workwomen in the Word. My expectation of you as teachers and
discipling of teachers is to first train yourselves, and second through a
covenant teach another class member, and then third acknowledge through
tangible ways of sincere appreciation and recognition.
Remember that those who lead the groups in
our churches are volunteers. They are not looking for financial reimbursement,
but the currency of appreciation will go a long way toward inspiring each
person to participate in the training that we suggest or provide.
Enlist and train the workers is step 3 of
Flake’s formula and I ask you this final question: If God were to call you away
or call you home tomorrow, would your ministry carry on because you have been
faithful to mentor and disciple at least one person in your class.
Thanks and blessings in Him
* Please
note: I could not think of Mark
Devall’s first name on the video and I apologize. The only name that came to
mind was ROBERT Duvall!!*
