Model Mentoring
Church growth is highly dependent upon team ministry. The simple fact is, you can’t do everything. The only way to grow beyond your current size is to expand your leadership team. However, training leaders takes time and considerable effort. Most pastors tend to utilize an “in-service training” model. They train leaders as their chosen leaders learn and grow within their ministry position. But for this to work, you must model for them what being a good leader is all about. Your leaders need a good example (1 Cor. 11:1). So be an example in:
Team ministry. You need the help of others to grow. They need this as well. Youth leaders need a good youth committee to help them plan and implement youth events and activities. Outreach leaders need specialized ministry leaders to oversee door knocking, prison ministry, rest home ministry, street services, home Bible study, guest follow-up visitation, bus ministry, and more. As they see you utilize your leadership team effectively, it will inspire them to do the same within their respective departments.
Ministry Involvement. It’s problematic when the pastor feels he must be involved in everything. It leaves him with little time to do the things only he can do. But it also is a problem when he is involved in nothing. If a pastor uses the excuse that he is too busy to teach home Bible studies, he can expect his church members to use the same excuse. A pastor needs to pick a several areas of service in which to become involved. Then he should talk about his involvement success over the pulpit. The church needs to see their leaders involved and this will inspire them to become involved themselves.
Life balance. Leaders need to see a good example of balancing family, work, spiritual, social and recreational time. Too often leaders serve for a few years and then burn out. They fail to find a balance between labor, renewal and rest. We run this race to finish the course. It’s a marathon. So time must be made for renewal and rest as well as labor. Show them how this is done.
Evangelism Priority. The two purposes of the church are perfecting the saints and winning the lost. If he’s not careful, a pastor can spend all his time helping and perfecting the saints, and never win souls. Soul-winning churches have soul-winning pastors. Take time to build relationships with unsaved people and win them to Christ.