By Stan Toler | Pastor of Trinity Church of the Nazarene in Oklahoma City, Okla., and recently elected as the newest general superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene
The platform is still up front.
Whatever else has changed in the modern worship environment, most of the seats in the sanctuary/auditorium/gym/meeting room still face the front. And audiences of every imaginable socio-economic people group still wait for the prophet/preacher/lead pastor/facilitator up front to shine the light of God's Word on the road of their journey.
In Old Testament times, Moses assembled the troops with a ram's horn. Today, they might be gathered by a tune from a keyboard or a video clip from a data projector. Either way, the task is the same: gather people, train them and send them out equipped with power and principles. The shepherd can't evade the calling. Sheep still need to know where to find pasture—and how to stay away from wolves dressed like one of them.
A friend of mine has a hat he bought for 10 cents at a yard sale. It's actually two hats in one—which says a lot about the frugality of my friend. One "hat" points left while the other points right. Written on the hat are the words: "I am their leader ... which way did they go?"
Pastors are said to wear many hats, so it wouldn't be surprising to see them wearing a leader hat that asks the question, "Where did they go?" That's a pretty relevant question. Where did the leaders go? According to a 2009 Barna Group survey, only 2 percent of those who identified themselves as Christians believe they have the gift of leadership.
1Holistic LeadingNew Testament leadership was comprehensive. It had its moments of tenderness and messages of tough love. It wept, laughed, warned, condemned and taught real-life lessons; but it always was a step ahead of the congregation. Paul said, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ" (
1 Cor. 11:1, NIV).
Naturally, if there are followers, there must be a leader. And pastor, you are the designated leader. Leadership training is the organizational backbone of a growing church. "When a group lacks quality leadership, it will tend to languish. Leadership is a social construct. No one leads by himself."
2 New leaders must be trained to take the place of those retired, wounded or missing in action. Your weekly message can be an awesome add-on, a training ground for discipleship and leadership.
Leadership and ‘Feedership' Believers caught in the web of a post-Christian culture are seeking far more than three points and a poem. They want to stand on a firm foundation.
Albert L. Truesdale Jr., once said, "With all orthodox Christianity we believe that in spite of notable limitations, the Holy Spirit worked in the life of the Church to create the Creeds. They do now faithfully articulate the Triune God—the Father, Son and Holy Spirit."
3 Let's face it—our parishioners need to know more about God more than anything! As Tim LaHaye once suggested, there is a "battle for the mind" going on.
