...Leadership is leading. Sometimes this includes using the strength of others to accomplish a task. Other times it requires accomplishing the task with no one standing beside you. Leadership is more than simply pursuing goals and accomplishing tasks. Leadership is the means by which you attain your goals. It is the means to the end and everything in between. Leadership involves influence. It is interpreted by the way you interact with those who choose to follow and how you respond to those you would hope to draw close. Some might say that leaders are defined by those who follow. But leadership can be as much about opposition as it is about being accepted. Qualities such as compassion, humility and devotion, combined with wisdom, determination and fortitude are what make Jesus Christ the greatest leader in history. No one else could ever have understood the depth of meaning in leadership the way Jesus understood and lived it. His was a leadership that defied human intuition and reestablished what other men would have forsaken apart from His leading. Many have said that you aren’t a leader if no one is following. But leadership cannot always be defined by the affirmative responses of those you are determined to lead. The leadership of Jesus was as much about personal integrity and serving as it was about influencing others. Jesus’ leadership can be best defined by the term “servant leadership.” Servant leadership employs personal motivations that are driven toward leading others toward...
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... Arlen Pfenninger Dover, Delaware July 7, 2012 Table of Contents Cover Page----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Introduction of Spiritual Development of First Baptist Church-----------------------------------3 Needs Within Adult Ministry--------------------------------------------------------------------------5 Objectives of Honor Bound Ministries---------------------------------------------------------------6 Goal Statement-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------6 Target Group---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7 Competencies Expected of Leadership---------------------------------------------------------------7 Goals of Honor Bound Ministries---------------------------------------------------------------------8 Selection of Content-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9 Organization of Content---------------------------------------------------------------------------------10 Learning Experiences------------------------------------------------------------------------------------12 Organization of Learning Experiences-----------------------------------------------------------------13 Action Plan-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------15 Budget and Communication Too...
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...University Abstract Servant-leadership is widely researched and discussed from a secular and Christian worldview (Fischer, 2010; see also Blanchard & Hodges, 2005). A Christian is called to follow God in all he does but life experiences can be conflicting in dealing with the spiritual and secular context; however, Christ wants his followers to operate within the context of the secular world. True servant-leadership is to emulate how Jesus led those around him - with complete selflessness and by serving others. Moreover, it is challenging for humans to be servant-leaders as they often desire personal recognition in life; yet, dedication to the Word and quiet reflection in God can help one to lead like Jesus. Larry Spears labeled Greenleaf a Grandfather of empowerment movement in business leadership (Greenleaf, 1996) because of his zeal toward servant-leadership. Greenleaf’s viewpoint, though commendable, conflicts with biblical principles. Thus, this paper analyzes Greenleaf’s work from a Christian worldview and institutes a biblical basis for servant leadership. Keywords: servant leadership, biblical perspective, gifts, loving, individual Introduction Servant-leadership is widely researched and discussed from a secular and Christian worldview (Fischer, 2010; see also Blanchard & Hodges, 2005). Paul encouraged believers to be imitators of Christ in this area when he said "[f]ollow my example, as I follow the example of Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1, NIV). Although...
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...LIBERTY THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY Theology of Christian Leadership LEAD 520 – D01 LUO The Life of Leaders December 11, 2013 Table of Contents I. Introduction 3 II. What is Leadership 3 III. Christian Leadership 3 IV. Biblical Perspective 4 V. Servant Leadership 5 VI. Leadership Disciplines 6 VII. Conclusion 7 VIII. Bibliography 8 Introduction According to Bill Hull, “While certain pockets of evangelicalism have grown, overall, the church is in a decline. Many congregations can attest to Hull’s assessment, in that, churches in America are indeed experiencing sharp declines in its numbers of baptisms and church attendance. Over time we have produced a body of people that enjoy hearing the word of God preached and experiencing the supernatural presence of God. This is not enough, people must be taught, nurtured, and mentored toward living a transformed life reflecting the resemblance of the Lord, Jesus Christ. This paper will explore the importance of the role of leadership in developing leaders in the body of Christ. Leadership There are different definitions and different styles of leadership. Leadership can be viewed as the process of influencing other people to work together to accomplish a desired purpose. Dr. Michael Mitchell defines a leader as one who possesses a clear mission with an attendant vision, stands before others effectively conveying the message...
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...the most perfect example of a Christian leader is that of our Lord Jesus Christ, Stott (2002) informs “our model of leadership is often shaped more by culture than by Christ (p.113). He went further to suggest, “Yet many cultural models of leadership are incompatible with the servant imagery taught and exhibited by the Lord Jesus” (Stott, 2002, p.113). According to MacArthur (2002), “2 Timothy 2, for example, Paul uses seven different metaphors to describe the rigors of leadership. He pictures the minister as a teacher (v. 2), a soldier (v. 3), an athlete (v. 5), a farmer (v. 6), a workman (v. 15), a vessel (vv. 20-21), and a slave (v. 24). All those images evoke ideas of sacrifice, labor, service, and hardship. They speak eloquently of the complex and varied responsibilities of spiritual leadership. Not one of them makes leadership out to be glamorous” (“Wanted: a Few Good Shepherds (Must Know How to Wash Feet)”, para 1). Thus, for those contending with an internal struggle that questions: why me? And, how do I become? One might also ask, “How do I develop a deeper relationship with Christ to learn how to be led in order to lead? Or, where is the course in “shepherdology” (MacArthur, 2007)? If we take a look at the Book of John, Christ declares, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). According to the article “What is Christian leadership?” (2011), “when Jesus referred to us as ‘sheep’, He was not speaking in affectionate terms...
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...The Effects of Servant Leadership within an Organization Ariel Davis Dallas Baptist University MANA 6314 Organizational Change and Development The Origin of Servant Leadership The philosophy of servant leadership is attributed to the writings of Robert K. Greenleaf and based on his faith and experiences working at one of the world’s largest telephone companies. (Greenleaf, 1977; Spears, 1995). Greenleaf speculated that one individual could simultaneously be both a leader and a servant. Though the foundation of the concept is associated to Greenleaf, he states Jesus Christ amongst other biblical front runners are the greatest leaders who served others. (Greenleaf, 1977). Servant leadership gained popularity after the writings of Greenleaf in 1970. Since the original 1970 essay by Greenleaf, additional research articles, books, and lectures have been written on the topic of servant Leadership. In the article, Work, Spirituality, the Moral Point of View Kenneth E. Goodpaster describes the concept of Servant Leadership as a buzz phrase that has taken corporate America by storm, In an environment racked with stress, insecurity, tough decisions and 60-hour weeks, you might expect a resurgence of a management model, based on Machiavelli's Prince, Leonia Helmsley or some other Theory-X icon. Instead, there's a stirring in the opposite direction: A flood of management books, articles and musings that propose the idea of leading from a service perspective; managing...
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...Individual Biblical Integration Project BUSI502-D02 Abstract The concept of Servant Leadership was pioneered by Robert Greenleaf in 1970. According to Greenleaf’s original concept, through the act of servant leadership we, as contemporary Christians, are attempting to lead as Jesus did. In short we are striving to be leaders/managers who serve instead of being served. Specifically, there are 10 Principles which are considered to be important characteristics of the servant leader. According to Spears’ article Practicing Servant-Leadership, these include listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of people, and building community. Servant Leadership as a whole concept is deeply rooted in Biblical principles. Further, each of these individual traits are ‘backed up’ by Biblical doctrine and support. Through the utilization of these ten traits, the Servant leader is able to not only lead their team/people from their head, but to lead them with their heart. While the concept of Servant Leadership is relatively simple, it can be hard to apply to our everyday lives. In short, if we lead like Jesus; we will become more like Him. (Blanchard & Hodges, 2008) Spears (2004) summed up Greenleaf’s 10 characteristics of a servant leader. Listening The first trait is listening. A servant leader must listen to their co-workers ideas. Through this action, the leader is able to ascertain the will and needs...
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...to become the leading religion in the world? Christianity’s history is immense to say the least. This Abrahamic religion originates from the life, teachings, and death of Jesus of Nazareth, also known as the Christ, in the 1st century AD. His stories and history can be found in the Holy Bible and more specifically the gospel via the New Testament of the Holy Bible. Christianity as a whole acknowledges that humanity is flawed and needs a savior. According to Christians, Jesus Christ is that savior. It is written in the Holy Bible, in the book of John, Chapter 3, verses 16–18: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” This belief in Jesus’ divinity helps followers to embrace the doctrine of original sin and directs its followers on how to repent for committed sins. Initially, the Christianity cause was an underground one. The religion was somewhat secretive and acts as basically a small sect. Its members would meet in secret at hidden locations. It suffered pressure from the Jewish faith and the Pagan religion amongst other difficulties. However, the Christian faith would continue to grow as Jesus’ followers helped spread his teachings. Officially, the Christian church is started by Paul who is one of Jesus’ apostles. Paul is,...
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...Servant Leadership Why is it someone can achieve things that seem to defy all the odds? Why is it George Washington, a Virginia farmer with a love for the military became the “Father of our Country” ? An honorable, virtuous, adventuresome, solider who fought for independence from the British. Why him? Why is it that Mahatma Gandhi was the architect of civil disobedience that influenced the world? A struggling, shy, student who had tremendous difficulty speaking in public. Gandhi was unsuccessful as a lawyer in Bombay. He found his calling working for the downtrodden Indian minority in South Africa. Why him? Why is it Mother Teresa, a convent school teacher dedicated to her student’s education became a Noble Prize humanitarian? Her clinics now care for tens of thousands. Why her? Why is it that Jesus, (whether one believes he is just a man or truly the Son of God), became the most influential person who ever lived? Born in a barn to poor parents; Jesus relied on friends and strangers for food and shelter. He changed the culture of the world. Why him? There is something else at play here, Servant leadership. Servant leaders show proof of their character through behavior. They display the common practices of model leadership by modeling the way, inspiring a shared vision, challenging the process, enabling others to act and encouraging the heart (Kouzes & Posner, 2007). Leadership is about service, stewardship, and shepherding those; at...
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...Pentecostalism * One way in which this religion spread begins with an independent bible school in Topeka, Kansas, founded by Charles Fox Parham (1873-1929) * Some students there had a particular concern for the account in the Christian New Testament recorded in the book of Acts, chapter two, describing what happened to Jesus’ disciples as they gathered in a private room in Jerusalem during the Jewish festival of Pentecost. * This festival attracted thousands of tourists who spoke many different languages. According to the account, the Holy Spirit enabled the disciples to speak in these different languages. This phenomenon is called “speaking in tongues” or glossolalia. Those who spoke in different languages believed the Holy Spirit granted them the gift or power to do so. Much of the Christian tradition restricted such miraculous gifts to the age of the apostles and did not expect them later. * Parham’s students in Topeka found nothing in the biblical text that limited such spiritual gifts to an ancient time. On New Year’s Day, 1901, Agnes Ozman received the gift of speaking in tongues. Parham soon embraced the idea, equating such spiritual gifts with a “second baptism” that followed the traditional baptism which used water to anoint individuals. This second baptism was a baptism of fire * Speaking in tongues is a form of ecstatic experience when for a time another power seized control of one and manifests itself. * The Pentecostal...
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...Biblical Integration: Servant Leadership Group 3 BUSI 502 – Servant Leadership Liberty University 2014 Abstract Biblical Integration: Servant Leadership Servant leadership teaches that there must be a balance between serving and leading; a focus on putting the needs of others first (Spears, 1996). The philosophy enriches the lives of not only individuals, but builds better organizations by making it a priority to serve others. The greater contributions of quality service exemplify the determination to create an exceptional institution (Greenleaf, 2009). Providing service to communities is one of the primary focuses of a servant leader, which will develop and enhance more self-growth in their communities. Servant leadership is an act of service, and the embrace of feedback as a source of useful information on how to better serve people (Blanchard & Hodges, 2003). Greenleaf’s revolutionary view on the new topic of servant leadership offered a shift from the traditional role of leadership (Duby, 2009). Part 1: Greenleaf’s Theories Robert K. Greenleaf popularized the term servant leadership, in his 1970 essay, The Servant Leader (Spears, 1996). According to Duby (2009), Greenleaf envisioned servant leaders as being driven and motivated to serve first with the end result being an empowered, serving society. Greenleaf introduced the term ‘servant leadership’ and proposed that great leaders are first servants to others (Spears, 1996; Dierendonck, 2011). Greenleaf...
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...Ryan G. Ritchie December 13, 2015 Leadership Biography Review Book Reviewed: McCasland, D. (1993). Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Discovery House. Introduction and Thesis In the shadow of the Nile River, at the Cairo War Cemetery, surrounded by more than 2,000 British soldiers from World Wars I and II, there is a headstone that reads, “REVREND OSWALD CHAMBERS - BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST.” Nothing greater or truer could be said of any individual that has graced this earth. Although his death was tragic and unexpected, God used that event to unleash the power of his life’s work. God does what He pleases, and His plans are not always known to us. Many questioned why God chose to take a devoted man like Oswald Chambers from this earth at such a young age. Not among these was his wife, Gertrude “Biddy” Chambers. In the wake of his passing, she continually prayed the words of Psalm 142:7, “Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise Thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for Thou shalt deal bountifully with me.” She sent a cable to loved ones that simply read, “Oswald in His presence,” and then quickly went back to the work of war relief in Cairo. History will remember Oswald Chambers through the words of the best-selling daily devotional ever written, “My Upmost for His Highest.” This paper will explore what his upmost looked like; the critical incidents of his life and how God used his wife, Biddy Chambers, to bring his ministry...
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...Church Evaluation Form Not every church will have every ministry. If they do not have a particular ministry, just indicate this in the space provided. Church #1 Name: Christ Fellowship Church #1 Website: http://gochristfellowship.com/ 1. Ministry is…praying for others. a. Does the church have a prayer ministry? What does it look like? A community of prayer called the Traffic Ministry Team. They give you links to get started as well as a form so that they can contact if that is a more comfortable preferance. 2. Ministry is…following Jesus’ example by practicing spiritual mentoring and multiplying. a. Does the church have a strategy for evangelism? Yes, many class room and personal opportunities to participate in many different levels of evangelism, including the Hispanic community. b. Does the church have a strategy for discipleship? Yes, Discipleship is obviously important to this church. c. Briefly describe what they look like. Evangelism opportunities are available, through open invitations to current planned evangelical trips, as well as classes teaching about their trips to come and what their purpose is. Discipleship opportunities are available through extending classes to the Hispanic community, Seniors, providing special events throughout the week. 3. Ministry is…leading small groups. a. Does the church have a small group ministry? What can learn about their small group...
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...Disciple Making Plan HEBRON BAPTIST CHURCH __ A Paper Presented to Dr. Douglas White Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary __________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for DSMN 500: Discipleship Ministries __________________ by Timothy Taylor #177780 October 15, 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION……………………….………………………………………………2 VISION…………………………………………………………………..………………3 VALUES…………………………………………………..…………………………….4 VIEWS………………………………………………….…………………….…….……6 VEHICLES………………………………………………………………………………6 VERIFIERS…………………………………………………………………………….14 CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………………17 BIBLIOGRAHY…………………………………………………………………..……20 Introduction As I prepare the Disciple Making Plan for Hebron Baptist Church I have had time to reflect on the desires of the congregation and listen to the voice of God as He has spoke to my spirit. My current status has been encouraging, as we have shifted from being a reactive ministry to a proactive ministry. At this time I am presently in my 10th year as pastor of a church in an urban area of Brooklyn, N.Y, My first 8 years very little in the way of discipleship was accomplished as our building was old and the congregation was already small and began diminishing though relocation and death. Our efforts at discipleship were further hampered after in my 3rd year we experienced a major collapse in part of our building. Over the next 5 years the concentration of the church was on our building. Every bit...
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...(a) Examine the theology and teaching found in the Parable of the Tenants in the Vineyard. Jesus told the parable of the Tenants in the Vineyard to show that as the Jews have rebelled against God, the kingdom of God will now be open to others as a consequence. The allegorical meaning of the parable is clear; God is represented by the landowner, Israel is represented by the vineyard (likening Israel to a vineyard was common) and the Jewish authorities are represented by the tenants. The servants, sent by the owner, represent the prophets that God had sent to his people, who were then rejected and killed, even by the people who were claiming to be of God and obedient to him. The parable then explains that the landowner sent his ‘beloved son’ (Mark), which is of course Jesus, but ‘they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard’ (Mark 12:8.) The end of the parable states that the owner will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others; Jesus is telling his audience that because of their disobedience, the opportunity to reach the kingdom of God will be given to the Gentiles. Jesus is teaching the Jews about the Kingdom of God and the parable represents God as a calm and patient judge, however the Pharisees saw the parable as something against them and wanted to arrest Jesus. The actual story is not very believable as the owner would certainly not have risked his own son, but instead he would have sent armed men to throw the tenants out. B...
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