For Church and Ministry Leaders
Shepherd the flock. Multiply the leaders.
LEADS helps pastors, elders, and ministry teams share the work of leading, the way Scripture has always taught.
The Problem
The pastor cannot be the answer to every question.
In many churches, every decision, visit, and crisis runs through one person. Moses tried to lead that way, and Jethro told him plainly that the load was too heavy to carry alone (Exod. 18:18).
The New Testament pattern is different. Leaders are given “to equip the saints for the work of ministry” (Eph. 4:12, ESV). The work belongs to the whole body.
What Scripture Asks of Leaders
Three convictions under the five steps.
Stewardship, not ownership
The people belong to God. Leaders are undershepherds who serve willingly and will give an account (1 Pet. 5:2-4).
Character before competence
The Lord looks on the heart (1 Sam. 16:7). Gifting follows character, never the reverse.
Leaders who make leaders
Entrust what you have learned to faithful people who will be able to teach others also (2 Tim. 2:2).
LEADS in the Church
Five steps for a church that shares the work.
Listen and communicate
Know the condition of your flock (Prov. 27:23). Be present among the people, not only in front of them.
Earn trust
Invite accountability before you need the correction. David had a Nathan, and every leader needs one.
Allow autonomy
Let ministry leaders own their ministries. Jesus sent the seventy-two out in pairs to do the work themselves (Luke 10:1).
Delegate authority
Hand decisions to qualified people, as Moses did on Jethro’s advice and the apostles did with the seven (Acts 6:1-7).
Share leadership
Prepare successors on purpose. Moses commissioned Joshua before the whole congregation (Num. 27:22-23).
Practices
Six practices that keep a church healthy.
Three for care and three for leadership health. Each one can start this month.
First contact within 48 hours
When a member is in crisis, someone calls or shows up within two days.
Presence before words
Job’s friends did their best work while they sat in silence (Job 2:13). Listen before you explain.
Six weeks of follow-up
A weekly touchpoint for six weeks, so care continues after the first visit.
Quarterly integrity review
Compare what the church says it values with what the calendar and the budget show (Amos 5:21-24).
Monthly leader accountability
Leaders meet to talk honestly about integrity and the use of authority, before a Nathan is needed.
Community audit
Each quarter, ask who near the church is vulnerable and what the church is doing about that need.
Where This Track Stands
Built from graduate study in biblical leadership.
The church track is in development. The Self-Check and the five steps apply today, and workshops for church staff and elder teams are available by conversation. Pricing is set by conversation, and scholarships are available.
Find out where your team stands.
Fifteen statements. Five minutes. A score for each step.