We are building

Start with shared leadership

Leading a community alone can be daunting. Start by sharing leadership with partners and friends who love Jesus and who long to make Him known. Find people who have different strengths than you. If you are a teacher, you may want to find someone who is gifted in hospitality.

Here are some biblical concepts of leader gifting and strengths:

• Prophetic type: an emphasis on the unchanging truths of God’s character, the gospel message, and the mission of the church.
• Priestly type: an emphasis on the care of the soul and caring for one another.
• Kingly type: an emphasis on the tangible working out of the mission through structures, strategic thinking, and hands-on activity.

Build a foundation on the gospel

• Gospel power: saved from the penalty of sin, being saved from the power of sin, and will be saved from the presence of sin.
• Gospel people: a new identity in Christ.
• Gospel purpose: making disciples who make disciples.
• Gospel practices: living out the gospel in everyday rhythms.

Live with gospel intentionality

• Lead with prayerful dependency.
• Make sure the group knows the story of God.
• Become familiar with each other’s stories.
• Become proficient in gospel fluency and the practice of proclaiming the gospel into the hearts of others.

Have a clearly defined mission

• Ask God to clarify your mission: who you are called to make disciples of.
• Identify the difference between reactive and proactive mission.
• Begin to pray intentionally for the mission.
• Leaders clearly state the mission and call others to participate in it.

Adjust the life of the community around the mission

• Shape the weekly schedule to flow with the cultural schedule.
• Strategically place meetings to make space for missional engagement.
• Pay close attention to seasons and patterns in the culture of the mission field.
• Develop pathways of engagement in the gospel: demonstrate and declare.
• Clarify gospel barriers.
• Identify the gospel doors and pathways.

Stay connected to your overseer and coach

• Coaching for the ongoing development of leadership.
• Assessments to identify ongoing training needs.
• Strategic plans developed together.
• Support for areas of weakness.

Plan for multiplication

• Regularly sow seeds of multiplication into everything from the beginning: “We will reproduce.”
• Identify apprentice leaders.
• Intentionally share leadership of the community. Leadership development is best in community.
• Birth new communities!

2 Timothy 2:2