The job of every leader is not to produce more followers, but more leaders.
I have written before about my youth pastor telling how I should always be looking to work myself out of a job. And truthfully within the Church, there would probably not be many leaders who disagree with that statement - Jesus did call us to make disciples after all! But how do we move this from good intention to action?
Within the church that I serve, we have a leadership development framework - a process by which we identify, develop, and train those who we believe could one day help to work us out of a job. Maybe your context does not need to require something that formal. Here are some questions to consider in raising up other leaders:
Who is servant-hearted?
Who is teachable?
Who is already carrying the culture we are trying to build?
Who is already leading without a title?
Who can I encourage to do intentionally what they are already doing naturally?
Who does the team trust and respect?
Who does the team listen to?
Who do our people trust?
I often think of leadership the same way I think of parenting - part of my job is calling forth the gifts and talents of the person under my care, even though they may not be aware those things exist within them. As leaders (and parents), this requires prayer, time, intentionality, and relationship. It also requires a fair amount of humility - being willing to die to myself, my own sense of self-importance, considering others more highly than myself, and giving away authority. And this is what it is to make disciples - what a beautiful gift that Christ calls us to give and receive.
Next week we will look at practically how that might look as you invite others to lead and serve alongside you on and off the platform.
If you desire to make space for new leaders, here are a few other posts you may find helpful:
Identifying and developing new leaders.
Making Space for new leaders Part 2 (Coming Next Week).