Disciple-Making Leadership

In the previous editorial I introduced the first two components of gospel-shaped leadership: (1) Christian leaders serve others, and (2) Christian leaders are gracious. These focus on the leader’s character. Now we’ll consider two more: (3) Christian leaders draw people toward Christlikeness, and (4) Christian leaders strengthen those in their care. These both focus on how the leader encourages spiritual development of those in his care.

Christian leadership is primarily about cultivating spiritual maturity. It is not about accomplishing goals detached from the development of individual people. A pastor has failed when he builds a mega-church but fails to help the people grow beyond theological and practical infancy. Parents fail when they raise industrious children but don’t develop their godly character. We should not measure a leader’s effectiveness by how many people follow him or by how broad his influence is but instead by the Christlikeness of those who follow him.

The apostle Paul understood this. His goal was to “Present every man mature in Christ” (Col. 1:28). He wanted to see spiritual growth in every person he led. He was not content to pad his ministerial stat sheet by getting as many people “saved” as possible. Rather, he wanted to develop their heart-level spiritual maturity.

If you have any influence over people, this should be your goal too. But how do leaders help facilitate spiritual maturity among their people? These two components are one place to start.

Christian Leaders Draw People Toward Christlikeness

Christian leaders draw people toward Christlikeness. They don’t drive their people like a cattle dog drives livestock, nipping at them from the rear. They don’t incite Christian behavior by threats and demands, but invite it by showing that life lived according to God’s commands is good. They lead by example, saying with Paul, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” They show the value of pressing into relationship with God and living that out in daily life.

Christian leadership is not about getting people to do what they don’t want to do. It’s not about coercion. Instead, leaders help people want to do what they ought to do. They focus on the heart, not just on actions. They understand that Christlikeness isn’t cultivated by instituting laws; rather, it blossoms from a heart that loves Christ, a heart that sees His goodness and wants to imitate Him.

You don’t typically have to tell people to do what they already want to do. But I can testify as the father of four small boys that it is incredibly difficult to get someone to do something they don’t want to do. Coercion may be effective at times, but its value is short-lived and its effect is skin-deep. We need to seek heart-level change — not just behavior modification to avoid consequences, but a real desire to do what is right.

A Christian leader is discontented with external conformity to standards. He wants to see spiritual growth and maturity that starts in peoples’ hearts before it spreads into their lives. He wants them to “go on to maturity” (Heb. 6:1). He wants to see Christ formed in them (Gal. 4:19). He wants them to mature in their Christlikeness (Eph. 4:15). This requires a heart-oriented approach.

He understands that, while conformity can be coerced, growth must be nurtured. This is best cultivated, not by driving people toward godly behavior, but by drawing them toward it. He does this by showing them the truth, goodness, and beauty of the goal — Christ Himself.

Christian Leaders Strengthen Those in Their Care

Finally, a Christian leader must strengthen those in his care. He supports their spiritual growth as much as he can. He is more concerned about how he can serve them than about how they can serve him. Put simply, he remembers that people — and their health and growth — are more important than the organization. He nurtures them, cultivating spiritual life within them.

This was modeled in the apostle Paul’s life. In Philippians 4, he commends the church for their generosity, but then he tells them that he is not ultimately concerned with how they can benefit him. Rather, he wants them to experience the blessings of giving to God’s work. “[I do not] seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account.” He was glad for their ministry support, most of all because he knew they would be blessed as a result. His main goal was not to advance his ministry, but to see them blessed.

Similarly, when he encouraged the Corinthians to give to the needy saints at Jerusalem, he made it clear that he did not just see them as a means to accomplishing his ministry goals. Though the need in Jerusalem was great — and Paul cared a good deal about it — he encouraged them to give willingly and not out of compulsion (cf. 2 Cor 9:5). He did not guilt-trip them into giving, but instead reminded them of the privilege and reward of generous giving: “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Cor. 9:6). These people, for Paul, were more than just a part of his ministry machinery. He didn’t value them merely for what they contributed, but for who they were. He did not seek their gifts or their resources, but them. 

Ministry organizations which are plagued with a high staff turnover often have unhealthy leadership which drains those involved rather than strengthening them. People are treated as replaceable parts of the ministry machinery — less important than the grand mission of the ministry. Their spiritual health is valued less than the overall effectiveness of the ministry.

If people are consistently burning out, giving up, and moving on, we should wonder whether the leadership is serving the members as it should. Those who serve should find themselves strengthened for their work. It should be their delight to be a part of the organism, rather than their burden. If a person is valued for the work he does, but his personal needs are overlooked, he will struggle to remain invested long-term.

In contrast, Christian leaders must work to ensure that the organizations they lead build up those involved rather than draining them. They build healthy organisms that not only benefit others but also benefit those who are involved.