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ForKnoc 07-11-115 Knocking
Over the Leadership Ladder Paul R. Ford ChurchSmart
Resources, 2006, 213 pp., ISBN 1-889638-58-7 |
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Paul Ford is a
leadership and teambuilding specialist with Church Resource Ministries (http://www.crmleaders.org/). He has taught and worked with church
leaders in several countries. Ford
argues that too many churches have become enamored with the business
leadership model. The first half of
the book explores the problems that face us and the second half gives
prescriptions for change. "We have a
climbing disease…. Bigger is better,
more is better, higher is better."
(12) Chapter 1. Christian Leadership Versus the Equipping
Releaser You may not
understand leadership but you feel you should be moving up. "Everyone wants to be a visionary
leader, a leader who has influence over others in some tangible way."
(18) "We must be
careful not to buy in to the ways of business and organizational management
strategies simply because they appear to work." (21) "The
leadership gift and the visionary leader concept became the in vogue way of
climbing the leadership ladder for the evangelical pastor." (24) Of ten pastors,
two or three may be able to look out the window and see God's vision but the other
seven have a problem and they feel guilty.
Glorifying one gift causes internal tyranny. But God has designed another way. (25) The myth that
anyone can be a leader is so strong that people with supporting gifts are
devalued. Those who feel unduly driven
to become leaders can become trapped in unhealthy situations. (28) The biblical reality is that God has
prepared some to be "equipping releasers" of others. See Ephesians
4:12. (29) "Historically,
the leadership gift was a subset of the larger group of equipping gifts that
God has given so that the whole body of players can be prepared, mentored, or
trained for their God-designed role.
However, the equipping gifts have become a subset of leadership." "Let's move the leadership gift back
into its proper place, as one of the valuable equipping spiritual gifts that
are used powerfully for kingdom-building purposes." (30) "Christians
must not seek the position or the gift of leadership; rather they must seek
to empower others to discover and fulfill their places in the body."
(30) Chapter 2. Build ME versus Build Community "It is
difficult to find the communion of the Holy Spirit when the spotlight is on
the self." "Narcissism,
exaggerated self-concern says, 'It's all about me…'" (35) Entitlement says "I deserve
it." We feel we deserve what we
have, what we want and what we need.
(37) Evangelicals look and act
much like our unhappy culture. (39)
Further, we are beginning to infect previously relational cultures
around the world. (40) God's ultimate
strategy is relationships. (42) "God's design…is for relationships to
have priority over position or results." (43) But it is hard to live "we" when
our culture thinks and lives. "I."
(44) God has designed
us with strengths to offer others and areas where we need others. One of the most important qualities of
community is the freedom to admit our weaknesses and need for each other.
(45) Individualism
encourages me to exhibit my strengths and hide my weaknesses. Community encourages me to share my
strengths and acknowledge I need you because of my weaknesses. (46)
"It's not about me; It's about us." (48) Chapter 3. Build Me Up and Put You Down "If the
American dream is based on anything, it is on the idea that anybody can make
it to the top." (52) "The
ladder mentality gives me the opportunity to climb to my heart's
content." (52) "When people
are climbing, this has a dramatic impact on how they work together in a given
ministry." (53) Christians
battle with significance issues such as beauty, education, possessions,
wealth, popularity, influence, work position, power, relationships with
people of significance, status, success, and travel. (54-5) "There is
no ladder to climb in the kingdom, only relationships in which to be faithful."
(55) "Life is really about the
stewardship of relationships as God provides." (56) "Every
culture battles with the issue of leaders wanting to climb to the top and
control people and things." (57) "God
opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves under God's mighty hand,
that he may lift you up in due time." (I Peter: 5:5b-6) "If there is any lifting up to be
done, God will be the architect of that.
He does not need our help!" (59) "Peter
challenges us to be good stewards of God's grace: 'Each one should use
whatever gift he [or she] has received to serve others…." (I Peter
4:10) (59) "More and
more evangelical leadership spends its energies promoting leadership- or
vision-driven organization rather than healthy, multiplying
relationships." (69) Chapter 4. The Body of Christ and Biblical Leadership God's economy of
grace can be represented by a life-giving, growing organism rather than a
highly structured organization with strategic plans. (72)
"We are not
just an organization of people that happens to be Christian. Fellowship is truly a spiritual depth of
unity and love that is created by the Holy Spirit." (76) Among the
Russians, the Kazakhs, and the Tamil-speaking Indians, I discovered I had no
position or power or value without relationship. "The content had to be wrapped in
relational clothing or it would not be received." (78-9) "The ladder
so often encourages us to seek the end result or the higher position or the
greater wealth. However, God appears
to be much more interested in the process of relationships along the
way--whatever the goal or end result." (79) "Each of us
can try to decide what parts of the body we want to be, but attempting such
will simply not work. God is the
composer and arranger of this organic masterpiece, and he intentionally
designed the body just like he wanted it to be." (82) "The body of Christ is also the great
leveler. There really are no ladders
in the body of Christ." (82) "By living
with 12 men, God in human flesh made a clear statement about how community
develops." (84, quoting Ralph Neighbor) Perhaps God does
not need as much organizational and strategic help as we have thought over
the past years. Most likely he is
particularly interested in our becoming more aware of his strategies through
his organic design. (87) Chapter 5. Leadership Re-Engineered: Being a Good
Steward If we are the
organic, living body of Jesus in the world, how does the leader fit in?"
(91) "There is
no broad overview of the leader or leadership idea in the New
Testament." The gift of
leadership is one among a number of gifts. (92) Leader is not described as a primary word
related to directing and managing ministry. (93) The Scripture talks of overseers and
stewards, or "relationship managers," of God's household. (93) "If I am
faithful relationally with those whom God brings to me, and use my gifts as
well, he will fulfill his kingdom purposes through that course of
action. God will then extend the
process outwardly into oikos,
household relationships, in ways that I could never plan." (99) "I seek to
be a steward of who I am through my spiritual gifts, while at the same time
being a good steward of the relationships he gives me along the way. If I am faithful to be who I am, where I
am, he will fulfill his purpose and give clarity to each step. Such is the functioning of his economy of
grace." (100) The nature of
leadership in the New Testament is that of equipping or preparing the saints
for the work of the ministry according to Ephesians 4:11-16. (100)
"Jesus, the gift-giver, gives certain believers gifts that are to
'equip, prepare, establish or strengthen' Christians for service to the Lord
and to fellow humankind." (101)
"The biblical priority is that the saints be prepared for
ministry, not simply led." (101) There are three
crucial concepts here: (1) Christian
leaders are "stewards of God's
grace-driven, of powerful spiritual gifts and of their households of
relationships." (2) Leaders are
"equippers of body life gifting and relational unity." (3) Leaders are "true ministers, servants
who serve by the very nature of the word and the very model of Jesus…."
(106) Chapter 6. Leadership Re-Engineered: Stewarding Our
Lives "The model
of right relationship appears to be much more important than the capacity to
lead large groups or preach with great illustrations." (111) By comparison to leadership qualifications
in Timothy and Titus, we are wrongly focused on skill set training rather
than relational stewardship training.
(111) "Mending
broken relationships is key to the whole fabric of the body of Christ and
central in our witness to a lost world." (114) The disease of broken
relationships is wreaking havoc among Christians. "Self-serving Christians will leave relationships
and churches at the drop of a hat for any number of personal reasons. The result is weeping in heaven as the
brokenness dominates." (115) "Reconciling
our relationships with God and with one another is an essential stewardship
responsibility for every spiritual leader -- for every Christian."
(118) Paraphrasing
Paul, "Don't build yourself up in inappropriate ways, but rather make a
serious, clear-headed examination of who you are." (120) "Spiritual
gifts are not simply those activities in which we do well. Spiritual gifts are where God powerfully
shows up in our actions by the power of the Holy Spirit." (123) 'If we minister in his power…there will be
no question about who gets the glory!"
A person's
spiritual gifts may be only supporting gifts, only equipping gifts, or a
combination of both. "The joy
comes in powerful serving and supporting, not in any effort to move up or try
to become more important by the world's standards for success." (125) "In our
desire to help God enlarge his church, we have focused on the tasks of
ministry, tied this to cultural ladder-climbing, and lost sight of the who in the body of Christ while we
chase down the how…and the where…. The organization has overtaken the
organism, and consequently, the living body of Christ has had some unexpected
constraints placed upon it." (132) Chapter 7. Organic and Healthy Body Life "We simply
cannot reach the world as the living body of Christ with current Christian
organizational models." (137)
"The wisdom and power flow primarily through our relationship
with Christ and our organic or natural interconnectedness within the body --
relationships!" (138) The applications
Jesus modeled, the new wineskins: #1. The
Stewardship of Relationships and Spiritual Gifts. #2. The Body of Christ as Organism -- Not Just
Organization. (142) #3. Practical Steps from "I" to
"We." (147) From independence to
interdependence. From self-interest to
service Living in accountable community #4. The Body Life Design Team. (149) Don't confuse significance with
role. Choose team unity &
community. Chapter 8. God's Economy in Body Life Leadership. "Paul, in
all his dominance and directness as an apostle, did not refer to leadership
as the issue…." "There is no
leadership ladder in God's economy." (156) Leadership "is actually a series of
functions to be fulfilled by a group of people." The tasks of leadership are fulfilled most
powerfully by a number of gifted players, not one." (157) Ford identifies
five leadership functions (and has found no one who is powerful in all five) ●
Values
Keeper ●
Team
Builder ●
Active
Listener ●
Vision
Sharer ●
Equipping
Releaser (162) Wineskin #5. Be Watchful Through the Stewardship 3-Step:
1. The Stewardship of Who I Am, 2) The stewardship of Who We Are, and 3) The
Stewardship of the Groups of We: Whole Church Body Life (166) #6. Moving Toward Functional Leadership
Language. (171) Use ministry language
that signifies what we want to be about ministry-wise as stewards. We are all equippers and/or supporters of
the saints. (173) "God's plan
for leadership is that it be a shared process fulfilled by a group of gifted
equippers who bring the dynamic power of the Holy Spirit to every situation
and need." (174) Chapter 9. God's Economy in Body Life Evangelism. Wineskin #7. Listening to Those Whom God Brought to
Discern More Clearly What God Intends. (Watching and listening for God's
heart in the body of believers) (181)
"God's plan includes literally thousands of burdens and passions
so that together the body of Christ can reach the world. Such is God's economy." (182) "If you ask
people who or what is on their hearts, and they think you really want to
know, they will tell you. The problem is that most Christian leaders in every
type of ministry simply do not ask!" (183) This doesn't mean you endorse anyone to do
anything. Some are not prepared. "Submission and an attitude of
servanthood are essential prerequisites for releasing people to their
ministry passions." (184) "God gives
big picture vision to key leadership.
God gives individual pieces of the big vision to all the
players." And the two
interact. (185) #8. Watching and Listening as Overseers. Call your board
members watchers and encourage them to watch and listen for God working among
the people. (189) "The key to
effective evangelism is choosing to be a good steward of God's power in
me--my spiritual gifts--in the context of relationships in which God places
me." (191) #9. Evangelism -- Be Who You Are Where You
Are. "People are
looking for authenticity and truth revealed in real people and genuine
relationships, where the message and the messengers have the same
integrity." (191) "With
unbelievers, in fact, using our gifts becomes our most supernatural means of
serving and loving them." (192) |
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