Sacrifice: Key to Servant Leadership

If you have been around church long enough, you've heard about servant leadership. The originator was none other than Jesus Christ. He was the one that was a born leader and the way that He led was through serving.

Jesus led twelve, very ordinary but very chosen men. He showed them what it was like to lead and to serve. One time, "Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." (Mark 9:35)

While many have talked about servant leadership and I've taught the concept myself, only recently have I started to few truly understand the real meaning. I have come to believe that the key to servant leadership can be summed up in just one word, "sacrifice".

Leadership is not about agendas, timelines, projects or meetings. Leadership is entirely about people.

Servant leadership therefore is all about serving people with the key being the willingness on the part of the leader to fully sacrifice himself or herself for the benefit of those that he or she is leading.

Our jobs may be nine to five but a servant leader is always available, always in tune and aware of the needs and the welfare of those that he or she is serving. Just as Jesus joyfully set aside His own deity, His divine rights and privileges in order to fulfill the mission, we too have a mission and need to set aside our own rights and privileges in order to serve others and lead them to where they must go.

As a result, there are few that can really be called servant-leaders. This is understandable as our passions, our priorities and our purposes vary. There are seasons of life when we are called in many different directions. During these times, we may put on our leadership "hat" and do a great job of leading and helping people achieve both their goals and the goals of the organization. However, the servant leader doesn't take the leadership hat off. Servant leaders are constantly leading because they are constantly serving. It's a good work!

“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ…” Philippians 1:6"

Leading by Listening

One of the lost arts in leadership is the simple art of listening. It has been said that we have two ears but only one mouth so we can hear twice as much as we say. Unfortunately, I was one of those individuals that had this insatiable need to fill in the silence in many meeting with my own words and my own thoughts.

In the business world, management style started changing dramatically more than 30 years ago. Some of the best business schools were encouraging a proven concept known as MBO or “Management-by-Objectives.” The key of this management practice was management sitting down with each employee and actually listening to them. The theory was that if both the team leader and the team members agreed on objectives, the resources and the goals, there would be enough buy-in from everyone to get the task accomplished.

Management and leadership styles in the churches have improved but in many ways continue to lag far behind what some of the best secular organizations have embraced. All too often, our church leaders feel that they need to be the ones that communicate in order to lead and that means that silence actually makes them feel rather insecure.

Cultural differences

I’ve spent some time in other cultures and this isn’t necessarily true globally. I’ve noticed that often the senior Japanese executives, for example, are mostly silent. Nodding their ascent from time to time these Japanese leaders allow others to speak while they merely listen.

However, in the U.S., our senior managers are the talkative ones. This is unfortunate as often what we as leaders need to be saying are not so much declarative sentences but simple questions. Questions like, “how can I help?” “How are you doing on the project?” “Do you have the resources you need to accomplish your objective?” and “How is the rest of the team responding to your needs?”

While we understand in the church that we need to work as a team, all too often the most verbal of our team members are the team leaders. This often defeats the very objectives of the team which are shared responsibility, commitment, cooperation and accountability.

Becoming helpful

If we can check ourselves and allow others to speak or better yet, when speaking ask clarifying questions, others will tell you how, as a leader, you can become the most helpful. With enough practice we can regain the lost art of listening and become better leaders.

In the Bible, we are advised to listen to one another. James, the Lord’s brother emphasizes that listening is at least twice as good as talking when he says that we are to be “quick to listen and slow to speak.” (James 1:19). Jesus also comments on our ability to listen. In Luke 10, we have the story of Martha and Mary. Luke says that “Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made” but that Mary sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he had to say.

by Ken Behr

Reprint from ChurchExecutive July 2010

Leading with Integrity

Leadership requires integrity.

I just re-ordered a copy of the "21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership" by John Maxwell. My copy was very well-read, with some underlines and yellow highlighting. After a few years, I gave it to a good friend.

Most of us want to be good leaders and I remember that this book had some great pointers on becoming more effective, about developing trust and earning influence. I need to be reminded from time to time about how to be a better leader.

The one lesson however that I’ve learned well is that if you want to lead others, you have to lead with integrity.

John Maxwell said that leadership is about influence, “nothing more, nothing less”. Many learn the hard way that in order to have influence you have to have the leadership character, quality and integrity that allows others to see that you are worthy of their trust. If they see integrity in your steps and you have a passion to lead, they will follow.

Integrity is critically important in the church, as leaders need to fully identify with the global mission of the Kingdom of God. We are to be motivated by the two instructions given by Jesus: The Great Commission, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. (Matthew 28:19-20); and The Great Commandment, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself."(Matthew 22:38&39)

If you notice in Jesus words, our ministry is not about our own personal gain or our own agenda. When our church leaders truly focus on these very simple instructions, we avoid a lot of the ethical and character flaws that make so many leaders stumble.

Truth or Consequences

Recently, I was reading through some of those prophetical books in the bible and came across some of the pending judgements of God that was prophesied by the prophets.

For example, the prophet Habakkuk (written about 700 BC) wrote about coming judgement. The judgement was coming on people and nations because greedy people had made themselves wealthy by extortion. Habakkuk said that judgement was coming because of the violent and because of those that had used wine and drugs to exploit others. Judgement was also coming because most had looked to other gods rather than the one true God to give guidance.

As a result, there were consequences; God was going to use the ruthless Babylonians to come, kill, conquer and destroy the people.

My first thought was "Wow, I'm glad God didn't call me to be a prophet like Habakkuk". My second thought however was a quick check on my own behavior and lifestyle as I certainly don't want to be included in the judgment of the wicked.

However, I think there is another more important message here. God has given us His truth and if we don't embrace His truth we are going to have to suffer the consequences.

I know that isn't a very popular message in the church today. It wasn't in Habakkuk's time either. Nevertheless, "truth or consequences" needs to be a part of our understanding of reaching the unconverted, teaching the converted, raising our children and establishing the legacy of the Kingdom of God.

Living the Reality

Reality shows are the rage today. From American Idol and Dancing with the Stars to Orange County Choppers and Real Housewives of Atlanta/New York/ New Jersey and a city near you, it seems like we are consumed with reality.

Or are we?

Often true reality is not necessarily that which is easily portrayed by wanna-be actors and those seeking their 30 seconds of fame. The Bible tells us that what is unseen is eternal but that which can be seen, can be touched, or easily portrayed on TV is actually quite temporary and subject to change (2 Cor 4:18).

What is the true reality that is unseen and actually eternal? Well, in the final book in the Bible, in the last two chapters of that book, (Chapter 21 & 22), we have a picture of what is referred to as the “new heaven and the new earth”. This is the eternal dwelling place of all of those who have put their trust in God. This is the real heaven that studies show 80% of all Americans believe in but don't really know about as they likely have never read these two chapters.

That is unfortunate because if we read about this reality, our eternal dwelling place called heaven, we find that heaven is a real place. In this real heaven God dwells with man, takes away all of our suffering, out tears and fears. There is no longer any pain or death. This is the reality of the kingdom of God on earth.

This is the place where Jesus reigns. Jesus, the “Bright and Morning Star”, the “Root and Branch of David”, “Jesus the Christ” born of a virgin, the savior of the world and accessible to everyone that would call on his name, repent of their sin and embrace Him as Lord and Savior.

When we fully understand the reality of the kingdom of God, when we truly understand the promises of God and the reality of the plan, the place and the purpose that we have in God, then the Kingdom of God becomes a reality in our life.

The more we understand the reality of the Kingdom of God, the more the Kingdom of God becomes a reality in our lives today.

Live it!

Push/Pull Management

If I push and you pull, we have movement, things get done. If we both push, or both pull, we often create an immovable object. Church ministries should not be immovable objects.

However as soon as a local church hires staff they are bound to start having some issues with management. Management done well will enable the church to function properly; management done poorly will cripple the mission.

While there are many ways that pastors can be poor managers there are two keys to all successful management practices in the local church. The first is equity between authority and responsibility, and the second is servant leadership.

Authority and responsibility

When responsibility and authority are blurred, what needs to be accomplished may be clear but the “who” is uncertain. Responsibility indicates an obligation to perform or oversee a particular function but doesn’t necessarily transfer authority or power to accomplish the function. Authority is usually defined as the legitimate right to make decisions. The person with the authority has the most influence in accomplishing the objective.

Equity between authority and responsibility is accomplished when the appropriate influence or authority is delegated along with responsibility. Managers and employees including church employees will feel frustrated and handicapped if they don’t have the proper equity between the responsibility that they have been given, and the authority to carry it out.

When they get pushed, they have no pull and no authority to accomplish the task at hand. When they are granted too much authority, they often will pull too much of the rest of the organization out of balance. This balance is constantly in flux and the communication going up and down needs to be clear, constant and unambiguous.

Servant leadership

Secondly, at the heart of management within the church is servant leadership. Jesus exemplified servant leadership continually in ministry, from washing his disciples’ feet to dying for our sin. Jesus told us, “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life—a ransom for many.” (Matt. 20:26-27)

Servant leadership also balances the sometimes overbearing authority of a powerful board or Senior Pastor. Yes, boards and pastors also need to understand that they may have the authority, but authority must have equity with the responsibilities within the organization. Understanding that serving and honoring others before ourselves, helps keep that balance in check.

by Ken Behr

Reprint from ChurchExecutive May 2010

People vs. Ministry Focused

Men's ministry, women's ministry, children's ministry, sport's ministry, creative arts ministry.... it seems like there are a never-ending smörgasbord of separate ministries, functions, opportunities and activities to pick from at your local church.

We can certainly understand why there are lots of options. People typically like options and will shop or attend organizations that offer options. Our supermarkets today offer many more options than the grocery stores of my youth. In the same way, our churches offer many more options today than they ever have in the past.

I'm all for having options. I also believe that the local church is the local and unique expression of the Body of Christ. The church was instituted to be a help to all people. It exists and is entirely about building up people, introducing them to Jesus Christ and helping them grow and develop into fully devoted followers. If we look to our local churches as the Body of Christ we are likely to see it as a gathering of people...some needy, some needed. When our focus is on the people, our churches thrive.

When we become too "ministry" focused, we have a tendency to think primarily of the activities, programs, events, budgets, structure and buildings. While many of these are likely necessary, they are best thought of as the means and not the ends; the structure and not the substance. It is in Christ that we have our being, not in ministry. Our purpose is focused on people...."so that they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find, though He is not far from each one of us. For in Him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:27-28)