I know this may sound redundant, but here goes: "Leading a small group requires leadership."We have all suspected for a long time that small group leadership may involve leadership, and if you have led a group for any length of time you know that it definitely requires some leadership skills. With this revelation in mind, let me ask you a question: When you think of leadership, what definition or word picture comes to your mind? You may have a military mindset of a platoon charging a hill, or you may have a business background and think of a captain of industry leading a company to new heights. Whatever your background or experience, you need to develop your own core beliefs and values related to leadership. I have over 50 definitions of leadership in my files. Some are short and some are very long. Some are memorable, and some are uhh … not so very memorable. The core values and definition that I have developed for Christian leadership is this:
"Christian leadership starts with vision from God. A leader sees it first, farther, and clearer. He or she takes that vision and influences and develops others to pursue God's priorities for their lives."
Let's take a few minutes and tease through this definition and highlight some important concepts:
Vision. First, true Christian leadership begins with vision. Proverbs 29 reminds us, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." Habakkuk 2 instructs us to "write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run that reads it." The starting point for ALL leadership is vision. A leader has the ability to look ahead and chart a course of action. Without vision you cannot lead a group toward a preferred future. Christian vision primarily comes from spending time with God ...
