For a Church to operate as a thriving Christian community, you need leaders. 

By leaders, I mean people who are true and faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. In other words, these are people who have Christian character: 

• They follow Jesus and walk into His steps.
• They wait on God in prayer.
• They go with God.
• They talk about God.
• They risk their lives for God.

Christian leadership is essential for establishing thriving communities others would want to join. 

It’s in addition to prayer and the Word (Scripture), which also help create Christian communities. 

A Scripture that can help us is from Romans 12: 3-8. 

We’ll look at each of the pieces in this text to study why we need leaders to transform our Churches into communities everyone else would want to join. 

Let’s start with verse 3, 

Because of the grace that God gave me, I can say to each one of you: don’t think of yourself more highly than you ought to think. Instead, be reasonable since God has measured out a portion of faith to each one of you. CEB. 

What I think Paul is talking about here has to do with our attitudes. The kind of attitudes that help us be leaders.  

[bctt tweet=”How you think of yourself dictates how you relate to others and the world around you!” username=””]

Here’s how this translates: 

Thought => Choice => Feeling => Attitude

Everything about you begins with a thought, which eventually makes who you become. 

Where does a thought take place? It happens in your mind. And, that’s why the human mind is an essential core piece of our being. 

Scripture says that we should love the Lord, our God, not only with our soul, strength, and spirit but also with our minds (Matthew 22: 37). 

Jesus, in the Scripture above, is quoting part of the Shema (Deuteronomy 6: 5-9). 

Also, when you read Romans 12: 1,2, you hear Paul say that transformation is only possible through the renewing of the mind. 

A Christian leader understands that who they are in the community is exactly who they are in themselves (mind). They are people of integrity. 

 

Christian Leaders Have Good Attitudes

 

Attitudes are fundamental for the reason that they represent the only way others get to know who we are. 

Guests or anyone else who comes to our Church on Sunday or during the week only get a sense of who we are through how we speak and interact with everyone else.

In my previous article, I talked about being life-giving and energy-giving. 

These attitudes are things I also discussed in my book, 5 Attitudes Every Christian Should Have: 

• • • Humility. 
    • Happiness. 
    • Love. 
    • Hospitality. 
    • Generosity. 

Get the book here. 

Imagine everyone in your Church, embracing all the above attitudes, who would not choose to join your community? 

 

Christian Leaders Belong to the Body of Christ

 

Look at verses 4 and 5, 

We have many parts in one body, but the parts don’t all have the same function. In the same way, though there are many of us, we are one body in Christ, and individually we belong to each other. We have different gifts that are consistent with God’s grace that has been given to us. If your gift is prophecy, you should prophesy in proportion to your faith.

Three things will help Church members. First, each should recognize the fact that the Church isn’t just about them, but many others. 

And, that even includes the so many that aren’t in Church yet.  

Second, each member is unique because we don’t have the same function in the community (body of Christ). 

Last, but not least, is that everyone is a member of another. You can’t be on your own and without the other member. 

 

Christian Leaders Understand that They Should Always Use their Gifts

 

Read verses 6 through 8, 

If your gift is prophecy, you should prophesy in proportion to your faith. If your gift is service, devote yourself to serving. If your gift is teaching, devote yourself to teaching. If your gift is encouragement, devote yourself to encouraging. The one giving should do it with no strings attached. The leader should lead with passion. The one showing mercy should be cheerful. CEB. 

Remember that Paul didn’t exhaust the entire list of gifts, but what he lists above are representative of the others: 

• • • Prophecy. 
    • Faith
    • Service. 
    • Teaching. 
    • Exhortation. 
    • Generosity. 
    • Leadership. 
    • Mercy. 

You encounter all of the above in a community that everyone would want to join!

 

How Christian Leaders Help You Build Community

 

You want to build community at your Church, and based on what we’ve learned from Paul, do these things: 

• • • Every member should embrace good attitudes. 
    • Every member should discover their gift and have others help them nurture it. 
    • Every one of your members should be serving in some capacity. 

 

Your Turn Now

I want to learn from you. How would you describe a Christian leader? Would you agree that Christian leadership in the local Church is key to transforming this congregation into a community everyone would want to join? Leave your response in the comment box below.