Vital Churches Place an Emphasis on Rotating

Lay Leadership In Order to Involve More People

Over Time

Rotators

Debora Constable – Glen Haven UMC Deidri Cumbie – Powder Springs UMCPaulina Dominique – Warren Temple UMC Morris James – Transformation UMC

James Johnson – Northside UMC Karen Law – Toccoa 1st UMCBen Lloyd – Prospect UMC

Table of Contents

I. Purpose

II. How Does God’s Word Address Christian Leadership Traits that ShouldBe Used in the Selection of Church Members rotating into Leadership?

III. How Do Christian Leadership Traits differ from the World’s Leadership? Model?

IV. How Do We Identify Leaders?

V. How Do We Support and Sustain Our Leaders?

VI. How Do We Train Leaders?

VII. What Should be the Primary Motivation That Drives Leaders to Serve Effectively?

VIII. Conclusion

I. Purpose:

After our research the Rotators present evidence to support our assigned ministry strategy- Vital

churches place an emphasis on rotating lay leadership in order to involve more people over time.

In response to an article entitled “The Rise of the ‘Done with Church’ Population”, sociologist

John Packard shared some of his groundbreaking research on the “Dones”. He explained that to

a degree, the church is losing its “best”. The very people on whom a church relies on for lay

leadership, service and financial support are going away. Bill Muehlenberg’s commentary

suggests that one reason for this is “many believers are tired of just being bench warmers with no

role to play.”

During our January session, Rev. Mike Selleck shared that we should listen to laity when they

suggest new programs. God may have sent that person to begin that particular ministry and they

may move on if not in service. Pay attention - find out why God sent them. Rev. Selleck also

shared the theology of the laity with us: God has already sent you everyone you need to do what

God would like you to do - are you using them?

How do these thoughts fit into our assignment? The point of rotating lay leadership is to involve

more people over time - use them or risk losing them. Do you ever feel that there is a revolving

door on the front of your church with as many leaving as are joining? A couple of us within our

small group shared that they had left a church after years of membership due to a strong desire to

serve - they went where they could answer God’s call to service. Is this perhaps happening in

your church?

We must remember that God gave each of us different gifts so we would work together. Each

part of the body works with another to be the hands and feet of God. As He calls us to His

service and we stand side by side, we get to know one another creating a bond - making us a

stronger body of Christ. Each of us wants to feel that we are part of the family, loved and

needed. Each must be given the opportunity to serve as they feel God has called them. Perhaps

we have served in a particular position so long it’s just time for a break. Time to rest in God’s

word, participating in Bible study to be refueled for the “next thing” God wants us to do. This

frees up a position for someone new to fill. During our small group time with our pastors, one

pastor reminded us that not every leader holds a position. We can be a strong leader working

behind the scenes even while not holding a position.

Read on for our thoughts on why rotating your lay leaders is important for becoming a vital

congregation in your community.

II. How does God’s word address Christian leadership traits that should be used in

the selection of church members rotating into leadership?

Must be striving to be obedient to the word of God. John 14:15 –“If you love me, keep

my commands.” NIV

Must be studying the Word of God, i.e., Bible Study, Sunday School, Christian

Development Training, etc. 2 Timothy 2:15 – “Study to show thyself approved unto God,

a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” KJV

Must attend worship services on a regular basis. Hebrews 10:25 “Let us not give up

meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and

all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Must be or become a tither. Malachi 3:10 “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that

there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I

will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there

will not be room enough to store it.” NIV

Must be humble. Luke 14:11 “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those

who humble themselves will be exalted.” NIV

Must be willing to sacrifice personal rights for the good of all. Mark 10:42-45 “Jesus

called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the

Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so

with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and

whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come

to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” NIV

Must be willing to bear the cost of serving in God’s kingdom. Mark 10:38 “Can you

drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with.”

Church members involved in the nominations process that seeks to rotate other members into

church leadership must seek God’s will throughout the process. Members of the nominations

committee must prayerfully ask God for wisdom and discernment prior to considering those

being rotated into leadership. The Book of James states that our heavenly Father will give us the

wisdom we need if we ask and speaks to the essence of that wisdom when we receive it. James

1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without

finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

James 3:17 “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving,

considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”

The committee should collectively and individually study God’s Holy Word to ascertain God’s

perspective on Christian leadership.

The nominations committee must be mindful of 1 Samuel 16:7 “But the Lord said to Samuel, Do

not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the

things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

The Lord does not look at appearances, socio-economic status, race or educational

accomplishments. The Lord is seeking true worshippers and those after His own heart. Jesus did

not choose the prominent people as his followers. He chose the humble that were not tainted by

the trappings of this world.

III. How do Christian leadership traits Differ From the World’s Leadership Model?

Leaders have a great deal of responsibility - to lead with competence and honesty.

Christian leaders have a higher calling or standard because their leadership should reflect a

life of discipleship and humility. As disciples of Jesus Christ we are called to be servants.

The leader takes the lowest position and does not expect reward. [“The greatest among you

must become like a person of lower status and the leader like a servant]. (Luke 22:26)

(CEB). This differs from the world view of leadership where the primary goal is to be

rewarded and the leader does not take the lowest position but instead has a position of

power.

A leader is able to get people or community to move in one direction or another, how that

is done depends on certain qualities: competence, accountability, and openness, good grasp

of language, values, perspective, humility and power. According to Oswald Sanders,

Spiritual Leadership, p. 29), spiritual leaders possess natural and also spiritual qualities.

Natural Spiritual

Self-confident Confident in God

Knows Men Also knows God

Makes own decision Seeks God’s will

Ambitious Humble

Creates methods Follows God’s example

Enjoy command Delights in obedience to God

Seeks personal reward Loves God and others

Independent Depends on God

The Christian leader is able to combine the natural and spiritual gifts and does so most

effectively when the ultimate goal is to bring glory to God. One of the dominant qualities

that all leaders strive for is power and sometimes the spiritual leader forgets where his or

her power comes from. The Bible states in Acts 1:8, “You will receive power when the Holy

Spirit comes upon you.” The spiritual leader needs only to place his or her will in God’s

hand and be obedient and trust that God will guide every step he/she takes.

The world leadership model sees power differently, for it becomes a means to an end. The

leader has a position of power which means he or she has authority, is superior, and has

great influence. While it is true that a leader need some degree of power to lead, if not done

wisely, it leads to disaster where the leader feels self-reliant and depends only on natural

qualities and the ultimate goal is self-gratification or rewards.

In this type of leadership, the leader tends to lack humility, becomes demanding, sees self

above all and seeks to obtain more and more power, while there is no regard for the people

to be served.

In the book, The Case For Servant Leadership, by Kent M. Keith, the author contrasts the

Power Model and Service Model with these points: The power-oriented leader wants

people to do things. Servant Leaders want to help people do things. The power model

assumes hierarchy, only a few people have power, those at the top of the pyramid.

In the service model, while there is a leader, anybody on the team can be of service or be a

servant-leader. In essence the power model is about grabbing, while the service model is

about giving. Power is inward, service is outward.

The Christian leader has high moral values that rely on the Power of the Holy Spirit by faith

for discernment and wisdom and for making a difference in the lives of others. The World’s

leadership model allows the leader to easily cast off moral values for the pursuit of power,

wealth, and fame.

In the book, A New Breed of Leader, by Sheila Murray Bethel, Colin Powell states that

leaders need to have a vision to communicate in a way that followers are inspired. They are

to train, equip, reward, and prune the followers.

One of the reasons for training followers is that being a leader is a heavy load and leaders

become tired and sometimes frustrated. Then there is a leader in residence. Leaders also

need time for rest and refreshment.

There needs to be a leader in training ready to step into the shoes of the present leader. We

see this model with Moses and Joshua also Paul and Timothy. Sometimes rotating leaders

can be difficult in very small congregations but with the Christian leadership model where

there is a team approach the leadership role is easily rotated.

IV. How Do We Identify Leaders?

Now we know that we need leaders and they need to be rotated, how do we identify them? One

of the most important traits of a leader is to identify potential new leaders. If your church is to

grow, this is a critical process. Good leaders learn to look for qualities in people that are

conducive to good leadership. This is important to have a culture that is successful in

reproducing and rotating leaders. Below are some traits to look for.

Concern/Love for Others – You can’t lead people effectively if you don’t genuinely love

people. Ones that do not have this trait often produce followers, but they fall short of

reproducing leaders.

Not a Complainer – Leadership encounters complainers regardless of what we do. We

certainly do not want to add any more complainers to a team of leaders. A positive

attitude will go a long ways.

Teachable and Open to Suggestions – Someone who thinks that they have all the answers

will repel other leaders. People with no desire to keep learning will not be able to change

with the times.

Excellence in Following – Someone who is leading followers must be able to follow

themselves. It takes one to know one.

Reliability – Leadership is about trust, and trust is developed over time with consistency

by doing what you said you would do.

Interest – People with a passion often make great leaders. You can train someone to be a

good leader but you cannot train someone to have passion to make a great leader.

Good character – Character counts. Not perfection. Not flawless. Good character is

necessary to be trusted on a team. Integrity. Honesty. A humble desire to always be

improving as a person.

Potential – Jesus always saw potential in others they themselves couldn’t see. You should

follow this example and do the same. It worked for Jesus.

Confidence – Leaders have to move forward when others are ready to retreat. Not

prideful, but a genuine willingness to lead through hard times.

People skills – You can’t lead people if you cannot communicate with people. This does

not mean that you are a language scholar but you have to be able to engage people and

make them feel part of the team.

Do keep in mind that we are identifying those whom God desires to be in leadership and we are

not the ones determining who gets to be a leader and who doesn’t. Prayer is an important step in

this process. Jesus chose 12 uneducated fishermen to be leaders. These are individuals that we

probably would not have chosen to be leaders and would have missed the boat. Our job is to

encourage people with these traits. God has assigned these gifts of leadership and our task is to

identify them and encourage these people. Remember, God is the Potter and we are the clay.

V. How Do We Support and Sustain Our Leaders?

Once we have our leaders in place – appointed, volunteered, and assigned – it’s important to

sustain and support them. In order to be done well, this system of support must be a multifaceted

process and approach. Much like a net is cast to catch several fish at once, we must design our

systems of support broadly, with the goal of catching as many issues as possible. Of course, no

system is perfect – but the goal should always be perfection. Here are some, though not all, of

the essential elements of support and sustenance for our leaders:

Prayer

First and foremost, prayer must be essential to the process. We are people who believe in a God

who acts in the world. We believe in a God who sustains and supports, who gives new life and

new hope. Without a strong prayer element in the process of leadership, all systems of support –

and indeed, all leadership itself – is bound to fail. We must pray for our leaders, that they lead

with God’s insight and wisdom, and that God continues to renew a spirit of leadership within

them. This can be as simple as allowing each member of a committee to pray for one another, or

groups can be formed to focus on certain members and committees. What is essential is prayer –

and each leader should pray on their own behalf as well.

Training

Leaders must be trained. The best and most well supported leaders are those who are prepared

for leadership. This will also be a flowing well of sustenance throughout their tenure of

leadership. Of course, this means classes, books, seminars and even basic conversations about

what is expected and the best way to lead. Churches should offer ongoing classes for new

leaders as well as old. Along with training, each leader should be resourced – given the tools

they need to lead – at both the local and district levels. While all this is good and important,

nothing can replace the role of a mentor in training our leaders in the church. A system or

program of mentorship should be in place in all our churches, where we learn to lead by

following others and seeing how others have done it. The ultimate mentor is Christ himself, but

we too are little Christs, serving and mentoring one another.

Productive

Leaders want to know that they are accomplishing something. The work of the church should

never be focused on what is effective over what is faithful, but that does not mean that

committees should not set goals for their programs. Specific goals give us direction and provide

meaning to our action. And likewise, meetings should be directed toward accessing and

critiquing those goals. Goals can change, but they are essential to the process. Any committee

or meeting that moves forward without direction is essentially moving nowhere. There is

nothing more sapping of energy and spirit than being stuck in the mud and feeling that nothing is

getting done – that my time and energy are being wasted. These goals should fall in line with

both the local and universal church, and should be tested with prayer.

Gratitude

We must thank our leaders. It’s that simple, and yet it’s something that we often forget to do. In

both private and public settings – and in both successes and failures – show gratitude for the

leadership provided. We have called these people to give of their time and resources, to sacrifice

for the good of the church – and whether their leadership has been fruitful or not, they deserve

our gratitude for their service. This can take many forms, and happens both during and at the

end of terms, but it is essential to the support and sustenance of true leadership in the church.

Sabbath

Finally, we must allow our leaders to rest. Those who work for the life of the church often forget

that rest is an essential component of all faithful work. Even God himself rested, thereby

sanctifying the work He had done. We sanctify our work by being mindful of our bodies, mind,

heart and soul, and by allowing our whole beings to rest. This rest is a gift to our leaders from

God, and should not be denied by the work of the church. Again, this rest can take many forms.

At the very least, it should include breaks between terms of leadership. But it also must include

breaks within terms of leadership as well. This is time that can be used to reflect on what has

been done, and allows the Spirit to open new doors of possibility for the work ahead.

These are only a few of the essential practices that every church should take up in order to better

support and sustain their leaders. Any church that fails to recognize this need will be a prisoner

of momentum – running fast and then fading out. The work of the church is a marathon, not a

sprint – and we must be mindful of the ebb and flow of the work. If we are to be the church,

then we will need leaders. If we need leaders, we will do well to take care of them – for they are

essential to the work of God in the world.

VI. How Do We Train Leaders?

In order to properly train leaders we must use the Bible as our instruction manual. Once we have

selected our leaders by using their spiritual gifts and guidance from the Holy Spirit, we should

create a plan of action for training.

Psalm 32:8 (NIV) 8  I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Psalm 119:66 (NIV) 66  Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I believe in your commands.

Colossians 3:16-17 (NIV) 16  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17  And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Training

Provide a detail description of the role of the ministry leader.

Review the description with the leader and allow plenty of time for questions

Share any meeting notes and future plans for the ministry.

Allow the new leader to shadow the current leader, perhaps having the new leader sit in

on meetings before their term officially starts

Encourage the new leader to take the Basic Lay Speaking class, which will help with the

understanding of the resources’ that are available in the United Methodist Church. This

is especially useful for those that are new in a leadership position within the church

Once the new leaders term begins continue the relationship with the outgoing leader.

Identify youth in the church that show spiritual growth and allow them to spend time with

each of the ministries of the church. This will help them learn how each ministry

operates and how it relates to the overall mission of the church. As they show interest in

a particular ministry allow them to attend meetings and become a member of the ministry

and listing them in the Charge Conference report.

Youth should be included in the Annual Conference by becoming youth delegates. Every

church is allowed at least one youth delegate. The year before the delegate rotates off,

send the incoming delegate to the Annual Conference to help understand their role

without feeling overwhelmed.

As youth age out to Young Adults continue to include them and/or allow them to develop

new ministries that reflect the needs of their generation.

VII. “What Should Be the Primary Motivation that Drives Leaders to Serve

Effectively?”

What are the motivations?

A genuine desire to serve others

a desire to please others

personal gratification found in service

realizing why God has called you to a particular place and purpose

helping others to learn to serve and lead

being needed and useful

be a part of something bigger than ourselves

a sense of obligation

to fill a gap no one else will fill

exert influence over others

a desire to be obedient to God

From these, the “correct” motivations are rather obvious -

the desire to serve others

helping others learn to serve and lead

being a part of something bigger than ourselves

a desire to be obedient to God

So, how does this fit into our assignment?

Vital churches place an emphasis on rotating lay leadership in order to involve more people over

time.

Actually, the art of “rotating” can apply even to the “wrong” motivations for service. If your

church has only a handful of individuals who “qualify” under the “correct” motivations, then,

glory be! You really do need to do some “rotatin'! Ask people to help you out! You do not need

to qualify their motives. God will take care of that. But if they are never asked, no one will ever

know what they can do or what they are made of. Often, they won't even know themselves until

they move into a volunteer role.

Those who have a sincere desire to serve others often do so at the expense of their own well-

being and the well-being of their families. Those few, but wonderful, individuals need and

deserve a time-out of their volunteer duties. If a church organization already has a rotation

system in place, these prized people can take a break without feeling guilty or feeling that the job

will be left undone. If a church does not have a rotation system in place, one should be

inaugurated in such a way that ALL leaders are aware of and subject to and encouraged to teach

others to take their place so they may step away. Change in leadership is positive for the

leadership itself, and for the organization being led. This concept is not a new one. There is a

reason the United Methodist Church selects its pastors on a yearly basis. Why should we expect

our lay leaders and volunteers to commit to a “life sentence” in a particular role? And, if the

same handful of folks do all the work, all the time, the other members of the congregation not

only take that for granted, they feel unneeded and unnecessary in the work of the church. This,

my friend, is one big thing the church needs to avoid! It is always in order to ask someone who

is an obviously faithful follower of Christ to take on responsibility within the church. While the

vast majority of people will not raise their hand and openly volunteer, the vast majority of

people, when particularly asked, will agree to and be happy to contribute their time, skills, and

worth to the church.

Rotation of lay leadership offers new ideas and new enthusiasm. Rotation of lay leadership

opens the possibilities for the already committed leaders to find new avenues for their creativity,

hard-earned wisdom, and desire to serve. Rotation of lay leadership provides an opportunity for

each leader to “serve in the mundane” from time to time. Serving the mundane can be a

welcomed relief from being “in charge.” There are times when each of us would be of better

value cleaning the kitchen, emptying the trash, or setting out Sunday's bulletins, than always

striving to be the one who orchestrates Vacation Bible School, the Fall Festival or Christmas

Concert. Everyone needs an opportunity to step back, step away, rest, and perhaps obtain a new

point of view.

When lay leaders take advantage of “rotating” out of their roles, they offer the role to someone

else who God has already prepared to fill that spot. Another person then is allowed to learn and

grow in wisdom as a leader. And when that individual rotates off, yet another has the chance to

grow and learn and become a valuable leader.

It's a great process! No one gets to do everything all the time! No one has to do everything all

the time! Isn't that the way it should be?

VIII. Conclusion

We conclude that vital churches do place an emphasis on rotating lay leadership to involve more

people over time. Vital congregations seek wisdom and discernment throughout the rotation and

selection of lay leadership by prayerful study of the Bible for scriptural references that address

Christian leadership characteristics. During the rotation of lay leadership, churches selecting new

lay leaders are mindful that world’s leadership model and the spiritual leadership model are very

different. Vital churches recognize that supporting and sustaining those rotated into lay

leadership must continue long after the selection process ends. These new lay leaders need

prayer, training, expressions of gratitude and rest. Vital churches are also cognizant that the

rotation of lay leadership over time results in new creativity and new energy to move a church

forward in the accomplishment of the vision and mission of the congregation. The rotation of lay

leadership gives every church member the opportunity to use his or her unique God given gifts

and talents to aid in the building of the kingdom of God here on earth.