Christian Leadership Development in Congregations

CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT in CONGREGATIONS

Part of the LifeandLeadership.com ministry resources on Christian Leadership.

Leadership development is a universally recognized necessity for all leadership styles and approaches, especially with transformational leadership and empowerment. Ministry resources convey the theme that leaders must develop in at least two ways. First, and most important, is their walk with God through the experiences of life. This concentrates not so much on the “doing” as the “being” of the leader. It stresses the importance of an authentic walk with God and genuine spirituality which manifests itself through an increasingly Christ-like character, and consistently high standards of ethical and moral conduct. The second area of leadership development covers the skill sets necessary for leadership competence, encompassing both relational and task dimensions.

This resource guide, Leadership Development in Congregations – Theory and Practice, highlights the growth of spiritual leaders while in the actual performance of congregational ministry.

**Resources listed in recommended order, unless alphabetical

First Read:

Aubrey Malphurs and Will Mancini, Building Leaders: Blueprints for Developing Leadership at Every Level of Your Church — A great book for a staff to read together for their own development, or for ministers of involvement/discipleship to consult on how to equip deacons or lay leaders. It goes beyond saying “church leaders need to train others to lead,” and actually shows how it is done, step-by-step, in four phases

Other Helpful Volumes:

Glenn C. Daman, Developing Leaders for the Small Church: A Guide to Spiritual Transformation for the Church Board– Designed for small churches.
Matthew Lee Smith, Growing Missional Leaders: Biblical Strategies to Reach Your World For Christ – Smith offers twenty-four principles on leadership development in the congregational setting.
Ellen Van Velsor, Cynthia D. McCauley, Marian D. Ruderman, The Center for Creative Leadership Handbook of Leadership Development, Third Edition – This is the recognized standard for leadership training. Though not church-related, it is the most complete description available on the most effective theories and practices of leadership development.

This is one of several Pathways to Leadership Development that are featured on LifeandLeadership.com:

See also the Leadership Index and the overall Ministry Resource Index for annotated guides on over 100 related issues.

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