Being an Equipping Leader

As leaders in the church, we don't need to be reminded what we've been called by God to do. We're well aware that Ephesians 4 has called us to equip God's people. We know that effective equipping leadership is more about how much we've helped someone achieve their “God call” than about how much we've realized our own dreams.

Jesus served others by putting them first. He sought our best interest before his own, which ultimately led him to offer his life for us all. If he was a servant, should we act any differently? He chose to develop a team of people whom he poured himself into, so that when he was gone, they would continue living his vision. If Jesus thought developing a team was the best technique, then surely we know we shouldn't try to do all of God's work alone.

And yet…so often that's not how we end up doing it. As someone who's been through this transition personally and helped other churches develop an equipping culture, let me mention two things that I've faced in myself and others.

First, equipping leadership requires us to deny ourselves , and many times we're not willing to do this. Several months ago, someone took credit for something I had partnered with them on. When I found out about it, I was angry with this person and wanted to be acknowledged for my contribution. I was ready to send an email to the entire staff telling them the truth. I swallowed my pride—temporarily—and said nothing…until I got home and spilled the truth to my wife. Feeling vindicated, I sat down and tried to write, but couldn't. I was overwhelmed with guilt. Why am I feeling guilty? I thought for a while until it hit me. I had allowed my ego to demand attention, rather than celebrating this individual's success.

Let's be honest: equipping leadership requires an intentional focus on someone else, and that's hard to do. We need to ask ourselves: Do I have the need to be acknowledged for my contribution, especially when things go well? Do I struggle with stepping out of the spotlight so that someone else can be recognized? Do I privately seethe when someone else has taken or been given the credit for something that I did? If so, you're not alone.

But we don't have to stay this way. We have the opportunity to live out our biblical call, replacing pride with humility. Equipping leaders are humble, servant leaders that place the good of others above their own. So the next time you're faced with a choice as to whether to receive or give away the credit, try giving it to someone else and see what happens. As we focus on the good and growth of others, we experience a transformation from pride to humility.

Second, equipping leadership requires us to invest time in developing someone else when we feel like we're too busy already. We don't have time to develop people; we have too many other things to do.

We've all heard mottos such as “people above programs,” but true equipping leaders need to take that to “people above our schedules.” We must value the development of God's people above our busy schedules. This will shake up your calendar! It may mean that we no longer attend some meetings, or let someone else take the lead role on some projects. We may have to get used to saying no!

Let's take back control of our schedules and make sure they reflect the right priorities. We may need to schedule intentional times throughout our day where we're focused on equipping people. Email, phone calls, and meetings can be important, but they can also distract us from the call of God to equip and release his people.

Time for more self-analysis: Let's all pause right now and take a good look at our calendars. Do the things listed there indicate that we're spending more time doing ministry, or more time equipping others for ministry?

There are many barriers to being the kind of equipping leaders that Christ was—two of the biggest are ego and misplaced busyness. It's something we have to continually work on, but the reward comes in flourishing ministries and people.

Chris Hardy is the equipping pastor at Westover Church in Greensboro, North Carolina. He's done extensive training on creating an equipping culture in churches, and will be a presenter for Church Volunteer Central Live.

Copyright © 2005, Group Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.