Encouraging leaders to step up
A young man doing MTS recently emailed me to ask this question:
I've just read your blogs and review of Leadership on the Front Foot and I had a question. As your review stated, it seems to be a book aimed at new ministers of the gospel. So, having not read the book, I don't think it seems to be a good book to get information on encouraging young men (university age) to step up and lead. Here lies my question: is my assessment a fair one and, if it is, can you recommend a book that would could be useful in the situation I've outlined?
Before you read on, what would your answer be? What book would you suggest to enthuse a man in his late teens or early twenties in taking responsibility in leadership in gospel ministry? (If you want to read my original blog posts written as I read through Leadership on the Front Foot, then see parts one, two, three, four, five, six and seven.
Here's my reply:
You are right, Leadership on the Front Foot is probably not the book for a young bloke looking to step up and lead and, in particular, to think about congregational ministry. It's more for a bloke who has been an assistant pastor and is about to become a senior pastor, especially if the church he's going to might have been struggling.
For thinking about principled gospel ministry in a church, I would recommend Mark Dever's The Deliberate Church (understanding he is congregational, not presbyterian, in his church government). For something from an older saintly head, try John Stott's The Living Church.
For getting excited about gospel ministry, you could start with the ebook from MTS, All for the Kingdom (free download). It's more of a workbook, but the first chapter is from Vaughan Roberts, and is a good simple start.
I can't think of something that is exactly what you want in terms of stepping up to lead.
Perhaps the closest is something that gets us excited about evangelism and discipleship, like:
- Mack Stiles, Marks of the Messenger (more on evangelism, but not a ‘how to’ book)
- Col Marshall and Tony Payne, The Trellis and the Vine (discipleship, including evangelism).
Another thing that gets me excited about leadership and ministry is listening to some of John Piper's biographical talks. All these talks are good, but try Charles Simeon, Adoniram Judson, John Newton, Athanasius, and William Wilberforce to get started.
But most of all, if I want to get a young bloke excited about gospel ministry and being a leader, I slowly read through 2 Timothy with him, delving deep into the issues and discussing them. I must have done this well over a dozen times, and everytime I notice something new, remember something old, and get challenged all over again.
Can you add further suggestions to my answer?
Thanks Sandy for the link to ‘All for the Kingdom’. I have downloaded it and will read it this evening. Do you have any book recommendations in regard to Christian counselling?
Glenn,
I’m no expert in the area.
I have a lot of respect for the biblical counselling movement, represented by CCEF.
One of their leaders, David Powlison, has an interesting article on responding to criticism. That issue is helpful in itself.
But in the article he uses as casestudy how he responds to criticisms from Christians who take a different approach to counselling, drawing more from the secular sciences.
That article might open up some of the issues.
From an Australian point of view, Alan Craddock, who is a Christian lecturer in the Dept of Psychology at Sydney Uni, delivered some annual lectures at Moore College, which became the book, Beyond Rivalry: Psaychology and Theology as Complements, which you can purchase at the Moore College bookshop.
Before stepping up to lead, step down and serve.
Dannii, you are right.
There’s a saying I picked up somewhere in the MTS movement…
Anyone interested in leadership in gospel ministry has to learn that lesson.
Hopefully they will already be displaying that attitude before the rest of us encourage them too far in leadership!
Hey Sandy,
I wonder if these guys need a book to read on leadership or do they need a model of a man who they want to be like to follow?
That being said I love the book by Leadership by John Macarthur “Leadership by the book”
Hans, also a good comment from you. Spot on. The book I said I read with young blokes like this is 2 Timothy. From your comment I straight away think of passages like:
1:3-6 - Paul’s deeply personal involvement in praying for, discipling, and commissioning Timothy.
2:2-4 - Paul’s recruiting of reliable people passage, where the soldier wants to please his enlisting officer.
3:10-11 - Timothy knows all about Paul’s way of life, especially the persecutions he endured.
4:9 - having run the race, Paul really wants to see Timothy in person!
Here is a man to follow.
Hey Sandy,
Don,t get me wrong I think reading through 2 timothy is a great idea. But I wonder if there is a problem with guys not stepping up there is a problem with the type of guys at their church. God has created the world in such a way that we have heroes or people we pattern ourselves after and I wonder if when men in churches are lazy they don’t have these types of men in their church?
Yep, I was agreeing, not disagreeing, about the need for role model Christian men.
That is, the examples I gave from 2 Timothy were intended to illustrate that what Timothy needed and experienced was the model of Paul from all that time he had had with Paul.
My reading 2 Timothy with blokes is only one part of the time I would want to spend with them.
I am loathe to make generalisations about whether or not men in the churches are lazy.
Thanks for the calcification.
I wasn’t trying to say that all men were lazy I was just trying to say that if they were there might be an issue with no role models. Sorry for the miscommunication!
Glenn,
If you are after a General Book on Counselling, “Christian Counselling” by Gary Collins, normally $35, is 20% off at Koorong and Word Bookstore at $28 for another day or so!
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