Many churches are looking for new STM team
leaders. It can be difficult to find the right person, yet the burnout on the
experienced leaders is even harder. Or, maybe
you have tried new leaders, but they never work out. Do you know the
necessary characteristics of a STM team leader? Do you know what to look for in
potential leaders? Let’s see what the
Apostle Paul, a trainer of leaders, has to say.
Is a
leader simply someone who is good at being in charge—who can be a good boss? No! Jesus himself said
in Mark 10:45 that he didn’t come to be the boss but to be the best servant.
Should we
look for the oldest person or the one with the most experience? No! Or the Apostle Paul
would not have told Timothy not to let anyone look down on him because of his
age but to set the example for them (1 Timothy 4:12).
Do we look
for the person who is a “natural-born leader?” You know, the person
with the charisma; the “it” factor. Again, no! In 1 Corinthians 2:1-4, Paul
reminds the Corinthians that he came not with elegance of speech or fanciness
but in humbleness relying on the message of Christ crucified and the Holy
Spirit. Paul didn’t rely on persuading people through his own gifts but on
letting his message and the Holy Spirit do the work.
Is being
the best a requirement for being a leader? No! Again, Paul tells us that God chooses
the foolish things of the world to shame the wise and the weak to shame the
strong (1 Corinthians 1:27-29). The perfect person glorifies him or herself,
but the chosen of God glorifies Him.
So what
then is a leader? A leader is the one who sets the example to be followed. Paul tells the
Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 4:16-17 to imitate him and that he is sending
Timothy as his example. Paul says Timothy will remind them of his way of life
in Christ Jesus! What a statement!
What is the example that leaders should be
setting? What are the character qualifications for being a leader? A leader should be a person of prayer, a
person of the Word, a person of love, and a servant. When you are looking
for potential leaders look for people who pray from the heart, pray in the face
of trials, and who pray for others. Look for a person who knows and follows God’s
Word. Look for a person who truly loves God and others, and someone who is a
servant of others.
Don’t confuse the characteristics of a
leader with the skills of a leader. We want to put character before skills when
looking for potential team leaders. Once we have selected new leaders, then we
can worry about training them.
Don’t know how to train team leaders? Go to
DELTA’s website to learn more about their Team
Leader Training. You can also email me for some free resources on the
qualifications and job description for a team leader, a team leader
application, and team leader references.
Questions for the author? Need coaching or
consulting? You can contact Tory at 520-404-0841 or toryr@deltaministries.com.
