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As the saying goes, what got you here won't get you there. The skills that got you into the position of church leadership you are today will not get you where you want to be.
And that has never been more true than now.
As you have no doubt sensed, several new realities have combined to make this a very difficult season for church leaders.
first, In particular, the United States is rapidly turning into a post-Christian culture. The rise of Nones, disbanding, culture wars, and declining church attendance are combining to disrupt the normal rules that used to ‘work’ and be effective in ministry. (Here's an interesting conversation about the cultural moment we're living in.)
second, As we have all seen and painfully experienced to some extent, pastoral stress, burnout, and anxiety have never been higher than among this generation of church leaders. This hit hard in a way few expected.
third, Things seem to be moving in a potentially dystopian direction faster than ever. Between the rapid growth of artificial intelligence, which is expected to change many things in the coming years, and the global political instability and financial difficulties that make the middle-class life many people dream of more difficult than ever, we have experienced little. We had to navigate so many changes on a regular basis.
Factors like these not only harm people, they also harm leaders.
Of course, it's not all bad news. The hope and healing that the church brings has never been more necessary or relevant. And the opportunity has never been greater in our lifetime.
It goes without saying that none of us were trained in seminary for this moment. But there are seven skills that are essential for church leaders moving forward.
The good news is that you can learn them all and delegate some (but not all) to others. Churches whose top leadership represents these skills well will have a bright future. There aren't many churches that don't.
Here are seven important church leadership skills.:
1. Emotional health
Emotional intelligence and spiritual health are two topics that have been much discussed in many fields over the past few decades.
And thankfully, leaders like Pete Scazerro have been advocating for emotional health.
It is too late to get any attention from the church.
I often conflate spiritual and emotional health. Because if you’re not emotionally healthy, you’re actually not spiritually healthy. It could be argued that one can be emotionally healthy without being spiritually healthy, but the converse is not true.
of course. Here's how emotional health or emotional well-being is commonly defined:
Emotional health includes the ability to recognize one's emotions, be able to regulate strong emotional reactions, and control behavior influenced by emotions.
Emotionally healthy leaders are:
- Self-Awareness – Being able to identify and name the emotions you feel.
- Self-regulation – They have the skills to suppress their emotions and avoid overreacting through relaxation techniques or reframing their thoughts.
- Resilience – having the ability to cope with and recover from difficult situations or setbacks without lasting psychological difficulties.
- Empathy – They have the ability to understand and share the emotions of others.
- Self-motivation – They use healthy emotions like passion and perseverance to work toward their goals.
- Relationally healthy – They have the emotional intelligence to build and maintain positive relationships.
Overall, emotional health is similar to the characteristics of spiritual health. As a skill, it builds emotional balance and prepares people to navigate challenges while maintaining healthy relationships.
Spiritual health is more complex and expansive than that, but without emotional health, everything falls apart very quickly.
In times of change, division, and despair, emotional health is essential not only for leaders but for the entire church. why?
Healthy leaders tend to create healthy churches. Unhealthy leaders tend to produce unhealthy churches.
Spiritual and emotional health is a long journey, but the good news is that it is possible for anyone who wants it. For me it is a long and continuous journey.
Do whatever you need to do to be emotionally healthy.
- Go see a counselor.
- Go to the on-site resort.
- Go to rehab.
Whatever your needs, it's worth the investment. Because emotionally unhealthy leaders cost the church (and the people’s faith) a toll.
I mentioned resilience above, but it deserves some focus. Many leaders are struggling with this issue right now.
2. Elasticity
Life is hard. Ministry is more difficult.
Okay, I've never said that before. But I think I believe that.
I've never said it before, but I think I believe it. Life is hard. Ministry is more difficult. Click to Tweet
After 20 years in ministry, I have learned the unique pressures pastors face, from not wanting to disappoint the people you serve, to having people you considered friends leave your church and life, to the unique challenges of leading volunteers. I understand. Organization funded by attendees.
If at least a certain degree of spiritual opposition is added to this, then yes. Ministry is hard work.
This is why resilience is a valuable trait to have and a skill to develop.
Simply put, resilience is the ability to recover quickly from difficult situations, regain your fitness, and continue to face another day.
Clearly, resilience is much harder to define than it is to define. But staying emotionally healthy, learning how to practice self-care without self-indulgence, building deep and meaningful friendships (despite previous betrayals), having a rich spiritual life, and developing a life outside of ministry during your days off. and grieving losses can help build resilience (see also what Glenn Packiam is doing).
Historically, churches have been incredibly resilient, but if churches are to thrive in the coming season, their leaders will also need to be resilient.
3. Visionary leadership
It is difficult to exercise leadership when you cannot see ahead, but visionary leadership is an essential asset for the church right now.
The era of 10-year strategic plans may be over, given how quickly things change, but that's no excuse not to lead with vision.
The easiest way to provide visionary leadership is also the most persuasive. That means, no matter the season, be a clear advocate for the church’s mission (and your church’s mission) and do everything you can to advance that work.
Many leaders are hesitant to express their vision because they are unsure of what will happen next. And that's fair.
Sure, you don't know what the economy will do or what the culture will change next, but you know the vision of the church and the hope the gospel brings to a struggling world.
As a leader, you can't be sure, but you can be clear.
Clarity in the face of uncertainty is: We don't know what will happen to X, but we know about Y, so this is what we will do.
Just because you're not sure doesn't mean you can't be clear. And clear, visionary leadership is an essential skill for future church leaders.
4. Excellent communication skills
Thanks to social media, YouTube, and our hyper-connected culture, your church hears more messages from more sources than at any point in history. This also means that they expect good communication with the local church.
Having great communication skills doesn't mean you're the best speaker or have a million followers. It's much easier than that.
It simply means that you can write a clear sermon and deliver it in a memorable way. You may or may not speak softly, or you may have all the characteristics of a strong orator. That's not important.
This means being able to convey your message clearly and consistently. This is true on Sunday mornings, but it's also true on all other channels: email, text messages, social media, YouTube, etc.
My four categories of sermons can help you understand how to do so, and my course on clear, engaging, and memorable sermons will guide you through the entire process.
5. Digital literacy
You are ministering in a technologically advanced and evolving world. With the rapid advancement of AI, things are changing faster than ever.
Church leaders took a long time to adapt to technology, and it was COVID-19 that finally forced them to go online.
But when buildings reopened, many church leaders quickly reverted to the church's old ways. For your information, the Bridgetown Church announced that it will completely stop live streaming.
Clearly, personal implementation of ministry is important, but ignoring digital ministry is closing the physical doors of the church.
As a church leader, ignoring technology is a joke, as the sign below the welcome sign on the church’s front lawn says. “We don’t really care whether you come in here or not.”
Almost everyone who discovers a church now or in the future will do so online.
What if you back out and say, “Well, what if that friend invites you?” Fair point. But I promise your invited guests will check you out on social media or visit your church website before they walk in the door.
AI will also fundamentally change the landscape of life, relationships, romance, caregiving, and employment as we know it.
I am not saying that as a church leader you have to be a technology leader. But I'm telling you that the longer you stick your head in the sand, the more meaningless you become to the people whose lives are affected by your problems every day. You are ignoring it.
At a minimum, you should have a team that recognizes what is happening and figures out how to embrace the new digital age of life and ministry. Otherwise you will become irrelevant.
Relevance gives you the power to speak about culture. Culture routinely ignores things it deems irrelevant.
6. Build your team and community
I know this may seem too burdensome. So the good news is that you can't do it alone, and you don't have to.
Building teams and communities capable of ministry is not only a biblical but also a practical necessity.
No one person has ever had all the gifts for ministry (see the Bible for details).
Practically speaking, the ability to equip and empower teams of people to reveal their gifts to the church and the world has never been more urgent.
Large churches that can afford staff are growing, but they are still a minority compared to smaller churches that have small staff and can barely afford a single or dual pastor.
To be fair, almost all large churches do a fantastic job of equipping people for service. Even if you have 300 employees, those 300 employees can't effectively serve 30,000 attendees. We need thousands of volunteers.
The good news is that building teams is another way to foster meaningful communities. Community should be at the heart of every church, large or small.
In a world where content is abundant and community is scarce, community is the new superpower.
7. Agility
Lastly, leaders who will lead us into the future must be agile.
In an age of constant change and uncertainty, plans made today may be useless tomorrow. Agile leaders have no problem with this.
The mission is eternal and the model can change.
The problem, of course, is that many leaders prefer their model over their mission. But a church that loves its model more than its mission will die.
Agile leaders have the future. A leader who does not change does not change.
What position are you in?
There are so many that the question arises: “How are you positioned to lead the future?”
Again, the good news is that you can learn almost any skill you will need in the future. At the Art of Leadership Academy, you can join thousands of other leaders as they join a community of growth-oriented leaders, receive practical training, and gain the skills they need to lead confidently into the future.