“[E]ven well-trained and motivated employees could not apply their new knowledge and skills when they returned to their units, which were entrenched in established ways of doing things…. From all these streams of research we’ve learned that education and training gain the most traction (when) championed by senior leaders….” (Harvard Business Review, “Why Leadership Training Fails- and What To Do About It”; October, 2016)
Let’s be honest. The local church spends far less (like almost no) time, energy, or resources on intentional leadership development/ministry planting than corporate America, either as a percentage or as a sum total. I would argue that theological development, while vital, is not synonymous with leadership development/ministry planting.
It is not a surprise that the average American church is declining. Upsetting, not surprising. In 2020, I am going to be providing intentional leadership development and ministry planting training on Sunday mornings from 9:15 AM to 10:15 AM. This training will happen in the conference room across the hallway from our administrative offices. It is open to anyone. The topics for the leadership development will change. You can go to one training and skip the next, make out of it what you want. Training in ministry planting will help you take your concept for a new ministry forward to the stage of implementation, through our local congregation.
The Bible is very clear about developing leaders for the purpose of ministry planting. “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12).
V/r,
Pastor Jim