How church leaders can innovate, envision and motivate

THE FINDINGS FROM THE ‘FROM Anecdote to Evidence’ Research confirm that leadership, both lay and ordained, is linked to growth. Effective leadership is a combination of having specific qualities and skills with an intention to grow.

It is important to note that leadership within churches can be shared across a leadership team so as to include people with a wide range of gifts and talents.

While recognising the enormous value of a range of gifts and skills in different areas and aspects of ministry, the research showed that some gifts are particularly important for helping to drive growth in numbers. It is helpful to reflect on whether a particular church’s leadership team includes people with these gifts.

Key facts from the research

The leadership qualities which stood out in the survey as being significant in relation to growth included:

• Motivating: Being able to encourage, energise, equip and empower people and teams to deliver a vision.
• Envisioning: Being able to see the big picture, and to develop a vision with people, bringing others with them and enabling those others to be part of that vision.
• Innovating: Being able to come up with and try new things without fear of failure, take risks and have a go.

With the above findings in mind what approach can your church take to good leadership? The resources below will come in useful when starting out with this concept.

Resources