Find The Leaders In Your Church

Give ministry away

Over time, spiritual maturity should naturally move believers from being consumers in the church to using their gifts to build up the body of Christ. It's a key part of the spiritual formation path. That’s why Watermark has long believed in giving ministry away to Members and fostering a culture of volunteer leadership. In fact, when we started our campus, we made it our goal to be a net exporter of leaders—to have more people available to serve as ministry leaders than we needed, so that they could be sent out into the world and deployed elsewhere.

None of that can happen unless we first identify and train up the potential leaders in our church. Just as we’re responsible for equipping our body for service, we’re also responsible for using discernment when appointing leaders. Looking for the things God looks for in a leader instead of what is culturally associated with leadership (1 Samuel 16:7). So how do we find the right people to train for church leadership?

Watch Your Flock

The best way to find potential leaders is to see your members in action. Obviously, this is easier said than done, especially if your congregation is large. This is one reason why Watermark encourages every member to serve somewhere within the church. Trusted existing ministry leaders are tasked with watching over their own small “flocks” within the church body and can then recommend people who stand out.

Leave it to FATE

As your leaders watch over their ministry areas, have them keep a look out for people who are Faithful, Available, Teachable, and Emotionally Healthy:

Faithful. We want people who faithfully pursue the Lord, and who remain faithful in whatever circumstances He gives them. They prove themselves trustworthy through how they serve.

Available. If someone is unable or unwilling to create margin in their life, they probably aren’t a good fit for leadership. The people who are passionate about ministry will find or make the time for it. This is an easy one to watch for: who shows up? Who consistently makes themselves available to serve?

Teachable. It doesn’t make sense to train someone unless they are willing to be taught. Being teachable requires admitting that you don’t know everything, and some people are too worried about saving face to listen to feedback and implement changes based on it. Someone who is inexperienced but humble and hungry to learn has a huge advantage over someone with more experience who thinks they have “arrived.”

Emotionally Healthy. Everyone has room to grow, but sometimes a person has a habit or character defect that needs to be actively addressed before they step into leadership. Look for people who take responsibility for and learn from their mistakes. Leadership stresses existing weak points, and someone who strives for the approval of others or easily loses their temper can quickly find themselves in a bad situation.

Welcome Young Believers

Spiritual maturity is great for potential leaders—but it isn’t a requirement. Why? Because we are talking about inviting people to learn how to become leaders, not recruiting people who already are leaders. Discipleship is a step on the path to full maturity. So while a potential elder should “not be a recent convert” (1 Timothy 3:6), a young believer who craves spiritual growth can and should serve as a leader in a way that is fitting for their maturity level. Spiritually immature but committed Christians can serve as co-leaders with, or under the oversight of, more mature leaders. Over time, as they prove themselves to be faithful in smaller roles (Luke 16:10), we can entrust them with more and more responsibility.

Finding Leaders Begins With Discipleship

Everything is a discipleship opportunity. When new ministry roles open up, instead of recycling the same mature leaders we always turn to, try to include younger and less experienced leaders who can learn from the old guard. Larger churches with the resources to look outside for new hires should also make sure not skip over disciple—making. Eventually, the “inexperienced” people mature, grow, and train up future leaders of their own.

This is how believers are supposed to replicate themselves, and it is how the Church has survived and thrived for the past 2,000 years. If you are not developing your people, then your church is dying, because there will be no one left to lead when the current crop of mature believers is gone. These people are the future of your church; your job is to find them and prepare them for the future.