By leading, model faith

Leadership has always been a question of character and substance as opposed to one of technique or skill.  So the core question has been more along the lines of, "Who do you want to imitate?"  That followed by, "What do you want to celebrate?"

The answers to these questions then will reveal the values and measurements of success that you would like to mark in your life as "effectiveness" in ministry.

It is from here that we can work from a sense of self-awareness and intentionally develop personal core values and characteristics that portray the kind of communities of faith that we are called to form.

Leaders modelling these characteristics will see them incarnated into congregational life.

Leaders make ripples like stones thrown into a pool of water, and these ripples reflect that affect on the life of the church and its people, in ever widening circles.  Look for movement in mood, atmosphere and vibrancy, but most importantly, watch it shape the missional IQ and intent of the church.

Related articles

• Ripples in the water (mylifeasanadventure.com)
• Practices Versus Values of Church Vitality (onlywonder.com)

Accessing too much information

Being informed is highly overrated.  Clergy leaders study the trends and read every book on the church that is offered.  They attend the seminars offered to help clergy and church leaders envision and manage ministries more effectively.  The result in some cases is information overload.  (Gary Nelson)

Irrelevance

When a clergy leader feels irrelevant outside the walls of the church, such a leader will have more at stake in what happens inside.  One's identity, feelings of worth, and significance are placed on a narrow one-dimensional platform.  The result is a stark vulnerability not previously experienced in pastoral ministry, causing clergy leaders to put pressure on congregations to meet their needs for significance, needs that are emotionally and relationally unrealistic. - Gary Nelson

Related articles

• A Pastoral Identity Crisis?! (pastorbobcornwall.blogspot.com)