Dear Friends,
The role of leadership in the success or failure of any organisation cannot be over-emphasised.
For the workplace Christian fellowship; we have made a case for the existence <https://fmministry.co.uk/a-case-for-the-existence-of-christian-workplace-fellowship> and shared research evidence in support <https://fmministry.co.uk/the-research-evidence-for-christian-workplace-fellowship>. The next few blogs will look at what can make a successful fellowship and the first of these is the role of leadership.
Also, we have previously looked at a few examples of leaders in this series of blogs:
Joseph, who rose from slavery to lead Egypt to escape a worldwide famine.
Moses, who led about 2 million grumbling people for 40 years in the wilderness.
Nehemiah, who rebuilt Jerusalem’s wall in the face of serious opposition.
Paul, who planted numerous churches and trained leaders for them.
We can always study and learn from the above biblical characters, and the ways God trained them as leaders. However, Jesus Christ is our perfect example in every area of life including leadership so we will be looking at how He led when here on earth.
But before then, I want to quickly remind us again that ‘leadership is influence’ and because we all influence someone, we are all leaders by default. God created us to have dominion and rule the earth but we lost the privilege when sin entered the world. Thanks to the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, we are reinstated to our original position once in Christ, so no disciple of Jesus can discount themselves from the leadership role. You can review our previous blog on leadership as a principle of work <https://fmministry.co.uk/principles-of-work-leadership>.
The role of leadership – Jesus’s example
To illustrate this, I will share excerpts from 3 internet sources on the subject:
First, according to David Drudd <https://sermongeek.com/2019/03/04/how-did-jesus-demonstrate-leadership-to-his-disciples/> there are biblical examples to illustrate that Jesus:
- Established a direction for his ministry.
- Explained to the disciples their role in the ministry.
- Equipped the disciples to accomplish their role.
- Enabled the disciples to be effective in their roles.
- Encouraged the disciples in their efforts.
- Evaluated their success and incompletions.
Secondly, we can check out an article by Michael Hyatt who shared Jesus’s five-pronged Leadership strategy at <https://michaelhyatt.com/the-leadership-strategy-of-jesus/>:
- Self-leadership precedes team leadership and public influence. Jesus led himself for example often withdrawing to quiet places to pray.
- Jesus chose an inner circle comprised of Peter, James, and John. These were his closest friends and confidants and he shared more intimate experiences with them.
- He chose the twelve disciples to be “with him” so that he could pour into them his very life.
- He mobilized the seventy and sent them out two-by-two with tasks to accomplish.
- Jesus also taught the multitudes, but his goal was to shift their paradigm and get them to think in a different way.
Thirdly, we can look at six ways Jesus led His Disciples after His resurrection. The article is written by Eric Geiger and can be accessed at <https://ericgeiger.com/2016/03/six-ways-jesus-led-his-disciples-after-the-resurrection/>:
- He descended to people’s level of understanding for example he met Thomas where he was and showed him His hands and side (John 20:27).
- Jesus got involved in the lives of the people and invites them to participate in what he is doing e.g. in the fishing instruction for Peter and other disciples (John 21:6).
- He served, for example, he cooked breakfast for them (John 21:9).
- Jesus pursues and restores those who fail e.g., Peter after denying Him (John 21:15).
- He challenged His disciples about their faith and to use their lives to advance His kingdom. For example, He told Peter to feed His sheep (John 21:17).
- He empowered His disciples to “go…and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19) and reminded them that He had the authority to do so.
The role of Leadership – A summary of Jesus’s examples
Jesus’s leadership example applies to every situation. How He led His disciples and how He leads us should therefore impact how we lead others.
The above examples illustrate that Jesus was clear of His mission on the earth, He communicated this clearly to the people He called to follow Him. He then poured Himself into His disciples, building them up and encouraging them to fulfil and continue the mission after him.
We observed that Jesus led himself well and then worked at different levels with His inner circle, His disciples, and the multitude.
In addition, we learned that Jesus remained the same even after His resurrection. He descended to others’ level to meet them where they were. He involved others and included them in what He did. Jesus served others instead of demanding they serve Him. He restored, challenged, and empowered others to give their lives to what matters most.
Application of Jesus’s example to workplace fellowship
The unique advantages of workplace Christian fellowship were already discussed at <https://fmministry.co.uk/a-case-for-the-existence-of-christian-workplace-fellowship>. The following is the direct application of Jesus’s type of leadership in enhancing the advantages.
- Promoting Unity and Diversity – Jesus called together a bunch of diverse characters to be His Disciples. They were from different educational, professional, and cultural backgrounds. He did not discriminate against people based on gender, age, or perceived level of righteousness. His ‘liberal’ views of people were radical as He promoted children, women, and non-Jewish interests which frustrated the so-called religious leaders of the time.
The leadership of workplace Christian groups must follow the example of Jesus by bringing together a diverse group of people to a unified ‘Church’ and actively challenge any form of discrimination. They must welcome people from different racial, cultural, economical, social, and intellectual backgrounds. Most importantly, they must challenge denominational doctrines and practices that could bring division into the workplace Christian fellowship.
- Reaching the Unreached – Jesus associated with sinners, giving examples for His disciples to do the same. He was clear to state that His mission was to reach the unreached and so He went to the places where He can meet them. He illustrated this with the parable of the shepperd who left the 99 to find the one lost. The workplace Christian fellowship is one way to reach those who will not normally attend the traditional Church. The Leadership must therefore always lead and remind the members to be outward focused in their workplace ministry so that they can reach out to the unreached.
- Greater societal impact – Jesus reached out to individuals as well as to the multitudes and He challenged everyone to change for the better. The leadership of the workplace Christian fellowship must challenge the membership to make a positive impact on society through the quality of their work. But not only that, the membership must replicate by challenging those they influence to change and also contribute positively to the society.
- Effective stress relief – Jesus lived and demonstrated to His disciples how to believe in God, pray, have faith, and access miraculous provision from God. He showed them how to be at rest in God knowing that He will meet all of their needs. The leadership of the workplace Christian fellowship must demonstrate the same lifestyle and teach others the same. They must also support and show compassion and encouragement to those at different levels of faith.
I hope you have benefited from reading this blog and if so, please share with others. Please also continue to send your feedback and comments to hello@fmministry.co.uk or use the comment box below. Next time we will look at another factor that can promote effective workplace Christian fellowship.
Please note that Fishers of Men Ministry is interested in offering support and encouragement to individuals and workplace fellowship groups so please drop us an email if you need advice or support in the area. You can also check out our website to see how you can get involved in this work https://fmministry.co.uk/getting-involved
God bless you and let us keep growing in the image of our Lord Jesus Christ
Adesina