DEV 06FN Selecting and Empowering Leaders

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=Session 6: Selecting and Empowering Leaders=

In this session, you will discover what the Bible has to say about what to look for in selecting leaders from among the new believers who are in the new groups that have been started. Heart of a Leader (40 min) Vision Casting for the Heart What do you fear? Fear is common to all people. It is one of the effects that sin had on the original relationship man had with God. We are all impacted by various fears and suffer from the lack of peace it brings. Fear can motivate us to do bad things or to make bad decisions. Jesus reveals that His heart is gentle and humble (Matthew 11:29). He invites us into His presence, where we can experience His love for us that cast out fears (1 John 4:18). On the night of His betrayal and eve of his crucifixion Jesus said to his disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27). In light of who he is and what he has done for us we need to choose peace and courage despite of circumstances and “…not let our hearts be troubled…”. Faith is deciding to trust God and take obedient action despite our feelings of fear. Let His words to Israel be comfort you, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)
 * Worship together in the big group
 * Have participants get into groups of 3-4 people and discuss the following:
 * 1) What are you learning and how are you abiding in Christ through word, prayer, obedience, PCS, relationships and fellowship?
 * 2) What areas of your life is obeying God a challenge?
 * 3) What unresolved conflict do you have?
 * 4) What happened as you trusted God with your goals from our last meeting?

Celebration of Faithfulness (20 min) NOTE: Celebrate Faithfulness in the large group so that all can benefit and be encouraged. •	Give opportunity for participants to share what has happened since the last meeting. Ask them to relate it to goals they set from the last meeting. Iron on Iron: Sharpening Myself and Others (45 min) Proverbs 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, one man sharpens another.” •	Have everyone return to their Iron on Iron small groups, draw their network of missional communities and churches then share and evaluate with their group. 1.	What is going well? 2.	What is not going well? What obstacles are you facing? 3.	What are possible solutions from the other group members? 4.	What do you need to do to add the missing characteristics into each group? 5.	Where will you start a new group or church this month? •	Have everyone set goals for improvement from their evaluation and share their goals with their small group. Then have them pray for one another. New Lesson (45-60 min) Relevant Topic: Why is it important to select the right new leaders? What characteristics do you think are important for leaders to have?

•	Have participants get into new groups of 4-5 people (or they can continue in their Iron on Iron groups) •	In the following sections, each group assign verses to each participant. Each participant will then read the passages below and tell what they learned. Discovery Bible Study –Selection of Leaders Section 1: Jesus’ Selection of Leaders First encounter: John 1:35-51 Second call to follow Him: Mark 1:16-20; Luke 5:1-11 Final Selection: Luke 6:12-16; Mark 3:13-19 •	After they have all shared their assigned verses, have each person in the groups share: o	What caught your attention? (or What did you like best?) Why? o	How did Jesus discern that they were the right men and how did he develop them at each stage?

Summary: At first Jesus tested them with small request (come and see, stay with me today) but they did not follow him full-time. Jesus later tested their commitment at the seashore (use your boat, let down your nets by faith). They then began to spend uninterrupted time with Jesus. Finally, Jesus selected the 12 out of many disciples to develop as leaders.

Important Principles •	The 3/3 discipleship training process is a good way to give small assignments and see who is faithful. You can also begin allowing group members to begin leading parts of the 3/3 discipleship process. •	It is easier to take a faithful man and teach him skills than to take a skillful man and teach him faithfulness. •	The best leaders are developed on the job (accountability, practice and setting goals) •	As people prove faithful, give them more time and attention.

Section 2: Paul’s Selection of Leaders Context: Let’s look at Paul’s instructions to one of the leaders he developed named Titus. After Paul was released from prison at the end of Acts 28, he began his missionary work again. Along the way, he went to Crete and started several churches with Titus. After he left Crete, he wrote a letter back to Titus with instructions on choosing leaders from among the new believers for the new churches.

Appointed New Believers as Leaders: Acts 6:1-4; Acts 14:21-23 Characteristics to look for in New Believers: Titus 1:5-9; Acts 6:3 Unlikely Leaders: 1 Samuel 22:2; 1 Chronicles 11:10; 1 Chronicles 12:1; 1 Samuel 16:7 Fruits of Faithfulness: Matthew 21:28-31; Matthew 25:20-29; Philippians 2:19-22 •	After they have all shared their assigned verses, have each person in the groups share: o	What caught your attention? (or What did you like best?) Why? Summary: Have someone read Titus 1:10-12. Notice that these new converts in Crete came from an immoral, corrupt background. Even an ancient historian named Polybius wrote “it is almost impossible to find personal conduct more treacherous or public policy more unjust than in Crete.” In this context, Paul told Titus to appoint new leaders!

Paul told Titus to look for changing character over skill and to appoint multiple leaders for each church. The primary skill to look for was how they handled the Word. Young leaders are not perfect! But their lives are changing! Here is a story to illustrate (or use your own):

In one Asian country, Church planters are working to see a movement of churches in an unreached province of their country. There was a high school principal who came to faith. Before he became a believer he used to drink a lot and had many adulterous relationships. But Jesus radically changed his life and he began to witness to many people. He was able to start 7 new house churches and became an effective leader.

One day there was a leadership training in the city. After he finished, he was driving home on his motor bike and decided to spend the night in a small town along the way. He met a woman and slept with her. The next day he felt very bad because of his sin. He wept and wept. It took many weeks for his relationship with his wife to be fixed. And not only that, the new churches he was leading were impacted and he ended up losing most of them. But after several months of being restored, he began serving the Lord again and now has 20 new house churches in his network. He has proven to be an effective leader.

New leaders will make mistakes and some will need to be disciplined because of their sin. But so did the disciples and so did the young leaders that Paul appointed as elders.

Lesson Summary: Overall what should we look for •	Growing in character and is becoming a good example (Titus 1:5-9, 1 Peter 5:3) •	Skills and faithfulness are tested (Matthew 25:20-26) •	Full of the Holy Spirit and growing in Love (Acts 6:4; Colossians 1:3-4) •	Showing faithfulness to the Word (Titus 1:9, Hebrews 13:7) •	Selecting will take prayer and fasting (Luke 6:12) •	God will choose those that are unlikely because they are hungry and teachable (1 Samuel 22:2; 1 Chronicles 11:10; 12:1) •	What people can become may not be what they are now (Titus 1:12-13) •	Use the proving process of faithfulness and fruitfulness (3/3 discipleship); Faithful in a little, faithful in much (Matthew 25:21) •	Repeated faithfulness results in a person of proven worth – ex. Timothy in Philippians 2:22 •	Paul appointed more than one elder for each church (Acts 14:21-23)

Preparing for Mission (20 mins) •	In small groups, have each participant Evaluate their strengths and weaknesses in selecting leaders. Have them make a plan on how they can improve. o	Identify 2-3 possible leaders in your groups and state why you would select them o	If you struggle to identify leaders, what steps do you need to take to make progress? •	Write “I will by when” statements. Include “Who will you teach this lesson to?” •	Practice any additional skill that the leaders need in leading their groups or starting new ones Sending the Laborers •	Reinforce the overall vision: a church or faith community for every 1,000 people •	Spend time in Prayer: o	committing the goals that were set to the Lord o	for God to raise up a movement of churches o	for more laborers to come out of the harvest