Leaders day '18

What are Renewal Core Values? (And do we embody them?)

. Gospel
. Gospel Worship
. Gospel Transformation
. Gospel Community
. Gospel Spreading
. Gospel Mercy and Justice

Churches can fall into the trap of being gospel centered in name, but not in action. It may appear on the website, but the church isn't driven by the gospel. What we are seeking is a Gospel centered culture. And who drives culture? Leaders.

Gospel-centered Leadership

. Humble Confidence

Confidence without humility is oppressive to those not leading. The leader knows everything and imply there is only one way to do it. Humility by itself is always focused on their own failings. They are always listening to others. But gospel leaders are called to walk a middle ground with both confidence in Christ and humility in their personal abilities (1 Cor 15:9-10).

. Invites Critique

As we pour out in ministry, the last thing we want to hear is criticism. But we are sinners with blindspots, so should welcome critique. Leaders should be quick to listen. And not only that, but even badly given critiques should be humbly considered. We should not discard it based purely on the packaging.

. No "Game Face"

With positions and titles in the church, there are those who will serve but don't want the title. We don't want the expectations. There are standards for these positions. There is always a gap between the standard and our lives. This gap will always exist. The problem does not lie in the gap, but in our comfort with this gap. We become comfortable with the gap between our personal lives and the responsibility of our position. This is spiritually perilous.

What does this peril look like? We don't shared our weaknesses or struggles. We only share "safe" things. The leaders teach those under them to hide their sin.

So what should it look like? We should share our failures. We don't minimize the sin. But we don't hide it. We put a spotlight on it and ask for prayer. When we do this, we highlight the greatness of Jesus. We don't glorify ourselves, but our God.

. Restfully Ambitious

We aren't always busy working. But we also don't want to completely lose any ambition for God's kingdom. We need both motivating and moderating grace. We need grace to fire us up and also grace to cool us down. We need to both serve and rest in the church.

What does it look like when it goes wrong? We start to get our sense of identity from what we do. We are workaholics in ministry or some other area of our life. We can't rest properly. Or we can't say no to people who ask for help. We may have savior complex. (Psalm 127:1-2)

One possible application may be to take a media fast daily. Don't use your phone first thing in the morning and the last thing at night. Bring your fears to God. Find a quiet time for God.

. They marinate in the Gospel

When fears come up, they preach the gospel to themselves. When self centeredness comes up, they consider what God is concerned with. When we peel back the layers, people should find the gospel. Regardless of the ministry, when people encounter us, they should find the gospel at the very heart of those who lead. It should be found in our speech, our actions, in our personal lives.