H03. Levels of Leadership – C
List of the Online Lessons: A B C D E F G H
H03. Levels of Leadership – C
In the previous two lessons, we have touched levels of leadership for the movement. L1 is a „diligent sower“ who brings people to Jesus. L2 leader is a „planter of small churches“ – he creates new communities with new believers. The L3 leader is „multiplier of these church planters.“ In addition to what L1 and L2 do, he trains other leaders and helps them to form new families of God with their new people, too. L4 is a „movement trainer.“ In addition to everything before, he motivates, prepares and supports the L3’s. The last one was L5 – strategic coordinator; he is interested in empty places, where nothing exists yet, or in population segments where the Gospel is not heard much.
We figured that if you are living with Jesus, you definitely could be an L1 who is winning others for the Lord. Most likely you can be an L2, as well. All you have to do is put together a small fellowship of new people around the Word and around living Jesus.
If someone is already doing this and wants to win more people for Jesus, watch out for burnout! If we are effectively reaching new believers, and new families of God are being formed around us, perhaps we can help other believers to do the same in addition to sowing and nurturing the church ourselves! That is, to reach other individuals for Jesus too, and to form new fellowships out of those new people.
Our own practice, our own fresh real-life stories are very important in this! Once we have actual stories from outside, we can inspire other believers around us and teach them particular tools so that they too would know how to reach others and create new churches with them.
In the beginning, we draw a relational map of our unbelieving friends. Now, write down the names of your believing acquaintances that you will pray for and whom you will gradually teach these tools for the first and second fields, and help them to become „level one leaders“ who lead others to Jesus.
If you have believers around you who are already L1’s, meaning they are winning others for Jesus, and probably already have new people around them, write their names down separately. If they have a few new people, maybe they can start a small fellowship – i.e. they can become L2’s! Teach them the tools in the 3rd and 4th fields. If you think about doing this for yourself, get in touch, we’d be happy to look for ways to help you.
Observing various ministries leads me to make this important note: In this process there is definitely a place for women – sisters!
Mrs. Priscilla (assisted by her husband Aquila) trains an upcoming missionary Apollos: „began speaking boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the way of God more accurately to him.“ (Acts 18:26) Priscilla seems to be the initiator here! She is named first. And Apollos, who was trained by Priscilla and Aquila, is then taken by Paul as his closest associate for several years on his missionary journeys.
Let me put it this way: Women are sometimes much more effective at winning people’s hearts for Jesus. And likewise, they are sometimes much more effective at creating healthy and functional fellowships! Lest there be any doubt about creating new churches – according to Colossians 4:15, Mrs. Nympha has a church in her home! There was a gathering at Lydia’s too: „Paul and Silas left the prison and entered the house of Lydia, and when they saw the brothers and sisters, they encouraged them and departed.“ (Acts 16:40) Brand new believers are gathering at Lydia’s!
I will say one more very important thing in conclusion to this subject: Leadership levels are not a ladder of success in ministry! It’s a tool for our understanding that each of us can function in different ways, at different levels. At the same time it’s a tool that points us to where we can continue to grow and how we can inspire others around us, so that we would really see a movement here in the near future for the glory of God and for the salvation of hundreds of thousands of people in our country…
Isaiah recalls: Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? I said, „Here I am, send me!“ (Isaiah 6:8)