I love being the pastor of Courageous Church. I mean it when I say I am having the absolute time of my life as our young community grows and labors to Love God, Love People, and Prove It!
It’s not easy though. I’ve made a ton of mistakes and we’re just now crossing the 6 month mark in our young history. One thing that has been consistently challenging for me is identifying and empowering leaders to lead. The five things that I really look for in leaders are the same as they were a year ago when we were planning to launch the church, but they are definitely not in the same order.
12 months ago, skill and experience were the most important things I was looking for in a leader. That was before I was a pastor. Now, out of the five things I am looking for, they are still on the list, but they are probably last to be honest with you.
Don’t get me wrong, I love people with skills doing what they do best. Experience in a similar area is overrated.
Here are the questions I ask now:
Is this person passionate about God and passionate about Courageous Church?
Does this person have potential demonstrated by a willingness to learn and grow?
Has this person demonstrated personal integrity in their relationships with others in and out of the church?
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If the person has passion, potential, and integrity, skill and experience just don’t mean as much to me. However, if the person has skills and experience, but lacks any combination of passion, potential, or integrity we are going to have problems.
Let’s be real – people don’t need experience in parking, to oversee parking. If they have passion, integrity, and potential, they will quickly learn what it takes.
People don’t need experience or skills as an usher somewhere to be a welcoming force in our church. Passion, integrity, and potential will cause them to learn what it takes very quickly.
Our church is embarking on some adventurous projects around Atlanta (and the world) and I’d love to have some people with the skills and experience to lead what we’re doing, but I am honestly looking for passion, integrity, and potential first.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Awesome!!!
This is awesome, Shaun! I believe these are the things God looks for in us, too, before He calls us into a ministry. He's allowed us to gain the experience and the skills, but the passion and potential and integrity are the things HE has placed in us. Way to go, young man! You've learned a lesson that takes some pastors and other leaders many years to figure out!
I am totally feeling you on this post. As a young church planter as well (18 months in) I have seen my wants/needs in a leader shift.
I need people that are passionate about people. Servers that are passionate about seeing others seek, find and really know God. If they have that heart and mind attitude and thought process the logistical side of to do things can be taught and learned.
Shaun, keep doing your thing dude. Myself and other pastors in the early stages of building God's church in our communities are walking along side you. As a young man (30 yrs old) I am encouraged to see another young man chasing God and being used to build His Church!
Blessings!